Took me a while to figure out that I needed to shake the synthetic brush to get rid of excess moisture after wetting it, else end up with a very thin lather that is susceptible to flying all over the place.
Badger vs Synthetic
- Thread starter BoSox15
- Start date
I started wetshaving just before I retired 14 years ago. Being on hard well water at the time, I found lathering the most difficult to master. My first brush was an Omega $35 pure badger, but I could not get a good lather with it. Frustrated, I went on a brush-buying/selling spree, 25 over 10 years, including Rooney silvertips, Simpson bests, Thater 2 & 3 bands and a couple of Rudy's, including having Rudy replace a Rooney 3-band knot with a 2-band Shavemac in one of my favorite handles. Boar didn't work for me, nor did 2 early prickly (porcupine-like) synthetics. Third time's a charm and a 24mm RazoRock Plissoft (chrome) synth is my favorite brush for my older, discontinued soaps. It produces a good lather without eating soaps, like my badgers. Overall, I'm still a badger guy, but have to admit the Plissoft is a great brush.
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
Though, I'm not a huge fan of synths, I agree that generally they lather better, don't trap lather and will lather better in hard water conditions etc.
For me it's badger first and then pork, then a really good synth aka Muhle and only Muhle. I've never met another I liked and I"ve had a bunch.
I have used badger in the distant past but having seen the PETA videos of badger farming in China I would not do so again.
IMHO modern synthetic brushes give a perfectly good results if you take the view that the sole purpose of a brush is to create a lubricating lather on your face.
IMHO modern synthetic brushes give a perfectly good results if you take the view that the sole purpose of a brush is to create a lubricating lather on your face.
At the beginning I preferred synthetics, now I use wild boars and badgers and I only use synthetics for convenience and speed when I have little time
Yep. Here you go: https://www.badgerandblade.com/foru...er-shaving-brush-sealed-not-synthetic.660056/
I also have the Stirling and think it is on the prickly side for "Finest" (at least mine is), but otherwise it is pretty well-built (aligned, dense, minimal trimming/upside down hairs, minimal shedding) and a decent introduction to badgers by sitting in the middle of the characteristic spectrum. Mostly a boar guy myself so hardly an expert.
I'd give the brush a solid month for learning curve and adequate break-in...unless you really hate it, then stick with what you like.The other badgers will thank you!
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
It is possible to find European badger NOT from that place. Talk to Jarrod at The Superior Shave.
It is a personal and ethical choice, this is not the place for a debate on the rights and wrongs but I thank you for your suggestion, I will remain very happy with my synthetic brushes.
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
I started wet shaving with a Omega 10005 boar brush years ago and it is ok and then went to Razorock Plissoft Synthetics for a few years. Yaqi had these live sales and loaded up on boar, synthetics and of course 2band & 3band silvertip badger bushes.
This is my take on the different brushes 26mm synthetic brushes can have a very nice luxury face feel + excellent lather generators & best lather painters.
Yaqi 2band badger brushes are excellent for general purpose all around very decent brushes for face feel and great painters.
Yaqi 3band silvertip brushes are very soft luxury feel to face(thinner finer hairs from the front of the badger) + slightly better lather painters than 2band badgers + a gentler beard scrubber .
2band badgers are slightly better scrubbers than the 3band silvertip badgers, if a person likes a nice scrubber in 2band the 22mm Yaqi "Ever helpful" badger is very tough brush to beat compared to synthetic or boar brushes IMO, it was designed for nice feel with a dense shorter loft stiffer knot for the scrubbing enthusiasts IMO.
I have over 30 different brushes that are in some sort of un-organised rotation and I love the different face feels and performance they all offer.
A good boar brush that is broke in is also one of the best performing brushes a person can own IMO and will give years of pleasure to any person who likes lathering. If a person likes a scrubber and a soft split end hair tips feel the boar brush has been used for hundreds of years as the best general purpose brush but was dethroned from #1 brush decades ago by badger and just recently(7-8 years ago) with the newer 3rd, 4th........... generation synthetics that have became very popular.
Synthetic brushes 24-26mm are #1 choice for beginners and some seasoned shavers because they perform so well by just squeezing the excess water out and just bowl lather or face lather by adding a few drops of water as needed & they will any lather like a champion almost ever time.
This is my take on the different brushes 26mm synthetic brushes can have a very nice luxury face feel + excellent lather generators & best lather painters.
Yaqi 2band badger brushes are excellent for general purpose all around very decent brushes for face feel and great painters.
Yaqi 3band silvertip brushes are very soft luxury feel to face(thinner finer hairs from the front of the badger) + slightly better lather painters than 2band badgers + a gentler beard scrubber .
2band badgers are slightly better scrubbers than the 3band silvertip badgers, if a person likes a nice scrubber in 2band the 22mm Yaqi "Ever helpful" badger is very tough brush to beat compared to synthetic or boar brushes IMO, it was designed for nice feel with a dense shorter loft stiffer knot for the scrubbing enthusiasts IMO.
I have over 30 different brushes that are in some sort of un-organised rotation and I love the different face feels and performance they all offer.
A good boar brush that is broke in is also one of the best performing brushes a person can own IMO and will give years of pleasure to any person who likes lathering. If a person likes a scrubber and a soft split end hair tips feel the boar brush has been used for hundreds of years as the best general purpose brush but was dethroned from #1 brush decades ago by badger and just recently(7-8 years ago) with the newer 3rd, 4th........... generation synthetics that have became very popular.
Synthetic brushes 24-26mm are #1 choice for beginners and some seasoned shavers because they perform so well by just squeezing the excess water out and just bowl lather or face lather by adding a few drops of water as needed & they will any lather like a champion almost ever time.
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Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
My scrubber badger is a two band flat top from Shavemac D01 I believe. You can punch holes in drywall with that brush. That's want I wanted at the time, since then I've come to prefer softer badger.
It's rarely used... oh and that brings up another thing I learned on the shaving journey. Don't customize anything with your name unless you already own it and send it off to be engraved, whatever. Why, well I have two personalized brushes and a razor that I don't really care for that are unsaleable because they are personalized. Seemed cool at the time but like the line goes in Caddy Shack. "if I wore those, I'd have to kick my own ***".
It's rarely used... oh and that brings up another thing I learned on the shaving journey. Don't customize anything with your name unless you already own it and send it off to be engraved, whatever. Why, well I have two personalized brushes and a razor that I don't really care for that are unsaleable because they are personalized. Seemed cool at the time but like the line goes in Caddy Shack. "if I wore those, I'd have to kick my own ***".
Use more soap. Be careful as a synthetic doesn’t absorb water like a natural hair brush. Your soap to water ratio was off.
Badgers just need more soap.
The circular pattern is splay but I’m sure you know that by now.
