Semogue Barbear Português 2023

[Mr. Shavington]

Nine months restraint is admirable. You can’t predict something coming along like this that is unique and a limited edition of 100, but still at a very reasonable price. I’m sure the other gentlemen of restraint will understand.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I shaved with the Barbear Português brush this evening. It was quite a surprise. I think this is an uncommon knot and, in my opinion, the brush is a real bargain at €130.

I agree.

I know little about brush making but I suspect a knot like this would have to be specially made by hand and the hair must be hand-selected too. I’ve certainly never come across a large production badger brush with this kind of hair quality and knot density. And most premium artisan badger knots are thick 2-band hair these days, whereas this is a true, fine silvertip 3-band knot, so it’s just not very easy to find a brush that is like this. The hair tips are super soft, and uniformly so throughout the knot - there’s no hint of scritch anywhere. It has much more backbone than I was expecting, due to the density and low-ish loft. And it whipped-up a prodigious, creamy lather in no time at all. No problems with flow-through. Not a single hair shed either when pre-washing the brush or in my first shave with it. It really did feel like a soft pillow of badger hair on my face, and it’s quite a large brush with this kind of density and a 26 or 27mm diameter.

Mr. Shavington is right!

I've now used this new brush twice. I have knots which are more dense, but this one is plenty dense. It has a wonderful balance of properties. Very soft. Plenty of delicious scrub. Enough backbone. Lathers as well as any brush I've used. Great flow through. A beautiful and ergonomic handle.

It has more presence than most 3 bands I've used, maybe all of them.

To me, the brush looks like a 24 mm brush with the appropriate handle for a knot that size. However, it is significantly larger without being nearly as large as truly huge knots. It's not a giant knot or a huge handle.

Of my other brushes the brush this most reminds me of is my 24 mm Mozingo. Mozingo knots are ultra high end Manchurians. They're very soft and "just perfect" so it's a very high compliment to the Semogue LE to be compared with a Mozingo knot.

Other than limited editions I'm mostly not very interested in acquiring new brushes, but I'm very glad I pulled the trigger on the 2023 LE.

I know Shavemac offers extra dense ‘D01’ 3-band knots, and I have one of those, but the hair in this Semogue is clearly higher quality, in my opinion, and this knot is also denser. Compared to my Kent silvertip badgers (since you asked) this is very different - massively more dense, lower loft, and much more backbone - but I’d say the hair quality and softness is as good as those great Kents, and it is as good at whipping lather. My personal preference is for the lower backbone of the Kents, but I expect most shavers these days would much prefer this limited edition Semogue.

I've not tried the Shavemac D01 3 band. I've not tried any Kent brushes. Still, I think this is a brush which anybody would like unless they think a 24 mm knot is too big.

(Leon at Vintage Shave says this is a 27 mm knot. I think he's right, but it's not a huge 27 mm knot. That said, it's big.)

I'm mostly a two band and Manchurian guy when it comes to badgers. I don't have a ton of 3 band brushes, but this 3 band competes well with my high end Manchurians.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Mr. Shavington]

I agree.





Mr. Shavington is right!


View attachment 1724957


I've now used this new brush twice. I have knots which are more dense, but this one is plenty dense. It has a wonderful balance of properties. Very soft. Plenty of delicious scrub. Enough backbone. Lathers as well as any brush I've used. Great flow through. A beautiful and ergonomic handle.

It has more presence than most 3 bands I've used, maybe all of them.

To me, the brush looks like a 24 mm brush with the appropriate handle for a knot that size. However, it is significantly larger without being nearly as large as truly huge knots. It's not a giant knot or a huge handle.

Of my other brushes the brush this most reminds me of is my 24 mm Mozingo. Mozingo knots are ultra high end Manchurians. They're very soft and "just perfect" so it's a very high compliment to the Semogue LE to be compared with a Mozingo knot.

Other than limited editions I'm mostly not very interested in acquiring new brushes, but I'm very glad I pulled the trigger on the 2023 LE.






