Call me a purist, but I don't see the purpose of a mixed hair brush. Having said that, if the SOC Mistura is nearly as good as its cousin SOC boar, then I am sure it is a hell of brush.
Semogue SOC Mistura | Your Impressions & Mine
- Thread starter Chan Eil Whiskers
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That's EXACTLY what I thought.
I love small (even tiny) brushes. My preference is tiny up to 20mm max. Jim convinced me and I went crazy and purchased the (massive to me) 22mm Torga C-3 Finest Mistura:
I have some great brushes, but this one actually performs better than ALL of them (I have to reluctantly admit).
If Semogue did one with an 18mm (or 20mm) knot, with the same excellent handle (but in butterscotch), that would be my "grail" brush.
Fortunately for me, I'm a compulsive "experimenter." I can't thank Jim enough for "showing me the light."
- Thread starter
- #103
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
I'd say the Mistura is a lot better than the SOC boar, but that's just my opinion. My Mistura knot looks larger now than it does in the photo. Not sure why. |
No problem to not have a mixed brush of course, but the point of the mixed brushes in terms of function is obvious only once you try them. I have three and they all have similar characteristics as well as differences, but the SOC Mistura is the best of the three mixed knots I've tried.
All three are flat out lather monsters. They load and lather better than any of my great boars and any of my badgers (and I have some very good badgers). Better means faster, faster in a noticeable way, without losing anything.
Their feel is amazing. Especially when the components are just right.
The caveat here is the boar and badger component parts must be very good. The Omega Mixed Midget is a lather monster for sure but its badger is very scritchy. I think it's a very scritchy pure (I know there are much better pure knots so I'm not knocking all pure). I don't really much like the Mixed Midget but only because of the bad scritch. My Maggard 70/30 has component or quality issues and refuses to break in or develop split ends and is therefore just okay and not great; it has delicious scrub but still too much scritch.
The folks at Semogue nailed the components and quality of construction, etc. The brush felt and performed great right out of the box and has improved over time without losing anything.
I doubt everyone likes two bands and Manchurians. If you like them, you'd be likely to really enjoy the Mistura. Its knot feels like a very good two band, but, if anything, the scrub is even better than most two bands, and is far more "delicious" feeling, and the "lather monster" properties are better than both non mixed boars and non mixed badgers.
I'm impressed by the lather monster properties of the mixed knots, but what I'm into them for is their "delicious" scrub. Nothing else is quite the same (nothing else I've used).
Not saying you'd like the brush or you should acquire one, but you won't really get why they have a following unless you try one.
I'd say the bottom line purpose is functional. They work great when they are just right. The Mistura is just right.
That's EXACTLY what I thought.
I love small (even tiny) brushes. My preference is tiny up to 20mm max. Jim convinced me and I went crazy and purchased the (massive to me) 22mm Torga C-3 Finest Mistura.I have some great brushes, but this one actually performs better than ALL of them (I have to reluctantly admit).
My pleasure, Cal. Thanks for posting while I was still writing. Shows me how wordy I am. We were clearly on the same sort of track. Maybe we can get Semogue to make the Mistura in both 18 mm (for you) and 26 mm (for me).
Happy shaves,
Jim
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That's EXACTLY what I thought.
I love small (even tiny) brushes. My preference is tiny up to 20mm max. Jim convinced me and I went crazy and purchased the (massive to me) 22mm Torga C-3 Finest Mistura:
View attachment 1190357
I have some great brushes, but this one actually performs better than ALL of them (I have to reluctantly admit).
If Semogue did one with an 18mm (or 20mm) knot, with the same excellent handle (but in butterscotch), that would be my "grail" brush.
Fortunately for me, I'm a compulsive "experimenter." I can't thank Jim enough for "showing me the light."
this Torga does look very neat! I like the handle a lot. In fact, I was on the fence between the Torga and SOC boar, but decided for the larger one.
I’m entering the purchase sabbatical in 2021 (except for a gold piccolo FOCS), and I’m trying to become less of a compulsive experimenter and more of a minimalist shaver. But who knows what will happen tomorrow, right?
Enjoy today!Because tomorrow never comes.
damn such an enabler. They have in stock at my local store. Must resist!
Boar struggle with the right balance of water to air to soap where Badgers seem to almost achieve it by default. But broken in boar is something nothing can replicate. Mixed gives you the best of both.... Backbone all the way to the tips and perfect water management of two band badger and the wall/filled out feel of a good broken in boar.
