I was in the market for a stiff brush as I prefer face lathering, and most of the time I use soap, not cream. After having perused this excellent forum, I decided that a Semogue 830 would fit the bill, so I went to a web site to order one. While there I noticed an interesting little brush, with a nicely grained wood handle called simply the Turkish #6 Horsehair Brush...and the asking price was just two and a half bucks! I couldn't resist the incredibly cheap price - they were practically giving them away - so I added one to my order.
I had read that horsehair brushes had a strong and distinct equine aroma. Similar to the experience I had with my Vie Long horeshair brush, the #6's smell was distinctive, but not particularly strong, and it's pretty much gone after only a few uses.
So, if this brush is pretty and cheap, why isn't this the perfect brush for anyone in the market for a stiff brush? Well, first of all it isn't as stiff as I had hoped, fitting somewhere on the stiffness scale between the Semogue and the Vie (with the Semogue being the stiffest of the three). Secondly, as you're using it, the bristles separate from each other leaving a big ol' hole in the center of the brush, which causes the lather to migrate outwards and down towards the handle, i.e., it doesn't stay at the tips where you need it...not exactly what you want in a shaving brush. In light of the foregoing, as of this writing, things aren't looking too promising for this one.
Anyway, I'm going to continue to experiment with it to see if I can find a place for the #6 in the rotation (maybe with creams and bowl lathering?), but as of right now, it appears as though its main use will be to look nice among my other brushes. Did I mention it only costs two and a half bucks?
I'd be interested in hearing if anyone has had a similar experience with this brush.