A few quick disclaimers:
Firstly, apologies for yet another thread belaboring this topic. The S-Brush has gotten a lot of traction on YouTube and is drawing a lot of attention and questions, so I figured I'd try to drop a comprehensive thread that addresses some important comparisons (at least from my perspective). Perhaps it will make information easier to find for those curious.
Secondly, some background on said perspective (because that stuff matters). I'm more of a boar guy, and I've only really dabbled with synthetics out of curiosity and for speedy shaves, such as travel situations. I have not used any of the other popular synthetic brushes, such as a the Muhles, EJs, Grooming Co., WD, or what have you. My current 3-brush rotation is a Semogue 620, an Omega 10065, and a Whipped Dog 24/45 Silvertip, and I don't suspect that will change anytime soon. Just figured I'd shed some light on my personal preferences and experience. As you may well have guessed, I am a face latherer through & through.
Lastly, the S-Brush pictured and discussed is the S-10065. I also have the S-10077 in my travel kit, and that brush performs almost exactly the same. I can't make an official declaration, but it's probably safe to assume that the all of the standard sized (non-Pro) S-Brushes perform on a very similar level.
Onto the brushes...
Let me start out by saying that all 3 of these brushes whip up a great lather. To any new wet shavers out there: all of the threads that weigh the pros and cons of the various synthetic brushes out there today are very nitpicky. I'm not saying that as a bad thing, but only to inform you that if you are simply looking for a tool to get the job done, then there is a very slim chance that you will be disappointed with any of the options out there.
I consider the boar 10065 to be one of the simplest and most reliable face lathering tools on the market. Not only does it perform, but it's a brush that so many new wet shavers start out with due it's price point, availability, and reputation. However, I honestly believe that the S-Brush can join it as the one of the most popular starter brushes (regardless of material) out there today. You get a very comparable performance, much softer and face-friendly tips than a typical boar brush, and a new wet shaver doesn't have to wrap their head around soaking the brush before use -- just get it wet and go -- all for around $10.
The Plisson was my first real synthetic brush, and I honestly only picked one up because of my curiosity regarding its popularity. At $30, the seemingly extinct L'Occitane version of this brush was a very respectable bang-for-the-buck. It may not be dense or stiff enough for some to face lather with, but I was able to get the job done just fine, and anyone who keeps up with SOTD pics and YouTube videos can see that many others can face lather with it as well. That being said, the luxurious softness of the Plisson does compromise other aspects that I typically enjoy from a brush. While the brush magically creates oceans of lather (a trait that very few have ever denied), it doesn't have the backbone to paint that lather around my face as thin as I personally prefer. Also, I did miss the feel of some resistance against my face during the lather buildup. It has a touch of backbone and spring, but it's miles away from the word "scrub".
The S-Brush strikes a balance. You get those soft synthetic tips, backbone that's comparable to the boar counterparts, great lather production, and the no-soak/quick-dry traits that make synthetics handy. Honestly, the brush is nothing to write home about, with the exception of 1 thing that makes it stand out to so many people: it's wicked cheap! I'd go as far as to say that the Omega S-Brush is to synthetics, as Whipped Dog is to Silvertip. $10 vs $30/$40/$50/$60??? Why not? That's what has people so interested at the moment. And you may even find that you prefer its characteristics to the more pricey synthetics. The risk could not be lower, because even if you decide to pursue a higher-end synthetic brush, the S-Brush is perfect for travel or even passing on to new wet shavers.
For those of you looking for a first synthetic brush, I honestly don't see a reason to break the bank right off the bat. You'll probably hear people call the S-Brush "scritchy" or "scrubby", but I only agree with that when comparing it to a brush like the Plisson (which is so soft you can hardly feel it). I feel as though that's an important distinction, because if you're coming from boar brushes there's like a 90% chance you'll find the S-Brush feels softer on your face. I really believe that it's designed well enough to give you a good idea of what modern synthetic brushes are all about in terms of capabilities. There's enough differences from the boar brushes to make you think "hmmm... maybe it is worth $50 to try one of the other synthetics out there"... But, it's not the $3 Chinese synthetic from eBay that will sour you on synthetic knots.
For those of you who have already dabbled with a variety of synthetics, I'm probably not telling you anything you don't already know/suspect. The S-Brush is gaining popularity because it seems to have filled a void in the marketplace. The gap between the Plisson's softness and a boar's backbone usually triggers mention of $40+ synthetics with more backbone than the Plisson. I don't have the experience with those brushes to have a stance one way or another, but I can tell you for sure that the S-Brush also occupies that space on some level. It's a product worth getting to know even if it won't unseat your favorite synthetic, because at the very least you won't cry over forgetting an $8 brush in the hotel bathroom. There's no harm in tacking one on to your order if you're only a few bucks short of the free shipping minimum of your chosen vendor. Chances are you'll be able to share even more insightful reviews than myself, because my experience with synthetic brushes will probably not go beyond this point.