Exactly. I've had some crummy mixed knots - I never warmed to the Vulfix Grosvenor or the Maggard/APShaveCo knots - but the SOC Mistura is on a different plane.
So i took a look through each boar/badger mixed knot i have. A 2011 caravela, 2012 SEs used and NIB and the 70/30. Take a look
- Thread starter
- #111
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
The mistura Looks like a totally different knot and treatment
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Where did you find a Semogue mistura mixed with butterscotch handle in stock?
- Thread starter
- #114
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
I've got a bunch of the mixed hair knots from Apshaveco/Maggards/Oumo.
They vary a fair bit... I think mostly related to the particular hair treatment used when they were made (their processing levels on the two band Oumo sells is constantly evolving towards more and more gel-treatment as a default I think).
They take a loooooooong time to break in... way longer than Semogue's (Semogue has some of the fastest breaking in knots I've used)... but it does happen eventually. I've found since I started aggressively sweeping the brush on a towel after shaking it post shave to dry that this has speed up a lot, but we're still talking 10+ shaves to even really notice any break-in and I don't think I have any that are fully broken in yet... with some pushing 30-50 uses. Also, the splay breakin outpaces the tip break-in.. which means if you're waiting for the scritch to fade from "break in" we're probably talking well into the 50+ range if not 100+.
They vary a fair bit... I think mostly related to the particular hair treatment used when they were made (their processing levels on the two band Oumo sells is constantly evolving towards more and more gel-treatment as a default I think).
They take a loooooooong time to break in... way longer than Semogue's (Semogue has some of the fastest breaking in knots I've used)... but it does happen eventually. I've found since I started aggressively sweeping the brush on a towel after shaking it post shave to dry that this has speed up a lot, but we're still talking 10+ shaves to even really notice any break-in and I don't think I have any that are fully broken in yet... with some pushing 30-50 uses. Also, the splay breakin outpaces the tip break-in.. which means if you're waiting for the scritch to fade from "break in" we're probably talking well into the 50+ range if not 100+.
Tempting... indeed.. but I will restrain myself. Not today.
Razor Emporium
Semogue SOC-C5 Finest Mistura Shaving Brush (Butterscotch)
great selection of highest quality new and vintage razors and shaving products
www.razoremporium.com
word of advice: do NOT buy from the Portuguese Factory, bought a Taj Handle Boar from them via Amazon back in mid October and have yet to get it, so either Europes postal service is going haywire or that company has it's head somewhere else.
- Thread starter
- #118
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Thanks.
Super helpful and encouraging. My 70/30 has - counting actual shaves and out of rotation break in "shaves" - way more than fifty. Perhaps seventy five. I will persist, albeit with skepticism, but encouraged by your experience, as well as by my impression that the knot has a most delicious scrub (yet needs to lose the bad scritch).
It clearly has great potential if it will break in.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Really helpful to me in my thinking about the knot.
Oh, yeah, towel rubbing. I'm big into towel rubbing of boars to break them in. The Maggard 70/30 has had its tips towel rubbed each time it's been dried I think. To me, towel rubbing is rough enough but not too rough (but that's just my view).
What's been your experience with the 70/30 losing bristles?
Happy shaves,
Jim
I'll do you one better. Pasteur has them, and the shipping is ultra-fast and free for purchased of $50+!
Semogue SOC-C5 Finest Mistura Finest Mistura Shaving Brush Butterscotch
SOC-C5 Finest Mistura (Butterscotch) Filament (type) Mistura SOC-C5 Finest Mistura (Butterscotch) Filament (type) MisturaKnot (diameter) 24mmKnot (height) 53mm Knot (shape) FanColor - ButterscotchTotal height 112mm Made in Portugal.
- Thread starter
- #120
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
I'll do you one better. Pasteur has them, and the shipping is ultra-fast and free for purchased of $50+!
Semogue SOC-C5 Finest Mistura Finest Mistura Shaving Brush Butterscotch
SOC-C5 Finest Mistura (Butterscotch) Filament (type) Mistura SOC-C5 Finest Mistura (Butterscotch) Filament (type) MisturaKnot (diameter) 24mmKnot (height) 53mm Knot (shape) FanColor - ButterscotchTotal height 112mm Made in Portugal.www.pasteurshaving.com
I had no idea one could order from Pasteur.
