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Tell me about synthetic brushes

They are great IMV (easy dry) but not all are the same. Must do some research before plopping down the cash.
 
A nice set up and I agree they are soft. I'm still using my first (and only) Gen 4 brush I tried years ago. It's still going strong and will probably will out live me....
 
@Bill Wood
I would suggest you maybe try to get in on the Synthetic Brush Pass Around if possible. There are some brushes in there that are a little dated but there is enough of a selection that you should get a really good idea as to what you may like or dislike. There have been some newer brushes like Yaqi and APShaveCo that have been added in the past year so there are some up to date items in there too.


I started with boar and badger like most here several years back but in 2017 I tried my 1st Whipped Dog synthetic and it was game over for any brush with natural hair!! I have finally settled in after my 2yr search with a 24mm Whipped Dog and 3 different knots from Milton @ TurnNShave that I set in custom handles and am set for the duration of my life...
Thanks @muzichead even though I'm in canada there's lots of ideas there. I'll look for a whipped dog knot.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
I seem to like knots in the 24mm range.

The Yaqi Cashmere, RazoRock Plissoft and Frank Shaving are all good synthetic brushes that are very reasonably priced.

Just won two synthetic brushes on the Saint Sue Moore Memorial Fundraiser:

The @Graydog Backyard Maple 26mm "full Moon" Synthetic knot brush is a great brush that I will be using a lot more.

The AP Shave Co Tuxedo shave brush is my first experience with a tuxedo knot. Very nice brush.

Try a good synthetic like one of these and you won't be disappointed at all.

Just my opinion and YMMV.
 
I seem to like knots in the 24mm range.

The Yaqi Cashmere, RazoRock Plissoft and Frank Shaving are all good synthetic brushes that are very reasonably priced.

Just won two synthetic brushes on the Saint Sue Moore Memorial Fundraiser:

The @Graydog Backyard Maple 26mm "full Moon" Synthetic knot brush is a great brush that I will be using a lot more.

The AP Shave Co Tuxedo shave brush is my first experience with a tuxedo knot. Very nice brush.

Try a good synthetic like one of these and you won't be disappointed at all.

Just my opinion and YMMV.

24mm is OK for synthetic knots, but I thing 26mm can be even better.
 
I have recently used a horse hair brush, an Omega S-Brush, an AOS pure badger, and today a DSCosmetic Synthetic Tuxedo.

With the two Synthetics the Omega and the DECosmetic, they are very different. The Omega took me about a month to break in, I used it everyday to face lather and the tips of the brush are finally not super scratchy. The first few uses of the Omega gave me really bad Brush burn. Once it broke in like with my boar and badger it has been one of my favorites...until today. Today I tried a DSCosmetic Kensurfs Limited Edition Tuxedo Knot brush. This is now my favorite brush and it did a great job lathering Williams Mug Shaving Soap today. It does retain some water in between the bristles, but I shook most of that out because of the way I build my lather. It took about three weeks to arrive from China, but I only paid about $20.

It is true that synthetics do feel quite a bit different to me than the horse and badger I use. Those splay out and I feel like the just sit on my face, where the synthetics I have to force to splay out initially, and the spring back off the face when I let up on pressure. I don't mind that though because I find it personally easier to get a great lather with my two synthetics, but that DSCosmetic is by far the best lather creator I have now. Luckily I also order four more from DSCosmetic, so I am really glad I loved the knot today.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
I had my eye on some brushes from my friend Sergio on BST, but find myself on a retirement budget. So I'm interested in synthetics, pro and con. Any info greatly appreciated. Thanks.
-Bill-

I only use one brush now. A Maggard 22mm Plissoft.

Maggard Razors 22mm Black Handle Shaving Brush Synthetic | Maggard Razors Traditional Wet Shaving Products - https://www.maggardrazors.com/product/maggard-razors-22mm-synthetic-shaving-brush-black-handle/

Maggard-Razors-Synthetic-Shaving-Brush-Black-Handle-22mm-1-350x350.jpg


Its much softer than a boar. Its firmer but not as dense, nor as luxurious feeling, as my Silvertip. It loads and builds a lather much, much quicker and easier than either. It hogs no lather at all. It has enough backbone for me and is plenty big enough for me, I face lather but have used it bowl lathering. It has zero scritch and zero flop. It rinses and dries easier and very quickly. In the year and a half I've been using it, it hasnt shed a single bristle. I think its the perfect balance of knot type, size and loft.

