I'm looking for a new budget brush and I'm seriously considering the Edwin Jagger Best Black Badger or a Semogue 620 or the 1520. What I like about the EJ is that it has a small knot and a handsome handle (ivory or faux tortoise shell). But I have heard a lot of great things about the Semogue. The 620 and 1520 are so cheap I wonder if they are any good at all though? Never owned a boar. If it was up to you which way would you go? If it's a Semogue do you like the wood handles or acrylic? Thanks,
The Semogue will break in after usage to be softer than the black badger will be, but also retain it's piggy backbone which is an added bonus. I'd go with the acrylic handle to preserve beauty as the painted ones can over time chip off or crack as a few members (Myself included) have discovered.
Of your choices, Do you want prickly and a little floppy ? Then Black Badger is the way to go. Semogue take a while to properly break in. I have had a 620 for over 2+ years and it still hasn't broken in yet ? I use it at least once a week. Semogue's are great brushes, but you have to be willing to invest the time to break them in. Ever consider maybe Omega ?
I'm still relatively new to DE razors, and using a brush and soap/cream, so I don't have the varied perspectives of the veterans here. But I can tell you I really enjoy my Semogue 1305. It has a painted wood handle, and even if it chips I don't regret getting it all. As usual, YMMV, but I think the 1305 is a beautiful brush, and the shape is ideal IMHO. I got it for Christmas and have used it almost exclusively since then, and it is already beginning to soften up. My only other brush at this point is a VDH boar, and it softened substantially in about 3 months. Unlike some others, my VDH hasn't been bad about losing bristles. My 1305 would lose 1 or 2 here and there to begin with, but not much over the past 2 or 3 weeks or so.
I've had a EJ silvertip badger and found it extremely soft, in fact to soft and floppy for me, the black badger will probably have some scritch to it. I have several Semogues (wood and acrylic handles) that I really like. If you're looking for a nice handle it might not be of interest but very good brushes for there money are Omega.
Thanks for the advice guys. I pulled the trigger on a Semogue 620 after reading a review that mentioned the handles on the EJ, even though they look beautiful, are feather-light plastic...no weight. That's exactly what I was trying to avoid. I already have a Silvertip with a nearly weightless plastic handle and though the bristles are gorgeous, I hate the handle feel. Heard good things about the Semogue, can't wait to try it, should be a nice tool to compliment my other brush.
The 620 is my daily brush and I've like it from day one. It does take some time to break in though. When I first started wet shaving my brushes were horse hair then after several years the badger became my brush. Now I've started using Semogue boars and love them. I find that palm lathering for a while really helps to break them in. Also when your done shaving shake it out well and wipe it on your hand towel like you would when lathering your face. This really helps to break it in. I think you're going to like it.
