I notice here that sometimes things are slow to change. Products get an established reputation from years ago and people who are quite respected here will praise their, oh say Semogue brush, they got 5 years ago. Loyalty is great but at some point things need to be seen for what they are, at this time, in the present. The fact is I see more complaints, more quality issues, more problems with Semogue brushes than any other brush. I have said from the start my experience is that they are very inconsistent, esp the knot quality on their boar knots. Now it even appears overall build quality and quality control are lacking as well. Its important to remember, and obvious to me, that the Semogue you got a few years ago, is a far cry from the ones being sold today. People buy them based off of this mythic image largely derived from the past and often end up disappointed. If something with Semogue doesn't change I would never buy one of their brushes again and with all the issues I see people having with new ones I could never in good conscience recommend them to anyone/ Justm y thoughts and opinion, maybe even rant for the day.