I've not tried the Shavemac D01 3 band. I've not tried any Kent brushes. Still, I think this is a brush which anybody would like unless they think a 24 mm knot is too big.

(Leon at Vintage Shave says this is a 27 mm knot. I think he's right, but it's not a huge 27 mm knot. That said, it's big.)


View attachment 1724956


I'm mostly a two band and Manchurian guy when it comes to badgers. I don't have a ton of 3 band brushes, but this 3 band competes well with my high end Manchurians.

Happy shaves,

Jim

It’s nice to see another opinion that tallies with what I experienced, and from someone whose opinions I always listen to and who knows far more about brushes than I do. It’s nice to know I’m not completely off kilter. I always have very conflicted feelings when I post reviews of things I think are unusually good.

I’d hate for somebody to spend money based on anything I’ve written and then not like it, and I am always profoundly aware of the limitations of my knowledge and how it will appear if I really praise something and I have been over-enthusiastic. But on the other hand I do want to share when I’ve found something I enjoy - it might help introduce somebody to something that gives them much pleasure, and the people who make good things deserve recognition and for their work not to be overlooked.

Maybe you suffer under the same dilemma sometimes, Jim. Anyway, this is a long way of saying I appreciate you posting your thoughts in such clear terms and I’m very comforted that we both saw this the same way. I wasn’t expecting this brush to be quite like it is and I vacillated a lot before committing my opinions to text.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I think we'll have company, but...

Not everybody likes ____________. Fill in the blank.

Sometimes I post something like ⬆︎ this ⇩ because I think it is true. Plus I think everyone else probably already knows it...

Much that you read here can be one of these.

1. A shaving myth
2. Something which might work for another gentlemen but won't work for you
3. Misinformation or damn lies or the blind leading the blind
4. Great advice which will help you

The real deal is all of us have to determine what works for our skin, our whiskers, our pocketbook, our preferences, etc.

Nobody needs more than one brush. This brush might be a good candidate. It's also a good candidate for evaluation and comparison is shaving science is the agenda.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Balin]

I think we'll have company, but...

You will have company! I placed my order today. I am on a bit of a 3 band kick lately .

 

[Mr. Shavington]

You will have company! I placed my order today. I am on a bit of a 3 band kick lately .

I don’t know of another 3-band brush available today with this quality of hair and this density. I’m a big fan of Plisson HMW but that is much lower density, high loft, and a different feel entirely. It is nice to have this Semogue for days when I feel like more backbone but I still want the delicious softness and the lathering prowess of a top quality 3-band.

 

[Balin]

I don’t know of another 3-band brush available today with this quality of hair and this density. I’m a big fan of Plisson HMW but that is much lower density, high loft, and a different feel entirely. It is nice to have this Semogue for days when I feel like more backbone but I still want the delicious softness and the lathering prowess of a top quality 3-band.

Both your and Jim's reviews solidified it for me! I haven't tried a Semogue LE so I am looking forward to it.

I recall your post in the Unpopular/Controversial Opinion thread:

Two-band badger hair is an inferior grade and would be quite undesirable without those chemically treated, fake white tips. It’s interesting that this kind of artificial badger brush is now more expensive than real silvertip badger.

I believe it may have merit, lol enough so that I started looking at acquiring more quality 3 band brushes. That being said, I do have a Shavemac 2 band unique knot on the way to compare, you know, for the sake of science, lol.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Both your and Jim's reviews solidified it for me! I haven't tried a Semogue LE so I am looking forward to it.

I recall your post in the Unpopular/Controversial Opinion thread:

I believe it may have merit, lol enough so that I started looking at acquiring more quality 3 band brushes. That being said, I do have a Shavemac 2 band unique knot on the way to compare, you know, for the sake of science, lol.

Haha. I really should start a campaign for real silvertip badger brushes.

