This thread reminded me that I have a Mistura. I used it yesterday for the first time in maybe a year. It's a very fine brush indeed. It's difficult to describe exactly how it feels - almost like a mixture of badger and boar. I'll have to give it more attention.
Semogue SOC Mistura | Your Impressions & Mine
- Thread starter Chan Eil Whiskers
- Start date
You know an SHD LE, or a SHD SOC might be interesting for folks that like that kind of thing. But Semogue brushes work as is. I'd hate to see them goof up their brushes by needlessly stuffing more hair in them and then charging more. There's a million places to get a super fatted brush. Plenty of folks out here that don't care to argue with the brush about who gets the lather or care to over feed a super-sized hairball so the brush will share a wee bit of the soap with your face.
That would be like asking MdC or La Toja to make their soaps super fatted. lawdy there's enough of that too.
- Thread starter
- #43
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Super fatted brush...I love it.
Great terminology. To me the Semogue SOC Mistura, aside from being a little smaller than the 26mm version of it which doesn't exist but should, is just about perfect.
It's not too dense. It loads and lathers amazingly easily and well. It builds lather on my face in an almost magical manner. It rinses easily and well. Splayed, it feels great.
Mine's not fully broken in yet, so I'm not willing to go beyond "just about perfect" until I know more about it.
I've certainly used brushes which weren't dense enough. The SOC Mistura isn't one of them. I've also used brushes which were in my view of them too dense.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Is there a difference between the Mistura and the Carvella?
As far as I know, Semogue Caravela was a limited edition brush for a Spanish forum (I think only 100 or so made..) in 2011, which had a 24 mm mixed (ie mistura) knot (50:50 badger/ boar).
It was very popular, and well liked.
Semogue has had several mixed (mistura) brushes since, with 50:50 badger/ boar knots between 22-26 mm, and various lofts, and some of them have been described as having a knot similar to the one in the original Caravela brush.
Including SOC Mistura brush (with several wood or resin handles), and, more recently, Torga C5 Mistura.
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They actually made a 26 mm version last year: 2019 Barbear Classico LE.
Same 50:50 mixed knot, with a barrel shaped cherry wood handle.
Now sold out, though...
2019 Barbear Classico Limited Edition – Vintage Scent
vintagescent.com
Agree that SOC Mistura is ”just about perfect”, it’s one of my top 3 brushes.
- Thread starter
- #48
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
They actually made a 26 mm version last year: 2019 Barbear Classico LE.
Same 50:50 mixed knot, with a barrel shaped cherry wood handle.
Now sold out, though...
2019 Barbear Classico Limited Edition – Vintage Scent
Agree that SOC Mistura is ”just about perfect”, it’s one of my top 3 brushes.
Don't rub it in...I should have bought one when they had 'em. I don't like the look of the handle and that's my only excuse.
They actually made a 26 mm version last year: 2019 Barbear Classico LE.
Same 50:50 mixed knot, with a barrel shaped cherry wood handle.
Now sold out, though...
2019 Barbear Classico Limited Edition – Vintage Scent
Agree that SOC Mistura is ”just about perfect”, it’s one of my top 3 brushes.
Italian barber had also teamed up with Semogue to recreate the Caravela, but it was labeled as “Amici” on the bottom of the handle, Still came with the same handle and of course the Semogue sticker.
Figured I should add my Mistura “impressions” here as well as in my earlier mixed knot vs badger thread - Badger lover considering a badger/boar mix - Survivable? Sacrilege? - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/badger-lover-considering-a-badger-boar-mix-survivable-sacrilege.589056/ So,
With a tip of the hat to @Chan Eil Whiskers (Jim) whose Mistura and mine were in a race to our US shores, and who posted a very good review about these above,
I figured it was time to add my two cents after a number of additional Mistura shaves.
To answer my own Q from my thread title referenced
- the mix knot is clearly survivable and, in fact, is a pleasure to use. Very nice backbone, little bit of good scritch, nice splay and soft feeling lather-efficient tips. Color me pleasantly surprised at the knot.
I probably diverge a bit from Jim’s view on the ergonomics of the handle which he apparently likes. Perhaps I’ve spent too many years with large brushes like the M7s and xxl Zenith Manchurian copper to fully grasp (pun intended) any particular ergonomic love for the handle. Usable? Yes. Lovable? YMMV.
When I’ve gone smaller happily there has usually been a tactile aid (think Rooney Beehive) that afforded me a comfortable, secure grip. While I love the look of the SOC Butterscotch Mistura I still struggle with its handle size and slickness - actually slipped right out of my hand today but thankfully landed softly, whew.
