Semogue 1305 rerview

[ThomasB98908]

After having my Semoque 1305 for almost a week and using it daily I have come to the following conclusions:
1. Great brush
2. no piggie smell (or any smell for that matter) right out of the box
3. After first use (which was excellent with TOBS Mr Taylor shave cream-face lathering) it felt soft right off the bat after soak of only about 2 minutes in hot water.
4. Created excellent lather. I dipped the tips in hot water, applied TOBS to tips of brush, and face lathered. I did have to apply some more cream for 3rd pass but it was a new brush.
4. Brush bloomed out perfectly on drying.
5. After 5 shaves with this brush I only need to soak in hot water for a minute or two, apply cream, and face lather. It now holds more lather than I need for 3 good passes.

Overalll, I would rate this brush a 5 out of 5. Even gave my badger brush to my son to use as I will be using the Semoque 1305 pretty much daily. The face feel of this brush is excellent. Much better than my Tweezerman which I thought was a great badger brush. Not pokie at all and although I think its just a little on the floppy side, I find no problem with it as it works well with both my TOBS and RazoRock. Will be trying it with one of my glycerine soaps sometime this week.
For the money, you can't beat the Semoque 1305 and I will recommend it to a couple of friends of mine who wet shave.

I think I will order another one so I can rotate them every other day and give them time to dry out. My shave den is in a very small master bedroom bath (basically toilet and bathtub). Heat my water in a teakettle and use a larger bowl as washbasin. Works great.

 

[celestino]

Excellent brush! Enjoy. You may want to get the 830 as it has the identical knot.

 

[ODJ]

I love my 1305. It was probably the best of all the boar brushes i've tried right out of the box, and required the least amount of break-in. Actually little to no break-in at all. My Semogue 830 is the next softest, and the brush I just picked up, an 1800, seems like it will take a while to break in. I also had a 620, which I thought was way too floppy. The 1305 is perfect, but the 830 and 1800 are great for more condensed creams/cropas and hard soaps. Since you want another brush to rotate with, consider an 830 instead of another 1305. Sure the 1305 is awesome, but would be more fun to mix it up a bit!

 

[ODJ]

Excellent brush! Enjoy. You may want to get the 830 as it has the identical knot.

it's not an identical knot actually. It feels totally different, has just a hair more backbone, and has a shorter loft if i remember correctly, and not as soft, but VERY close.

 

[Leon]

5. After 5 shaves with this brush I only need to soak in hot water for a minute or two, apply cream, and face lather. It now holds more lather than I need for 3 good passes.

Please, please, please be careful with the heat. I can't stress this enough:
- don't use hot water, warm water will be more than enough to soften and prepare the bristles.
- avoid using water near the base/ring. Put the brush upside down so the water only drowns the tips until 1cm above the base/ring;
- after use, clean the brush with plenty of water and hang it upside down.

 

[deruitem]

Please, please, please be careful with the heat. I can't stress this enough:
- don't use hot water, warm water will be more than enough to soften and prepare the bristles.
- avoid using water near the base/ring. Put the brush upside down so the water only drowns the tips until 1cm above the base/ring;
- after use, clean the brush with plenty of water and hang it upside down.

I agree, dont use hot water. Same goes for a badger brush.

 

[ODJ]

I agree, dont use hot water. Same goes for a badger brush.

Hmmmm, never thought of hot water damaging a brush, but then again, I am a cold water shave, so I guess it's never been an issue.

 

[Leon]

Hmmmm, never thought of hot water damaging a brush, but then again, I am a cold water shave, so I guess it's never been an issue.

It is.

Boar is a natural hair similar to the human hair. Any dermatologist will suggest washing your hair with warm water, not hot water and avoid blow dryers also because of the heat.

 

[ThomasB98908]

Well, I don't get the water boiling (like one of the tutorials says to do) I just get it comfortable hot (around 135F-140F) as I like the feel of the "warm" lather on my face. Don't get the water too hot cuz I don't delight in scalding my face. However, I've been shaving this old face for 40+ years and have always used hot water (hot from the sink that is) and have never had a problem with it. I sure don't wash my hair in cold or luke warm water and it seems to be doing ok. I'm pretty sure I remember my grandpa heating a teakettle (cast iron) on the stove and pouring his hot water into a basin to shave with. He'd probably been using that brush for decades and it still worked with his soap. Pretty sure his brush was an old EverReady cuz when he moved in with us after his first heart attack I remember seeing it in the medicine cabinet(kind of a nicotine stained yellow with red bottom). To me a shaving brush is a tool, if it wears out, I'll get another. Probably another Semoque 1305. Not going to baby it cuz that happens to be the "flavor of the month" fad. Anyway - just wanted to vent a little.

 

[Leon]

To me a shaving brush is a tool, if it wears out, I'll get another. Probably another Semoque 1305. Not going to baby it cuz that happens to be the "flavor of the month" fad. Anyway - just wanted to vent a little.

Good points there. A shaving brush is a tool indeed, but if we can take care of it to improve its lifespan, the better.