Overview
The RazoRock BC Silvertip Plissoft synthetic shaving brush has been my second shaving brush since I started using it on April 21, 2017, after having used the Semogue 1470 boar brush for over ten months (B&B URL). The RazoRock BC Silvertip Plissoft is inexpensive (~$20) and generally feels and performs well, but the weight of the RazoRock BC Silvertip Plissoft can take a little getting used to and difficulty could be encountered when trying to splay the brush, making the backbone seem too strong at times.
Dimensions
The following table includes official information and my measurements for the brush. My measurements were made using a 0.01 mm resolution digital caliper and a 0.01 g resolution scale when the brush was brand new, after losing a couple of hairs right out of the box, but before any use. Both official and new measurements are approximate.
| Property | Official Value | My Measurement |
|---|---|---|
| Hair | Plissoft Synthetic | |
| Handle Material | Black and Clear Acrylic | |
| Knot | 24 mm | |
| Loft | 57 mm | 55.5 mm |
| Loft Diameter | 55 mm | |
| Handle Height | 60 mm | 60.15 mm |
| Handle Outer Diameter | 40.0 mm | |
| Handle Inner Diameter | 30.3 mm | |
| Total Height | 117 mm | 115.65 mm |
| Mass | 96 g | 94.40 g |
Photos
Positives
- Except for the two loose fibers that came out of the brush before its first use, the brush has not lost one synthetic hair in over four months of daily use
- As with all synthetic-hair brushes, the brush (a) does not need to be soaked prior to loading soap or building lather, (b) dries relatively quickly compared to natural-hair brushes, and (c) does not have a breaking-in period because the "hairs" remain as if they are new
- The tips are much softer than with my broken-in boar brush
- The backbone is greater than with my broken-in boar brush, which developed many broken and bent hairs
- The flow of lather through the brush is relatively easy compared to my broken-in boar brush
- The brush works well in painting lather on the face
- The handle has a very nice shape and size, which was actually a big selling point to me. Firstly, I was looking for a more ergonomic handle that curved in instead of flaring out at the bottom. Secondly, the handle is long enough and shaped well so that I can generally use the brush without getting lather on my hand. This was not the case with my first shaving brush with its shorter handle that forced gripping of the handle closer to the knot.
- Cleaning the brush is simple since there are few tight spots for soap to accumulate. There is no metal ring that could accumulate soap at the top of the handle, as experienced with my previous brush, and the handle has nice curves for easy access to wiping off soap residue, with the small exception of the tighter fillet below the black acrylic section.
Negatives
- Right after switching from my 41 g used boar brush to this 94 g synthetic brush, I immediately felt the difference in weight when bowl lathering with a lot of swirling. It took a few days to get used to it.
- The weight of the acrylic handle makes the brush more likely to fall over when knot-side down in a lathering bowl compared to other brushes. Falling over of the brush happens sometimes.
- Even though the tips are soft, they can still provide what may be considered a little scratchiness
- Splaying of the brush can be considered to be irregular. Splaying is easy and smooth when done against a convex surface, such as the chin, because the convex surface easily separates the innermost fibers. However, when attempting to splay the brush against a less convex, flatter, or concave surface, such as the cheek or neck, separating the innermost fibers may not be so easy. In this case, the innermost synthetic hairs can move together and feel like a flexible column that does not splay, requiring a greater force beyond what feels good to initiate splaying. This phenomenon may not be as noticeable when scrubbing with lather, but it is very noticeable when testing the brush dry on the face or on a hand. The backbone that can occur when trying to initiate splaying on flatter surfaces could lead some to believe that the brush is too strong for face lathering.
Final Thoughts
I've liked using my first synthetic brush much more than the boar brush that I used exclusively from the start of DE shaving. I really like how synthetic brushes don't need to be soaked, dry relatively quickly compared to natural-hair brushes, and are consistent over time as if the "hairs" remain new. The RazoRock BC Silvertip Plissoft synthetic shaving brush has worked well, but I have a feeling that I'd prefer a denser knot with a smoother backbone as the knot splays open. Maybe a very nice badger brush might feel and perform better. Nevertheless, the ease of synthetic brushes is very attractive, so I'd like my next brush to be a better synthetic brush, possibly with a black-and-white "tuxedo" knot that has been raved about.
Acknowledgment
Thanks to @steelhead52 for recommending this brush (B&B URL).