Overall, I think the superb knot is worth the price of admission on this one and for many the handle will pose no issues. I for one plan to keep using it and hope, as my wife might say, that I “just get a grip”
In sum, 1)brush - beautiful; 2)knot - excellent; 3)butterscotch resin handle - you decide.
Cheers
UPDATE 7-27: additional time/use is winning me over rather completely.
- knot - an amazing lather machine, both building and releasing, as it worked thru some old AoS Sandalwood tallow today;
- handle - getting the hang of it, lot more comfortable and did NOT fly out of hand today Growing on me with each use.
With a tip of the hat to @Chan Eil Whiskers (Jim) whose Mistura and mine were in a race to our US shores, and who posted a very good review about these above,
I figured it was time to add my two cents after a number of additional Mistura shaves.
To answer my own Q from my thread title referenced
- the mix knot is clearly survivable and, in fact, is a pleasure to use. Very nice backbone, little bit of good scritch, nice splay and soft feeling lather-efficient tips. Color me pleasantly surprised at the knot.
I probably diverge a bit from Jim’s view on the ergonomics of the handle which he apparently likes. Perhaps I’ve spent too many years with large brushes like the M7s and xxl Zenith Manchurian copper to fully grasp (pun intended) any particular ergonomic love for the handle. Usable? Yes. Lovable? YMMV.
When I’ve gone smaller happily there has usually been a tactile aid (think Rooney Beehive) that afforded me a comfortable, secure grip. While I love the look of the SOC Butterscotch Mistura I still struggle with its handle size and slickness - actually slipped right out of my hand today but thankfully landed softly, whew.
Overall, I think the superb knot is worth the price of admission on this one and for many the handle will pose no issues. I for one plan to keep using it and hope, as my wife might say, that I “just get a grip”
In sum, 1)brush - beautiful; 2)knot - excellent; 3)butterscotch resin handle - you decide.
Cheers
UPDATE 7-27: additional time/use is winning me over rather completely.
- knot - an amazing lather machine, both building and releasing, as it worked thru some old AoS Sandalwood tallow today;
- handle - getting the hang of it, lot more comfortable and did NOT fly out of hand today
Growing on me with each use.- Thread starter
- #51
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
I have not found one recently. Are they available anywhere?
I believe that was a RazoRock Limited Edition brush in 2013, so I imagine only potentially available on a BST nowadays, unfortunately....
There were quite a few limited edition brushes in 2012-2013 with the mixed Semogue knot.
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- Thread starter
- #53
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Jim, I follow your brush reviews / impressions and this is high praise coming from you. Mine is arriving tomorrow
.- Thread starter
- #55
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Jim, I follow your brush reviews / impressions and this is high praise coming from you. Mine is arriving tomorrow
I think you're going to like it. I'll be interested in hearing your impressions.
Happy shaves,
Jim
- Thread starter
- #56
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Wow! It keeps getting better...
That one was smaller than the BC 2019 LE, which had a 26 massive mixture knot and large barrel handle, made specially for that brush, which was inspired by the smaller Semogue classic model, the 1993, which was typically sold here in Portugal in drugstores.
That one was smaller than the BC 2019 LE, which had a 26 massive mixture knot and large barrel handle, made specially for that brush, which was inspired by the smaller Semogue classic model, the 1993, which was typically sold here in Portugal in drugstores.
Im referring to this one. Here is a photo of the “Amici”. It looks identical to the Caravela. There were 100 of them made. This one is mine... # 79 of 100.
I had my first shave with the brush. It arrived yesterday and I soaked the bristles for 15 minutes in warm water and dish soap, rinsed, lathered it up and let it sit over night. The boar / badger hair funk was present, but on the mild side when wet out of the box. When I rinsed it off in the morning the smell was mostly gone and I was ready to use it.
I love this brush. I'm a freak of shaving because I'm finding I prefer boar over badger, although I only have two badgers like (Berkeley 46 and Colonel). Maybe it's the Simpson faux ivory handle - it seems kind of lifeless to me (YMMV). This brush combines the best of both worlds and I love the look of the butterscotch handle.
My only quibble would be that the butterscotch handle seems just slightly narrower than the Cherry SOC handle on my boar. I'm not sure if I'm imagining that. Either way, this is a great brush and I'm sure it will only get better as I break it in.
Yes, I know, that's a 24, smaller than the 26 2019 LE.
I guess that's just your imagination
