Synthetic vs the others?

[PrincessMari]

Howdy everyone, So I'm just curious when it comes to the types of shaving brushes are synthetic brushes any better than say a badger hair or boar hair brush when shaving when it comes to the one that builds up lather the quickest and uses the least amount of product? I heard different things from my boyfriend like him saying Synthetic only uses very very little soap to load it but badger hair and boar he claims eats the soap so I'll like run out of the soap a lot sooner than If I would have used the Synthetic..

I'm only asking here as I feel like I'd probably get more knowledge..

 

[jonwilson]

Howdy everyone, So I'm just curious when it comes to the types of shaving brushes are synthetic brushes any better than say a badger hair or boar hair brush when shaving when it comes to the one that builds up lather the quickest and uses the least amount of product? I heard different things from my boyfriend like him saying Synthetic only uses very very little soap to load it but badger hair and boar he claims eats the soap so I'll like run out of the soap a lot sooner than If I would have used the Synthetic..

I'm only asking here as I feel like I'd probably get more knowledge..

synthetic brushes blow badger and boar brushes out of the water. They last longer, lather faster, don't smell of animals, are much cheaper than badgers and most boars and last a lot longer than both boar and badger brushes. Never tried a badger and never will. They are overpriced and to be honest, badgers and boars are becoming somewhat obsolete nowadays(imho). All I see on shaving websites are mostly synthetics.

 

[Teppanyaki]

I have all 3 major brush types (badger, boar, and synthetic). I like all of them (boars do need to be broken in and soaked before the shave).

I think that my synthetics lather up slightly faster, but the time difference is pretty minimal in my experience. I haven't experienced any of them going through soap faster than another.

In short, I think that you're probably fine with any brush as long as you enjoy the feel (and, if boar, are ok with the need break it in initially and to soak it for a few minutes before use - I dunk mine in a mug of water before I shower which works well).

APShaveCo makes great synthetic brushes (I like their Cashmere and SynBad knots a lot).

Hope this helps!

 

[PrincessMari]

Okay another question for you kind folks.. I heard that synthetic doesn't really retain water.. Which that to me sounds like it might make loading a hard puck of soap a bit hard.. (I might be wrong).. But should it just be as good as a badger or am I just simply overthinking it at this point?

 

[silverlifter]

Synthetics load off hard pucks just as well as natural brushes; you only want the tips of any sort of brush damp when you load.

Ultimately, it comes down to what you like in a brush. Synthetics are convenient, require no drying or prep: just wet and go. Natural brushes have a much greater range of face feel: backbone, scritchiness, and more character in general. Natural fibres will also retain heat better than synthetics.

Synthetics are just plastic, and natural brushes come from animals, so for some there are also environmental/ethical considerations.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

Okay another question for you kind folks.. I heard that synthetic doesn't really retain water.. Which that to me sounds like it might make loading a hard puck of soap a bit hard.. (I might be wrong).. But should it just be as good as a badger or am I just simply overthinking it at this point?

You are overthinking it, just get whatever you want as everyone's opinion is different; if any one type of brush was superior then nobody would use anything else. To answer your first questions, I think it is fair to say that for most people a synthetic brush requires less soap, I find a synthetic easy to lather any type of hard soap or cream but whether they are easier than a natural brush is again a matter of opinion.

 

[JimmyJoeMeeker]

synthetic brushes blow badger and boar brushes out of the water. They last longer, lather faster, don't smell of animals, are much cheaper than badgers and most boars and last a lot longer than both boar and badger brushes. Never tried a badger and never will. They are overpriced and to be honest, badgers and boars are becoming somewhat obsolete nowadays(imho). All I see on shaving websites are mostly synthetics.

When I want bristles like floss that just kind of flop around with no backbone, I always head right for one of my synthetics! Also, on those days when I want it to take much longer to load the brush, synthetics can't be beat!

 

[musicman1951]

I have quite a few of each: synthetic, boar and badger.

First of all, there is only a very general "all brushes with this hair" consensus. My $12 synthetic and my $250 synthetic both dry quickly. They don't make the same quality lather and they don't both act the same building lather. I have a mid-sized 2 band badger with lots of backbone and a big, soft silvertip with considerably less backbone that don't give the same performance.

I rotate between a handful of all three kinds and none eat lather, although my first gigantic silvertip badger would hold a ton of lather. It's quite easy to get lather out of a large brush in any case. All of mine use the same amount of soap and they all load at about the same rate - the synthetic might be 3 seconds faster.

What I find is generally true:

If you're only spending $15 I'd recommend a synthetic - probably doesn't matter which one, the knots are pretty similar at this price. No soaking required, just get it wet. It will work just fine, dry quickly, and if you bowl lather you'll be very happy. If you build lather on your body (face, legs, whatever) it will also be fine if you go slow enough, and if you don't it will throw some lather around - easy to clean up. While I'm no expert, I suspect this would be an excellent choice for body shaving.

Boar brushes run from very cheap to pretty darned expensive. Some really lovely ones in the $30 - $60 range, but many shavers have a sub $20 boar they love. A boar needs to soak for a minute or so.

