Ion Golden Wood Boar/Porcupine Paddle Brush

I am a boar bristle brush fanatic and Amazon has typically been my spot to purchase and try new boar bristle brushes. The Ion Golden is one of my favorites. It's huge. It's not too stiff nor too soft. If you slowly stroke your scalp with it it provides a tingly, warm, and healthy feel. When you run it through your hair the boar bristles DO effectively disperse oils lightly and evenly along the length of your hair; which if you are a long hair enthusiast that's what you want... you want your own scalp oils evenly distributed along the length of the hair shaft to keep it soft and conditioned. That's why your grandmother always said to brush 100 strokes every night. : ) Your grandmother wasn't using a plastic brush - she was using a boar bristle brush, but I digress... Reviewed against other comparable boar/porcupine brushes that I've ordered on Amazon (Ion Golden on the far right) this brush is MEDIUM in stiffness, the GranNaturals (second from the left) being by far the stiffest. If you have a sensitive head please run screaming from the GranNaturals. It is definitely stiffer than the Schone (second from the right) but not quite as stiff as the spornette (furthest to the right) which isn't as large as the other brushes but is by far my favorite! Next, the Ion has MEDIUM density bristles in comparison with the GranNaturals and the spornette. The Schone is far less dense than them all. The Ion is certainty BIG and I like that cause I have a lot of hair. Now, let me tell you more about my head. I am not "tender scalped" but I'm also not made of steel. My scalp sensitivity is about average so this brush works for me. Next, I have a LOT of thin in diameter yet ridiculously dense hair. Sometimes I feel like Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers except my hair is straight with slight waves. That being said it is easy for brushes to become hopelessly stuck in my hair. If this happens to you too I believe that the Ion would be a great brush for you because of its big daddy size (the smaller the brush the more likely your hair will take it hostage), its medium density (the more dense the brush the less likely you'll be able to pull it through your hair - I can barely pull the GranNaturals through my hair, I just use it for my scalp), and the heaviness of the brush. This brush has got some weight to it. It's wood. I would not call this my grooming getting ready to go to work brush unless I had plans to wear my hair completely down because its medium density won't allow me to slick my hair back or pull it into a tight enough ponytail (its great for loose ponytails). But this brush is great for loose styles, grooming for wearing your hair down, and most importantly for me grooming for hair health (scalp massage and oil distribution). Cheers!

I purchased one of these brushes in the mid 1990’s and had the same brush since because it was the only brush that I ever wanted to use, I would loan it to friends and they told me the same thing. Mine has lost a third of its bristles after all these years and a piece broke so I wondered if I would find it on Amazon as I have never seen it again in a store. Sure enough it was there, I ordered 5 and may order more to give as gifts.

Like many other reviewers here, I have long, thick hair and have had trouble finding a good hairbrush. This thing is wonderful! It gets all the way to my scalp, and it removes tangles like magic. I am buying a second one to keep in my suitcase. I only with they had a similar smaller version for styling.

Very painful to use and ineffectiveThe bristles are very weak and don’t brush through hair very well and the tips are not rounded so it feels like you are scraping your scalp. Out of a family of 4 this brush will never get used. Too painful

Everyone who has ever borrowed it, always comments what a fantastic hair brush this is.The bristled part evenly distributes hair oils while the plastic brush bristles feel great and work through knotty parts (*without those weird plastic end nubs that always tangle my hair!) I have"Rapunzzelesq" hair and this helped me get healthy hair while keeping the length going!!

I really like this brush and this was the second time I purchased it. I have very long hair and the boar bristles on this brush make my hair shinier and fuller than brushes with 100% plastic bristles. My only complaint is that it is very hard to clean. A lot of dust would settle in between the bristles of the brush and since the bristles were very close together the dust would get stuck in between them. I tried various cleaning methods but was never able to 100% remove the dust from between the bristles.

I've now purchased three of these, I love them that much.The best and most versatile brush I've ever had the pleasure to use. One of mine is over two years old and it performs and looks like new. Quality construction and materials, highly recommend!

I like boar bristle brushes but they never get out the tangly bits caused by my fine hair. Nylon bristles pull out my hair and do nothing to distribute natural oils. This brush is the best of both without the annoying balls on top of the nylon. YES, it is a bit more scratchy (especially when new) but with use the nylon softens and gives you the best well rounded hair brush!