Synthetic versus Badger

[Ron R]

Synthetic and badger brushes are standard brushes for good shaving + don't forget the boar brushes when well broke in it will compete with any brush & just works very well for over the centuries. Those boar bristles split ends over time feel like velvet and there are so many ways to tweak any brush with knot size , loft height and knot hair density to make them scrubbers to luxury face feeling that are addictive to enjoy in the mornings(evenings) when the shaving routine starts.

 

[StratMan]

generally, in a nutshell, synthetics build lather quicker with less product but badgers feel better on the face. The latter is particularly true with the older synthetic's that include the tuxedo knot etc

but synthetics have come a long way since then and I now own a 26mm G5C Fan, 26mm G7 Oumo, 24mm lansky hd and these are excellent, still retain their amazing lathering ability and now even look like badgers. They have also come a long was to begin to feel more like a natural brush (still not there yet)

When it comes to face feel nothing beats a good badger, a well broken in boar also feels great but nothing beats my 28mm 2-band lotus get tips badger, now that is pure luxury to my face (I exclusively face lather)

both types are keepers in my den

 

[BigJ]

When it comes to face feel nothing beats a good badger, a well broken in boar also feels great …

+1! Yes indeed!! That’s my experience!!

 

[Doc Dan]

The Mühle Silvertip Fiber knot is so good I got rid of my badgers. I personally like the 25mm and as good as it was when new, it got better (hard to believe) with use. Wonderful brush that does all things well.

 

[know1special]

Long time synth-exclusive face latherer here.

IME, the synths that were predominant years ago could certainly feel a bit rough when face lathering but any of the more recent ones I've used have been fantastic.

My preferred RazoRock Plissoft 24mm feels super comfy on my mug and lathers like a champ to boot. And it cost me $12.00. Absolutely ridiculous value for money.

 

[wibbleandstrop23]

I have always found that synthetic brushes perform much better than badger or boar. Synthetics whip up lather faster and more easier that badger. I have had badger brushes that came highly recommended by guys here and I was very disappointed.
Sometimes I will use a boar just to mix things up. But my preference is synthetic by far. These are my favorite brushes. All synthetic.

View attachment 1594303

After seeing the Bruce/Big Bruce on your page I bought them both along with the smaller keyhole and the 24 mm hive. All are brilliant brushes in their own right. I particularly love the Bruce and Big Bruce. The handle on the big Bruce especially feels like it was made to measure for my arthritic fingers. Since buying these four, for less than one premium brush I’ve used them exclusively. They remain consistent performers on Palmolive stick, my soap of choice.

 

[shave/brush]

After seeing the Bruce/Big Bruce on your page I bought them both along with the smaller keyhole and the 24 mm hive. All are brilliant brushes in their own right. I particularly love the Bruce and Big Bruce. The handle on the big Bruce especially feels like it was made to measure for my arthritic fingers. Since buying these four, for less than one premium brush I’ve used them exclusively. They remain consistent performers on Palmolive stick, my soap of choice.

Yes, the RazoRock Big Bruce does have a nice handle that is easy to grip. I like brush sizes from 23 mm to 26 mm the best.
Muhle has a nice handle as well.

 

[awk_m4]

This is yet another fascinating topic here at B&B.
Never tried a badger so I guess I don't know what I don't know. In an earlier post Rudy mention that Muehle STF knots in his opinion are closest to what badger brush feels like. All I know is that after using my Rudy Vey STF for just a handful of shaves is that I love it! I own four brushes and all are outstanding in my book.

From left to right:
Dogwood Handcrafts:26mm
Simpson Trafalgar T3
Simpson Chubby 2
Rudy Vey AS3M

 

[rsp1202]

Been fighting the urge to get back into badgers. Savile Row, Thater, and Shavemac have been my past choices, but this time I'm thinking Semogue 2-band Finest with SOC Taj handle, something a bit less expensive to see if I still feel about them the way I did.

Boar also interests me (after watching those darn Turkish barber videos). I dabbled in them years ago. I've taken to the Semogue and Zenith style but don't know that I want to commit to the break-in period.

I guess I could try a two-fer and get a Mistura, but still remain hesitant despite all the positive reviews.

In the meanwhile I continue to stock up on STFs.

 

[srgjazz]

This is yet another fascinating topic here at B&B.
Never tried a badger so I guess I don't know what I don't know. In an earlier post Rudy mention that Muehle STF knots in his opinion are closest to what badger brush feels like. All I know is that after using my Rudy Vey STF for just a handful of shaves is that I love it! I own four brushes and all are outstanding in my book.

From left to right:
Dogwood Handcrafts:26mm
Simpson Trafalgar T3
Simpson Chubby 2
Rudy Vey AS3M
View attachment 1620628

I tried the T3 and found it too stiff and springy. My experience with Simpson has not been great. I’ve had 10 Best Badgers over the years and they all shed crept the Wee Scot.

 

[srgjazz]

Been fighting the urge to get back into badgers. Savile Row, Thater, and Shavemac have been my past choices, but this time I'm thinking Semogue 2-band Finest with SOC Taj handle, something a bit less expensive to see if I still feel about them the way I did.

Boar also interests me (after watching those darn Turkish barber videos). I dabbled in them years ago. I've taken to the Semogue and Zenith style but don't know that I want to commit to the break-in period.