Badgers are my favorite, but I don't find cheap badgers comparable to cheap synthetics. Some shavers have cheaper badgers they like, but I wouldn't recommend a badger for under $50. Badgers do not need to soak.

Brushes come in sizes. I'm lathering around my nose and ears, so that's a consideration for size. If I were shaving my legs (and believe me, nobody wants to look at them) I would want a pretty good sized brush. I don't want to make assumptions, but think about the size of the area you're shaving. You can use a small brush anywhere, it would just take a little longer to spread the lather.

Even though I disagree with most of your boyfriend's reasons, I think a synthetic would be a fine choice. Maybe something like

RazoRock Plissoft BIG BRUCE Synthetic Shaving Brush $15.99​

My guess is building lather in a bowl would be an advantage, but you can make lather on your palm, etc. You don't need a special lather bowl (although they make some pretty ones), raid the kitchen and try a few sizes.

Good luck, and know you're welcome to ask more specific questions as they arise.

 

[Andris83]

When I want bristles like floss that just kind of flop around with no backbone, I always head right for one of my synthetics! Also, on those days when I want it to take much longer to load the brush, synthetics can't be beat!

with respect, this is a stereotype and maybe a half truth. I can load any of my soaps with a Plissoft knot in no time. (which is one of the floppier ones).
I have used my STF knot today, it loads soap like crazy, better than anything else I have tried.

 

[JimmyJoeMeeker]

with respect, this is a stereotype and maybe a half truth.

With equal respect, not everything I say is meant to be taken literally. I frequently employ figures of speech to express myself, including but not limited to hyperbole and irony. This is not uncommon in my country.

 

[BigJ]

For me it was all about finding what I liked best! Turned out that the answer was small/mid-sized badger brushes.

Nice to have plenty of options IMHO!!

 

[Rudy Vey]

I personally prefer a badger over anything. However, I do have several synthetics and two I use a lot. My brush with the Muehle STF and my Wald A1. The STF is very close to the feel of a badger, and the Wald is a total different animal. The other ones I have, an early Chubby and a Shavemac, get used maybe once or twice a year.

 

[ArtVandelay123]

synthetic brushes blow badger and boar brushes out of the water. They last longer, lather faster, don't smell of animals, are much cheaper than badgers and most boars and last a lot longer than both boar and badger brushes. Never tried a badger and never will.

That's pretty funny tbh.

 

[DesertIguana]

If you want to go Sunthetic route, and are on budget?

Yaqi Second for $7.00 is hard to beat.

AliExpress is vendor, fast shipping.

 

[Rivers23]

Synths have great performance with little to no preparation and you can use them forever and be happy with them. I do use them when I need a quick shave. But I just can't get over the fact that I'm rubbing plastics on my face. I also dislike the springiness, the splay never feels the same like with natural bristles.

Boars are moody, they require attention and effort, but I can't resist their character. I love the sound it makes when I scrub my face with it. To a purely pragmatic shaver this might seem silly, but that's how I roll.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger.

 

[JimmyJoeMeeker]

Badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger.

 

[nlife]

Badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger.

 

[SamplingNature]

I started this wet-shaving thing by buying a Van der Hagen set from Walmart...a green ceramic bowl, a puck of soap and a boar bristle brush with a green plastic handle...all for like $12. I used it for quite some time with my Mach 3 razor before falling into the DE rabbit hole. That was about 12 years ago.

Since then I've acquired a few brushes...two badgers and a synthetic. I've used all of them. But you can bet that I'm probably gonna grab that old green-plastic handled boar brush. I just like the way it feels. I think "scritchy" is the word...

Personally, I've never counted how many shaves I can get from a puck of soap with any of the brushes. That probably has to do with the fact that I always used cheap soap (RIP Williams). So I can't comment on that.

Synthetics do dry much faster. That's why my synthetic is my travel brush. Badger is probably softer than boar...even after the boar has broken in.

At the end of the day, the brush is just something that you're going to use to smear soap on your face (or my case head...or wherever ) with. And you're going to wash that soap down the drain...and you WILL eventually use up that puck (maybe even run out all together).

My point is simple. It's about relaxation and comfort. Don't overthink it. Set a budget, and find what works for you within that budget.

 

[SamplingNature]

synthetic brushes blow badger and boar brushes out of the water. They last longer, lather faster, don't smell of animals, are much cheaper than badgers and most boars and last a lot longer than both boar and badger brushes. Never tried a badger and never will. They are overpriced and to be honest, badgers and boars are becoming somewhat obsolete nowadays(imho). All I see on shaving websites are mostly synthetics.

How can you say that "synthetic brushes blow badger and boar brushes out of the water" then say you've never tried a badger brush? I'm a boar guy, myself, but I have tried all three.

A lot of the stuff is overpriced in my opinion, but I'm a cheap old fart.

Shaving brushes, in general, are obsolete...just like fountain pens, tobacco pipes and double-edged razors. All of it is very niche (which is why so much of it seems so overpriced).