Ok so I've been tinkering around with the idea of picking up another brush, a Semogue, and they have three different levels of boar, a natural boar, a pure boar, and then a premium boar. Obviously premium is easy to figure out, but what in the heck is the difference between a natural boar and a pure boar? Or am I just over thinking this?
Semogue boar quality question
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You are overthinking, in my view. Get the one that appeals to you the most. Semogue brushes are all great!
Take a look at first Boar, Semogue 830, 1305 or Omega Pro #48/49? - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/first-boar-semogue-830-1305-or-omega-pro-48-49.543435/#post-9632431. Special grade and premium does not mean better. It's a matter of what you like.
The Semogue Owners Club (SOC) boar is very dense and softer (less stiff). I have a SOC, premiums (1305 and 2000) and a best (1250). To me, the SOC is the softest then the premiums and then the best. I am told that that the extra is great for going at harder soaps. When you add the different diameters and lofts, there is great variety.
I personally like a little scritch and find the SOC to be almost to soft. And I plan to buy an extra next.
The Semogue Owners Club (SOC) boar is very dense and softer (less stiff). I have a SOC, premiums (1305 and 2000) and a best (1250). To me, the SOC is the softest then the premiums and then the best. I am told that that the extra is great for going at harder soaps. When you add the different diameters and lofts, there is great variety.
I personally like a little scritch and find the SOC to be almost to soft. And I plan to buy an extra next.
You can´t miss with a Semogue boar, even the most economical 1460 & 1470 are really soft after the breaking process... you´ll never find trimmed bristles on a Semogue...
Cheers
Cheers
I just ordered a 1438 and 1460.
I picked em because they were cheap, small and have funky painted handles.
I'm shallow I know.
Many people have written about problems with painted handles chipping and pealing. I recently bought a 1305 and could still smell a teeny bit of paint smell from the handle. So I do not soak the brush before use and immediately after use I rinse and dry the brush with a towel. I am not a paint expert, but I wonder if it just takes a month or two for the paint to fully cure.
My recommendation is not to soak a brush with a painted handle, period.
And I don’t find not soaking the brush to impact the brush’s performance.
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My recommendation is not to soak a brush with a painted handle, period.
And I don’t find not soaking the brush to impact the brush’s performance.
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Boy, I have had my 1305 for a long time now.the handle still looks like new!
Well I had a couple of Semogue brushes in my Amazon list. All this talk of them led me to grab a 1460 for $11
Before I got into newer generation synthetics, I only used boar. All my brushes were Semogue except for one Omega. Semogue makes the best boar brushes around IMO and you can find one for every taste. The SOC and 830 were my favorites.
They're affordable, get 2, the 610 and 620. Or wood version 1470 and 1438.
Search 610 vs 620 for a fun read!
Search 610 vs 620 for a fun read!
The link in @Frank Shaves 's post is a great guide. Here are my observations as I happen to have tried all the types of bristles that Semogue offers. Take the following with a pinch of salt, as my findings might be influenced by bristle batch variation.
Softness of tips: Premium 90% >= Special > Best 90% > Extra 75%
Backbone: Extra 75% ~ Best 90% > Special > Premium 90%
Density of knots: Special >> Best 90% > Extra 75% = Premium 90%
I would suggest starting with the 1470 (small size / strong backbone) or the 1250 (medium size and backbone). These have "best 90%" bristles and are the cheapest offerings per knot size.
Softness of tips: Premium 90% >= Special > Best 90% > Extra 75%
Backbone: Extra 75% ~ Best 90% > Special > Premium 90%
Density of knots: Special >> Best 90% > Extra 75% = Premium 90%
I would suggest starting with the 1470 (small size / strong backbone) or the 1250 (medium size and backbone). These have "best 90%" bristles and are the cheapest offerings per knot size.
Had the 2000 and PIF’d to my brother. Great brush. Had the SOC boar but I found it too big for face lathering. Still a great brush. Have the 1470 in my rotation. Great brush. See the theme here? 
It's been quite a while since I bought my Semogue boar, so I have no idea what model it is. The wooden handle says Excelsior. It looks as far as I can tell like the far right model on the third row of XF17's model pictures -- 1470?
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