The 24mm RR Tuxedo I tried I didnt like nearly as much. It was a bit scritchy, too stiff and was difficult to splay.

The S Brush I tried I found as soft as the Plissoft with no scritch at all, but it was a bit floppy.

The Maggard is the perfect brush for me. I love the handle and the knot is very good, although, I might prefer an 18- 20mm knot, but I'm being very picky there.

I see no cons to synthetic brushes and I was far from a believer in the idea. I assumed they would feel like lathering with a dollar store paintbrush. Boy, was I wrong.

Finding the knot type, size, loft and handle you like the best though might be akin to finding your best DE blades. If the RR I tried had 5mm more loft I might like it almost as much. If the S Brush I tried had 5mm less loft, I might have liked it a lot more too.

The next brush I'll try and I'm in no hurry, is the APShaveCo SilkSmoke. I with they made them in 20mm.

il_fullxfull.1453767519_pjio_540x.jpg
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Brushes, I'm a bit biased when it comes to brushes. I think Synthetic brushes are my preference because I just do not like the break in period for Boar brushes (Funk smell) but they all complete the job they were intended for and thats lathering Boar,Badger,horse and synthetic. I still use my boar brush once in a while and still enjoy it because its broke in nicely.

Let´s look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of synthetic brushes:

Pros:



    • Quick Drying Time- A synthetic brush will dry within hours as compared to a badger brush which could take a day or so.



    • Lather- It will release the lather easier than an animal hair brush.



    • Shedding Hair- A good quality synthetic brush will not shed hair.



    • Low Maintenance- It practically requires no maintenance and no worries about smell or mold appearing, which can happen in animal hair brushes.



    • Inexpensive- It costs less than some of the animal hair brushes, making it affordable.
Cons:



    • Water Retention- Does not retain much water but with the technology advancing rapidly, it is getting better in the area of water and heat retention.



    • Poor heat Retention- This can normally be taken care of by using luke warm water.
 
I find synthetics offensive. Au naturel, baby. That's how I like them. Swing low, sweet chariots

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
I own three of the PAA brushes. I really did not like them at first. It seemed at first use that I was using a spatula to apply the lather rather than a brush. So I gave my wife the unused Atomic Rocket to use as a make up brush (she loves it, by the way) and put the other two away. Recently I decided to give them another chance because I really like their looks and handle feel. So after a little break in I am actually pretty impressed. I alternate between them while letting my natural hair brushes have a well deserved break. I also lightly shake them out 3 times before lathering the soap and rarely need to add more water. I primarily use Stirling soaps. So perhaps these just needed some break in time to perform as they do now, which is wonderfully. For the price, I would highly recommend these, my favorite being the blue one. I may give the Stirling tuxedo a try now that I have gotten used to synthetics.
 
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I have a couple of Edwin Jaggers that have some really nice artificial horn handles. I find them handy to take on the road. I have a Simpson tube that I drilled some holes in so I only have to give the brush a shake and then toss it in the tube. No worries about a musty brush, even when it goes right into the toiletries bag. They don't feel like the real deal, but they definitely have some good applications.
 
Boy. Lots and lots of great ideas here. Im looking at this brush from Fendrihan. Anybody try this one?
 
Whatever you do, don’t bother with the Omega S-10083. Worst synthetic brush I have ever used. It’s stiff as heck and prickly. Face lathering with it was, well I gave up and switched to a different brush, the Razorock 400 with the noir knot, which is awesome.
 
Just put in my order for the Fendrihan Black and White today! Should be a big step up from the Wilkinson Sword brush I am currently using...
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Just put in my order for the Fendrihan Black and White today! Should be a big step up from the Wilkinson Sword brush I am currently using...
Tuxedo knot is very nice Fendrihan offers & has very nice soft tips. I own a few Tuxedo synthetic knots and are very nice to create lather in any soap type.
 
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