Right? Because, after all, “synthetic fibers” are simply more plastic.
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Are natural hair brushes days NUMBERED?
- Thread starter RicoSuave
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Right? Because, after all, “synthetic fibers” are simply more plastic.
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I've tried all types of brushes and I couldn't find one that didn't work well. They are just different. As a face latherer, I like scrub and unfortunately that's an area where synthetics do not excel at. As such, they are not my preferred type, despite the benefits they have.
I cannot foretell the future, but wet shaving, especially of the type practiced by most members in this forum, is a rather traditional habit. Therefore, I think there will always be people interested in the more traditional tools, such as natural hair brushes. They might become a niche product though.
I cannot foretell the future, but wet shaving, especially of the type practiced by most members in this forum, is a rather traditional habit. Therefore, I think there will always be people interested in the more traditional tools, such as natural hair brushes. They might become a niche product though.
When I first started wet shaving I bought a badger brush which was what my grandfather used and loved it. Then I read about bore brushes so I got one and loved it to. Then came my first synthetic and that I also really enjoyed using . I now have a small collection of all 3 types. I think this is a massive case of YMMV. I'd hate to see the day if it ever comes where you can't by whatever brush you prefer. But I don't think we ever will. As there'll always be a demand for all types. And as for an animal be culled just for its fur someone needs to get a badger burger shop going. Just joking 
When I first started wet shaving I bought a badger brush which was what my grandfather used and loved it. Then I read about bore brushes so I got one and loved it to. Then came my first synthetic and that I also really enjoyed using . I now have a small collection of all 3 types. I think this is a massive case of YMMV. I'd hate to see the day if it ever comes where you can't by whatever brush you prefer. But I don't think we ever will. As there'll always be a demand for all types. And as for an animal be culled just for its fur someone needs to get a badger burger shop going. Just joking
Hear, hear, well said.
Not so sure about the badger burger though. Has anyone here tried badger meat? I'd be curious to know what it's like.
I'd be willing to give it a go
I'm with you on that!
Doing a bit of inter-web searching resulted in this: Eating Badger
Lab-grown zoologically-based fibers could be the next frontier. Instead of high mountain Silvertip, there could be lab badger in different grades of stratosphere.
Also, lab-grown badger meat wouldn’t have the roundworm/trichinosis issues associated with wild or farmed badger, so badger tartar wouldn’t be as dangerous to one’s health.
Also, lab-grown badger meat wouldn’t have the roundworm/trichinosis issues associated with wild or farmed badger, so badger tartar wouldn’t be as dangerous to one’s health.
As I said initially, almost all the synthetics I've tried have too much backbone and springiness... for me.
G4, synbad, tuxedo, fine, plisson-type, muhle stf, boss, cashmere, and timberwolf.
Just too stiff.
So for people like me, it doesn't matter one bit how efficient it is, or any other of the measurable, more objective, qualities.
Even if they were twice as efficient, which they are not, it would still not be worth the shoving that these synthetics do to my face.
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Mink coats and sable wraps.
This is the west. Whoever thought they would be replaced by fake fur. I can see imported fur products being banned in the future.
This is the west. Whoever thought they would be replaced by fake fur. I can see imported fur products being banned in the future.
The way he explains the taste it sounds like the large rats that the locals in Ecuador cooked for us when we were in the rainforest. I'd definitely be having a go at that it was delicious
. Sorry for the thread high jack my apologies.- Thread starter
- #132
Want to get/try a couple more synthetics
yaqi and a italian barber one just to know and compare cheap enough not a huge deal
have 3 brushes now omega boar forgot the exact model quite popular about $10 its very nice
a synthetic viking amazon great reviws under $30 ? No idea if its good for synthetic but I think I like it better than my omega boar for comfort but not sure as they are different enough its more different than better
now the semogue badger club whatever fancy name was about $70 LOVE IT !!! is my daily and love it IMHO better in every way than my other 2 did I say I love it !
