Semogue 1520 Problem

[rmac]

Hi guys, been using my Semogue 1520 now for about a year and havn't been able to get any sort of decent lather from soaps out of it beyond the 1st pass. For the last 7/8 years I have pretty much exclusively used badgers, which I would load for about 10 - 20 seconds giving adequate lather for 2/3 passes. I appreciate that boar brushes take a bit longer to lather but how much longer are we really talking here? I have loaded the Semogue up to 1 minute and just about got 2 passes out of it. For comparison, I purchased a cheap horse hair brush from bestshave and this would require only 10 seconds on the puck to produce enough lather for 2 passes minimum!

Feel like I'm having to re-learn the whole process here, but here is my technique in case that helps:

1. Rinse brush with hot water and soak in mug with soap while I shower
2. Empty mug / soap container and give brush 3 good shakes to remove excess water
3. Lather on soap puck for around 1 minute or until puck puts up resistance to movement of brush (i.e. I assume the brush is "fully loaded")
4. Apply straight to face in circular motions - lather is at a chalky consistency at this point (i.e. dry)
5. Add water as necessary by dipping tips in sink of hot water - maybe once / twice

After step 5 I always get a great thick moisture rich lather, but after the first pass this seems to "fizz out" fairly quickly. I can get a 2nd pass from it, but it will be extreemly thin, no form of protection from the likes my Muhle R41 (favorite razor at the mo).

I have noticed though that when I squeeze the brush out to remove lather at the end of the shave, lather from the breech (sp?) comes out very runny. I have watched Mantics video on runny lather and I don't believe I splay the bristles so much that I'd be letting excess water into the brush. Would this have anything to do with not getting useable lather for 2 or more passes?

Would appreciate any input guys as I have always heard great things about this brush and would like to use it more often if I could find a way to fix this!

 

[dundak]

It sounds counter intuitive but use a wetter brush with less pressure on the puck

 

[talibeard]

How often did you use your 1520 in that year of use? I have one that is still in the test-lather routine ( I never actually use a new boar for shaving for at least 8-10 lathers) and both the quantity and the quality it already produces is very promising indeed. I have to admit I never soak brush nor puck for an extended time; the brush gets 10-30 seconds of water and the puck nothing.

In my experience boars need a bit more product and also more time to build a good lather than badgers need. Maybe there lies your problem. But to be frank the 1520 seems to be one of the more easy-going boars I tried (and I did try some!) so I am a bit puzzled. Is this your first boar?

 

[rmac]

How often did you use your 1520 in that year of use? I have one that is still in the test-lather routine ( I never actually use a new boar for shaving for at least 8-10 lathers) and both the quantity and the quality it already produces is very promising indeed. I have to admit I never soak brush nor puck for an extended time; the brush gets 10-30 seconds of water and the puck nothing.

In my experience boars need a bit more product and also more time to build a good lather than badgers need. Maybe there lies your problem. But to be frank the 1520 seems to be one of the more easy-going boars I tried (and I did try some!) so I am a bit puzzled. Is this your first boar?

I was using the 1520 every other day in its first year of use to give it time to fully dry between uses. After that year I sort of gave up and used it less frequently, maybe once or twice a month which is a shame as its such a nice brush.

As said previously, I load the brush for about a minute, which I would consider quite lengthy but it seems to fully load the brush, so I wouldn't consider the amount of product to be an issue. How long would you typically load the brush for after its initial 30 second soak? Are you shaking out the brush at all? And yes, this is my first boar.

 

[Kentos]

I would say you need a wetter brush to load. Badger tend to retain more water so when you load it release enough moisture to dissolve the soap onto the brush. With a dry boar it likely picks up very little soap.

After loading off MWF for example, the brush will have a thick lather built up. Add a little water and it explodes. I'll upload a bid for ya.

 

[Kentos]

One handed lather makin is difficult! I also mumble but oh well....

I usually load for longer but this lather was decent enought.

 

[merkur59]

How long would you typically load the brush for after its initial 30 second soak?

I don't have semogue but all my omega boars give me great lather after 30s of loading (soap). BUT the inital soak in hot (not boiling) water is between 10-15mins. 2-3 medium-hard shakes, and load.

As a matter of fact I am now alternating between fairly new omega 49 and 83 - no problem lathering...

Hope that helps.

 

[tim613]

When you add the water, you are essentially rinsing it. Try reloading for the second time, etc.

 

[MondoJ]

I was using the 1520 every other day in its first year of use to give it time to fully dry between uses. After that year I sort of gave up and used it less frequently, maybe once or twice a month which is a shame as its such a nice brush.

As said previously, I load the brush for about a minute, which I would consider quite lengthy but it seems to fully load the brush, so I wouldn't consider the amount of product to be an issue. How long would you typically load the brush for after its initial 30 second soak? Are you shaking out the brush at all? And yes, this is my first boar.

What he said, I just let the water drip out of the brush then load 30s to 45s. The only thing you do different than me on your initial loading is to shake the water out before loading. If you dip the tips after loading then either barely dip them or reload after dipping. Hope this helps.

 

[talibeard]

I was using the 1520 every other day in its first year of use to give it time to fully dry between uses. After that year I sort of gave up and used it less frequently, maybe once or twice a month which is a shame as its such a nice brush.

As said previously, I load the brush for about a minute, which I would consider quite lengthy but it seems to fully load the brush, so I wouldn't consider the amount of product to be an issue. How long would you typically load the brush for after its initial 30 second soak? Are you shaking out the brush at all? And yes, this is my first boar.

I wasn't going to shave today but because of this thread and because I hadn't used my 1520 for real yet I went ahead and this is what I did; I used a kitchen-timer to check the times and this is what happened.

-I soaked my 1520 in a bowl of hot water (I use that water for my brush and lather at first and then to rinse my razor; I never use running tapwater) for 20 seconds, gently rotating it with the knot for 80% under water.

-I shook off the excess water; my brush still feels wettish but when I run it over my hand no drops of water come off.

-I loaded on my (dry) puck of Tabac for 50-55 seconds till I had enough 'proto'-lather on my brush.

-I started face-lathering and dipped the tips for 7 or 8 times in the bowl of water till I had what I was looking for. The lathering took close to 3 minutes.

-For each next pass I added a few drops, no more, of water to my brush and lathered up again. Normally I do 2-pass shaves but for this experiment I took a 3rd one; I have to come with some data, right? After that I lathered up for a 4th time just to see where it ended and though it was not as much as I apply normally it would have been enough to go for another pass if I wanted.

For the record; when I am lathered up I don't want to see any skin anymore but I also don't create an inch thick foam beard either. On my 4th lather I could see some skin through my lather.

Conclusion; I use almost twice the amount of soap that I really need for a 2-pass shave, what a waste!

My advice to you is a contradictive with the other replies in this thread which are about more water/soaking. When you get just enough lather for one pass after a minute of loading and what remains in your brush is dripping out afterwards I think you start with a too wet brush. When a brush is saturated with water it will load less soap since it is already loaded with something else. You might also try to lather up longer so all soap and water (and air) is truly well mixed. Keep in mind that building a good lather with a boar brush takes more time than with a badger; not a tremendous amount more but my estimate is that you need twice the time with a boar.

Hopes this helps!

 

[RandySp]

Should we re-discuss this subject? 5 years later.. What do you think?