What is your favorite Semogue hair type?

[Ufgoodies]

So far I have only had the opportunity to acquire two shaving brushes from Semogue. I have a Cherry SOC and an SE SOC that i just picked up from a fellow member on here. I really enjoy both of the brushes so far, but the SE has not broken in quite yet. Semogue has some interesting brushes out there and I was thinking to myself, Should my next future brush be another boar in a different type of bristle, or a 2 band or 3 band?


Also i do not own any 3 band brushes as of yet, would semogue be a good brand to pick up as my first? I have a Tulip 2-2band and it's a bit too bulby for me, yet it does have nice soft tips. Help me aim my future SBAD on a hair type for my next semogue. Tell me what you think...what is your favorite type of hair for a great Semogue brush?

 

[Nick Danger]

I am a huge fan of the Semogue line of SOC brushes. At the moment, they are all I use. I have the boar, the 2012 SE mixed boar / badger, and the 2 band. I think they have the most comfortable handle design of any brush I've tried, and I'm very impressed by the quality of the SOC workmanship and materials. Both their badger and boar hair seems to be of excellent quality.

The SOC 2 band is my most recent, and it's my current favorite. The backbone is outstanding and makes quick work of any soap I've got. I am not one of the people who finds the 2 band to be scritchy or prickly. Mine has a nice scrubby effect that provides a bit of exfoliation, but it's not unpleasant at all.

I do like the SOC 2012 SE so much that I bought a second one to keep as a backup. The tips of the SE will get even better as it breaks in. Give yours another few weeks, and you'll be rewarded for your patience.

I'm curious about the 2015HD silvertip, but I suspect it won't have enough backbone for my tastes.

So my vote would be for you to try the 2 band next. You've already got the best boar hair they offer with your SOC, so I don't see any advantage to getting another Semogue boar.

Nick

 

[Scott0079]

Trick question, I like the mixed badger/boars!

 

[dpm802]

I have 5 Semogue brushes, all boars. 2 SOCs, a 2010 Custom, a 1305, and a 620.

The 1305 was my favorite of all of them, in fact, it was my favorite brush of the 20 or so I have collected in 6 years of wet-shaving. I say "was" my favorite because after 3.5 years of go-to use, it finally wore out on me. It started to feel too floppy and stopped holding as much water as before. I replaced it with a 620, which has been adequate, but nowhere near as good as the 1305 was.

So you were asking about which knot type is best? The 1305 has 70% tops, and its dyed with a brown band in the middle. (Someone else can explain what "70% tops" means, I'm not sure.) So does the 620, but a smaller knot.

Keep in mind that even with two identical knots, two brushes can develop differently. My two SOCs have unique personalities, even though they are the same age and the same break-in and the same usage. The cherry is scritchy with plenty of backbone, the ash is soft but floppy.

 

[Nick Danger]

(Someone else can explain what "70% tops" means, I'm not sure.)

Found an old thread with a couple of posts on this topic from Leon of Vintage Scent:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...cent-Shop-grand-opening?p=1962522#post1962522

"The "tops" percentage measures the amount of hair that has the full length of the loft. For example, in a 90% tops hair loft like the 830 or 1305, 90% of the hair in the loft has the longest hair in the loft, while the remaining 10% are a little shorter. The more "tops" percentage a grade is, the more uniform is in the tips, and performs better."

​

He also explained the differences between some of the Semogue boar line:

2000​

White Premium 90% tops mixed with White Super 70% tops

1305 and 830​

Banded imitation badger Premium 90% tops

1800​

Banded imitation badger Extra 75% tops mixed with Banded imitation badger Premium 90% tops

620 and 1520​

Banded imitation badger Extra 75% tops

1250, 1460 and 1470​

White Best 90% tops
​

The SOC didn't exist when Leon posted this information, but I believe it's 90% white premium tops (if Leon is reading this thread, perhaps he can clarify that point.)

Nick

 

[dpm802]

Is the 1305 a 90% knot? I stand corrected. And now I know what that statistic means.

Thank you, kind sir.

 

[TacticalPanda]

The SOC is obviously great, but I happen to love the knot on my 830. Fantastic brush, especially if you like the 1305.

 

[nemo]

My favorite is the dense mixed hair of my Caravela! But if you meant straight boar bristle it would have to be the 90% premium white tops.

 

[Nick Danger]

My favorite is the dense mixed hair of my Caravela! But if you meant straight boar bristle it would have to be the 90% premium white tops.

The SOC 2012 SE is pretty much the same as the Caravela, isn't it? It's that wonderful, dense mix of boar and badger. Just a superb brush.

Nick

 

[Kentos]

My 830 has hair shafts that are "slippery" for lack of a better term. When wet it feels as if it were slick with lather even tho it is freshly rinsed out.

 

[CyberJCM]

How about this Semogue:

"Vintage Scent has some very special shaving brushes just for you - the Semogue Foro Afeitado Limited Edition.

