Semogue SOC Mistura | Your Impressions & Mine

[Rhody]

Yikes hydrogen peroxide?
now that it’s over I can’t resist saying I wouldn’t do that or Dawn. I washed mine once with declaration brush soap just because I was cleaning a few others to put away for the arrival of the butterscotch wonder.

 

[linty1]

I'll be honest, it's something I've done with all my brushes (acquired new or used), I just don't know where it's been and a quick soak gives me peace of mind. And so far? I may have been lucky but my brushes have been fine? Do you have a link for the Declaration brush soap? I tried googling and didnt see it. I do understand where you are coming from, h. peroxide I think is used as a home way to whiten teeth.

 

[bjm]

I'll be honest, it's something I've done with all my brushes (acquired new or used), I just don't know where it's been and a quick soak gives me peace of mind. And so far? I may have been lucky but my brushes have been fine? Do you have a link for the Declaration brush soap? I tried googling and didnt see it. I do understand where you are coming from, h. peroxide I think is used as a home way to whiten teeth.

...and bleach hair. But if you've done it with all your brushes and you're happy with the results, why change? They are in fact your brushes, so do whatever satisfies you

I usually treat my brushes (new or used) to a long soak in tap water to fully hydrate the bristles, followed by a bowl-lather with Dawn anti-bacterial soap with a thorough rinse between and after lathers. Next is a bowl lather with baby shampoo, a thorough rinse, and finally a lather with shaving soap. Nothing left but another thorough rinse and time to fully dry before putting it to use. But that's just me

Now back to your regularly scheduled thread... I want a Semogue Mistura! There, I said it. Are you all happy now?

 

[Cal]

Do you have a link for the Declaration brush soap?

I didn't think Declaration did one. Scroll down to WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO CARE FOR MY KNOT? at the bottom of THIS PAGE and you'll see what I mean.

I have my own method, but recently purchased a tub of Zingari Man All Purpose Brush Cleaner and was suitably impressed.

 

[linty1]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the tips, and @bjm , I like your "three stage" approach, I will adopt that next time (are you saying I need another brush?).

Now I'll try again with photos:

 

[Rhody]

I'll be honest, it's something I've done with all my brushes (acquired new or used), I just don't know where it's been and a quick soak gives me peace of mind. And so far? I may have been lucky but my brushes have been fine? Do you have a link for the Declaration brush soap? I tried googling and didnt see it. I do understand where you are coming from, h. peroxide I think is used as a home way to whiten teeth.

It’s declaration grooming brush rejuvenator but I looked and no sign of it on their site. Maybe sold out or gone.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the tips, and @bjm , I like your "three stage" approach, I will adopt that next time (are you saying I need another brush?).

Now I'll try again with photos:

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Congrats
Looks fantastic!

 

[bjm]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the tips, and @bjm , I like your "three stage" approach, I will adopt that next time (are you saying I need another brush?).

Now I'll try again with photos:

View attachment 1258146

View attachment 1258148

View attachment 1258149

Yes, you need another brush. Send me that one and I'll properly dispose of it for you. I'm here to help any way I can

 

[Leverspro]

My butterscotch version got a shipping label today in Portugal. I'm guessing three or four weeks from now.

 

[TBoner]

Barbear Classico edition used today. Just an absolutely spectacular knot.

I've decided to use alternate the SOC Mistura and the BC Mistura as my only brushes for the month of May (Mistura May? May of Mistura?).

I have a hard time imagining selling off my boars and badgers, but there's little reason to keep the full fleet except for posterity and occasional sentimental use.

Anyway, May of Mistura is just a couple of days away.

 

[bjm]

Barbear Classico edition used today. Just an absolutely spectacular knot.

I've decided to use alternate the SOC Mistura and the BC Mistura as my only brushes for the month of May (Mistura May? May of Mistura?).

I have a hard time imagining selling off my boars and badgers, but there's little reason to keep the full fleet except for posterity and occasional sentimental use.

Anyway, May of Mistura is just a couple of days away.

