Mixed Knots

[Keyvan]

Hi all,

I had a question pertaining to mixed badger/boar knots. I know that the small Omega mixed knot generally gets good reviews. I am a bit more interested in the Semogue OC badger/ boar mix.

I am wondering if there is a risk that the boar hair will break in, but the Badger will always have some scritch? I have been breaking in the Boar SOC for 4 months. It has become unbelievably soft and no longer eats lather. I really like the aesthetics and function of the brush.

In general, what is the benefit of adding 2-band badger hair to a boar brush? Does the face-feel, backbone or lather quality improve? Is there a downside with mixed badger/boar in general and the mixed SOC in particular.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[Pedigree]

More backbone and scrubb and great all around for hard soaps. I had one (a Vulfix Grosvenor 404) and really liked it. Now I just use strictly badger.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I have two Mistura brushes, both SOC. I have the Taj and the Butterscotch handles. I brought these two brushes with me when we traveled to Bali for dental work last August, 2022. They are very fine brushes. I haven't noticed any degradation in the face feel I get with either of them, after extensive use.

We are headed back for the final dental work in April through the middle of May in just a few months now. I might bring them along again.

 

[Keyvan]

Thank you both for your input and I hope you enjoy your trip despite the dental
work.

 

[Leverspro]

The Semogue mistura is a very good brush, and easy to use. My opinion on mixed is that if you have badger, the mixed is a way to make the brush a bit better. If you have boar, the mixed is a way to make the brush a bit worse. So, you can see where my preferences lie.

 

[StuMcB]

Another here for the Vulfix 404. Bloomin superb. Seem quite hard to find these days .

 

[Cal]

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Here's 25 pages of reading for you on this thread :

Semogue SOC Mistura | Your Impressions & Mine​

 

[ChriWilson]

SOC Mistura is simply a fantastic brush, as is their Torga.
I have zero issues with mine.

 

[Multum in parvo]

The small Omega is Scritch Master 1 and really an acquired taste, the SOC starts good and becomes great. It’s really the Goldilocks of what Semogue has available.

Mixed = Mistura/ 2Band / Boar

 

[Keyvan]

I have a Yaqi 2-band which I like, but do not use very much. It is supposed to be 26 mm, but actually blooms to a monstrous size. It kind of feels like memory foam on my face. It has backbone, but the backbone feels like the resistance that you would get from pressing down on a cushion. The thing that sets this apart from my other brushes is its softness and ability to retain heat.

My brush with the greatest amount of backbone is the Omega Jade. After 4 months that one is still breaking in, but was very usable from day two. That's a very nice brush, but it is not as ergonomic as the SOC.

I don't know if I can justify buying the Mistura, but I have been looking at the one with the Taj resin handle. I love the softness, of the Cherry Handles SOC, but the aesthetics and the ergonomics are what really set it apart. The weight distribution is perfect. If the Taj Handled SOC Mistura has a similar overall weight and weight distribution to the wood handled SOC, I might eventually get that. Otherwise, maybe I will get the Ashwood handled one.

 

[pwill112]

I absolutely love my mistura. It competes with my brushes that cost a lot more.

 

[Leverspro]

I have a Yaqi 2-band which I like, but do not use very much. It is supposed to be 26 mm, but actually blooms to a monstrous size. It kind of feels like memory foam on my face. It has backbone, but the backbone feels like the resistance that you would get from pressing down on a cushion. The thing that sets this apart from my other brushes is its softness and ability to retain heat.

My brush with the greatest amount of backbone is the Omega Jade. After 4 months that one is still breaking in, but was very usable from day two. That's a very nice brush, but it is not as ergonomic as the SOC.

I don't know if I can justify buying the Mistura, but I have been looking at the one with the Taj resin handle. I love the softness, of the Cherry Handles SOC, but the aesthetics and the ergonomics are what really set it apart. The weight distribution is perfect. If the Taj Handled SOC Mistura has a similar overall weight and weight distribution to the wood handled SOC, I might eventually get that. Otherwise, maybe I will get the Ashwood handled one.

The resin handles are heavier than the wood.

 

[Multum in parvo]

The resin handles are heavier than the wood.

+1

I use the resin ones mostly with a bowl and the lighter Cherry for face lathering.

 

[NorthernSoul]

More backbone with the Mistura. The cherry SOC Mistura was my choice over the SOC boar. The badger hair seems to stabilize the boar hair so it does not get too floppy over time.

I also chose the C5 Torga boar over the SOC boar. It has shorter loft, but very similar hair. The shorter loft stops it from getting all floppy and blooming out of control.

I've been happy with both the SOC Mistura and the C5 Torga boar. I've also got the cherry SOC Two-band badger which is quite a nice brush, too.

 

[ChriWilson]

The resin handles are heavier than the wood.

In addition, the wooden handles are slightly smaller in diameter than the resins.
I have sturdy plastic tubing that I use for travel and the latter will not fit.

 

[Keyvan]

Thank you all for your help. I ordered the SOC Mistura Taj Resin to go along with the Cherry handled SOC Boar. If I had planned things out, I may have gone with the Taj Boar and the Cherry Mistura, but I am definitely looking forward to trying the Mistura. Hopefully, it will be more than the sum of its parts!

 

[Keyvan]

I got my Taj Mistura and washed it today. The brush had absolutely no odor. I expected a certain amount of roughness or scritch from the boar hairs during the break-in period. Surprisingly, the brush, which has a significant amount of backbone, has no scritch or roughness.

Other than the unusual amount of backbone, I would say that the face feel is more like that of a badger brush than a boar brush. However, taking the backbone into account, the face feel is completely unique. I am very happy with it.

It would be nice to understand how Semogue is avoiding the initial roughness with the boar hair. The SOC boar definitely requires breaking in before the tips become soft.