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New brush, but which one (a good synth or a Silvertip badger)

If you want a badger my suggestion would be a Zenith Silvertip it would be in your price range.

I have owned a couple of synthetics I know a T3 is bigger than you wanted but it splays easily.

If you are getting the T3 buy it off of Amazon.

There is a Zenith distributor in Spain

The Zenith Manchurian would not fit your requirements.

Doug
 
I did some more research based on your suggestions. I might want to try a badger after all. The Semogues look good, but I'm wondering if a 22mm knot with 55mm loft is floppy?
The Zenith Silvertips seem to be 27mm/55mm, which seems a good ratio, I like their handles too. But 27mm? will it not be huge and/or require double the amount of product?
 
I did some more research based on your suggestions. I might want to try a badger after all. The Semogues look good, but I'm wondering if a 22mm knot with 55mm loft is floppy?
The Zenith Silvertips seem to be 27mm/55mm, which seems a good ratio, I like their handles too. But 27mm? will it not be huge and/or require double the amount of product?
Compared with many silvertips, the 1250 HD is not at all floppy. Some silvertips are like a mop, this one isn't like that. If you want something firmer, get the SOC badger (a two-band). But it will not be as soft, it will have some scrub. Still an excellent brush, though.

I would get the SOC badger if you use a lot of hard milled soaps. The 2015 HD would be most suited for soft soaps or creams.

The Zeniths will be very large for face lathering. They will require a lot more product. This is inevitable when you go large. Some people don't mind, and like the really large brushes.

Don't miss the fact that the 2015 HD will make great lather and release it easily. This is the main thing you want. A larger brush tends to hold on to more of the lather.
 
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Compared with many silvertips, the 1250 HD is not at all floppy. Some silvertips are like a mop, this one isn't like that. If you want something firmer, get the SOC badger (a two-band). But it will not be as soft, it will have some scrub. Still an excellent brush, though.

I would get the SOC badger if you use a lot of hard milled soaps. The 2015 HD would be most suited for soft soaps or creams.

The Zeniths will be very large for face lathering. They will require a lot more product. This is inevitable when you go large. Some people don't mind, and like the really large brushes.

Don't miss the fact that the 2015 HD will make great lather and release it easily. This is the main thing you want. A larger brush tends to hold on to more of the lather.

Thanks, good to hear. The SOCs look great too.

I use creams. The hardest "soap" I have is a Speick puck which is a croap really.
 
Thanks, good to hear. The SOCs look great too.

I use creams. The hardest "soap" I have is a Speick puck which is a croap really.
I really like the SOC badger (two-band), but then I use mostly hard milled soaps and like scrubby brushes. The SOC will work for every type of soap or cream. However, it won't be as soft as the 2015 HD or 730 HD (acrylic handle version). The longer loft (~55mm) on those matches up with the soft feeling. The knot is a bit tall, but not excessively so, IMHO. Semogue is making a good quality silvertip for the money.
 
I really like the SOC badger (two-band), but then I use mostly hard milled soaps and like scrubby brushes. The SOC will work for every type of soap or cream. However, it won't be as soft as the 2015 HD or 730 HD (acrylic handle version). The longer loft (~55mm) on those matches up with the soft feeling. The knot is a bit tall, but not excessively so, IMHO. Semogue is making a good quality silvertip for the money.

do all their silvertip HDs have the same knot?
 
do all their silvertip HDs have the same knot?
There is a shorter loft brush, the C5 Torga with ~50mm loft. I have this one in boar hair. I think the silvertip version is more expensive than the 2015 HD.

You could contact the shop called Vintage Scent in Portugal. They are very familiar with the Semogue line.

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There is a shorter loft brush, the C5 Torga with ~50mm loft. I have this one in boar hair. I think the silvertip version is more expensive than the 2015 HD.

You could contact the shop called Vintage Scent in Portugal. They are very familiar with the Semogue line.

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according to the website the torga and the new 2040 are both 24mm-s with 50 and 55mm loft respectively. Although the "contact" page is empty for me, strange.
 
according to the website the torga and the new 2040 are both 24mm-s with 50 and 55mm loft respectively. Although the "contact" page is empty for me, strange.

Maybe try them on Facebook. Have not chatted with them recently.

 
I have contacted a local seller, if he can source the 730/2015/2040 HD for me in Silvertip. He said that Semogue changed their lineup, and with the new Hereditas line, these aren't silvertips anymore, they are all "finest" grades. The old Excelsior line cannot be ordered anymore, thus Semogue discontinued their silvertip line, only some old stock remains at some sellers, but it isn't guaranteed that it will be the old one. (Tabak dejavu...)

With this in mind, I browsed though vintagescent.com again (and other sites as well), and it seems he was right. Both the 730/2015/2040 HD are in the "finest" group. Although it seems different from the SOC finest, at least on the photo, as SOC is still 2band, and these seem to be 3bands.
I will try to contact vintagescent.com via facebook tomorrow, but ... :eek2:

I found other B&B threads about the Hereditas lineup change, but those threads are more concerned with boar.
 
