Semogue Quality Control

[oldtrout]

I have a Semogue 610 that I like so much I purchased a second 610.

I noticed the second brush had something wrong with it. It felt like a couple of boar hairs where needle-like, very uncomfortable. I closely examined the brush and there was a nylon bristle in the knot, this is what was causing the discomfort. I plucked the offensive bristle out, the brush is good now.

How the nylon bristle ended up in the knot is anybody's guess. Maybe they use the nylon to tie off the knot?
In any event, if you have a Semogue boar brush and it seems that a few of the hairs are not breaking in correctly, they might not be boar.

 

[Greg1911]

Interesting Don. I have 6 or 7 Semogues and they have all been great. (Half are boar)

I imagine badger hair grades in particular would be hard to segregate with absolute certainty. Boar and nylon could look similar....

This is what handmade products can mean sometimes.

 

[Red_Oak]

I have six Semogues and all are very nice. No hair or shedding issues. My experience is great quality control.

 

[Vivasanti]

4 Semogues, all fine - id say they have some of the best quality control around, their brushes are beautiful and world class.

Pitty you dont have pictures of said hairs.

 

[oldtrout]

4 Semogues, all fine - id say they have some of the best quality control around, their brushes are beautiful and world class.

Pitty you dont have pictures of said hairs.

I have four Semogues ( 3 boar and a two band badger), they are excellent. I posted my experience in case someone else had a Semogue boar that was not breaking in. As far as a photo, with my poor eyesight it took me quite awhile to locate and extract the nylon bristle. I doubt I could have posted a photo that would be of any use.

I will add a comment to my previous post. It appears to me (and I could be wrong) that several of the hairs in the knot of my second 610 are upside down. By upside down, I mean the tips are in the base. The hairs get thinner toward the base of the knot.

Update re Italicize above: I checked the brush upon my return home and could not find an upside down hair. I think I've lost it.

 

[Snuff-Belgium]

Of all my semogues I only had one that was shedding hairs, but those where short hairs and only during the first use, must have been that wasn't combed out before leaving the factory, never lost a hair after that.

 

[Oscroft]

I have 6 - 4 boar, 1 badger, 1 mixed. No problems with any of them.

 

[Jtokle]

I have a Semogue 1305 that I was worried about at first, as it seemed like one bristle per shave would snap off. It lost probably a little over a dozen bristles and then it magically stopped. I also have one of the Italian Barber 1305s with the red/white/green handle and undyed bristles, and it lost a few bristles and then stopped.

I have a favorable opinion of the quality control of Semogue brushes, even though my experience is limited. I have an ash wood SOC headed my way, and I'm hoping that I don't have any problems with it. I also have a B&B Essential from the yellow batch that I have not had the chance to use yet, so I cannot compare between Semogue and Omega.

 

[Snargle]

I'm not aware of Semogue producing brushes with anything other than Boar or Badger knots. What you're thinking is Nylon (or synthetic) is probably just a rogue boar bristle. As an older dude, I'm growing them now in my eyebrows!

One way to determine if a bristle is synthetic or natural is to burn it...if it melts, it's synthetic; if it burns and stinks like hell, it's natural!