Semogue Owners Club, 2-band Finest Badger

Wow. Semogue has really done it again. This brush is as close to perfect as I could ask for. The tip softness is perhaps a point less than the '10 LE, and the backbone a point more. I think this is pretty much just the difference between high quality Silvertip and two-band Finest hair. Otherwise, this is every bit the well-made brush that the '10 LE is. It forgoes the acrylic handle for the magnificently-shaped SOC handle, in a new cherry wood (vs Ash in the previous, boar-only SOC). The price is in the upper middle range, but this brush is worth it. It's a face-latherer's dream brush, with ample backbone and density but softness and flow-through. My number one badger now, barely edging out the '10 LE thanks to the handle and slightly scrubbier hair.

Brush data:
Weight 52.8 gram
Knot 24.3 mm 2-band Finest Badger
Loft 51.7 mm
Handle 60.5 mm cherry wood
Total height 112.2 mm

Handle is turned by hand and the knot is also handmade by Semogue.

This is a great brush at a good value.
First out of the box, or rather tube, the impression is good; a very nice cherry wood handle with engraved “Semogue Owners Club” logo.
The 2-band knot also looks very nice with the light top and it feels quite dense.
Personally I like this handles design, it is beautiful, and I like it is made so the grains in the wood is presented to the user.
The size of the handle fits perfectly in my hand, and the design makes it possible to grip the handle in more ways without it feeling awkward.

As mentioned the knot is nicely filled and dense which gives it a good backbone. 15-20 seconds swirling on a hard soap loaded the brush up enough to create lather for 5-6 passes.
The tips are soft (I'm a great supporter of soft tips); surprisingly they are softer than my Shavemac D01 Silvertip.
Compared to my other Silvertips it is slightly pricklier as would be expected from a Finest Badger, but no way near a point where I feel it is uncomfortable (like Pure Badger) in fact I am positively surprised of how soft they are.

Looking at the data, an almost 52 mm loft seemed as maximum to me, but the knot is so dense, that it doesn’t feel that high, and the brush definitely don’t have any problems lathering up – it is almost as it is saying: “Bring it on! Give me your best shot!” and no matter what I have been throwing at it, it lathers up so easily.

I have been face lathering with T&H Sandalwood Shaving Cream and La Toja Shave Stick and bowl lathering with D.R. Harris Marlborough Soap, Mitchell’s Wool Fat Soap, Taylor of Old Bond Street Lemon & Lime Cream and Nanny’s Lemony Lime Shaving Soap and I got great thick lather from all products.

Up until this moment, my favourite badger brush has been a tie between an Edwin Jagger Silvertip (large) and the Semogue 2010LE Silvertip, but I must say that they have been overtaken by this brush.

To give an impression of the backbone, I have let a 400 gram hammer rest on the handle, pressing the knot down of four brushes.
As can be seen, the two Semogues show a little more backbone than the Shavemac and noticeably more than the AoS Fine Badger.

At €65 I think this brush is good value for money. It is €10 lower than the 2040HD which I also got, but the density and backbone of this knot is just better, making this brush a very good all-rounder no matter your preferences; face lathering, bowl lathering, creams or hard soaps.