Am I wrong or something?

[JasonJT]

Greetings all.

Sometime ago I bought a GFT Badger brush as an upgrade to the synthetic brush which came with the shaving set my wife got me for Christmas.

I have used the said brush many times and thought “Great. Jolly nice”.

However just for the fun of it I used the synthetic brush for my last shave and got a better lather from it. The bristles on the synthetic brush are slightly stiffer and longer. I thought the badger brush was meant to be better.

If anyone can shed some light on this I will be grateful.

Jason.

 

[Crisp Rat]

I think the general consensus is badgers have better face feel, and hold water and heat better. And synthetics seem to be better at producing lather. This is all subjective of course.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Nylon brushes work very well. They’re different to badger - there are pros and cons - but they make lather very well, and often quicker. Badgers absorb water better and usually splay much easier. I like both types and I just appreciate that they are different. It’s really just a question of preference - neither is better than the other.

 

[Time Bandit]

This all depends on the type of badger hair and the type of synthetic fiber. Obviously not all of each type are the same.

 

[Old Hippie]

Hi Jason,

Brushes vary within very broad general limits. The synthetics I've used have tended to be softer fibre than the one badger brush I have. It's "pure" badger which is not the highest quality but it works. I have a RazoRock Beehive synth with if memory serves a 26mm knot which is a real "lather mop." I used it for quite a while before trying and switching over to boar brushes.

I've come to appreciate the boar most of all. It's funny to me that I just can't try another brush because my $10 Omega 10005 is just that good to me. I have a couple of others including a Semogue Owner's Club, so I'm evidently stocked on boars for the rest of my life.

About the most accurate answer I can give you is, "Yeah, they'll do that."

In answer to your question in the title, you must be something because you're not wrong.

O.H.

 

[thombrogan]

I think synthetics make lather easier than natural brushes, usually feel softer, and require less care. And yet I prefer my scritchier Simpson Wee Scot more. Weird

 

[PRobots]

7 years and I’ve still not tried or owned a synthetic…

 

[Happy Jack]

I thought the badger brush was meant to be better.

If anyone can shed some light on this I will be grateful.

I don't think badger is necessarily better. Synthetic brushes are much better than they used to be. Of course some badger brushes are better than others, and the same goes for synthetic brushes. Personally I don't think badger brushes are worth the extra cost any more.

 

[Invicta]

If anyone can shed some light on this I will be grateful.

Hard to tell from the information you have provided and the knot and loft of your brushes will be factors in their performance . Geo F Trumpers do various brushes in pure, best and super badger hair but don't give knot sizes on their website, so no help there. I doubt if they even manufacture their own brushes.
To compare a brush you need to indicate knot and loft dimensions as a minimum.
I have not had a problem with getting a good lather from my badger brushes which range from 20mm to 27m knots. It all depends on how much soap you load and the water ratio. The softest brush I have is the Vulfix 2235S and that is a delight to use but only 20mm knot size with a 54mm loft height. On the other hand the 27mm knot silvertip badger from China (Lijun) generates oodles of lather which you would expect with that size knot.
Now I don't have a synthetic brush but you will find various grades of synthetic fibres too so the answer you are seeking is not that clear cut. However you will find the synthetic hair brushes a lot cheaper than the best and super badger hair brushes. I would not touch a pure badger brush though; too scritchy for my liking.

 

[musicman1951]

Badger brushes run from $10 to well over $300. There are very few statements you can make that cover every brush in that range.

My badger brushes run from around $70 to $200 and I like them better than synthetics, but not because they're better. They're different in a way that pleases me. Lots of shavers prefer synthetics.

There is a wide range of boars, badgers and synthetics, not to mention horse hair. More expensive doesn't necessarily mean you'll like it better. Lots of shavers are very happy with a synthetic for under $15.

I don't know your badger, but maybe I'd like it better than your synthetic and maybe I wouldn't. Be happy you've got two brushes that work for you. Different, not necessarily better.

