Kent Silvertex Infinity and hjm Black Fibre

[tiernan22]

Any thoughts on these brushes? Codfish posted a great review of the hjm but I'm curious to hear of some wider opinions. Help me find a reason to get these into my rotation! Much appreciated.

 

[The Dean]

You may want to check out Gary's extensive thread on Synth brushes here:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/342454-Synthetic-Brushes-A-Quick-Synopsis

And there has been some recent discussion of the Kent scattered around in various threads.

I can't speak to the hjm, but I do have the Kent. For the price it is a real steal, IMO. But I'm not in love with it---yet. I am growing to like it more every time I use it. I need to start using it more, but it's hard because I really love my 2-band badger brush. Keep in mind, this is my first synth brush. So I believe I need to get used to it and it has to be used a bit more.

I like that the tips are very soft and it has backbone. It lathers well on my face (my typical method) and in a bowl (I tested it a couple times so I could comment on it). It dries quickly and is quite small, which makes it an ideal travel brush, IMO.

What I'm having some trouble with is that it didn't seem to splay at all, when I face lathered. I like my brush to open up a bit when I work the lather. This seems to be getting a bit better as I use it more. Plus, to me it simply doesn't have the luxurious feel of a fine badger brush. But that's not so much a knock on the brush as it is a comment on my preference. I thing it isn't fair to criticize a product for being something it isn't intended to be.

 

[tiernan22]

Thanks, Dean. I appreciate the link and your great input. I'm just beginning to play with synthetics. The benefits intrigue me. My biggest question with these is where they fall on the scale of generations considering the price point. Thanks again for speaking to the Kent!

 

[The Dean]

Thanks, Dean. I appreciate the link and your great input. I'm just beginning to play with synthetics. The benefits intrigue me. My biggest question with these is where they fall on the scale of generations considering the price point. Thanks again for speaking to the Kent!

Gary (GDCarrington, the OP of the long synth thread) seems to be the guy who knows which brushes have which gen fibre. You might shoot him a PM. (I hope that is OK to suggest.) He seems to be a great guy.

 

[Codfish]

Gary and I were members of the New Gen Synth Project, where we tested 19 different synths by five manufacturers last year. Since then, the Muhle V2 series was released, and the Kent Silvertex as well. We were also on the Simpson's test team and tried them as well (before they were recalled). We've tested all of these as well.

The HJM remains one of my favorite brushes. It has some of the softest tips you could ever hope to find. As I said in my review, it's a mid-density brush. For a 21mm brush, it has terrific lathering, application and flow characteristics due in part to the generous (61mm) loft. I like it for these qualities, which result in excellent face feel.

The Kent brush is a similar knot size with a much shorter loft. This results in significantly greater backbone and a stiffer brush. Splaying the brush is more difficult (but easy enough), and because the loft is shorter it doesn't spread out over the face as much when applying lather. The Kent feels like a 21mm brush, while the HJM feels more like a 23mm in terms of coverage during use. I use the Kent when I want a stiffer, more exfoliating experience.

Both brushes are excellent and well made. They are good examples of what modern synths can be. Both use Generation 3.5 fibers, so they are identical in that respect.

There is no easy answer as to which I would recommend. It really depends on what you are looking for.

 

[The Dean]

Gary and I were members of the New Gen Synth Project, where we tested 19 different synths by five manufacturers last year. Since then, the Muhle V2 series was released, and the Kent Silvertex as well. We were also on the Simpson's test team and tried them as well (before they were recalled). We've tested all of these as well.

The HJM remains one of my favorite brushes. It has some of the softest tips you could ever hope to find. As I said in my review, it's a mid-density brush. For a 21mm brush, it has terrific lathering, application and flow characteristics due in part to the generous (61mm) loft. I like it for these qualities, which result in excellent face feel.

The Kent brush is a similar knot size with a much shorter loft. This results in significantly greater backbone and a stiffer brush. Splaying the brush is more difficult (but easy enough), and because the loft is shorter it doesn't spread out over the face as much when applying lather. The Kent feels like a 21mm brush, while the HJM feels more like a 23mm in terms of coverage during use. I use the Kent when I want a stiffer, more exfoliating experience.

Both brushes are excellent and well made. They are good examples of what modern synths can be. Both use Generation 3.5 fibers, so they are identical in that respect.

There is no easy answer as to which I would recommend. It really depends on what you are looking for.

That's some great info, Jim. Thanks for that. Now I am also interested in the HJM, especially at that price. It's really good looking, too. But I am a bit confused. According to this link, the loft of the HJM is 54mm:

http://connaughtshaving.com/31p8ro.html

Obviously bigger than the Kent, but not 60+mm. Is there another model with a huge loft?

I have to say the Kent feels significantly smaller than my 22mm FS 2-Band Finest Badger.

 

[GDCarrington]

Any thoughts on these brushes? Codfish posted a great review of the hjm but I'm curious to hear of some wider opinions. Help me find a reason to get these into my rotation! Much appreciated.

