Semogue 1250 Oak Handle Pure Boar Bristle Shaving Brush, 22mm

I've had this brush for about a month, it is still breaking-in but I can already tell that it is going to be a very good brush. Before the first use all I did was wash it out with dish soap, made a lather with Arko, rinsed well, allowed 48 hours to dry and put it into the rotation. I have used it every other day for the past month and it gets better with each shave.

I give it a 2 because it's got a nice handle on it and the fit and finish is excellent given the price. That said, I can't make that brush do anything! I think that I'm going to re-knot it with a two-band badger.

This is a very nice boar brush with a soft feel but sufficient backbone for a great lather. I have 4 Semogue boar bristle brushes and this hits a sweet spot of good bristles and a good size. I still like the larger and stiffer knot of my 1305 better, but the bare wooden handle on the 1250 will probably last longer than the painted handle of the 1305. I have never smelled a stinky animal odor with Semogue brushes, but I still “condition” them by doing a test lather and letting it sit overnight. I put floor wax on the handle (once,after a year) to keep the handle from drying out and cracking. Give boar brushes at least a week to break in and soften up.

I purchased this brush about nine months ago, and I have used it well over 100 times. I purchased this because of the rave reviews that Semogue receives. I don't know if I just got a dud or what, but this brush had a terrible smell for about the first three weeks that I used it. That's forgivable enough, but ever since the brush was new it loses at least one, and sometimes as many as four bristles every time I shave. I have continued to use the brush hoping that an extended break-in period would help it somehow, but this one is just a dud. Most Semogue reviews are highly favorable, so it's possible that I got one that "slipped through", but it's the only Semogue brush I've bought so far. By contrast, I have an Omega 48 that loses maybe one bristle every five or six shaves and did not smell bad when new.

saw lots of great reviews for the 1305, but i wasn't particularly a fan of the handle paint or dye job on the bristles of that brush. reviews elsewhere on the web, that mirroried my concerns over the 1305, recommended the 1250, and i'm incredibly happy they did. absolutely gorgeous brush that came with no smell and started to break in quickly. this is going to become my go to brush.