This is my first attempt at a review. I didn't think I had anything of value to contribute until I realized that no one has reviewed the Semogue 2030 (probably because it is a new brush in that product line). Please keep my "newbieness" in mind as you read this review.



I bought my 2030 about 3 months ago because



1. I wanted a badger brush with a little backbone and

2. I liked the look of it: black with crome and brass handle.



Although I don't use it exclusively (I also have a "no name" silvertip badger and several boar brushes), I have used it enough to say that this is a very nice, classy looking brush at a great price. After about a month it bloomed so that it is now flared out about an inch compared to the one in the picture at the beginning of this review taken from the Vintage Scents site. Although the bloom is nowhere near as dramatic and full as that of my silvertip, it still is very nice. It looks quite handsome hanging up on its nickel "T" stand next to my EJ ebony Chatsworth. Below is a picture of my Semogue and silvertip side by side for comparison.



Attachment 80181



The price of the 2030 is $49 plus shipping (from Vintage Scents) which places it in the middle of the Semogue price range. It is not at the lower end because it is a badger brush not boar, but isnt at the high end either because it is not 100% silver tip. The description says it is "pure badger", "from several body parts", "mixed hair types". Given the price, I take this to mean it is mostly pure badger with some best and maybe one or two strands of silvertip.



Regardless of the exact hair type mix, it has the backbone I was looking for. At the same time is fairly soft against my face. At first, it was too stiff and scratchy, but after 8-10 uses the tips became noticably softer while retaining its backbone. It seems to be well made. As far as I know, it has not lost a single bristle in three months.



The 2030 lathers well with both creams and soaps. With creams, it doesn't produce the extravagant lather that my silvertip produces but what it does produce is more than ample for 3-4 generous passes. With soaps, it is much better than my silvertip due to being much firmer. Below is a picture of the Semogue lathered up using AoS cream. I do a combination of cup and face lathering: I get the lather going in my cup then produce more on my face. It took only 10-15 swirls to produce the lather shown in the picture below; more will be produced when applied to the face.



Attachment 80180



From this point in my shave routine, I face lather. The next picture shows the brush AFTER the 1st pass.



Attachment 80195



The next picture shows it AFTER the 2nd pass.



Attachment 80196



This final picture shows it AFTER the 3rd pass. I use a 3 pass shave so obviously the 2030 produces more than enough lather for me. As can be seen the volume is still very good; certainly good enough for a 4th pass, maybe a 5th.



Attachment 80232



The 2030 is a slender brush which should be apparent from the picture. At 4.45" in height (handle plus loft) it is somewhat taller than my silvertip which is 4" (about the average, I think). The extra height makes it easier to swirl it round in my cup and the lather doesnt build up all around the handle. The handle is slender, the same diameter as the knot (22mm), and is straight all the way down to a small "rim" around the base. Although I like this feature myself, it could be a deal buster for those who are use to and prefer the "chubby" traditional handle like my silvertip. The feel of the 2030 is very different . . . "lighter" and "more control" are words that come to mind. In contrast, my silvertip is so soft and flexible I lose control sometimes and end up with lather up my nose, and on my sideburns and ear lobes.



Although I don't have a lot of other brushes for comparison, I have given the Semogue 2030 fairly high scores. I like it a lot and would recommend it to anyone . . . especially someone new to wet shaving like myself who wants a good quality brush with a nice combination of softness and backbone but doesn't want to spend a small fortune for it.

------------------------------
"Fear is the only darkness, Grasshopper."

I have one more picture that I wanted to include in my Semogue 2030 review but had reach my maximum of five. So here is a picture of my silvertip after the first stage of lathering in the cup using the same amount of AoS cream as I did for the 2030.



Attachment 80199



As can be seem (and as you might expect), my silvertip produces more volume at this first stage than the 2030. Also notice that since the silvertip is shorter, there is lather around the handle. To avoid this, I usually lather it in a shallow bowl. I did it this way for comparison only.



I bought this "no name" silvertip at half price - $65 - from Em's place. So even at half price it is almost $20 more than the Semogue 2030 at full price.

------------------------------
"Fear is the only darkness, Grasshopper."