Semogue SOC Mistura splaying requires too much pressure, what brush should I try next?

[Hentrox]

Hello!

I bought a Semogue SOC Mistura recently, based on the reviews. I've used it maybe 10 times. The issue I'm having is it feels really awkward/takes a lot of pressure to splay (at all). The effort is one annoyance, but I think the biggest detriment is that when I do put lots of pressure on it and splay it, it seems like it doesn't leave much, if any, soap behind on my face (like due to how much pressure it is putting on my face? ..I'm not sure of the exact mechanism).

I'm wondering what brush to try next. I don't have a ton of money. I use hard soaps. I like to face lather as I feel the working of the soap into the face helps to improve the shave/reduce irritation while shaving.

A few I were looking at locally (New Zealand) were the Semogue Torga C3 or C5 boar, or a Semogue 2010 Pure badger, or Semogue 2015 Silvertip badger (I'm happy to order from overseas too though, MaggardRazors, for one, have incredibly affordable economy international shipping). I do like the idea of not having to soak my brushs, so I'd give a synthetic a go too, but I'm wondering if they'd be too soft to load up a harder soap (and I don't like the idea of it flinging soap around).

The most puzzling thing to me is what is causing the 'issue' I'm having with my soc Mistura. Is it the boar hair? Is it the badger hair? Is it the combination of hair types? Is the density? Is the dimensions? ...I don't know.

Any thoughts/general advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[NorthernSoul]

I'd suggest giving this brush more use and not jumping to conclusions. The 2040 HD Silvertip is softer, with a smaller knot, however.

The Mistura being half boar hair needs different treatment from a badger. 1) bristles need to be soaked in warm water for around 5 or 10 minutes each time before using. 2) boar hair needs quite a few shaves to break in before the brush shows its true colors. After 20-30 uses the tips of the boar hair split, giving a soft feel and lathering easier and more abundantly. 3) Load more soap than you are accustomed to. Up until break in, you have to be more generous with the soap with boar hair brushes.

It's true there may be an element of hype behind the Mistura, but it is excellent IMHO.

 

[bubo_strix]

I’ve been using my Mistura for a year and it’s hitting a sweet spot. It has become my favorite brush, although I don’t have a ton to compare to as my only other brushes are SOC boar, Semogue 830 and the new Stirling Zenith. In my experience, boars are really interesting in that they don't stop evolving. Sure, you can break one in after a month of use but a year later it will take on some dramatically different attributes. My 830 is a mop. Very soft. I love it for what it is but it did not used to be that way. Give the Mistura lots of love and it will love you back.

I hope the same can be said for the Stirling Zenith. It likes to eat lather. Curious what it will become in a year from now with regular use.

 

[lasta]

The Mistura is one of the stiffest brushes I've used!

You sound like someone who would prefer a soft badger (silvertip or super). Doesn't have to be expensive, Yaqi has plenty of options in the lower range.

I personally like horse hair for face lathering. Great lather consistency. But, they are floppy as floppy gets, loading soaps can be problematic, I usually use cream or shave sticks with them.

YMMV and all that, but I don't recommend synthetic for face lathering. They are springy, hard to splay and splatter lather everywhere. Bowl lather and wipe on only (for me).

 

[Hentrox]

O

I'd suggest giving this brush more use and not jumping to conclusions. The 2040 HD Silvertip is softer, with a smaller knot, however.

The Mistura being half boar hair needs different treatment from a badger. 1) bristles need to be soaked in warm water for around 5 or 10 minutes each time before using. 2) boar hair needs quite a few shaves to break in before the brush shows its true colors. After 20-30 uses the tips of the boar hair split, giving a soft feel and lathering easier and more abundantly. 3) Load more soap than you are accustomed to. Up until break in, you have to be more generous with the soap with boar hair brushes.

It's true there may be an element of hype behind the Mistura, but it is excellent IMHO.

Ok. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Hentrox]

I’ve been using my Mistura for a year and it’s hitting a sweet spot. It has become my favorite brush, although I don’t have a ton to compare to as my only other brushes are SOC boar, Semogue 830 and the new Stirling Zenith. In my experience, boars are really interesting in that they don't stop evolving. Sure, you can break one in after a month of use but a year later it will take on some dramatically different attributes. My 830 is a mop. Very soft. I love it for what it is but it did not used to be that way. Give the Mistura lots of love and it will love you back.

I hope the same can be said for the Stirling Zenith. It likes to eat lather. Curious what it will become in a year from now with regular use.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Hentrox]

The Mistura is one of the stiffest brushes I've used!

You sound like someone who would prefer a soft badger (silvertip or super). Doesn't have to be expensive, Yaqi has plenty of options in the lower range.

I personally like horse hair for face lathering. Great lather consistency. But, they are floppy as floppy gets, loading soaps can be problematic, I usually use cream or shave sticks with them.

YMMV and all that, but I don't recommend synthetic for face lathering. They are springy, hard to splay and splatter lather everywhere. Bowl lather and wipe on only (for me).

Thanks for the advice! I'll checkout Yaqi brushes if my SOC Mistura doesn't improve with time/more soaking/more soap. Would you say Yaqi silvertips are 'mop-ish'? That doesn't sound too appealing to me, but maybe I would like it.