Firstly, apologies for yet another thread belaboring this topic. The S-Brush has gotten a lot of traction on YouTube and is drawing a lot of attention and questions, so I figured I'd try to drop a comprehensive thread that addresses some important comparisons (at least from my perspective). Perhaps it will make information easier to find for those curious.
Secondly, some background on said perspective (because that stuff matters). I'm more of a boar guy, and I've only really dabbled with synthetics out of curiosity and for speedy shaves, such as travel situations. I have not used any of the other popular synthetic brushes, such as a the Muhles, EJs, Grooming Co., WD, or what have you. My current 3-brush rotation is a Semogue 620, an Omega 10065, and a Whipped Dog 24/45 Silvertip, and I don't suspect that will change anytime soon. Just figured I'd shed some light on my personal preferences and experience. As you may well have guessed, I am a face latherer through & through.
Lastly, the S-Brush pictured and discussed is the S-10065. I also have the S-10077 in my travel kit, and that brush performs almost exactly the same. I can't make an official declaration, but it's probably safe to assume that the all of the standard sized (non-Pro) S-Brushes perform on a very similar level.
Onto the brushes...
Let me start out by saying that all 3 of these brushes whip up a great lather. To any new wet shavers out there: all of the threads that weigh the pros and cons of the various synthetic brushes out there today are very nitpicky. I'm not saying that as a bad thing, but only to inform you that if you are simply looking for a tool to get the job done, then there is a very slim chance that you will be disappointed with any of the options out there.
I consider the boar 10065 to be one of the simplest and most reliable face lathering tools on the market. Not only does it perform, but it's a brush that so many new wet shavers start out with due it's price point, availability, and reputation. However, I honestly believe that the S-Brush can join it as the one of the most popular starter brushes (regardless of material) out there today. You get a very comparable performance, much softer and face-friendly tips than a typical boar brush, and a new wet shaver doesn't have to wrap their head around soaking the brush before use -- just get it wet and go -- all for around $10.
The Plisson was my first real synthetic brush, and I honestly only picked one up because of my curiosity regarding its popularity. At $30, the seemingly extinct L'Occitane version of this brush was a very respectable bang-for-the-buck. It may not be dense or stiff enough for some to face lather with, but I was able to get the job done just fine, and anyone who keeps up with SOTD pics and YouTube videos can see that many others can face lather with it as well. That being said, the luxurious softness of the Plisson does compromise other aspects that I typically enjoy from a brush. While the brush magically creates oceans of lather (a trait that very few have ever denied), it doesn't have the backbone to paint that lather around my face as thin as I personally prefer. Also, I did miss the feel of some resistance against my face during the lather buildup. It has a touch of backbone and spring, but it's miles away from the word "scrub".
The S-Brush strikes a balance. You get those soft synthetic tips, backbone that's comparable to the boar counterparts, great lather production, and the no-soak/quick-dry traits that make synthetics handy. Honestly, the brush is nothing to write home about, with the exception of 1 thing that makes it stand out to so many people: it's wicked cheap! I'd go as far as to say that the Omega S-Brush is to synthetics, as Whipped Dog is to Silvertip. $10 vs $30/$40/$50/$60??? Why not? That's what has people so interested at the moment. And you may even find that you prefer its characteristics to the more pricey synthetics. The risk could not be lower, because even if you decide to pursue a higher-end synthetic brush, the S-Brush is perfect for travel or even passing on to new wet shavers.
For those of you looking for a first synthetic brush, I honestly don't see a reason to break the bank right off the bat. You'll probably hear people call the S-Brush "scritchy" or "scrubby", but I only agree with that when comparing it to a brush like the Plisson (which is so soft you can hardly feel it). I feel as though that's an important distinction, because if you're coming from boar brushes there's like a 90% chance you'll find the S-Brush feels softer on your face. I really believe that it's designed well enough to give you a good idea of what modern synthetic brushes are all about in terms of capabilities. There's enough differences from the boar brushes to make you think "hmmm... maybe it is worth $50 to try one of the other synthetics out there"... But, it's not the $3 Chinese synthetic from eBay that will sour you on synthetic knots.
For those of you who have already dabbled with a variety of synthetics, I'm probably not telling you anything you don't already know/suspect. The S-Brush is gaining popularity because it seems to have filled a void in the marketplace. The gap between the Plisson's softness and a boar's backbone usually triggers mention of $40+ synthetics with more backbone than the Plisson. I don't have the experience with those brushes to have a stance one way or another, but I can tell you for sure that the S-Brush also occupies that space on some level. It's a product worth getting to know even if it won't unseat your favorite synthetic, because at the very least you won't cry over forgetting an $8 brush in the hotel bathroom. There's no harm in tacking one on to your order if you're only a few bucks short of the free shipping minimum of your chosen vendor. Chances are you'll be able to share even more insightful reviews than myself, because my experience with synthetic brushes will probably not go beyond this point.