Can’t wait to see your thoughts when you receive your Semogue, whatever you feel about it.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I have two band and Manchurian knots which are said to be natural as opposed to chemically treated. It must be true as I read it on the internet. I'm talking about my Simpson knots, my Shavemac two bands, maybe my Zenith two band, and Zenith, Rudy Vey, Zenith, and Mozingo Manchurians. I could be wrong to believe anything or trust anyone.

I'm pretty sure a good many two band knots are chemically treated. Some vendors and manufacturers seem proud their knots are chemically treated.

I'm not saying treating knots is bad, but I'd prefer natural.

Perhaps all knots have chemically treated hairs and bristles. You couldn't prove it one way or the other by me.

Unlike plenty of fellows I have only a few three band silvertip badgers.

It might be I have only these four three band silvertips on my shave den shelves.

(I have an Omega three band, but plan to never use it again.)

Anyway, the point is I don't know much about three band silvertips. In spite of that deficit, I've been comparing the new Racing Green brush with my other Semogue 3 band LE. Are they much the same other than size? Doesn't answering that require a recent shave with the 2020 brush?

Do know none of my three band silvertips are chemically treated? Not really. I hope they're not.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Balin]

They are down to 34 left! When I placed my order a week ago they were at 41 so it looks like they are moving 1 brush a day!

@JAHE I think you will be good to the end of the month, so you should be able to complete 10 months of GRUYERE!

edited to add: Just in time for the Black Friday Sales! lol

 

[JAHE]

They are down to 34 left! When I placed my order a week ago they were at 41 so it looks like they are moving 1 brush a day!

@JAHE I think you will be good to the end of the month, so you should be able to complete 10 months of GRUYERE!

edited to add: Just in time for the Black Friday Sales! lol

I'm constantly having an eye on their site.. I assume the majority of the brushes bought from outside the EU might be still in transit. So as soon as the SOTD pics pop up in the forums, it might be more than just one sold per day...

Thus you are right, my GRUYERE journey might end rather soon...

 

[Balin]

Woo hoo mine arrived today and as luck would have it, I haven't shaved yet so I'll be using it in about an hour!

The handle feels solid and comfortable! It's about the same size as the SOC Mistura.

I broke out the calipers prior to initial lather. The handle measures almost 59mm and the total height of the brush is 110mm. That puts the loft at 51mm with a 27mm knot at it exits the brush. It's a 1.89 to 1 ratio.

Here are some comparison pics to a recently lathered SOC Mistura.

 

[JAHE]

Woo hoo mine arrived today and as luck would have it, I haven't shaved yet so I'll be using it in about an hour!

The handle feels solid and comfortable! It's about the same size as the SOC Mistura.

I broke out the calipers prior to initial lather. The handle measures almost 59mm and the total height of the brush is 110mm. That puts the loft at 51mm with a 27mm knot at it exits the brush. It's a 1.89 to 1 ratio.

Here are some comparison pics to a recently lathered SOC Mistura.
View attachment 1731249

View attachment 1731250

That's a perfect ratio imo.
30 brushes available, and that one for me . How did you like the shave with it?

 

[Balin]

That's a perfect ratio imo.
30 brushes available, and that one for me . How did you like the shave with it?

It was really good to use. This is a cut and past from my journal:

This was my first run with this brush and I really enjoyed it. Lol, I may be weird but I love the smell of a new brush. The first lather had a wet Labrador Retriever spending the day in a lake smell to it!! That aside, this brush is soft, really soft. It has decent backbone, but not as much as the Shavemac D01s but more than my bests supers and finest grades. It is pretty dense but can splay easily if required! I am going to use it a few more times to make sure I am not just gushing about my new brush, lol.

 

[JAHE]

Thx.

It was really good to use. This is a cut and past from my journal:

This was my first run with this brush and I really enjoyed it. Lol, I may be weird but I love the smell of a new brush. The first lather had a wet Labrador Retriever spending the day in a lake smell to it!! That aside, this brush is soft, really soft. It has decent backbone, but not as much as the Shavemac D01s but more than my bests supers and finest grades. It is pretty dense but can splay easily if required! I am going to use it a few more times to make sure I am not just gushing about my new brush, lol.

