I've felt a boar brush, but at the end of the day, this is exactly the brush I was looking for. The price is reasonable for the quality. The brush is solid in its construction, retains a surprising amount of water, and maintains heat well. We bought the S1 stand to go with it and I couldn't be more pleased. I opted not to do any break-in methods using soaps, special soaks, vinegar, etc. There is not a pungent smell. . . just a faint muskiness that is not offensive.
