1305 Shave Brush - Boar Bristle

Once again, as recommended by a friend, this purchase was to replace a low-end Badger Brush, and i could not be happier.For those of you who are not about to spend $400 for a Silver-tipped Badger Brush, with hair harvested from only the belly of sleeping female badgers, living on the Eastern slope of the Manchurian Mountain range, this Boar-Hair brush provides great backbone, superb lather, and all at a very reasonable cost.Hand-built (watch the video) and hand painted, the 1305 is a brush that you can expect to have forever, with nary a lost bristle, and with a stout enough feel to whip the lather into a frenzy of awesomeness.The softness comes after your first dozen or two shaves as the hairs develop split-ends, and those split-ends get split ends, and the beat goes on. At first, you may feel like the brush is not as soft as you would like, but when it breaks in, in is fantastic.Coupled with a high-end soap or shave cream, the Semogue is a high-value purchase, at a bargain price.Highly recommended.~syf

This brush quickly became the favorite among my modest collection of three brushes, and I've been using it exclusively for a month now. As with most shaving gear, preferences are partly personal: I like the way it feels on my face, and I like the size and the way it feels in my hand. Regarding size: The 1305 is on the smaller side. If you like a bigger brush, you might try the Omega Shaving Brush #10048 Boar Bristle aka The PRO 48. I own and like the Omega too, even though I myself prefer the Semogue.For what it is worth, I was initially put off by the Semogue's light weight and wood handle, but the Semogue has already withstood its first drop (oops!), and it floats with bristles down and soaks well enough. I've tried the brush with various combinations of face and bowl lathering with two soaps and three creams. It works well with all of them. It also loads quickly - faster than my Omega - which possibly is due to the smaller size of the Semogue. Incidentally, I haven't shaved with two soaps and three creams during the last month; I've just tested the brush to see how it loads, lathers, and feels on my face. I also wanted to see how it sheds hairs, and I have seen a few, but not enough to deduct a star.One last thing, which you may already know: At first, the brush won't smell great when wet, and it may take a few days or a week for the smell to dissipate. That is not unique to this brand or model, and it is a good thing to get used to if you are serious about wet shaving.Good luck and happy shaving.

Obviously, I'm a wet shave guy and I have always thought badger hair was the way to go with brushes. After all, wouldn't you want the softer bristles massaging all that lovely soapy foam onto your face and into your beard? As it turns out, it rather depends on the soap you are using as to which bristle to use. I like cake soap...especially the kind made from sheep fat (lanolin). If that's you, too, you'll find that the stiffer boar bristle does a far better job of whipping up that nice, thick, peaky, foamy lather. And that feels much better on my face. My razor doesn't care what bristle I use to get the lather made and on my face, but it does care that the lather is thick and creamy and lasts the entire shave. And I credit this brush with getting to that end with my cake soap. Love it! If you use a cream to make your lather, this brush will work well, but you might prefer the more luxurious feel of the badger hair. Since cream is already part of the way there to lather, the softer bristle will work just fine. I have both, as I suspect most guys who are serious about wet shaves do. You'll figure out which works best with what soap, too. By the way, the stiffness of the boar bristle is why I only gave it 4 stars for softness. It isn't supposed to be soft. So 5 stars would actually not be a good thing at least for boar bristle.The handle is a great length. I like the longer handle, especially as I get closer to the bottom of my shaving mug as the soap is used up. It is well designed and comfortable to hold and whip.The bristles are holding well. I have only had one detach...it's been a couple of months now. That in itself is sort of amazing.So why did I only give it 4 stars over-all? The brush is worth the money, but (and I know this is picky) the emblem on the handle is a decal, not painted. It is already coming off. I know, I know, big whup. Still for such a quality brush, that seems a tacky finishing touch.

This is an excellent boar brush from a company that continues to make it's mark in the world of wet-shaving. The quality of the bristle is very good and the break-in period is not long. The brush is firm enough and the bristle tips become softer and softer with use. The handle is extremely comfortable to hold as the brush works up a good lather. I personally feel that this model is best suited for soaps and bowl lathering. There are many comments on the forums about the easy to chip and damage finish, so if you value it's appearance I would make an extra effort not to drop it or bang it against a hard surface. Also I would not submerge the handle in hot water for any length of time. I put the brush in a cup and fill the hot water to within an inch of the handle when I am soaking and preparing to lather. No need in inviting trouble though the brush is cheap enough to replace. If you like the feel of this brush after purchase, you might consider the Semogue 610 to add to your rotation. It is another Semogue jewel.