I think after that IF I like the synthetics I will get 2 more synthetics that are popular simpson and omega ones I hear folks talking about then one more higher end badger to compare to the semogue
I tend to use ONE or two things only I love the most but I also have this I have to try and know based on me
so will end up with 1 or 2 of my favs after some time
yaqi and a italian barber one just to know and compare cheap enough not a huge deal
have 3 brushes now omega boar forgot the exact model quite popular about $10 its very nice
a synthetic viking amazon great reviws under $30 ? No idea if its good for synthetic but I think I like it better than my omega boar for comfort but not sure as they are different enough its more different than better
now the semogue badger club whatever fancy name was about $70 LOVE IT !!! is my daily and love it IMHO better in every way than my other 2 did I say I love it !
I think after that IF I like the synthetics I will get 2 more synthetics that are popular simpson and omega ones I hear folks talking about then one more higher end badger to compare to the semogue
I tend to use ONE or two things only I love the most but I also have this I have to try and know based on me
so will end up with 1 or 2 of my favs after some time
For me synthetic is only good for one purpose: Dries extra-fast which is nice if you travel. Otherwise it's either boar or badger for me - the feels are just different.
Likewise, though I unpack my brush first thing when arriving at next destination. It’s never been an issue.
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Great post. Much wisdom here.
The question isn't which pair of blue jeans, looks, feels and fits the best; Wrangler or Levi? It can only be the abstract.
Which pair of blue jeans looks, feels and fits the best on you? Or on me? Wrangler or Levi? The question to the answer we are looking for should be, is truth an abstract concept? There is 'the truth' and there is 'my truth' or our truth, or even, their truth...
My truth says, synthetics. Every one else's truth may vary.
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The one thing I personally noticed for myself, between a decade of using, purchasing, selling, high priced badgers or quality boars, wasn't about performance, or quality, or heat retention versus the lack thereof, or even building a lather with more or less product.
It was after my initial first lather and pass of my razor. Let me explain. I am a face latherer. Everyone who face lathers, who doesn't mix up their lather in a bowl or scuttle, usually, just simply loads whichever type of brush they choose from the puck of soap; and then they begin building a lather on their face; using, adding and incorporating, hot water from the tap into their brush, while building their lather.
Once the lather on their face is where they want it, they smooth it out, sit their brush that is now also full of lather, down on the bathroom counter next to the sink, while they then; pick up their razor to shave their first pass.
Once their first pass is finished, which may have taken a few minutes, they reach over and pick up this brush full of lather, which believing it should still have plenty of lather in and on top of the brush, now begin to swirl their brush again on their face for their second pass.
In my individual and personal experiences, with badger, boar, horse and synthetic? The natural, animal hair brushes, because they do contain extra water, not only feel colder to me on the second lather, because the water that is impregnated in the hairs has turned cold, (no famed heat retention at all for me) But the water in the hair brushes have rendered the lather in and on the brush, thin and flat and the lather is no longer a good consistency for a second pass which always seems to fade and fizzle out as I attempt to lather back up. Hair brushes, regardless of type, fail for me.
However, when using a good synthetic, (has anyone tried the newer Plisson synthetics as of late? not the older Plisson?) I find; personally, they not only have great feel on the face on par with the most expensive badgers, but they make more lather with less product than hair brushes, I wouldn't go as far and say, they feel warmer then badger hair, because they don't retain heat, but neither does badger in my opinion, but they also, don't feel as cold to me on a second pass as hair brushes do, because they also don't hold all the water that badger and boar does, that then, gets cold while it sits on the side of the sink.
If I want a warm brush on my second pass, I'll use some type of brush warming scuttle for all types regardless. If I don't want warm or cold? I will pick a synthetic over hair every time.
And the lather on a synthetic, doesn't ever get watered down and turn flat, like it does on a hair brush, when sitting and waiting on the side of the sink, because it doesn't hold water that turns the lather flat and then turns ice cold while waiting for me to reach for it again on that second pass.
While all this seems very accurate and true to me, it is again, only 'my truth' in how I personally see it. However, because it is 'my truth' that is what matters to me when regarding 'my shave.'
