I splashed out on some fancy floris soap in the sales, and thought i had better get a brush worthy of it (i've been using a rather limp and mediocre vulfix pure badger for the last year - can't remember the model but would not recommend). Boars seemed affordable and well suited for soap, and i picked out the 830 as i liked the look of it and it had some good feed back.
straight out of the box, it performed great (although i've only got that limp vulfix to compare it to). the column of hair felt stiff but not harsh on the check. i immediately put away the bowl i had been resorting to for lather building as this brush didn't seem to need back up: face lathering was immediately succesful and the firmness massaged in the soap well. i had put down previous problems with lathering to my bad london water, but now i just think it was the weak brush.
my only initial issue was the lather seemed a little grey. i presume this is the badger effect dye running and won't last long. i don't know why they bother with this dying, but there you go.
i've now had the semogue about 2 weeks, and the hair ends are beginning to split. i understand this is the breaking in process, and will improve the brush further. i can only look forward to this. lather still a bit greyish.
conclusion: really good lather production, with both soap and cream; feels good and firm on the cheek; looks great with solid, eye-catching acrylic handle; currently retailing for just over £16, (cheaper than the vulfix it has replaced) so excellent value for money. would definitely recommend, especially to someone who has outgrown their entry level brush and is looking for an affordable way to move on.
straight out of the box, it performed great (although i've only got that limp vulfix to compare it to). the column of hair felt stiff but not harsh on the check. i immediately put away the bowl i had been resorting to for lather building as this brush didn't seem to need back up: face lathering was immediately succesful and the firmness massaged in the soap well. i had put down previous problems with lathering to my bad london water, but now i just think it was the weak brush.
my only initial issue was the lather seemed a little grey. i presume this is the badger effect dye running and won't last long. i don't know why they bother with this dying, but there you go.
i've now had the semogue about 2 weeks, and the hair ends are beginning to split. i understand this is the breaking in process, and will improve the brush further. i can only look forward to this. lather still a bit greyish.
conclusion: really good lather production, with both soap and cream; feels good and firm on the cheek; looks great with solid, eye-catching acrylic handle; currently retailing for just over £16, (cheaper than the vulfix it has replaced) so excellent value for money. would definitely recommend, especially to someone who has outgrown their entry level brush and is looking for an affordable way to move on.
