What's new

Semogue FAIL

Last year I bought a Semogue 1470. Got it out over the weekend and was unable to produce a shavable lather with it. Same soaps with the same water all produced delightfully dense and slick lather using several other brushes. In fact my $6 Chinese even made a fantastic lather in comparison. Unfortunately deep dark drawer space in which to lose this brush is at a premium, so back on the shelf it goes to be ignored in the back row.

I like my 1520 it does what it was made to do, and works well. Just goes to show you that selecting a brush by manufacturer isn't a guarantee that it will perform.
 
I have had a similar experience with my Semogue SOC boar

for two months I raved it in this forum.I used it daily and it was a truly fantastic brush.

then, suddenly, one day, it ate all my lather. Same water, soap, technique. Next day, the same

I cleaned it with a mild detergent and some vinegar and it improved slightly, only to go back to the disappearing lather again after two uses

I believe some Semogues become so floppy ( like a wet mop) after full break in. Too bad because I truly loved that brush. In fact, I have another one brand new that I bought as a backup. I hope I can sell it so I don’t look like a fool

what did I do? I removed the knot from my SOC and harvested an Omega knot to fit it. Now I have a wonderful Semogue OOC (Omega Owner’s Club) that I’m sure will provide years of great lather with an awesome handle.

I love Semogue’s style and craftsmanship, but from now on I will only use Omega boars
 
Last edited:
What are your other brushes. I suspect you are not loading enough product. I would try again with a ton of load time. Load it like you hate it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bjm
I believe some Semogues become so floppy ( like a wet mop) after full break in. Too bad because I truly loved that brush. In fact, I have another one brand new that I bought as a backup. I hope I can sell it so I don’t look like a fool

If that was correct, I believe that it should have become public knowledge by now.
That it hasn’t and that my various Semogue brushes hold up quite well after several years disproves this theory IMO.

If once in a blue moon I feel like using a ‘wet mop’ for lathering, I use one of my two Vulfixes.
These are the ‘moppiest’ brushes I ever bought.
My SOC and Torga Semogues have way more backbone than the Vulfixes and I particularly like my Semogues because these 24mm knot brushes represent great value for money.


B.
 
If that was correct, I believe that it should have become public knowledge by now.
That it hasn’t and that my various Semogue brushes hold up quite well after several years disproves this theory IMO.

If once in a blue moon I feel like using a ‘wet mop’ for lathering, I use one of my two Vulfixes.
These are the ‘moppiest’ brushes I ever bought.
My SOC and Torga Semogues have way more backbone than the Vulfixes and I particularly like my Semogues because these 24mm knot brushes represent great value for money.


B.

Oh Sir, the knowledge is public, indeed. Many wet shavers experience the same thing with Semogues. Type "Semogue wet mop" or "Semogue eating lather" to your favorite search engine and enjoy the reading.

The problem is not being a wet mop. If you followed my posts while using the SOC back in November-December, I loved the "angel hair" in this brush. It's like no other boar hair, just a beautifully soft scrub. The problem is that it started eating the lather once broken in. I can't shave without lather, unfortunately. And I won't load my soaps for 2 minutes just because the brush is incapable of working properly

I am happy they work for you. Enjoy it because it is indeed a beautiful brush

Here's a few posts from B&B:
 
Last edited:
Oh Sir, the knowledge is public, indeed. Many wet shavers experience the same thing with Semogues. Type "Semogue wet mop" or "Semogue eating lather" to your favorite search engine and enjoy the reading.

I am happy they work for you. Enjoy it because it is indeed a beautiful brush


Thank you; yes, they do and I can say that the three SOCs and one Torga are my favourite boar brushes, while my Omegas gather dust.
But to put that into perspective, boars make only a small part of the brush collection that I rotate through, with badgers (incl. three more Semogues) being the large majority, plus a few Mühle, Simpson and Shavemac synthetics - mainly for travel

I am however in the habit of charging the brush for the first and second pass (but not the final touch-up) as I like to feel the luxury of a rich lather and don’t expect the first charge to last for 2½ passes.
Another difference might be how I hold the brush, as I like to hold thumb and index finger around the neck of the brush for some of the lathering on my cheeks, which can be summarized with the famous ‘YMMV’ axiom in wet shaving.

I had also wondered whether Semogue premium boar grades for the SOCs might have something to do with, but then I noticed that one of the posts you quoted referred to a SOC.

Strange as the OP’s dilemma may be, the majority of Semogue users seem to like their brushes and the only disappointment that I ever had was that a painted Semogue that I once got as a freebie had the paint peeling off after a year, which explains my preference for Semogue with natural wood and plastic handles.


