


As for the performance that also is somewhat unexpected (this being my first synthetic brush). I own badger and boar, and it is not like either of them. It is not as soft in the tips as my boar bristle brush. It is also unlike badger in that it has more backbone with as much or more scritchiness. The construction quality is top notch. The handle is great, and larger than it appears in the store photos. I think my third picture gives you an idea of how meaty a handle this is. The knot size is a little deceptive. It seems smaller than the stats would indicate, because it does not expand or "bloom" like a badger brush. It is plenty dense, however, and I have not lost one single hair with use.
After using it for a few weeks I am over my initial shock and am really liking the brush. It scrubs the face very nicely without either collapsing like a really floppy badger, or being as stiff as a thick boar brush. It is very versatile. It has no issues with hard soaps, and does a great job with shaving creams. It holds a lot of lather after soaking the brush and giving it a flick or two to get rid of excess water. It works great for face lathering, and has no issues with whipping up lather in a bowl either.
It is not a perfect copy of a fine badger brush, but the differences actually make it more useful and give it a real purpose in your arsenal. You have to look at this type of brush as its own thing, and not a copy or emulation of any other type of hair. It is the perfect brush for traveling because it is tough and works with everything, and offers very centered performance (soft versus scritchy, floppy versus stiff, etc). Overall a very nice brush for the money, which at present is about 30 bucks.