I guess I could try a two-fer and get a Mistura, but still remain hesitant despite all the positive reviews.

In the meanwhile I continue to stock up on STFs.

I’m in the same boat.

 

[Trollky]

I face lather and I don't like the face feel of synthetic brushes, especially when I splay them. I love the luxurious feel of a quality badger knot (e.g., Chubby 3 Super). Of course, YMMV.

The splay is my issue as well. As someone who exclusively face lathers and does so mainly by swirling the brush, I prefer a knot that isn't too dense and doesn't have much backbone. Basically, I like a brush where most of the splay comes easy.

A synthetic brush does many things well but the above is not one of them. Even a soft synthetic knot like a Cashmere starts to resist the splay a little too early. Whereas, firm synthetic knots like a Simpson Trafalgar resists splay immediately and are just plain uncomfortable to open up. When you do, you're greeted with a horrible knot of fibres that are just too densely packed to splay at all.

 

[Dalejr]

When I started it was badger or nothing, shunned synthetic brushes for years. Not sure what made me give the Razo Rock big Bruce a try but have never looked back, its still going strong and the only brush I use.

 

[rsp1202]

I had some excellent 2- and 3-band badger knots, and some really uncomfortable ones as well (this from years ago; I doubt things have changed). The good ones were really good, very enjoyable to use, and I wish I still had them. Problem was I had to go through lots of brushes to find the gems. Lots of money spent.

I've tried many synthetic brushes over the last year, all relatively inexpensive, and STF knots really stand out from the pack for me. I currently have several of them, and all are uniformly excellent: face feel, flow-through, splay, you name it. Seems to me if you order an STF you're going to get a good one.

I'm still tempted by badgers, but right now don't want to get back into the crap shoot.

 

[Badger in the Sun]

The splay is my issue as well. As someone who exclusively face lathers and does so mainly by swirling the brush, I prefer a knot that isn't too dense and doesn't have much backbone. Basically, I like a brush where most of the splay comes easy.

A synthetic brush does many things well but the above is not one of them. Even a soft synthetic knot like a Cashmere starts to resist the splay a little too early. Whereas, firm synthetic knots like a Simpson Trafalgar resists splay immediately and are just plain uncomfortable to open up. When you do, you're greeted with a horrible knot of fibres that are just too densely packed to splay at all.

You might like a Motherlode knot. It is low backbone, splays easily, is not super dense, and is softer than any other knot I've tried.

 

[wibbleandstrop23]

Yes, the RazoRock Big Bruce does have a nice handle that is easy to grip. I like brush sizes from 23 mm to 26 mm the best.
Muhle has a nice handle as well.

View attachment 1620464

I used a small Muhle v2 19 mm? Exclusively for roughly 10 years. I love the handle but much prefer the feeling of the Bruce/Big Bruce. If I had my time all over again both of them and a spare of each would be the only brushes I would ever buy. I do like the 22mm Keyhole and the 24mm Mocasoft HD but the Bruces get used 99.9% of the time. The Plisson fiber feels like luxury on a budget.

 

[Steve_in_CT]

I have bought and sold quite a few brushes over the last several years, and I now have a rotation that includes 3 synthetic brushes, 2 boar brushes, 5 badger brushes and 1 mixed badger/boar. Interestingly, all of my more premium brushes have been sold. Simpsons, Shavemac, and Muhle did not make the cut (for me). I do still own 2 Zenith brushes (badger and boar) and an SOC Mistura.

My remaining synthetic brushes are a Yaqi, a PAA and a RazoRock Hive. I find that the synthetics have two advantages and two disadvantages compared to the badger or boar brushes. Advantages: they lather more quickly and they dry more quickly. Disadvantages: they do not retain heat well, so my second pass is usually with a cold brush (unless I run it under warm water and reload it), and sometimes they drip a bit (but they no longer fling lather like the early synthetics did).

So I use synthetics when I travel and sometimes when I want to quickly whip up the lather for a fast shave. Or when one of my synthetic brushes appeals to me for some unkown reason (like this morning). Mostly I use my badgers, so I guess overall I'm still more of a badger fan than anything else.

 

[Doc Dan]

I just ordered an Omega S-Brush. I want to see how it compares to my Semogue boar brush that it was meant to compete against. The Semogue boar is the only natural brush I have left. I thought I had gifted it, but I found it in the back of my brush shelf. I like my synthetics so much better that I never use it.

 

[Doc Dan]

This is yet another fascinating topic here at B&B.
Never tried a badger so I guess I don't know what I don't know. In an earlier post Rudy mention that Muehle STF knots in his opinion are closest to what badger brush feels like. All I know is that after using my Rudy Vey STF for just a handful of shaves is that I love it! I own four brushes and all are outstanding in my book.

From left to right:
Dogwood Handcrafts:26mm
Simpson Trafalgar T3
Simpson Chubby 2
Rudy Vey AS3M
View attachment 1620628

I really like that all black RV. I started to get that but went with a butterscotch bottom. Looking at yours is sure tempting, though.

 

[pierrelortie44]

I’ve been using the Simpson Duke3 in Platinum synthetic bristle for just a week. At first it had many advantages over badger, but it was too stiff and prickly to splay, it could only paint (and very well at that). Now, either I’m adjusting or the brush is changing, but it splays better and the tips feel softer. I have other synthetics on the way, my worn badgers will be retired.