 

[lasta]

Thanks for the advice! I'll checkout Yaqi brushes if my SOC Mistura doesn't improve with time/more soaking/more soap. Would you say Yaqi silvertips are 'mop-ish'? That doesn't sound too appealing to me, but maybe I would like it.

I never tried any yaqi badgers haha, just mentioning that they are available at affordable prices!

In general, silvertips are bendy, but I wouldn't call them mop-ish, that term is more applicable to horsehair brushes! Maybe a super-badger is what you are looking for. Less soft, more backbone than silvertips, but still soft and easy splaying overall.

 

[Beto Salatini]

I have two Misturas: a SOC Cherry for about a year and another SOC Butterscoth that arrived yesterday after almost two months in the mail…
The Cherry has about 20 uses and starts to get soft, although with a good backbone and is a great lather builder. It's currently my favorite brush. The Butterscoth had its first use yesterday and is quite stiff and difficult to splay.

Give your Mistura some time. It will reward you…

Cheers!

 

[Hentrox]

I have two Misturas: a SOC Cherry for about a year and another SOC Butterscoth that arrived yesterday after almost two months in the mail…
The Cherry has about 20 uses and starts to get soft, although with a good backbone and is a great lather builder. It's currently my favorite brush. The Butterscoth had its first use yesterday and is quite stiff and difficult to splay.

Give your Mistura some time. It will reward you…

Cheers!

Ok, thanks!

 

[Beto Salatini]

I have two Yaqi brushes: Moka Express (Two Band Badger/26mm) and Acqua Highmountain (Silvertip Badger/24mm). They are very good for what they cost. Among them, I prefer Moka Express. It has more backbone (although soft), is a better lather maker and the handle is gorgeous. But I like my Mistura much better.

I hope I helped you in some way.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Thanks for the advice! I'll checkout Yaqi brushes if my SOC Mistura doesn't improve with time/more soaking/more soap. Would you say Yaqi silvertips are 'mop-ish'? That doesn't sound too appealing to me, but maybe I would like it.

I've got a Yaqi Two-band 24mm with the Mysterious Space handle. It was a very good deal on their annual 11.11 sale. It's good, but rather large for face lathering and almost as firm as the Mistura. The Yaqi 26mm badgers become enormous with some use.

Yaqi makes a 22mm Two-band with the Sagrada Familia handle. 22mm sounds small, but I think it's actually a little larger than the nominal size. This makes for a good face lathering brush and not too expensive, either. The smaller size makes it less firm than the 24mm without being floppy.

I've not tried the Yaqi Silvertip or Manchurian grades, but you can find some feedback from some users by searching the forum.

Another brush I've got is the Semogue SOC Two-band. It is softer that the Mistura, but firm enough for hard soaps.

The Semogue C5 boar I have is pretty firm and took ages to break in, but a very nice face lathering brush now.

 

[musicman1951]

I agree with giving the brush more time. Semogue boars are well known to take a very long time to fully break-in. I also agree with NorthernSoul that the 2 band would be a great choice - much softer tips. But the Mistura will get better and better.

 

[BigJ]

Another vote that you continue to use your brush to give it time to break in. That can take awhile!!

 

[RRGGMM]

I've found soap prep and technique are the key with brushes, not pressure. I add very little hot water to a puck and put the lid on while I shower. When I am ready to shave, I pour off any water in the soap tin and swirl the brush on top of the puck. Think of it as brushing the bristles over the soap instead of mashing them in. From there, I face lather with a similar technique, with slightly more pressure as needed. I am not trying to get the brush to splay. Allowing the soap to bloom a bit with a small amount of water should help the brush pick up soap, and in my experience, a stiffer brush should pick up even more soap. If you are using a lot of pressure and it is not loading the brush and, in turn, not getting enough soap on your face, it sounds like your soap is too hard. Good luck, and I also suggest giving the brush more time. If your issue is hard soap, a softer brush will make it harder to load, not easier.

 

[RRGGMM]

I re-read your original post and noticed that you don't like to soak your brushes. I should add that in my routine described above, I soak my brush in hot water while I am showering and the soap is blooming, then shake out all the water from the brush and drain off any residual water from my soap. If done correctly, there is barely any water to drain off the soap. I only want enough to dampen the puck and loosen it up. I shake my brush a reasonable amount so it doesn't retain any water, as a wet brush will make a thin, weaker lather. If the lather is too dense, it is easy to dampen the brush a bit to loosen up the lather.

 

[Filudo]

You need a $15 synthetic.....
I have the mistura and use it seldom....., it's still better than all boar brushes.

 

[Hentrox]

You need a $15 synthetic.....
I have the mistura and use it seldom....., it's still better than all boar brushes.

What synthetic brush would you recommend?

 

[Filudo]

yaqi sagrada familia
Razorback n400

Maggard Razors Red Swirl Two Piece Resin Handle Synthetic Shaving Brush, 24mm​

All equal.... different looks

 

[Dtownvino]

Take a 3 band Shavemac set with a little more loft from Rudy Vey.

Note the loft on this brush. Splays wonderfully and just the right backbone. Rudy will customize it for you.