Synth vs badger, who is the best?
- Thread starter Cromo90
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EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
For me and some others - no. For plenty of other people - yes. 
Performance? what exactly do you want to know?
Synthetics make lather quicker, lather is at least the same quality as animal brushes AND synthetics do not keep, hog or disappear any lather.....so the volume is larger for the same size brush / same loading time, and probably shorter time to mix / create. And then: everyone likes a different feeling against the skin.
Synthetic will not behave exactly as a natural hair brush, unless someone goes to extreme and successfully engineers a synthetic brush that mimics the face feel, heat retention, flow through, water absorption etc in short, all the factors that make a natural hair brush desirable.
There are good quality synthetic brushes which excel at one or more traits like backbone, density, face feel, scrub, flow through etc.
You need to make a list of what you desire in the brush, and then look for those things in various synthetic brushes.
To my knowledge, apart from splitting of hair (break-in), water and heat retention, all the other traits of natural hairs are achieved by current synthetic brushes.
There are good quality synthetic brushes which excel at one or more traits like backbone, density, face feel, scrub, flow through etc.
You need to make a list of what you desire in the brush, and then look for those things in various synthetic brushes.
To my knowledge, apart from splitting of hair (break-in), water and heat retention, all the other traits of natural hairs are achieved by current synthetic brushes.
For me - no. But maybe for you. If you bowl lather I think you have a better chance of finding a synthetic that does everything you want it to do.
The splay of my 2 band badger for face lathering is perfect: just enough backbone, but will hold a bit of the splay until I go back to painting strokes. I have yet to experience a synthetic that will do that. My EVO comes close, but the backbone is actually a little to stiff to hold the splay (I actually have to use more pressure against my face to keep the splay open). Most synthetics have the opposite problem - not enough backbone and a propensity to fling lather about the place.
But you can learn to control the flying lather by moving a little slower than you can with a badger. Synthetics get better every year. I won't be surprised to find a synthetic that will match the badger splay in a future generation. But for now it remains my travel brush.
The splay of my 2 band badger for face lathering is perfect: just enough backbone, but will hold a bit of the splay until I go back to painting strokes. I have yet to experience a synthetic that will do that. My EVO comes close, but the backbone is actually a little to stiff to hold the splay (I actually have to use more pressure against my face to keep the splay open). Most synthetics have the opposite problem - not enough backbone and a propensity to fling lather about the place.
But you can learn to control the flying lather by moving a little slower than you can with a badger. Synthetics get better every year. I won't be surprised to find a synthetic that will match the badger splay in a future generation. But for now it remains my travel brush.
If I had to pick a winner in each category would be :
Face lathering : Badger
Bowl lathering : Synthetics
Most badgers are also good at bowl lathering but not most synthetics are good at face lathering.
Face lathering : Badger
Bowl lathering : Synthetics
Most badgers are also good at bowl lathering but not most synthetics are good at face lathering.
IMO the best is badger, i lather out of a bowl and the badger has the right amount of backbone i prefer
Boar 
Get a Boar
Lefonque
Even more clueless than you
It is a bit like asking who is my favourite child. I have only recently got into synthetic. I have been pleasantly surprised. On the other hand I have had one of my badger brushes for many years and I am sentimental about it.
I resisted moving to synthetic because for many years I had heard that they were not that good. But now I think they are every bit as good. Drying time is better. Some soaps lather better. You see you can teach an old dog new tricks.
I face and bowl lather. Depends how the mood takes me and I can get a great result with both types of brushes.
I also agree with others here that face lathering is usually better with natural hair for reasons that have been stated.
Make of it what you will.
I resisted moving to synthetic because for many years I had heard that they were not that good. But now I think they are every bit as good. Drying time is better. Some soaps lather better. You see you can teach an old dog new tricks.
I face and bowl lather. Depends how the mood takes me and I can get a great result with both types of brushes.
I also agree with others here that face lathering is usually better with natural hair for reasons that have been stated.
Make of it what you will.
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In my experience, badger is much better. By a long shot.
I also consider boar better than synthetic.
I also consider boar better than synthetic.
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The only characteristic that synthetic brushes excel is the short drying time. I always use a synthetic when I travel and have short/overnight stays in hotels. By the time I finished breakfast and get ready to hit the road, the brush is already dry.
By all means, you have to get one for yourself.
By all means, you have to get one for yourself.
Put me in the ‘badger’ camp! Obviously, my price point for a nice badger is higher but worth the $!
I like Badger, Boar and Synthetic brushes and use all three types regularly - just depends on my mood. 
Just to elaborate a bit more: all 3 have their perks. I would say badger and synth are not *that* dissimilar in case the synth is high quality. Boar is actually distinct from both.
What I don't like about badger is that it opens up like crazy, I have a nice Yaqi highmountain silvertip, knot 24, not so big on paper, and it ended up being ENORMOUS, nice feeling but zero precision at all when face lathering, it covers half your face! It's messy. I use the T3 more for this exact reason.
Of course my favourite is boar, a small Omega one - scrubby, precise, on point. And really, it's much less maintenance than what online manuals say. Put in glass full of water the evening before or just one hour before shaving, shave and wait for split hairs to happen.
What I don't like about badger is that it opens up like crazy, I have a nice Yaqi highmountain silvertip, knot 24, not so big on paper, and it ended up being ENORMOUS, nice feeling but zero precision at all when face lathering, it covers half your face! It's messy. I use the T3 more for this exact reason.
Of course my favourite is boar, a small Omega one - scrubby, precise, on point. And really, it's much less maintenance than what online manuals say. Put in glass full of water the evening before or just one hour before shaving, shave and wait for split hairs to happen.
It's a matter of preference. Badger, Boar, Horse, or Synthetic. It's what you like.
Boar, the answer is Boar.
But in all seriousness, the only way to find out is to try different types of brush and find out what you personally like. I have a synthetic but I don't like that it doesn't retain water as well as my boars as I find it easier to get a great lather with a very wet brush, I find it too springy and lather flies all over my bathroom and it doesn't retain the heat as well as a boar. I keep it as it gets used when I have to have a quick shave and I don't have time to soak a boar. But that's just me!
But in all seriousness, the only way to find out is to try different types of brush and find out what you personally like. I have a synthetic but I don't like that it doesn't retain water as well as my boars as I find it easier to get a great lather with a very wet brush, I find it too springy and lather flies all over my bathroom and it doesn't retain the heat as well as a boar. I keep it as it gets used when I have to have a quick shave and I don't have time to soak a boar. But that's just me!
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
That is certainly not true of my badger brushes, and is true of several synthetic brushes I have tried. The amount of splay will depend on the characteristics of the particular fibre or hair grade, and also the backbone, density, and loft to knot ratio. At least that is my experience