Gary and I were members of the New Gen Synth Project, where we tested 19 different synths by five manufacturers last year. Since then, the Muhle V2 series was released, and the Kent Silvertex as well. We were also on the Simpson's test team and tried them as well (before they were recalled). We've tested all of these as well.

The HJM remains one of my favorite brushes. It has some of the softest tips you could ever hope to find. As I said in my review, it's a mid-density brush. For a 21mm brush, it has terrific lathering, application and flow characteristics due in part to the generous (61mm) loft. I like it for these qualities, which result in excellent face feel.

The Kent brush is a similar knot size with a much shorter loft. This results in significantly greater backbone and a stiffer brush. Splaying the brush is more difficult (but easy enough), and because the loft is shorter it doesn't spread out over the face as much when applying lather. The Kent feels like a 21mm brush, while the HJM feels more like a 23mm in terms of coverage during use. I use the Kent when I want a stiffer, more exfoliating experience.

Both brushes are excellent and well made. They are good examples of what modern synths can be. Both use Generation 3.5 fibers, so they are identical in that respect.

There is no easy answer as to which I would recommend. It really depends on what you are looking for.

As Jim has stated, both brushes are excellent but they have different qualities. So I guess this sparks a question that I would like to ask the OP. What brush / brushes are you using now and what do you like or dislike about them? Knowing this may help to provide some frames of reference for comparisons to the different types of synthetics out there.

 

[Codfish]

That's some great info, Jim. Thanks for that. Now I am also interested in the HJM, especially at that price. It's really good looking, too. But I am a bit confused. According to this link, the loft of the HJM is 54mm...":

I double-checked the loft of the HJM Black Fibre brush and it is, in fact, 61mm. This particular brush is a pre-release model, and the loft may have been reduced in the production model given the input of the test team.

 

[tiernan22]

Thanks, GD and Codfish. Right now, I'm using a 22mm / 44mm loft WD Silvertip and a 24mm / 52mm loft WD Silvertip. They're great brushes. I face lather on occasion but mostly bowl lather. I love pillowy soft tips with some backbone and a tiny bit of scritch. The benefits of synthetics are pretty intriguing based on the reviews you two have written on B&B as well of other forums. Splay is a great thing as far as I'm concerned and can certainly be pretty patient as it finds it's way. I know the loft on the hjm is pretty high but the lathering ability is really attractive.

I guess I'm just in disbelief that 3.5 gen fibers can be had at such a low price point! Quality and performance were more of a question than anything.

 

[Codfish]

As Jim has stated, both brushes are excellent but they have different qualities. So I guess this sparks a question that I would like to ask the OP. What brush / brushes are you using now and what do you like or dislike about them? Knowing this may help to provide some frames of reference for comparisons to the different types of synthetics out there.

Gary is right, you can chase specs all day and not get anywhere. What is it that you are looking for in terms of performance?

To answer The Dean's question, the H.I.S. synth has a monster loft. It has softer fibers than either the Kent or HJM. It is way too big for me. It feels like using an Omega Pro 48/49. I can get lost in it!

 

[The Dean]

Gary is right, you can chase specs all day and not get anywhere. What is it that you are looking for in terms of performance?

To answer The Dean's question, the H.I.S. synth has a monster loft. It has softer fibers than either the Kent or HJM. It is way too big for me. It feels like using an Omega Pro 48/49. I can get lost in it!

Thanks for all the input, Jim. I think the HIS might be a tad too big for my tastes, but the HJM sounds right up my alley. I'll keep working the Kent, though, as it seems to grow on me the more I use it.

 

[Codfish]

Thanks for all the input, Jim. I think the HIS might be a tad too big for my tastes, but the HJM sounds right up my alley. I'll keep working the Kent, though, as it seems to grow on me the more I use it.

The HJM with the 54mm loft will provide greater backbone than the pre-production model I have. I think I'll be looking into the Connaught 54mm Black Fibre brush, too. There is a possibility it has other refinements as well.

 

[tiernan22]

Sounds like the hjm will be a great introductory experience to synthetics for me as well. Thanks to everyone for pitching in. I really appreciate the community support!

 

[GDCarrington]

Excellent. It looks as if you like your badger brushes. The Kent, even though it is a good brush, reminds me more of a boar brush that has soft tips. The HJM is closer to what you are accustomed to now. However, if you really want to get the closest to what you are using now, the Muhle V2 (Generation 4) is the closest to Silvertip badger.

The reason why Generation 3 and 3.5 brushes are becoming more cost effective is because more players are in the game (Kent, Muhle, FS, even TGN has generation 3 knots). So the pricing for these have to move down. Only the latest generation 4 fibers can hold the price and H.I.S. decided not to play in the game in terms of providing handles that are more suitable and desired by traditional shavers. So Muhle still has a strong lead in the high end brushes, but they still provide a lower price model as well.

Good fortune in your search.