B.
 
Might have been @macintoshBR that enlightened me don't recall, but boars absorb water and therefore lather. If used regularly this isn't an issue, part of a larger rotation seems to me to they can dry up and need a little use to come unto it's own again.

I don't know if Omega's have the same trait as I don't own one, but might be a difference between Italian hogs and the finer hair of Portuguese hogs if so. ;)
 
Last edited:
Might have been @macintoshBR that enlightened me don't recall, but boars absorb water and therefore lather. If used regularly this isn't an issue, part of a larger rotation seems to me to they can dry up and need a little use to come unto it's own again.

I don't know if Omega's have the same trait as I don't own one, but might be a difference between Italian hogs and the finer hair of Portuguese hogs if so. ;)

Maybe you have a point, I don’t know. My Omegas would build up lather out of cement if they had too.
 
Boars in general eats up lather but breaking them in does help. Try loading heavier with more water and that should help you get a more creamy lather. Also, just keep using it to break in the the tips and soak them in water and strop them throughout the day to expedite the process.
 
Might have been @macintoshBR that enlightened me don't recall, but boars absorb water and therefore lather. If used regularly this isn't an issue, part of a larger rotation seems to me to they can dry up and need a little use to come unto it's own again.

I don't know if Omega's have the same trait as I don't own one, but might be a difference between Italian hogs and the finer hair of Portuguese hogs if so. ;)

This!! 👆🏼

When I used just a couple of boars many years ago, I would soak for a couple of minutes and be good to go.

Then I had a rotation of around 14 boars and when they were bone dry, they needed a very long soak...too long for morning practicality!
Without the long soak, they would eat up my lather (despite being well broken in).

So what I started doing was soak the brush the night before while I brushed my teeth. Then shake out all the water and hang it back on the stand.

The next morning, it was still damp and I would soak it for just a couple of minutes and it worked like a charm!
 

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
I rotated two SOC boars for years, never had a problem. No lather eating, no mop. I used them in a scuttle.

My favorite face lathering brush is the SOC badger, been using that one for many years with no issues. It's a smaller brush, so of course it holds less lather.

My usual SOC now is the TSN LE: wonderful knot, but the handle is smaller (much to my dismay). Good choice to reuse that wonderful wood handle.
 
The only issues I've ever had with Semogue was the Owner's Club was very floppy after it broke in fully, and my 1305 is a shedder, which is a shame because I really liked it. I took my SOC and 830 out for a spin recently and really enjoyed them again. I just don't use them much since I prefer synthetics these days.

Both had been in storage for about 3 years and I let them soak about 15 mins before using and had no issues with lather so it might be that it was too dry and needs to rehydrate more as suggested by others. How did it perform before you stored it for the last year?
 
Hard to imagine this isssue. I have 7 Semogue boar brushes and one badger. Never had an issue lathering with any. On the contrary I have three B&b essential brushes with omega knots that I have never been able to produce as much lather with as my Semogue brushes.
 
I have a couple of Semogue bushes 2 SOC 2-bands (cherry and antler handle [fomerly orig. ash]) and boar (ash and cherry as well) and a limited Edt. finest (1). While my pref. are the badgers and the boars collect dust, all of them simply perform great. If a brush doesn't built a good lather there is some kind of grime on the hairs. Can either be lime scale from hard water or fat and soap residue. A good soak in citirc acid solution followed by a borax soaking (e.g. "20 Mule" borax) will restore the lather beast. :thumbup1:
 
I've had the same issue with 2 Semogue brushes. The first was a 1250 I got in 2014 that took over a month to break in and then could only produce enough lather for one pass with a normal load. The other was a 1305 I got a couple years ago. This one broken in quickly and worked well then had the same lathering issue this year. On the other hand my Omega boar has worked well for 4 years.
 
I got a Semogue 1438 and a 1305. The 1305 was broken in after only a few shaves, and is among my favorite boars. The 1438, OTOH is a total worthless piece of inferior ¢rap. It took forever to break in, and once it was finally functional, the cheap paint on the wooden handle began cracking. Now I'm stuck with a brush that looks like looks like junk.
My advice is to never buy a 1438, since it's obviously overpriced junk. I'll be wary of any of their painted handles.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kix
I'll be wary of any of their painted handles.
Agreed. But my 1470 and 1250 have been great since break in. My SOC boars are taking their own sweet time to break in. I should go back to using them for my glycerin prep lathers until they shape up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kix
Top Bottom