It is all good and well with all those Semogue comparisons, but how do a Semogue compare to the competition?
A question that appeared when I saw a thread for Omega brushes, so I thought it could be fun (as always
) to see if I could get an answer.
So I picked one of my Omegas, the 11137, took a look at the knot size and loft to find the Semogue that came closest; it was the Semogue Owners Club (aka SOC).
So, let's start this rather interesting comparison:
I will just start out with the data to show the similarity of the brushes.
Data
If I just feel the bristles in dry condition I can't really tell a difference in the density of the knots. I did this by squeezing the knot halfway up - a very unscientific and non-conclusive test
Test
I soaked the brushes while showering and then lathered up with Kent Shaving Soap.
Loading: Both brushes picked up soap without any problems. I had to load a little longer with the SOC but if this was because of the brush or because the soap was getting a little more dry is impossible to say.
Whipping up the lather; again both brushes did this without any problems and created a nice creamy lather.
First pass: Surprisingly they felt much alike. I don't know why, but for some reason I had imagined that there would be a noticeable difference between them.
Backbone felt similar, the splay was equal and the slight prickliness of the tips were identical.
Second pass: The second pass normally starts to show small differences, but I couldn't really detect any, it was pretty much as the first pass.
Third pass: Still backbone and splay were identical, but I believe I could feel a difference now. The SOC somehow felt more compact (in lack of a better word). It is hard to describe, because backbone and splay didn't show anything, but the SOC's knot felt more dense somehow.
The feel of the tips was equal - a slight prickliness when using circular motions and very nice and soft when using painting motions.
Fourth pass: Apart from the SOC feeling a little more dense, the performance of both brushes were very much alike.
After rinsing the brushes and feeling the bristles again, it was now obvious that the SOC had a denser knot than the Omega.
Result
Taking a look a the data before initiating the test I expected the SOC to be slightly more floppy than the Omega given the loft height was three mm larger. It is not much, but sometimes it is just enough to make a small difference in performance. The expectation didn't come true, as the SOC felt just as firm as the Omega and I think this must be because it has a denser knot.
As mentioned above I had anticipated a difference in the feel of those two brushes given the fact they are of different brands, maybe because this is what I frequently experience when using badger brushes - they can be very different within the same hair grade. But those two boar brushes performed what I will describe as identical.
As can be seen in the photo, the SOC splay more than the Omega after use which leads me to believe that the knots are not set in the same way. Semogue seems to have tendency to set the knots so that the hairs spread or fan out a little more.
If I really have to nitpick here I will say the the SOC handle is better to grip. It feels more comfortable and the balance of the whole brush is a little better - for my liking. Aestethical I like the look of the SOC better too.
Performance wise I can't say one brush is better than the other, they are very well build and if those two were your candidates my recommendation would be to take the one you think looks best - or my brush mantra: "If in doubt, get both."
A question that appeared when I saw a thread for Omega brushes, so I thought it could be fun (as always
) to see if I could get an answer.So I picked one of my Omegas, the 11137, took a look at the knot size and loft to find the Semogue that came closest; it was the Semogue Owners Club (aka SOC).
So, let's start this rather interesting comparison:
I will just start out with the data to show the similarity of the brushes.
Data
| Omega 11137 | Semogue Owners Club | |
| Hair type | Boar | Special grade boar |
| Handle | Wood, dark ash | Wood, cherry |
| Weight [gram] | 53.9 | 60.5 |
| Knot diameter [mm] | 24.0 | 24.2 |
| Loft height [mm] | 53.4 | 56.5 |
| Total height [mm] | 111.8 | 117.0 |
If I just feel the bristles in dry condition I can't really tell a difference in the density of the knots. I did this by squeezing the knot halfway up - a very unscientific and non-conclusive test
Test
I soaked the brushes while showering and then lathered up with Kent Shaving Soap.
Loading: Both brushes picked up soap without any problems. I had to load a little longer with the SOC but if this was because of the brush or because the soap was getting a little more dry is impossible to say.
Whipping up the lather; again both brushes did this without any problems and created a nice creamy lather.
First pass: Surprisingly they felt much alike. I don't know why, but for some reason I had imagined that there would be a noticeable difference between them.
Backbone felt similar, the splay was equal and the slight prickliness of the tips were identical.
Second pass: The second pass normally starts to show small differences, but I couldn't really detect any, it was pretty much as the first pass.
Third pass: Still backbone and splay were identical, but I believe I could feel a difference now. The SOC somehow felt more compact (in lack of a better word). It is hard to describe, because backbone and splay didn't show anything, but the SOC's knot felt more dense somehow.
The feel of the tips was equal - a slight prickliness when using circular motions and very nice and soft when using painting motions.
Fourth pass: Apart from the SOC feeling a little more dense, the performance of both brushes were very much alike.
After rinsing the brushes and feeling the bristles again, it was now obvious that the SOC had a denser knot than the Omega.
Result
Taking a look a the data before initiating the test I expected the SOC to be slightly more floppy than the Omega given the loft height was three mm larger. It is not much, but sometimes it is just enough to make a small difference in performance. The expectation didn't come true, as the SOC felt just as firm as the Omega and I think this must be because it has a denser knot.
As mentioned above I had anticipated a difference in the feel of those two brushes given the fact they are of different brands, maybe because this is what I frequently experience when using badger brushes - they can be very different within the same hair grade. But those two boar brushes performed what I will describe as identical.
As can be seen in the photo, the SOC splay more than the Omega after use which leads me to believe that the knots are not set in the same way. Semogue seems to have tendency to set the knots so that the hairs spread or fan out a little more.
If I really have to nitpick here I will say the the SOC handle is better to grip. It feels more comfortable and the balance of the whole brush is a little better - for my liking. Aestethical I like the look of the SOC better too.
Performance wise I can't say one brush is better than the other, they are very well build and if those two were your candidates my recommendation would be to take the one you think looks best - or my brush mantra: "If in doubt, get both."
!
