620 Shave Brush - Boar Bristle

I purchased this brush to replace a Semogue Owner's Club brush that arrived damaged. The SOC is a beautiful brush but I was concerned about how the wood handle would hold up. And since this brush has an acrylic handle and so many positive reviews I decided to go with the 620. It is a smaller brush but since I face lather it is perfect. This brush has tons of backbone and made short work of my Williams Mug soap, which is notoriously difficult to lather. This was only my first time using it and it performed wonderfully. I didn't find it excessively rough on my skin either for not even being broken in. I did notice that even after just one use the bristles have already begun to split and the knot has bloomed a bit. I can only imagine how much better it will get as it is used more. There was a very slight wet animal odor but nothing terrible. This is expected most of the time with boar hair although it seems to be hit or miss. Sometimes they stink and sometimes not so much. As far as quality goes it is top notch. This is my first Semogue brush as all my others are Omegas. This has a much more luxurious feel with the solid handle compared to the hollow plastic handles of the Omegas. It's not that the Omega's are bad brushes because they all perform great but this one just has a nicer feel in the hand. This brush was a great purchase. It performs great out of the box and will only get better. And at less than $20 it is tough to beat. I don't fault anyone for paying more for badger hair. It's all personal preference with wet shaving. But it's tough for me to justify the extra cost when you can get such great results with a well-made boar brush. This probably isn't the best choice if you like to bowl lather because of the smaller knot but if you face lather this is the perfect brush. It definitely delivers.

This is my son's first boar brush so he can only compare to badger. As for the things you read about boar having a bad smell that takes a long time to dissipate, that was not true of this brush. There was a slight odor but it quickly went away. The bristles are starting to get softer but they are still quite a bit stiffer than badger. My son had found the badger bristles to be too soft, but finds this to be too stiff. The brush seems to be well made, so the only issue is that boar bristles just may not be to his liking. He may try horse-hair next as it is supposed to fall in-between the badger and boar on the softness/stiffness continuum. If you want a stiffer brush this is probably a very good choice.

Double-edge shaving has been something of a pet passion I've nurtured for nearly 3 years now which in terms of a "pet" would seem a bit shy of anything incredible but when you consider how often men actually shave I am something of an "old-hand" at this practice. Much like any well-observed practice, shaving properly requires the proper attitude, technique and of course the proper tools in order to be successful. A brush of decent quality is akin to a surgical team prepping a patient for a procedure; without this vital tool and step you will probably need a surgical team to close all the nicks and scrapes that could have been avoided. The Semogue 620 is made of boar bristle and not badger bristles. There is a noticeable difference in how these bristles function in building a lather as well as spreading the lather over skin. Badger bristles soften quickly and hold more moisture when wet which can lead to a very thick and dense lather that allows the blade to glide across the skin like a skater on ice. Boar bristles need more work, a greater length of time to break-in but can get the job done when coupled with those tried and true qualities of patience and understanding. Boar bristles should be prepped before use which means a cup of warm water about 15-20 minutes before shaving can help to soften the bristles and allow for a greater gain in lather. The Semogue 620 is no different and a few extra steps of set up can really help you get the most out of this brush. The bristles are tightly packed and stiff which means you will have to work this brush more than a badger to build a lather. Do not let this lead you to the belief that this brush doesn't function well but only that the tight knot and initially stiff bristles do not allow as much air to be incorporated into the lather which means a deeper stroke technique, a tad more water and a little more movement can achieve a great lather. Pros: Price can't be beat Very good quality Great design and feel Tight knot with high bristle count Handle is acrylic so it won't rot like wood or blemish like metal handles After daily use I have yet to see a single stray bristle! Cons: A bit stiff initially Requires a little extra work to break it in Lather initially tends to be flat but eventually with continued use this is remedied