I have contacted a local seller, if he can source the 730/2015/2040 HD for me in Silvertip. He said that Semogue changed their lineup, and with the new Hereditas line, these aren't silvertips anymore, they are all "finest" grades. The old Excelsior line cannot be ordered anymore, thus Semogue discontinued their silvertip line, only some old stock remains at some sellers, but it isn't guaranteed that it will be the old one. (Tabak dejavu...)

With this in mind, I browsed though vintagescent.com again (and other sites as well), and it seems he was right. Both the 730/2015/2040 HD are in the "finest" group. Although it seems different from the SOC finest, at least on the photo, as SOC is still 2band, and these seem to be 3bands.
I will try to contact vintagescent.com via facebook tomorrow, but ... :eek2:

I found other B&B threads about the Hereditas lineup change, but those threads are more concerned with boar.
Semogue confused a lot of people when they started renaming the various grades of hair in their knots, including me. It seems in some cases it is only nomenclature, the actual hair is the same as before. Naming of badger hair grades is not really uniform across the different brush makers, either.

Hopefully the Vintage Scent folks can clarify once they know what you are looking for.
 
I have a custom badger brush and a synthetic brush. Humongous price difference! Both deliver great lather and great face feel.
I hate to admit it, but the Lil Brudder synthetic is my daily driver.

Be careful, brushes can lead you down the rabbit hole.
 
I have two Parker synthetics, a MISY and a BCSY and I love both of them. They have 22mm knots and very hefty handles. They do not shed bristles, have a good backbone for whipping up a good lather but are soft against your face, the MISY being the softer of the two. Since I bought these I no longer use my genuine badgers, IMO they're far better. Cost each is approx. $30.00 US. Don't know if they're available in UK but worth looking into IMO.
 
Christmas is coming and I'd like to treat myself to a new brush. I have some candidates, but I couldn't even decide whether I want a synth or a badger (no boar, horse, or mixed suggestion please). The brush I use almost exclusively is a Razorock Plissoft 24mm. I am very satisfied with it, I only want another brush to see how a badger/best in class synthetic might feel. The only other brush I have is a Muhle black fibre. I don't really like it. It is floppy, holds way less water than the Plissoft, and it isn't as soft.

What I like, in order of importance:
- soft tips
- no scritch / scratch or prickliness of any sort
- easy splay
- 24mm feels right

I face lather 100% of the time.

I have to be able to source the brush from within the EU. (Unfortunately, this limits what I can get, but this is how it is. I.e. I would love to try something from AP Shave Co., but it isn't available here at all)

Max price: 60 Eur (80 tops).

Synthetics:
- Omega Evo
- Simpsons Trafalgar T2
Which one is softer? I am a bit concerned that the Simpsons does not tolerate swirling, and northern Europe is far away from any shop to be brushed off, if anything happens.

Badger:
I'm thinking of getting a silvertip badger of some sort(or even a manchurian at some manufacturers that fit into the budget), I have ruled out all the other variants (i.e: pure or best). I'm not sure how a soft badger would compare to the above synthetics. "Soft" or "no scrub" might mean something else for a hardcore badger enthusiast than to someone who is accustomed to synthetics.

Anyway, here's what I put on my list, but only based on forums and webshop availability. I'm in the dark really.
- Semogue Silvertip (no Mistura, as it is mixed)
- Omega Silvertip or Super
- Zenith Silvertip or Manchurian
- Yaqi Silvertip

Based on gut feel, at this point I'd lean towards the Omega or Yaki Silvertips.

Which knot would suit me best in your opinion, should I just flip a coin and get either the Evo or the Trafalgar T2, or will I be happy with a badger?

Thanks for reading, I appreciate any comment.

I have had nothing but good luck with Omega ST's. I have 4 and NONE of them have lost even one hair (that I have noticed) in all the years I have had them, which is, from between 10 years for the first one I bought and 3 years for the newest. The handles are beautiful, the grade of ST is as good as any other, and the overall quality is as good as some brands that are twice as much money.

I have one artificial brush which I don't even remember the brand of, but I almost never use it because although it is amazingly soft, it has no backbone whatsoever. It doesn't swell up like the natural badger bristles do in water either, as everyone knows. Now this artificial was bought around 8 or more years ago and I understand that artificial fibers have made some significant gains in performance since that time? I am about to go in for a highly rated artificial and see how much better they are now. At the very least using it occasionally will extend the life of my ST's.

All said though, until a new artificial fiber brush can prove me wrong, the ST's are KING in my book, and ESPECIALLY the Omega's.
 
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I have contacted a local seller, if he can source the 730/2015/2040 HD for me in Silvertip. He said that Semogue changed their lineup, and with the new Hereditas line, these aren't silvertips anymore, they are all "finest" grades. The old Excelsior line cannot be ordered anymore, thus Semogue discontinued their silvertip line, only some old stock remains at some sellers, but it isn't guaranteed that it will be the old one. (Tabak dejavu...)

With this in mind, I browsed though vintagescent.com again (and other sites as well), and it seems he was right. Both the 730/2015/2040 HD are in the "finest" group. Although it seems different from the SOC finest, at least on the photo, as SOC is still 2band, and these seem to be 3bands.
I will try to contact vintagescent.com via facebook tomorrow, but ... :eek2:

I found other B&B threads about the Hereditas lineup change, but those threads are more concerned with boar.

