Semogue Excelsior 1470 Shaving Brush

This is my third shaving brush. My first one, probably like most new wet shavers, was a cheap ($11) badger brush. Why? Because badger is better, its $11, and its rated four and a half stars with a million reviews. DON'T DO IT! Trust me.I can only guess that the five star reviews are coming from folks who started with a crappy Bombay boar brush from Wal Mart and saw a marked improvement in performance with a minimal investment; or from smug thrifty folks who don't know anything else and love to brag about buying something great for cheap. The inexpensive badger brush I received shed a TON of hairs at first, and continued shedding at least a few every time I shaved with it. Once it was wet and holding lather it went completely limp, and lost any form it had while dry. Imagine trying to paint a wall with a brush that has cooked spaghetti noodles instead of bristles.My second brush was a Made Rite vintage badger from a local antique store for $6. Despite being 30+ years old the hairs were stiffer. It whipped shaving cream faster and did a better job of retaining its shape while applying cream to my face.This brush arrived with super soft tips (this one is made with Semogue's "premium" boar hair, which is 90% tips and the best boar hair they offer. Awesome for the price.) Behind those soft tips the bristles are stiff enough to keep their shape. It whipped cream as quickly as the contemporary badger brush, and was less than thirty seconds behind the vintage. It does not create as much cream, but I was pouring a significant amount down the drain before anyway. It makes more than enough with the same almond sized dollop I've been using.Where this brush really shines is in the application of the cream to the face. It is very soft and comfortable, but provides what I can only describe as a gentle scrub. The stiffer bristles help the brush keep its shape, which made for a much neater and more even application of cream. I didnt have to fill my nostrils with shaving cream to properly coat my upper lip. It just felt like the cream was getting under and around all of the whiskers. That resulted in a slick, phenomenal shave.Any of the Semogue premium boars would be a great choice, but the value of this particular brush is beyond compare.Update: the performance got better with time. The bristles got softer, and created lather faster, but remained stiff enough to apply easily to the face. It she'd, on average, a couple of bristles per month. Within only a couple of months the entire knot popped off the handle. The glue was still intact on the knot, and was as hard as a rock. I had to use a file to make grooves in the glue so new epoxy would stick. I re-glued with JB Weld, and it continued to get better with use for more than two years. Yesterday the knot came off the handle again. I'm tempted to file and re-glue, but right now they're only $10... I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could.

This is a surprisingly nice quality shaving brush for under $11.00! For me, it has just the perfect amount of backbone, and the bristles are soft, but firm enough to do a very effective job. I only did 2 half swirls in a tub of shaving soap and had a good lather when brushing on my face. I did one more half swirl only, and actually had a VERY THICK lather on my face, It works VERY well.Also this has a slightly smaller head than most brushes, which picks up less soap than some do at one time. However, I like that as it keeps me from overusing too much soap at one time. No wastage makes the already cheap for the price soap, last even longer. I highly recommend this very inexpensive brush. The quality is truly outstanding,Semogue is well known for their ability to hit home runs in creating many different models of high quality boar brushes. They certainly hit it out of the park on this one. Just glad it was struck over the pond where some of us in the U.S. were able to catch and nab one. Kinda like winning the lottery!

I've been using this brush for several months now and I found this brush to be very durable. Maybe 1 or 2 boar hair came off the handle after first use. But almost all the boar bristles stuck to the wood handle like glue.Make sure when you air dry the brush, the boar bristles face down by hanging the handle to a shaving razor stand like in the picture I provided. Do not dry it off with the handle butt laying down on the counter. You do this for all shaving brushes. That's how the boar bristle can be durable and stick to the handle.Also, in preparation for using the shaving brush, stick the brush in a mug of hot water for at least 5 minutes, about the amount of time it takes you to shower. That way the wet boar bristle can be soft and easy to lather your shaving soap.

This is a fantastic little brush. I shave my head, and I prefer boar over badger. Boar brushes massage, exfoliate, and raise the hair better than badger brushes (in my humble opinion). The ONLY drawback to this little beauty is its lack of bristles. It's not as full as some of the other boar brushes I've owned in the past. None the less, it is quite soft for a boar (as though it had been broken in for me upon arrival) and it lathers exceptionally well. The lack of fullness I spoke of earlier will not demote this brush to 4 stars. What it lacks in fullness definitely makes up for in all other areas. The price + soft bristles + lathering + durability + looks = an exceptional boar hair brush. You won't be disappointed.

I haven't long started DE shaving after have done it when I was young. I got the buying fever and was buying all kinds of supplies for my shaving ritual. Tried badger brushes you name it. Thie is the brush of all brushes. Will not go back to badger. Just the right amount of added firmness,only slightly, Have lost maybe 4 hairs in months, Wow I love this brush. Be sure to rinse with mild warm water not hot and gently shake water out and then hang. Don't sit it on its handle. Needs to be bristles down.