The Semogue 2013 Foro Afeitado Limited Edition brush is probably the traditional handmade shaving brush that Semogue has ever made. This brush is densely stuffed with the very best Selected Silvertip Badger hair, a whiter and softer kind of Silvertip hair to provide the ultimate shaving experience using either soaps or creams. The manufacturing of the knot was successfully achieved after intense testing to make sure it provides the optimum balance between backbone and luxurious softness. The knot is 24mm in diameter and 52mm tall.

There's more about this brush which makes it the most exclusive of the Semogues brushes ever produced. Besides having the rare Selected Silvertip Badger hair, we made a beautiful Asian Water Buffalo horn handle just for this model. The new silver sticker shows the new Semogue logo and below the word "Portugal". The engraving in the base shows the limited edition information - the brush number, the classic Semogue logo and the year of production. It is 47mm tall.

This brush feels really luxurious in the face. It lathers easily any hard soap or cream. In terms of comparison to other production brushes, I'd say that it feels like a Simpson Chubby between the 1 and 2 model and the hair resembles a lot the Shavemac D01 silvertip hair.

You can order it here.

Better hurry before its gone!

 

[Mister Moo]

Like badger a lot.
Like horsehair alright.
Like Semogue 1305 best.

 

[Ufgoodies]

For a long time i also thought that the SOC was the most comfortable handle I had tried. So far, the only thing that i have found more comfortable is the rover, which came as a surprise because it does not look ergonomic at all. I've only had two "real" boar brushes, and of the two my SOC broke in quicker. I understand that boar can take a bit of encouragement to fully break in, and i am completely content supplying it. Once the lather finally explodes it's always luxurious. Though i DID notice that this one tends to drop it's lather after the first pass so far.

I'm curious about the 2015HD silvertip, but I suspect it won't have enough backbone for my tastes.

I've wondered about Semogue's badger for a while now, and i've gotten a brush half full of it up till this point someday i'll get some Semogue two band or 3 band.

[FONT=&quot]

Found an old thread with a couple of posts on this topic from Leon of Vintage Scent:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/45681-The-Vintage-Scent-Shop-grand-opening?p=1962522#post1962522[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
The SOC didn't exist when Leon posted this information, but I believe it's 90% white premium tops (if Leon is reading this thread, perhaps he can clarify that point.)

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thanks again Nick! Thanks for taking the energy into finding this and sharing. It taught a few of us something, and maybe will inspire one of us to get our favorite brush back.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

Is the 1305 a 90% knot? I stand corrected. And now I know what that statistic means.

Thank you, kind sir.

Does this mean that you'll be picking up another 1305 in the future? Or possibly an 830?

My favorite is the dense mixed hair of my Caravela! But if you meant straight boar bristle it would have to be the 90% premium white tops.

Oh, i mean all badger hair types. I just got a 2012 SOC SE so i have a mixed version that i am currently breaking in. Do you know how IT compares against the caravela? I've been wondering if it has a similar feel or not.

Better hurry before its gone!

While this DOES look like a beautiful and top notch brush, I think it's gone I clicked it and the page says "Sorry, the product was not found." It DOES look beautiful, and to anyone who managed to pick one up is seriously in luck

In terms of comparison to other production brushes, I'd say that it feels like a Simpson Chubby between the 1 and 2 model and the hair resembles a lot the Shavemac D01 silvertip hair

When you say between a chubby 1 and 2 do you mean the size of the knot, the feel of the hair, the denisty? Or something else that i did not notice?

 

[CyberJCM]

Oh yeah... I think you're right. It appears to be gone! But it was there when I posted. Check back later, could be a site error.

As far as your question about the Chubby comparison, that wasn't my words. What I posted was from the actual brush description posted by Leon, the owner of Vintage Scent and the seller of the brush. I have no idea what its really like, nor do I have any idea what a Simpson Chubby is like (and have no plans to ever find out). But, I posted it as I thought it'd be a neat option if one were interested in it

 

[Ufgoodies]

ok then i meant to ask it in a more philosophical way, no one specifically in mind then Not to worry about it being gone, I probably couldn't afford that beauty at the moment anyways, and it looks to be very limited. I appreciate you forwarding his description, for those who weren't able to see it before it went offline. Even if it is all information third hand it's nice to have some framework. Also, once i get some questions answered, it seems like there are a few more that jump in its place.

Oh yeah... I think you're right. It appears to be gone! But it was there when I posted. Check back later, could be a site error.

As far as your question about the Chubby comparison, that wasn't my words. What I posted was from the actual brush description posted by Leon, the owner of Vintage Scent and the seller of the brush. I have no idea what its really like, nor do I have any idea what a Simpson Chubby is like (and have no plans to ever find out). But, I posted it as I thought it'd be a neat option if one were interested in it

 

[Klarion]

My favorite is the Special Grade bristle Semogue offers - present in the SOC, 2011 LE, but most notably in the original super boar... the 2009 Excelsior Limited Edition brush. It's got that handle the SOC owners love, and similar bristle, but at a much higher density. Now, the knot is supposedly the same at the 2011 LE, but I much prefer the 2009. It doesn't get the "bed head" some brushes are know to sport, has a much flatter profile, and feels ever so slightly stiffer in the bristles when soaked.

It is my ultimate face lathering brush.