 

[Kyle89]

I feel like my synthetics make a similar lather to my badger brushes that have a lot more flow through, and I need to use a LOT more soap to get similar results with my denser badgers.

I do find I get a better lather "quicker" with my synthetics (and a lot easier) but with conforming to a specific need of a brush, you can match results.

I do find my badgers destroy my synthetics in face feel, but the Simpson brushes I have in platinum fiber have really lessened that gap, and I've been reaching for synths a lot more lately.

 

[Brompton]

Synthetics will not absorb any water or lather, so more in the bowl or on your face. I've only used synthetics. They do an amazing job.

 

[Robert6891]

Generally, badger is considered better with silvertip being the "best". But there are so many variables in how a prush performs and half of it is personal preference.

 

[Ravenonrock]

Boar fan.

 

[Ron R]

Certain soaps synthetic brushes might perform slightly better when it comes to painting lather but when it comes to splay scrubbing natural hair brushes will perform usually slightly better so there are trade offs. I own synthetic, different badger and boar bristle brushes and enjoy them all and I can still get a descent lather under 2 minutes when bowl lathering with any of them I have found. They all have different face feels and I like the variety of brushes as a daily shaver to change things up.
When travelling a synthetic brush is still king of the road because of the quick drying time & still a pleasurable brush to use.

 

[JasonJT]

Thanks for all your replies. Some of the replies are very in-depth so thanks for that. I’ll keep both brushes for reviewing purposes.

Jason.

 

[Big Jim]

There is no question that synthetic brushes continue to improve and the time may come when they will truly rival with the best badgers. I have a couple that seem to be getting pretty close.

Both are different and require a slightly different technique. If you settle on one or the other, switching back may mean getting acquainted again, but it only takes a few shaves. If you use both frequently, it is easy to adapt. Sort of like frequent switch from one soap or cream to another.

I still prefer the face feel of a good Silvertip Badger but that doesn't keep me from using a Finest (especially the one with gel tips), Boar, or Synthetic. All are enjoyable in their own way.

 

[CCS]

As some of us have been discussing in recent weeks, it might be the better approach to consider these various brushes against themselves and not another knot material. It's a probablem I was having when I recently dipped my toe in the synthetic pool. Couldn't help but compare them to the boars and badgers I was familiar with but have come to realize that's the wrong approach. Better to compare a synth to another synth, boar to boar, and badger to badger. That makes more sense to me. I think each type has its merits and disadvantages. For me, the main advantage of a synth is that they are instantly ready and are lather monsters from day one. Boar and badger brushes need break-in and soaking for a bit to perform their best. They are a bit slower to make lather, and feel very different on the face from synthetic brushes and, in turn feel very different from each other as well (no one thinks a silvertip badger feels like a boar brush and vice versa). Like with everything, a guy needs at least one boar, one good badger, and one good synth. Pick the one whose strength you need for that day's shave.

 

[OkieStubble]

As some of us have been discussing in recent weeks, it might be the better approach to consider these various brushes against themselves and not another knot material. It's a probablem I was having when I recently dipped my toe in the synthetic pool. Couldn't help but compare them to the boars and badgers I was familiar with but have come to realize that's the wrong approach. Better to compare a synth to another synth, boar to boar, and badger to badger. That makes more sense to me. I think each type has its merits and disadvantages. For me, the main advantage of a synth is that they are instantly ready and are lather monsters from day one. Boar and badger brushes need break-in and soaking for a bit to perform their best. They are a bit slower to make lather, and feel very different on the face from synthetic brushes and, in turn feel very different from each other as well (no one thinks a silvertip badger feels like a boar brush and vice versa). Like with everything, a guy needs at least one boar, one good badger, and one good synth. Pick the one whose strength you need for that day's shave.

Great post!

 

[BigJ]

Nice to have options IMHO!!

For me, the answer is ‘badger,’ just not any badger grade. I do not care for ’pure’ and find my sweet spot between ‘finest’ and 2-band.

I started with boars and still appreciate them. Just never developed a taste for the synthetics.