Boar, Badger, Synthetic - oh my!

[SunShave]

My "budget" badger and synthetic brushes came in (along with a few other gems!)

I've said it elsewhere, but I was a little let down by the Sherlock scent from Chiseled Face. The pepper tones overpowered most everything else. But that said, it lathered better than anything else has! I'll their storm soap next to see if it suits me better.

the badger brush was $9 on Amazon, and the Razorock Plissoft is currently $11.99 on Italian Barber.

The badger is at home drying out right now after the first cycle of my break-in process. I'm glad that I got these things so cheap, so I don't hesitate to "play rough" with them. What surprised me right off the bat while working on it was just how much water the badger soaks up and wants to hold onto. I'll take the next couple of days to finish breaking in the badger (using the Cella soap to dry a lather onto), and in the meantime, I'm going to be spending some time with the Plissoft.

I was able to shave with the Plissoft this morning. After starting out using a boar brush, I was struck by how soft the whole knot is. When I was building a lather, it noticeably grabbed a lot more soap, and I needed to water it down a bit before I could shave with it. I'm excited to work on my overall lather-building technique by rotating through these. I could easily see myself keeping a $20-$30 boar or two around, as I can already definitively say a well-broken-in boar has a great combo of soft tips but pliable backbone. But I'm looking forward to getting a better idea of what kind of "higher-end" brush I'd like to treat myself with!

 

[Virtus3]

My "budget" badger and synthetic brushes came in (along with a few other gems!)

View attachment 1518726
I've said it elsewhere, but I was a little let down by the Sherlock scent from Chiseled Face. The pepper tones overpowered most everything else. But that said, it lathered better than anything else has! I'll their storm soap next to see if it suits me better.

the badger brush was $9 on Amazon, and the Razorock Plissoft is currently $11.99 on Italian Barber.

The badger is at home drying out right now after the first cycle of my break-in process. I'm glad that I got these things so cheap, so I don't hesitate to "play rough" with them. What surprised me right off the bat while working on it was just how much water the badger soaks up and wants to hold onto. I'll take the next couple of days to finish breaking in the badger (using the Cella soap to dry a lather onto), and in the meantime, I'm going to be spending some time with the Plissoft.

I was able to shave with the Plissoft this morning. After starting out using a boar brush, I was struck by how soft the whole knot is. When I was building a lather, it noticeably grabbed a lot more soap, and I needed to water it down a bit before I could shave with it. I'm excited to work on my overall lather-building technique by rotating through these. I could easily see myself keeping a $20-$30 boar or two around, as I can already definitively say a well-broken-in boar has a great combo of soft tips but pliable backbone. But I'm looking forward to getting a better idea of what kind of "higher-end" brush I'd like to treat myself with!

I've got the RazoRock Bruce as well and it's an excellent brush; it's a steal at that price. It's the only one of the inexpensive synths I have that I've decided to keep.

 

[SunShave]

I've got the RazoRock Bruce as well and it's an excellent brush; it's a steal at that price. It's the only one of the inexpensive synths I have that I've decided to keep.

How would you say it compares/contrasts to the STF knot on your RV handle?

 

[Virtus3]

How would you say it compares/contrasts to the STF knot on your RV handle?

The STF knots are even softer yet maintain the right amount of backbone and splay. Flowthrough is excellent on the STF and Plissoft.

The 23mm (actually closer to 22mm) and 25mm STFs are very different brushes. The 23 is insanely soft and being much less dense just "spits out" lather, in a good way not flinging it everywhere just a brilliant painter. The 25 is much denser and therefore doesn't have the same level of flowthrough. The 24mm Bruce is more similar to the 25mm STF and much, much less expensive. I'd say the 24mm G5C sits in the middle of the Bruce and 25mm STF - not as soft as the STF, but better splay than the Bruce due to it's fan shape; and sits in the middle cost-wise (depending on handle).