 

[The Dean]

Just a little update on the Kent synth. As I noted earlier, I am getting to like it more. Today was a breakthrough, I think. I decided to mix an uberlather as I so rarely use my VDH soap--I thought it was time to give it some use. I mix my lather in the shower, in my Marvy mug. Never been an issue.

However, I was a bit casual with the handheld showerhead and when I went to the mug, it was soup instead of lather (I'm usually very good at keeping the water stream away from the shave shelf).. So I worked the puck a bit more, add a bit more cream and a drop or two more of glycerin. For the first time ever, I made lather porn. Typically I use a yogurt style lather and that works great with the 2-band badger. This was a very whipped cream lather--far more water than I typically use.

Well, it seemed to be what the Kent synth wanted. It worked that lather perfectly. The shave was pretty good, too. I still prefer a thicker lather, but when I use the synth at least I can look forward to lather porn from now on.

 

[tiernan22]

Played with the hmj today and I really love it. The brush whipped up my lather to a more creamy consistency than I ever got with badger. It actually made a huge difference in my shave. I was amazed by the flow through but had to add far more water only because the bristles just don't have the retention of my silvertips. I have a feeling my dive into synthetics is going to become an expensive exploration. The Kent is on deck for tomorrow...

 

[Galhatz]

I biught and hjm last year and sold it. It was soft but too floppy for me. It did latheted up a storm in no time.
If muhle made some changes to the loft, and maybe increased the density, then it would be a very nice brush indeed.

 

[The Dean]

Just a little update on the Kent synth. As I noted earlier, I am getting to like it more. Today was a breakthrough, I think. I decided to mix an uberlather as I so rarely use my VDH soap--I thought it was time to give it some use. I mix my lather in the shower, in my Marvy mug. Never been an issue.

However, I was a bit casual with the handheld showerhead and when I went to the mug, it was soup instead of lather (I'm usually very good at keeping the water stream away from the shave shelf).. So I worked the puck a bit more, add a bit more cream and a drop or two more of glycerin. For the first time ever, I made lather porn. Typically I use a yogurt style lather and that works great with the 2-band badger. This was a very whipped cream lather--far more water than I typically use.

Well, it seemed to be what the Kent synth wanted. It worked that lather perfectly. The shave was pretty good, too. I still prefer a thicker lather, but when I use the synth at least I can look forward to lather porn from now on.

With the great new updates on synthetic brushes here, and here, I thought I would update my personal experience with the Kent Silvertex. I admit, initially this brush wasn't really for me. Not that it was bad, mind you. It's just that I really love how my Frank Shaving Finest Badger feels on my face and the way it builds lather prefectly on the face--it's also pretty good in the bowl/mug but that isn't my preference.

The more I used it, the more I liked it--I think a combination of me getting used to a synth brush and it breaking in a bit. But what turned things around a bit was the incident in the above quote from a few weeks ago. Since recently receiving my "defective handle" badger, I have been neglecting the Kent and it was time to get back to it today.

Today I couldn't use my regular bathroom (minor repairs)--which is perfectly set up for shower-shaving and face lathering. So I used the master bath which has a very small shower stall. So I decided to shave at the sink, and make an uberlather in my Marvy mug. Remembering my lesson from a few weeks ago, I used a bit more product and a lot more water and made a big mug of slightly wet, whipped cream lather porn. Once again, the little Kent synthetic performed admirably. So, at least for me, that is the sweet spot for this brush. It can face-lather--and I'm sure I would get better results with it given more practice. But it is a monster in the bowl. It can really whip up a mess-o-lather in very little time. I'm getting used to how it feels on my face and it actually now splays a bit when lathering (something it didn't do early on).

I still don't know if I will use this, or the defective handle badger, as my travel brush in July. (Hell, given the trip I'm taking I could skip shaving altogether--but I won't). This has the advantage of drying faster (though the little badger dries reasonably quick), but the badger is a better face latherer, IMO. I don't know if I will pack a mug--though the Marvy is perfect for travel as it is rubber.

Decisions, decisions. I remember when shaving wasn't this complicated--or this fun.

 

[The Dean]

Used the Kent again for the second straight day. This brush is really growing on me. I face-lathered some Arko and then built the uberlather in a big soup bowl. It excelled both lathering on the face and (even more so) building the biggest most luxurious bowl of cream I have ever made. I think the brush still might be breaking in a bit, but mostly I think I am adapting to its strengths and weaknesses.

For those scoring at home, I hope you have a partner. Seriously though, it is neck-and-neck with the defective handle badger in the race to be my travel brush in July.

 

[The Dean]

Today, for the third day in a row, I put the Kent synth to work. I decided to see how it would face lather some cream. I dipped the tips lightly into a tub of AOS unscented and WOW! I am really starting to love this brush. No problems or issues at all today. I guess I am getting used to the slightly different feel from the tips--and the brush is now splaying just fine when face lathering. It made an unbelievable mess of lather from a very small amount of product.

In the unlikely event anyone is considering this brush and reading these posts for information, I now completely recommend this brush.