If it helps, I had donated my Excelsior 810 boar and 2040 HD as a pair to the Sue Moore auction going on if you felt like trying your luck there
 
Semogue confused a lot of people when they started renaming the various grades of hair in their knots, including me. It seems in some cases it is only nomenclature, the actual hair is the same as before. Naming of badger hair grades is not really uniform across the different brush makers, either.

Hopefully the Vintage Scent folks can clarify once they know what you are looking for.
I could not contact them. There is no email/phone number. I sent a message on Facebook, but they haven't even seen it. I suppose this is a "part time" type of webshop. Everyone says they have good experience with it, but I have a hard time sending money to a shop that is in hiding. No postal address of any sort, in fact no contact info at all.

I had a PM with one of the B&Bers who has the Torga C5 Silvertip as well. Just when I decided I go for it, put it in the basket on vintagescents.com, only to realize the price jumped from ~75eur to 95eur. I assume this is the VAT, but still, in Europe a retailer always (always!) lists the after tax price. If not, it must be visible that he lists net prices. Another alarm for me regarding this shop. And again, I understand that people had good experience with it for a decade, but ...
Rant over.

Maybe I should just try something that is readily available. I can get a SOC Taj 2band inland, within the budget. I'm strongly considering it. :) (or the one you sent me in PM)
 
I could not contact them. There is no email/phone number. I sent a message on Facebook, but they haven't even seen it. I suppose this is a "part time" type of webshop. Everyone says they have good experience with it, but I have a hard time sending money to a shop that is in hiding. No postal address of any sort, in fact no contact info at all.

I had a PM with one of the B&Bers who has the Torga C5 Silvertip as well. Just when I decided I go for it, put it in the basket on vintagescents.com, only to realize the price jumped from ~75eur to 95eur. I assume this is the VAT, but still, in Europe a retailer always (always!) lists the after tax price. If not, it must be visible that he lists net prices. Another alarm for me regarding this shop. And again, I understand that people had good experience with it for a decade, but ...
Rant over.

Maybe I should just try something that is readily available. I can get a SOC Taj 2band inland, within the budget. I'm strongly considering it. :) (or the one you sent me in PM)
I have found another one you might like. Will send a PM.
 
Christmas is coming and I'd like to treat myself to a new brush. I have some candidates, but I couldn't even decide whether I want a synth or a badger (no boar, horse, or mixed suggestion please). The brush I use almost exclusively is a Razorock Plissoft 24mm. I am very satisfied with it, I only want another brush to see how a badger/best in class synthetic might feel. The only other brush I have is a Muhle black fibre. I don't really like it. It is floppy, holds way less water than the Plissoft, and it isn't as soft.

What I like, in order of importance:
- soft tips
- no scritch / scratch or prickliness of any sort
- easy splay
- 24mm feels right

I face lather 100% of the time.

I have to be able to source the brush from within the EU. (Unfortunately, this limits what I can get, but this is how it is. I.e. I would love to try something from AP Shave Co., but it isn't available here at all)

Max price: 60 Eur (80 tops).

Synthetics:
- Omega Evo
- Simpsons Trafalgar T2
Which one is softer? I am a bit concerned that the Simpsons does not tolerate swirling, and northern Europe is far away from any shop to be brushed off, if anything happens.

Badger:
I'm thinking of getting a silvertip badger of some sort(or even a manchurian at some manufacturers that fit into the budget), I have ruled out all the other variants (i.e: pure or best). I'm not sure how a soft badger would compare to the above synthetics. "Soft" or "no scrub" might mean something else for a hardcore badger enthusiast than to someone who is accustomed to synthetics.

Anyway, here's what I put on my list, but only based on forums and webshop availability. I'm in the dark really.
- Semogue Silvertip (no Mistura, as it is mixed)
- Omega Silvertip or Super
- Zenith Silvertip or Manchurian
- Yaqi Silvertip

Based on gut feel, at this point I'd lean towards the Omega or Yaki Silvertips.

Which knot would suit me best in your opinion, should I just flip a coin and get either the Evo or the Trafalgar T2, or will I be happy with a badger?

Thanks for reading, I appreciate any comment.
Hi. Edwin Jagger Synthetic is about$48 US. Synthetic badger synthetic Horn. Avoid Omega they don't fix broken handles. You want good service. Also I love my vie Long red handle but you might find the horse hair floppy
Enjoy this amazing hobby! Best Ron
 
After the misery with the silvertips (shame on Semogue for not providing clarity), I got fed up a bit and decided I'd get the SOC Taj Finest. It isn't a silvertip, but I haven't seen a bad comment about SOCs, so I just rolled the dice. I liked the looks of the handle anyway better then the rest.
I already got the brush, did the initial cleaning process and had the first shave with it this morning. It is soft enough, and as I lack a better description, I will use what I read on the forums, it feels like a dense pillow, no scritch/scratch at all. The handle is just superb. Looks like the gamble payed off.

Thanks to everyone who replied!
 
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