I don't have a Semogue Mistura yet, but I do have a Maggard 24mm Mixed 70/30 knot that I set in a Yaqi Sagrada Familia handle.



I'll play from home and use it for "May of Mistura" until I can get a real brush and belly-up to the grownups sink

 

[JAHE]

Barbear Classico edition used today. Just an absolutely spectacular knot.

I've decided to use alternate the SOC Mistura and the BC Mistura as my only brushes for the month of May (Mistura May? May of Mistura?).

I have a hard time imagining selling off my boars and badgers, but there's little reason to keep the full fleet except for posterity and occasional sentimental use.

Anyway, May of Mistura is just a couple of days away.

You might start a separate thread with this topic... Mistura May Madness

 

[linty1]

Its a really nice brush, even straight out of the box, I'm only two uses in and like it a lot already.

 

[Atlantic59]

...Mistura May? May of Mistura?...

"May of Misturas" or "May of Mixtures"?

Either of those is definitely preferable to "May of Bodgers".

 

[Cannon Cocker]

I'm looking at the SOC mistura (after sabbatical). What about the cherry handles, do you think there is a good reason to choose the Taj or Butterscotch handle over the cherry? IOW, what is the main appeal of the resin handle and would you choose differently now than you did before?

So far, I have not had a problem with wood handles on any Semogue or Omega brush. I don't soak the handle part and rub a bit of oil on the wood handles a couple of times each year. I have resin and acrylic handles on some of my other Semogues.

I have the SOC mistura butterscotch resin and a SOC boar in cherry. I like the weight and grip of the resin better than the wood. That said the cherry is beautiful. Great fun with both.

 

[albsat]

I love boar brushes. I use 3 of them daily. Nothing can beat my Proraso boar on backbone and scrub. It is the same and I like this feature.

However this thread is tempting me.

So I have one question please. Does the Mistura knot becomes softer and looses its scrub after some month of usage?

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

The ProPro is a great brush once it's broken in (which takes a long time, or at least mine did).

I eagerly await the answer to your question.

So far my Mistura has continue to improve in its scrub but I've not had it long enough to answer your question from a some months of frequent use perspective.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[albsat]

Hmmm let's see @Chan Eil Whiskers what others might share on this question.

I love so much my Proraso boar that I bought a backup. I have found out that I can regulate the backbone of a boar brush with the temperature of water during brush soaking.

Hot water, low backbone. Cold water, more backbone. It works...

 

[Multum in parvo]

I completed the Trinity thanks to @macintoshBR
Taj Boar
Butterscotch Mistura Finest
and now a Cherry Two Band

 

[TBoner]

I've had my SOC Mistura since February of 2019. In that time, I have used it for at least 100 shaves, perhaps more. It hasn't loosened up the way my Semogue 620 boar has, and I've only had that one for a year. The Mistura did bloom out a lot initially, and its tips were maybe slightly scritchy on the first 2-3 shaves, but its character has not evolved much since maybe shave #10 or so. The boar bristles seemed to need time to break in, but I don't detect that the brush has gotten significantly softer once its initial softening period ended. It has certainly retained its backbone. By the same token, a 2013 Barbear Classico that I bought used and have lathered up numerous times still has ample backbone. The knot does feel different to my SOC - it seems to have stayed more compact - but not by much. Probably simple knot-to-knot variation.

So if by scrub one means backbone or tip presence, the SOC will hold onto it for quite a while, perhaps for as long as you have the brush.

If by scrub one means scritch or that - to me - uncomfortable prickly vibe, it loses that in the first few shaves.

I would compare the scrub level of my SOC favorably to that of my Semogue 610, which is my most compact boar knot.

 

[bjm]

I completed the Trinity thanks to @macintoshBR
Taj Boar
Butterscotch Mistura Finest
and now a Cherry Two Band
View attachment 1259603

Beautiful brush! One of the things I've come to appreciate about the wooden handles is the unique pattern of each one. Yours has an almost tiger stripe appearance.