This diminutive brush is an absolute lather machine, producing mounds for moisture-rich lather. I find the key is make sure the brush has had ample 'soak time' prior to putting it to your favorite soap. I use cake soap, lately it's been Van Der Hagen Deluxe; and this brush loves this soap and the soap responds to this softer cake soap. I've tried the brush on Mitchell's Wool Fat and Arko, they work okay with the 620, however, VDH produces a superior lather, and it's reasonably priced; however, all these soaps are not as good as LaToja shave stick (see last paragraph). One good brush-loading will deliver a massive volume of lather. I do one full face lather, after which I'll spot lather to get those stubborn areas like parts of my lower neck. I've had expensive silver-tip badger brushes and many boar brushes; but this is my brush of choice. I love the overall size and loft; and the handle has the best profile ever. The loft allows me to push the entirety of the brush into my face when lathering, making for a good scrub; and I can also 'paint' with it, if I choose. I prefer a swirling motion where I use the entire loft pushed into my skin. Love, love, love this brush. I've owned many Semogue and Omega boar brushes; and of the many Semogues and Omegas I've owned, this is the best. Yes, I'll take this brush over a silver-tip badger for its performance and feel. Wet shavers have their preferences; and for this wet shaving guy, a 620 and LaToja shave stick deliver wet-shaving Satori. LaToja in tandem with a 620 makes the best shave lather. If you're comparing the 620 to a Semogue 1438, I prefer the feel of the 620's knot and better quality Boar bristles. And, for my second pass, after the long growth had just been shaved, the 620 continues to deliver excellent lather on smoother skin.

First off...... If like the chance to change my review at a later after some more time. This brush is very well constructed, with a tight knot, and is fairly soft on the face right out of the box. The reason I would change my "stars" is that this, and the Omega 48, are my first boar brushes. It didn't stink like a wet dog out of the box (yet got a little rank after it got wet), but was readily remedied with a double washing in fairly strong smelling body soap. This brush and I seem to have a "love - hate" thing going right now. I credit one of my best shaves ever, with the use of this brush, but we've been having a few spats as of late. Make sure you rotate your brushes (as we all know), which helps, but I've been so mad at the lather it has made with the same "perfect" shave (Tactonic Bay Rum) that I've thrown the bowl of lather in the toilet, switched to a synthetic (as we know they don't require a soaking - unlike this guy which likes about 5 minutes in some hot water). The hairs are splitting, as I was informed they would, making its ploom and softness even better. But while this is happening, it has become quite a lather hog. I use a bowl to mix all my lather, especially with a new brush (even more with a new type of brush) so I can monitor the thickness/sickness/etc.... This guy seems (like I said, this is a review till now) to be quite inconsistent with the water needed. Even with the same soap (I still think it's a might to rough for TOBS cream.....right note that is, but I could be wrong). So, to keep this diatribe to a minimum, I'll leave it as we're getting used to one another - more importantly, I'm working to see what'll make this brush happy. I do know that it holds a s***-ton of water, which isn't that big of a deal, as the badger brushes (from pure to silvertip) do as well. I'm an sure that we will figure each other's wants, and needs soon, as it seems to be right at that point. I just feel it. So if you're used to boar brushes, and breaking them in, etc.....this is a finely built tool. Great, tight knot, splitting ends, and fanning out nicely.

This and the Semogue 830 are my favorite boar brushes. The 620 was a great performer straight out of the box, and it is getting better and better with each use. The bristles are not scratchy and are softening up nicely, and the backbone feels perfect. This brush provides tons of lather, excels with hard soaps, and gives an invigorating yet irritation free shave. The handle is also beautiful and durable.

Brush is made very well, comfortable acrylic handle, no animalic smell out of the box. This brush has good backbone but is not scritchey on the face. It seems as though the knot (22mm) is holding more lather the more I break it in. I just get 3 passes in currently - very little lather left over. This is #2 brush out of the 5 brushes I own.

Absolutely amazing brush. I was torn as to which Semogue brush I should buy: this 620 or the 830. I like the look of the banded bristles; I'm more of a badger brush fan than boar but, I had heard great things about Semogue and Omega leaves a little to be desired for me. The 620 has a good bit if backbone to it, which I prefer to a brush that splays out like the 830 (from what I understand). This 620 makes quick work of lathering up soaps and creams whether on the face or in a bowl. I prefer to lather soaps directly to the face and I've enjoyed the extra resistance from this brush. The handle is perfect; Semogue must have studied this for some time because it's just the right fit for my hand. I've noticed that a lot of boar brushes have rather tall bristles and sometimes will not sit on a single brush stand without touching the bottom of the stand. This brush is tall but not so tall that it touches the bottom of the stand. Great Brush!!