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Posted by Andy
on July 25, 2009, 8:17 am, in reply to "Re: Semogue badger brushes"
Hi Murray - many thanks for the detailed review. Though I really enjoy the Semogue limited edition, I agree that that there is little flow through due to the density of the knot. I do find with the Semogue that with the longer loft (57mm), I can make very good lather, even with the dense knot. But it is a very large brush, and takes up quite a bit of real estate when lathering my face. Still, it's my best brush in terms of overall quality, and I use it regularly. However, I did sell a Rooney 3/1 super because it was just too dense. I now have the Rooney 3/1 special in pure, and find the less dense knot preferable.
It sounds like I'd really enjoy the 2015, and I will definitely consider that model when selecting my next brush. I've only heard good things about it so far. Then again, Gary did mention that there are more boars and pures arriving at the Shoebox...
--Previous Message--
: Andy, in my estimation, the Semogue 2015
: (silvertip with wooden handle) and 730
: (silvertip with acrylic handle) are the best
: badger brushes in the Semogue line, and they
: are the best silvertip brushes I have found
: to date. I prefer them even to the Semogue
: Limited Edition brush with the horn handle.
:
: Perhaps I should explain what I look for in
: a brush.
:
: I want a brush that holds its shape with
: minimal distortion in the lathering process
: and that has good flow-through.
:
: A dense knot has poor flow-through, it
: hoards lather, and it is prone to excessive
: bloom. (The Rooney Heritage line has very
: dense knots, which some can work with and
: some can’t accept.)
:
: A loose knot has good flow-through, but it
: is often “floppy.” (This is a
: characteristic of Vulfix Super brushes, that
: are reported to lather creams in a bowl very
: effectively, but they don’t hold their shape
: well for face-lathering).
:
: I have generally been disappointed with
: silvertip brushes, finding them “mushy.”
: Pure badger brushes were a revelation,
: because they had backbone (without resorting
: to a dense knot), controlled bloom (because
: of the stiffer bristle), and good
: flow-through (again, because a dense knot
: was unnecessary).
:
: I had despaired of finding a silvertip brush
: with these desirable characteristics, until
: I bought a Semogue 2015. For me, this brush
: has the perfect size and density. Its fan
: shape loads more effectively from a cake of
: soap, it has good backbone and very well
: controlled bloom, it has excellent
: flow-through, and it has the soft tips of a
: silvertip brush.
:
: Many find bowl-lathering with a relatively
: “floppy” brush like a Vulfix Super to work
: very well for them. I use both swirling and
: compression motions to lather in a bowl. A
: knot like that of the Semogue 2015 requires
: only light compression to lather because of
: the good flow-through and because the fan
: shape provides a more effective surface for
: compression.
:
: A knot of higher density requires more
: aggressive compression to overcome the
: tendency to hoard lather. I have a new
: Rooney Heritage Stubby Medium brush in Pure
: Badger, which has been a disappointment
: because it is, in my mind, unjustifiably
: dense for a pure badger brush. I have to
: compress the daylights out of it to get it
: to yield the lather. The exaggerated
: compression, combined with the dense knot,
: results in bloom utterly unbecoming of a
: pure badger brush.
:
: The Semogue Limited Edition brush has a
: denser, more bulb-shaped loft than the 2015
: and 730. (You can get “HD” or high-density
: versions of the 2015 and 730, which
: presumably have similar density to the
: Limited Editions brush.) For me, these
: characteristics reduce its performance. The
: Limited Edition brush produces and holds a
: lot of lather, but it takes more work to
: accomplish it and the bloom is relatively
: uncontrolled (more like a Rooney Super,
: except that the Semogue silvertip is much
: softer on the face).
:
:
: I have both the 2015 with the wooden handle
: and the 730 in acrylic. The wooden handle
: has the advantage of being taller, and it is
: very comfortable to grip.
:
: The acrylic handle is shorter (the same
: height as an Omega 63171, a tiny bit taller
: than a Rooney Style 1/Small), but it is
: cylindrical in shape with some faceting
: around the top, making it more comfortable
: to grip than more shapely handles of the
: same size. The acrylic handle has more heft
: to it and it imparts a classier look.
:
: I like the heft and the classier look of the
: 730, but I think the 2015 is a little more
: comfortable to work with. (I’m glad I have
: them both!) A word of caution, however:
: The simple cylindrical shape of the handle
: that makes the 730 comfortable to hold while
: lathering does not have the typical indented
: pedestal shape at the bottom. So, when you
: shake the water out of this brush, grip it
: securely, or it will surprise you by flying
: out of your hand.
:
:
: The Semogue 2015 and 730 not only represent
: exceptional value, but I find them to be
: outstanding brushes.
:
: - Murray
:
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: I've really enjoyed the recent posts on the
: boards regarding Semogue boar brushes. I
: have the Semogue limited edition horn handle
: brush - and it is without question the best
: brush I own. I'm wondering - for those of
: you who have Semogue badger brushes - what
: do you think of the them? I'd be interested
: in your thoughts on both the wood handle and
: acrylic handle badger brushes.
:
:
:
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