I did this with the BC line when they came out. Got a Mistura, loved it so much went back and ordered one of each.
Torga C3
- Thread starter old_school
- Start date
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Just reread for no good reason this thread.
I have three mixed knot brushes and have now used all three enough to feel I know them fairly well.
My first was the Omega Mixed Midget. Many people have commented on what a lather monster the brush is and I agree. It hits way beyond its size when you're talking loading and lathering; in my view it's in a league of its own for a brush anywhere near its size.
Unfortunately, it's also very very prickly. The bad scrub in my experience doesn't go away. I can stand using it and even enjoy using it on occasion, but mostly it's not a knot I like much. Besides all that, it's tiny and I like large brushes. It's also too expensive in my opinion for what it is.
Several months ago I built this ^ brush. It's a 26mm Maggard 70/30 knot in an old beehive handle. Anyway it's been a most interesting brush for me so far. In a way I've always loved the delicious scrub the knot provides, but coupled with that has been a large amount of bad scritch. After using the brush about thirty times I took it out of my rotation and did an offline break in process. That process took perhaps two months (guessing), but finally I think the brush is sufficiently broken in to go back in my rotation.
At this point it's a brush I enjoy using, but after the shave I find my skin just a little bit overdone feeling meaning the brush might still be a tad harsh (even though it doesn't feel harsh in use). I would not consider this a knot I'd want to use every day, but it's fine once in a while. Actually it's more than fine as the knot is still rather delicious feeling in its scrub.
Will it continue to improve? I think so, but time will tell. It's also possible the knot will become less harsh and also lose its great scrub. I don't know.
It's a popular knot and I can see why, but I am not likely to buy another of these too difficult knots. The knot is also not any beauty and is not the most symmetrical of all knots. I wouldn't call it a shedder, but it's lost a lot of bristles.
The Semogue SOC Mistura is a brush I like so much I started a thread on it. It may be the best straight out of the box brush I've purchased and is certainly a contender for that title. My only issue is the knot size. I'd prefer 26mm, but it's not a particularly small 24mm brush. It didn't seem to me to need any breaking in to be an excellent brush. It will be interesting to see how it changes over time, but I like it a lot so far.
Will I buy a Torga? If so, it will be a C5, but I'm on the fence about the handle. Is the handle too small?
I consider the handles of these little Zenith boars. The handles are very small. To me they feel more like knobs than handles. That sounds like I'm putting 'em down but nothing could be further from the truth. They are delightful handles to use! Perfect handles in a knobby way. I always feel delighted and surprised when using these perfect little wooden handles.
However, many small handles don't suit me at all.
Do I know why? No, not even as a tentative guess.
It's not like I need any more brushes nor am I in any hurry to acquire more brushes or even try them out, but I'm kinda sorta still considering a C5 either in the Mistura or the finest. I've not used the Semogue finest at all and know little about it but what I've read sounds good.
There is some very impressive enabling within this thread!
Happy shaves,
Jim
I have three mixed knot brushes and have now used all three enough to feel I know them fairly well.
My first was the Omega Mixed Midget. Many people have commented on what a lather monster the brush is and I agree. It hits way beyond its size when you're talking loading and lathering; in my view it's in a league of its own for a brush anywhere near its size.
Unfortunately, it's also very very prickly. The bad scrub in my experience doesn't go away. I can stand using it and even enjoy using it on occasion, but mostly it's not a knot I like much. Besides all that, it's tiny and I like large brushes. It's also too expensive in my opinion for what it is.
Several months ago I built this ^ brush. It's a 26mm Maggard 70/30 knot in an old beehive handle. Anyway it's been a most interesting brush for me so far. In a way I've always loved the delicious scrub the knot provides, but coupled with that has been a large amount of bad scritch. After using the brush about thirty times I took it out of my rotation and did an offline break in process. That process took perhaps two months (guessing), but finally I think the brush is sufficiently broken in to go back in my rotation.
At this point it's a brush I enjoy using, but after the shave I find my skin just a little bit overdone feeling meaning the brush might still be a tad harsh (even though it doesn't feel harsh in use). I would not consider this a knot I'd want to use every day, but it's fine once in a while. Actually it's more than fine as the knot is still rather delicious feeling in its scrub.
Will it continue to improve? I think so, but time will tell. It's also possible the knot will become less harsh and also lose its great scrub. I don't know.
It's a popular knot and I can see why, but I am not likely to buy another of these too difficult knots. The knot is also not any beauty and is not the most symmetrical of all knots. I wouldn't call it a shedder, but it's lost a lot of bristles.
The Semogue SOC Mistura is a brush I like so much I started a thread on it. It may be the best straight out of the box brush I've purchased and is certainly a contender for that title. My only issue is the knot size. I'd prefer 26mm, but it's not a particularly small 24mm brush. It didn't seem to me to need any breaking in to be an excellent brush. It will be interesting to see how it changes over time, but I like it a lot so far.
Will I buy a Torga? If so, it will be a C5, but I'm on the fence about the handle. Is the handle too small?
I consider the handles of these little Zenith boars. The handles are very small. To me they feel more like knobs than handles. That sounds like I'm putting 'em down but nothing could be further from the truth. They are delightful handles to use! Perfect handles in a knobby way. I always feel delighted and surprised when using these perfect little wooden handles.
However, many small handles don't suit me at all.
Do I know why? No, not even as a tentative guess.
It's not like I need any more brushes nor am I in any hurry to acquire more brushes or even try them out, but I'm kinda sorta still considering a C5 either in the Mistura or the finest. I've not used the Semogue finest at all and know little about it but what I've read sounds good.
There is some very impressive enabling within this thread!
Happy shaves,
Jim
Thanks. Decided to go with the Extra IT as my boar purchase. Ultimately, I wanted the shorter loft but really didn't like the 610 handle dimensions. And I haven't gotten to a point yet where I think I could appreciate the Mistura.
I understand, if I'm seeing only the specs the 610/620 handle is short. But the thing is, the handle has those dimples that fit the fingers perfectly (for me). It's not an handle that you use your whole hand. You should use, mostly, the "tips" of your fingers.
Even though I love that handle, the Torga-C3 Cerda Extra IT it's still my favorite brush.
But, thanks to you, I remembered to take my misturas out and will be using them in the next few weeks.
Even though I love that handle, the Torga-C3 Cerda Extra IT it's still my favorite brush.
But, thanks to you, I remembered to take my misturas out and will be using them in the next few weeks.
Looking good! How do these compare to the SOC versions?
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