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Semogue Caravela - LE to the Extreme

87 arrived here in Perth, Western Australia on friday. Brush is great, smell is no different from any other new brush. Break in period begins, but after 3 uses im already very happy with the purchase.

BST-.....you wont be eating mine
 
Noticed the tips are getting softer faster. Well, that's not entirely fair - most of the tips were already very soft, just the scritchy ones are starting to number fewer with each passing day.
 

CzechCzar

Use the Fat, Luke!
How often are you guys using yours? I have heard that to get the tips to split faster, you should let your brush dry out all the way in-between uses (i.e., use it only every other day). It would be sweet to be able to use this every day though! Any thoughts?

Noticed the tips are getting softer faster. Well, that's not entirely fair - most of the tips were already very soft, just the scritchy ones are starting to number fewer with each passing day.
 
How often are you guys using yours? I have heard that to get the tips to split faster, you should let your brush dry out all the way in-between uses (i.e., use it only every other day). It would be sweet to be able to use this every day though! Any thoughts?

I've never owned a brush that didn't completely dry in 24 hours...SOC, Duke 3, Rooney 3/1...so I'm sure this particular brush would dry in 24 hours. When breaking in a boar brush I would lather it up every evening while my kids bathed for several days, then just start to use it normally.

EDIT: I'm sure there are some larger brushes that might take longer.
 
My boar break-in routine is always:

Upon receipt:
- A warm water soak, 10 minutes
- Palm lather Dawn dish soap
- Rinse, palm lather MWF x2
- Optionally, palm lather something heavily scented for funky brushes
- Whatever the last soap is, that lather will stay in the brush for several hours

Following Two Weeks:
- Lather the brush every other day (sometimes using it for that day's shave, sometimes just a quick palm lather)

After That:
-Just use it

So, during the break-in, it gets an "off" day between each lather. I think this helps the hair split, but my evidence is purely anecdotal. After that first two weeks or so, it just goes into the rotation (which isn't strict at all, but it won't ever get used two days in a row).

HTH.
 
I am actually really impressed with this mixed knot. It has a feel that is just awesome. I asked VS for a larger knot because i think this might be the on the path of the best compromise for me. Alas a no go.
 

nemo

Lunatic Fringe
Staff member
Why is this in Shopping and Deals? It's a discussion of the brush (that isn't even available anymore).

Who knows? I couldn't find it after I got my brush and finally found it here. Weird move -- maybe someone should start a new review thread.

Anyways, #98 is working well despite the funk. Whew, she was a smelly one! For a mixed hair brush it sure behaves like a badger, no clumping or splaying. I'm seriously impressed.
 
I just stopped by to echo what some of you guys have been saying. I can tell already that the Caravela is going to become one of my favorite brushes... if not my ABSOLUTE favorite. The thing just destroys soap, but it's already soft on the face with just a little bit of desired scritchiness. It also doesn't hog the lather deep down in the base of the knot. It lets go of it perfectly on the face. I think the size and loft is perfect. It's the only brush I've reached for since getting it in the mail.
 
I am also a little confused why we got sent to the back of the bus, but i agree lets get a new page going in the brushes, smells a little bit like politics? any way my brush is coming along just fine and looking forward to giving it a couple more weeks of solid break in.

Ian
 
I have been using mine every day for the past week now and it keeps getting softer and better! Quick question for you guys out there: If you are face lathering soaps with the Carabela are you using pucks or sticks?

I have turned into a soap guy but most of my soaps are in stick form (Tabac, Palmolive, and Arko) with the exception of MWF. Now the Caravela is a real monster (fast and loads of lather) with the MWF but I'm still having issues getting a good lather in a short time with the shave sticks. I can get great lather with Tabac / Arko but it takes about 2-3x the time of my 404B. Now perhaps I am having issues getting the correct water balance with the brush as it really seems to absorb water.

Thoughts?
 
I have been using mine every day for the past week now and it keeps getting softer and better! Quick question for you guys out there: If you are face lathering soaps with the Carabela are you using pucks or sticks?

I have turned into a soap guy but most of my soaps are in stick form (Tabac, Palmolive, and Arko) with the exception of MWF. Now the Caravela is a real monster (fast and loads of lather) with the MWF but I'm still having issues getting a good lather in a short time with the shave sticks. I can get great lather with Tabac / Arko but it takes about 2-3x the time of my 404B. Now perhaps I am having issues getting the correct water balance with the brush as it really seems to absorb water.

Thoughts?

I too have noticed this brushes tendency to hold water and have made my adjustment for this so that i shake out all of the water and add the water directly to my soap. I have milled all of my soaps down and press them in to bowls for easy access and have really never tried using sticks. so far i prefer this method.

Ian
 
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