 

[MaineYooper]

The synthetic that blew me away, to the point where all my brushes, all 4 back then, was the AP Shave Co SynBad.
Then last year I fell/leaped into the rabbit hole of knot setting. As @Rusty Blade has stated, if you leave brushes in the dark they multiply when no one is watching! I know either have or have tried all the APSCo knots, several Razorock, Maggards, and PAA. I have not tried the much vaunted STF knot.

And then I discovered boar knots in time for last year's DeceBoar thread. Many more added to the drawer. And a handle maker sold me 2 Manchurian badgers. And. And. And. (I had a big sale this past June to decrease the hoarding and trim down to what I like and use the most. Yeah, that's working about as well as B&B expects! )

As for a knot that Wowwed me recently: the APSCo Luxury Mixed knot.

70% badger and 30% boar. This knot is softer than the SOC Mistura to my face. I bought one, the one in the middle (in the cream colored Striling handle). I loved it so much I bought 2 more for the handles on either side (Trotter Handcrafts).

Most used synthetic is still the SynBad, followed by the G5A and 2BED.
Boar: Semogue SOC in cherry handle
Mixed knots above get used A LOT.
Least used, the fancy badger brushes (only 2, and one a custom job for me, so it has sentimental value to me!) I like the badgers, but find my hand reaching for a synth or mixed most often.

 

[Ckmaui]

Hmmmmmm wonder how we can make more

 

[emwolf]

What's funny to me is there is as great a variety of synthetic brush fibers as there are badger. I've had some absolutely awful in both synth and badger, but rarely much variance when it comes to horse or boar.

 

[Ckmaui]

Excited to try my new RV Muhle STF

 

[Ckmaui]

did a messy long brain dump here

minimalist quest for the #1

Good info on the wizamet reckon will find a sample and try for sure :) interesting on the cut and nivea reckon I could see that from the face feel of the brickell figure keep trying it out over time to give it more tries again wont buy again but might be a use up like a few other things I...

www.badgerandblade.com

but bottom line LOVE IT
does not have that pin/poke/itch the RR Plissoft had that bugged the heck out of me ! I still loved that brush but that feel I did not and now that I know synths can not be like that OH YEAH

the handle length is what I like the color of course I picked so yeah love it

but the feel is just great I kinda want to get one maybe set higher to learn feel the difference on splay ? again I just need to feel these things and learn by testing no amount of reading can do what face time does

if the thing had that poke feel the Plissoft had I was going to be done with synths as this is my 3rd and again now that I know I will do more synths in the collection

I also plan to go down the Badger hole deeper than just my Semogue OC one I have ( forgot the exact name but was about $80) and love that thing also !

my first shave with it !

 

[Dobric]

Put boar brush in glass of cold water and leave in fridge for 24h
Then in circular motion like lathering dry it on the rough towel, press don't be afraid
And voila, broken boar brush

 

[SunShave]

did a messy long brain dump here

minimalist quest for the #1

Good info on the wizamet reckon will find a sample and try for sure :) interesting on the cut and nivea reckon I could see that from the face feel of the brickell figure keep trying it out over time to give it more tries again wont buy again but might be a use up like a few other things I...

www.badgerandblade.com

but bottom line LOVE IT
does not have that pin/poke/itch the RR Plissoft had that bugged the heck out of me ! I still loved that brush but that feel I did not and now that I know synths can not be like that OH YEAH

my first shave with it !

That's a good looking set-up! Love that butterscotch handle.

After spending some time with the plissoft and the badger, I definitely prefer the later. My Omega boar is still king. I think the 23mm STF sounds like it'll suit me better out of the synthetic options.

 

[MaineYooper]

Hmmmmmm wonder how we can make more

Behold! the Green Ray Tribble brush!

 

[sauber_]

I'm back, after doing some break-in. Bought an Omega Pro 48, since I wanted to try the inversion of a stiff synth - a soft boar. It seems to be old stock, as the sticker was already brittle, tips were already splitting, and took a couple minutes of soaking to become "soft". I have around ten uses on it right now, and it seems to be breaking in nicely. Still has a long way to go. I use my synth while the boar dries out.