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Badger brushes.......I’m now 100% a Synthetic guy

For the absolute longest time, actually since I started wet shaving almost two years ago. I was totally impressed with my Simpson Special Pure Badger. I didn’t think life could get any better.

Fast forward to my first Synthetic, a nice cheap brush from Maggards. I got it and I thought meh I don’t get the hype, well then let’s fast forward again, I used only that Synthetic for the longest time, then acquired a Simpson T1 on another impulse purchase. Months and months and months went by as I only used a Synthetic brush.

Today I used my Simpson Badger and the results were horrendous, couldn’t make a great lather. My neck is broken out and itchy, it wasn’t soft like my Synthetic”s and I wasn’t pleased with the outcome.

I hate to be that guy now, but I’m all in on Synthetic brushes only moving forward.
 
For the absolute longest time, actually since I started wet shaving almost two years ago. I was totally impressed with my Simpson Special Pure Badger. I didn’t think life could get any better.

Fast forward to my first Synthetic, a nice cheap brush from Maggards. I got it and I thought meh I don’t get the hype, well then let’s fast forward again, I used only that Synthetic for the longest time, then acquired a Simpson T1 on another impulse purchase. Months and months and months went by as I only used a Synthetic brush.

Today I used my Simpson Badger and the results were horrendous, couldn’t make a great lather. My neck is broken out and itchy, it wasn’t soft like my Synthetic”s and I wasn’t pleased with the outcome.

I hate to be that guy now, but I’m all in on Synthetic brushes only moving forward.

I think 99% of the reason is you are comparing a superb synthetic (t1-t3 are great) vs the lowest auality badger hair. So on this comparison any synthetic will win.

Now change the badger one to a superb quLity badger and you will feel the supreme luxury feel and softness of badger.
 
I'm with you too. Synthetics are always a no-brainer to make lather with. With a natural hair, the stars all have to be in alignment for things to go right. I have no time or patience for that level of variability.

I should add that I do have a few very nice badgers that are the best brushes I've used, aside from synthetics of course.
 
Nothing wrong with being a synthetic guy IMO!! Whatever works is just fine.

For me, natural hair just feels better (probably because that is what I started with). I started with boars but have mostly moved on to badgers.

That said, ‘pure’ badger is just not my cup of tea. Simply too much ‘scritch’ for my taste. But that’s me, many do love Simpsons ‘pure.’ I much prefer Simpsons ’best’ or ‘super’ grades!
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
For the absolute longest time, actually since I started wet shaving almost two years ago. I was totally impressed with my Simpson Special Pure Badger. I didn’t think life could get any better.

Fast forward to my first Synthetic, a nice cheap brush from Maggards. I got it and I thought meh I don’t get the hype, well then let’s fast forward again, I used only that Synthetic for the longest time, then acquired a Simpson T1 on another impulse purchase. Months and months and months went by as I only used a Synthetic brush.

Today I used my Simpson Badger and the results were horrendous, couldn’t make a great lather. My neck is broken out and itchy, it wasn’t soft like my Synthetic”s and I wasn’t pleased with the outcome.

I hate to be that guy now, but I’m all in on Synthetic brushes only moving forward.
I started out with a cheap Omega boar brush and did not care for the funk smell breaking in a new brush, the Omega brush is well built after what I put the thing trough and still use it once in a while just to remind me how spoiled I'm with my Yaqi & Razorock synthetic brushes. If I buy another boar brush it will be a Semouge brush, they have some nice ones and they treat them a little differently when cleaning the hairs for their brushes and they look nice when the hairs split. I like my Omega boar brush but I like my synthetics more it seems.
Rons Brush cluster (2).jpg

Have some great shaves! Stay and Think safe in these times!
 
I kept my one silvertip, mainly for sentimental reasons. I won it in what was the last giveaway for one of my favorite YouTube shavers. It was a shedder, and the brush maker replaced the knot for me, but it's still a shedder. I plan to keep it in the rotation until it sheds to the point that it's no longer useable and then get it reknotted with a synthetic.

I've also got a Razorock Noir coming, and I plan to pick up a Boss, Oumo brown/white, and one of the brown synth knots at some point as well.

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I was able to try a simpson in even the "best" badger grade hair. I wouldn't call it soft.

I'm afraid you picked a loser to be your badger representative.

(Sent from mobile)

Agree, simpsons are not too good nor soft. Excluding the newer artisan hand tie knots, M&F, Paladin or Brad sears would be good brands to get a feel what a high quality badger knot feels like.
 
Modern pure badger, while I am a fan of it, is definitely not for everyone. You have to be looking for some level of scrubbing even exfoliation action during your shave to like a pure badger.

Let’s say, even some synthetic bronzer brushes that were never meant for lathering that I tried make incredible shaving brushes. So I don’t doubt that if you don’t need feel of a natural hair brush synthetics are an excellent value.
 
I have yet to find a synthetic brush that could somehow bring the nice scrub of a two band badger.

I think that synthetic brushes can imitate the feeling of a Silvertip badger brush though.
 
I used a Pure Badger like I mentioned for about a year straight, I’m wondering if i just wore it out or what but it just didn’t do it for me like my Synthetic Simpson.

While the Simpson Special Pure Badger is a budget Badger brush. I don’t have it in me to spend more then $40 for a brush just to only find out that badgers are no longer my gig.

Now does that mean I’m done with badgers forever? Only time will tell, for the meantime though synthetics are my thing.
 
I'm with you too. Synthetics are always a no-brainer to make lather with. With a natural hair, the stars all have to be in alignment for things to go right. I have no time or patience for that level of variability.

I should add that I do have a few very nice badgers that are the best brushes I've used, aside from synthetics of course.
Yes, my patience level equates to that of a two year old.
 
If you want a synthetic that feels like a silvertip with an the benefits of a synthetic, grab yourself a muhle/EJ silvertip fibre brush.

If I had to choose one brush for life, this would be it!

And then we have:
I have yet to find a synthetic brush that could somehow bring the nice scrub of a two band badger.

I think that synthetic brushes can imitate the feeling of a Silvertip badger brush though.
Muhle.....have you tried this one

We have a problem? Is the Muhle/EJ a soft and luxurious 3-band Silvertip imitation or is it a 2-band copy?
 
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If you want a synthetic that feels like a silvertip with an the benefits of a synthetic, grab yourself a muhle/EJ silvertip fibre brush.

If I had to choose one brush for life, this would be it!
I've got a Mùhle travel brush and was amazed at how soft and easy it was to make a lather. This after using a chubby 3.! It's a small knot, and I wonder if you can recommend a larger Mùhle or EJ.
 
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