Thanks. That sounds pretty nice...

 

[musicman1951]

It was really good to use. This is a cut and past from my journal:

This was my first run with this brush and I really enjoyed it. Lol, I may be weird but I love the smell of a new brush. The first lather had a wet Labrador Retriever spending the day in a lake smell to it!! That aside, this brush is soft, really soft. It has decent backbone, but not as much as the Shavemac D01s but more than my bests supers and finest grades. It is pretty dense but can splay easily if required! I am going to use it a few more times to make sure I am not just gushing about my new brush, lol.

Aside from the smell (which would be my first Semogue arriving with an odor), that sounds nice. I have an SOC 2 band that I like a lot, but this sounds similar with a little less backbone. I have an SOC Mistura that would be my favorite brush if it didn't have a little scritch - which I absolutely hate (but love the size and backbone). I don't really need another brush, but you've got me seriously wondering how this would fit in my collection.

 

[Balin]

Aside from the smell (which would be my first Semogue arriving with an odor), that sounds nice. I have an SOC 2 band that I like a lot, but this sounds similar with a little less backbone. I have an SOC Mistura that would be my favorite brush if it didn't have a little scritch - which I absolutely hate (but love the size and backbone). I don't really need another brush, but you've got me seriously wondering how this would fit in my collection.

Over the weekend I will do a side by side between this brush and an SOC Mistura to compare backbones to see if that helps you make a decision!

The brush wasn't stinky in any way, but there was a wet fur smell after the first soak!

 

[Balin]

@musicman1951 I did a side by side comparison today with the LE and SOC Mistura.

The SOC Mistura measures 25mm at handle exit with a 50mm loft
The LE measures 27mm at handle exit with a 51 loft.

There were no issues loading Tabac with either brush. The LE held on to a little more water and heat than the Mistura so I had to dip the tips for the Mistura but not the LE. The Mistura has a little more backbone, in that it seemed springy compared to the LE. There was still plenty of backbone in the LE to provide a soft scrub. The LE is definitely denser, which is support by the measurements above. They were both pretty soft but the LE was softer.

I noticed the biggest difference when painting lather. The LE felt silky and the Mistura was soft but didn't approach silky.

I hope this helps!

 

[musicman1951]

@musicman1951 I did a side by side comparison today with the LE and SOC Mistura.

The SOC Mistura measures 25mm at handle exit with a 50mm loft
The LE measures 27mm at handle exit with a 51 loft.

There were no issues loading Tabac with either brush. The LE held on to a little more water and heat than the Mistura so I had to dip the tips for the Mistura but not the LE. The Mistura has a little more backbone, in that it seemed springy compared to the LE. There was still plenty of backbone in the LE to provide a soft scrub. The LE is definitely denser, which is support by the measurements above. They were both pretty soft but the LE was softer.

I noticed the biggest difference when painting lather. The LE felt silky and the Mistura was soft but didn't approach silky.

I hope this helps!

Very helpful - many thanks.

 

[musicman1951]

@musicman1951 I did a side by side comparison today with the LE and SOC Mistura.

The SOC Mistura measures 25mm at handle exit with a 50mm loft
The LE measures 27mm at handle exit with a 51 loft.

There were no issues loading Tabac with either brush. The LE held on to a little more water and heat than the Mistura so I had to dip the tips for the Mistura but not the LE. The Mistura has a little more backbone, in that it seemed springy compared to the LE. There was still plenty of backbone in the LE to provide a soft scrub. The LE is definitely denser, which is support by the measurements above. They were both pretty soft but the LE was softer.

I noticed the biggest difference when painting lather. The LE felt silky and the Mistura was soft but didn't approach silky.

I hope this helps!

Too helpful, actually. There is one less available now.