I bought this brush on a lark, actually to bump my order up to free shipping level at Amazon.com, and I'm glad I did. I have been using an Omega boar for the last year or so, so that is what I am comparing this brush to. The Escali is softer overall out of the box than my boar is after a year, however the tips of the boar are much softer, probably because the Escali is trimmed to shape. This trimming give it a slight "prickly" sensation when you bear down on the brush, but I do not find it objectionable. It whips up a lather more quickly and with less effort than the boar (using a Williams puck), but it also seems to want to eat that lather when you face lather rather than paintbrush it. I assume this will change with use. The knot and handle are small and work well with my small soap dish. I have large hands, but the handle is more than adequate. Construction is ok--a little glue glopped on the handle in places, but the knot seems thick. The smell...well, it's not as "wet-critter-in-your-face" as a new boar, but it makes up for it with its subtly persistent, acrid character. I hope it passes quickly. Right now the lilac vegetal is overpowering the badger butt, so that's a good sign. Bottom line: I like the lather of the badger better, but prefer the feel of a broken in boar. The Escali will be my express brush while the boar will reign in more sedate settings. Here is a photo for size comparison: Attachment 58158