Semogue Owners Club (SOC) Two Band - amazing!

What kind of shaving brush do you use? Tell us all about it!
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vferdman
Posts: 517
Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2013 6:06 pm
Location: Western Massacusetts

Semogue Owners Club (SOC) Two Band - amazing!

Post by vferdman »

I have been wanting to try a SOC for a while now. Ever since I started wet shaving three and some years ago. I wanted a SOC boar, but Semogue boar experiences with 1305 (too floppy and not dense enough), 1470 (actually a great brush, but took too long to break in and ate lather instead of giving it to me, but once broken in was a fantastic brush) and 1800 (actually an amazingly good brush) were mixed bag for me, so I abstained from SOC boar. I love the SOC handle and have a SOC 2012 SE (a mixed hair in resin handle), which is one of my very favorite brushes. Still I never tried a wooden handled SOC. I especially didn't think a two band brush could impress me because I make my own two band brushes that are pretty amazing. However, the other day I came across a SOC two band on BST (on another forum) at a price that I could not pass up. So I bought it and tried it yesterday. WOW! Why is this brush not more popular?! It is really amazing. It is not super dense, has a higher loft/knot (52/24) ratio than I would expect to be adequate for my tastes, but the feel and performance of this brush are amazing! It is on a soft side for sure, but not floppy. The less dense knot affords excellent flow of lather, there is no scritch whatsoever (I read a lot about the scritch in these, but my copy has none), the handle is, well, a SOC handle, which is an inspiration to me as a brush maker. All in all this is a fantastic two band brush which is all business and none of the fanfare of density and other attributes that fetch ridiculous prices. I mean is there a two band Simpson out there for anywhere near the price of a SOC two band? I doubt it. This brush sells for well under $70 shipped! As a brush maker that tries to bring great value myself I have to tip my hat to Semogue for creating such value in a badger shaving brush. I am only wondering why this brush is not more popular. Any ideas?

Here is my SOTD from yesterday:

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Entasis
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Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2015 1:44 pm

Re: Semogue Owners Club (SOC) Two Band - amazing!

Post by Entasis »

Good to know information, thanks! Two-bands are my favorites, but the pricing is all over the place given the different brands. What's even more perplexing is that it is a product of nature, so control over who gets what is likely not as easy as it sounds. I've purchased brushes others would not even remotely consider (because they either don't have the caliber of a brand name or price) and been exceedingly happy with them. One was from a forum member (elsewhere) for a brush that cost me $30, shipped. It performs as well or better than some of my $200+ brushes. The person who sold it, said it was shedder; to date it hasn't shred one bristle, and brings a huge smile to my face every time I use it. :D
Oscar11
Posts: 533
Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2010 9:29 pm
Location: North Dakota

Re: Semogue Owners Club (SOC) Two Band - amazing!

Post by Oscar11 »

I enjoy this knot too. Tweaked a bit but it's a Semogue 2 band.
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vferdman
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Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2013 6:06 pm
Location: Western Massacusetts

Re: Semogue Owners Club (SOC) Two Band - amazing!

Post by vferdman »

Oscar11 wrote:I enjoy this knot too. Tweaked a bit but it's a Semogue 2 band.
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screen shot on windows
Yauza! "Tweaked a bit"?! Is that what you call that? That is fabulous! I would need a donor copy to attempt something like that. I really like the SOC in its own right, but I would definitely do that with a second specimen. That's absolutely gorgeous, Oscar. Amazing work.
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