And I will still grab a badger or boar every great once in awhile when I get the itch too.
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The heat and water issue is not an overly important factor in "my truth"The one thing I personally noticed for myself, between a decade of using, purchasing, selling, high priced badgers or quality boars, wasn't about performance, or quality, or heat retention versus the lack thereof, or even building a lather with more or less product.
It was after my initial first lather and pass of my razor. Let me explain. I am a face latherer. Everyone who face lathers, who doesn't mix up their lather in a bowl or scuttle, usually, just simply loads whichever type of brush they choose from the puck of soap; and then they begin building a lather on their face; using, adding and incorporating, hot water from the tap into their brush, while building their lather.
Once the lather on their face is where they want it, they smooth it out, sit their brush that is now also full of lather, down on the bathroom counter next to the sink, while they then; pick up their razor to shave their first pass.
Once their first pass is finished, which may have taken a few minutes, they reach over and pick up this brush full of lather, which believing it should still have plenty of lather in and on top of the brush, now begin to swirl their brush again on their face for their second pass.
In my individual and personal experiences, with badger, boar, horse and synthetic? The natural, animal hair brushes, because they do contain extra water, not only feel colder to me on the second lather, because the water that is impregnated in the hairs has turned cold, (no famed heat retention at all for me) But the water in the hair brushes have rendered the lather in and on the brush, thin and flat and the lather isn't a good consistency for a second pass which always seems to fade and fizzle out as I lather back up.
When using a good synthetic, (has anyone tried the newer Plisson synthetics as of late? not the older Plisson?) I find; personally, they not only have great feel on the face on par with the most expensive badgers, but they make more lather with less product than hair brushes, I wouldn't go as far and say, they feel warmer then badger hair, because they don't retain heat, but neither does badger in my opinion, but they also, don't feel as cold to me on a second pass as hair brushes do, because they don't hold the water that badger and boar does that then, gets cold while it sits on the side of the sink.
And the lather on a synthetic, doesn't get watered down and turn flat, like it does on a hair brush, when sitting and waiting on the side of the sink. While all this seems very accurate and true to me, it is only 'my truth' in how I personally see it. However, it's 'my truth' that matters to me when regarding 'my shave.'
- let's call it YMMV - at least I haven't noticed such dramatic difference. Indeed, synthetics can outperform natural hair (like this is the case with my HJM boar, my synthetic Nom is far better), but when you have a good natural brush (and "good" is not determined by the price) the feels (which is not an exact definition) is simply different. And there is maybe another factor, I have to admit - it's nice to use a techology that has a history, be it the razor or the brush.
For instance I grind the coffee with a grinder then make an espresso in a high-bar Gaggia, though I could use Nespresso as well. But the feels is different - and that's why shaving is a totally YMMV thing with the blades, razors, and for me especially with the scents.
The heat and water issue is not an overly important factor in "my truth"
And there is maybe another factor, I have to admit - it's nice to use a techology that has a history, be it the razor or the brush.
For instance I grind the coffee with a grinder then make an espresso in a high-bar Gaggia, though I could use Nespresso as well. But the feels is different - and that's why shaving is a totally YMMV thing with the blades, razors, and for me especially with the scents.
Your truth sir, sounds very reasonable and also, very agreeable to me. Especially, for you.
I happen to use a RR Plissoft almost every day. I like it very much, this is pretty much my only brush, but it delivers, so I didn't feel the need to go down the brush-rabbithole yet. I was busy with razors and blades, but I have found my holy grail razor(s), so I started thinking about trying other brushes. Nothing concrete yet, just considering other synths i.e. omega evo or simpsons trafalgar T2. Do you have any experience with those? how do they compare to the Plisson? I love the softness of the Plissoft, I don't want scritch. On the other hand, I don't know what I don't know, so no clue how a good badger could feel. Should I even consider one? My only other brush is a cheap synth with (I think) Mühle black fiber. I'm not fond of that, too springy, and the face feel is nowhere compared to the Plissoft.
