They feel smaller, and I think they have 26 or maybe less, I really enjoy using them! the G4 is amazingBeautiful brushes, just wish they had them a bit smaller
Why synthetic?
- Thread starter LostInCincy
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Are there other brushes that are known to be G4 and would be a good substitute for silvertip?
The only time I use a syth is when I travel for ease of storage and I love it in that respect. I have tried a few other synthetics over the years. Badger and boar are still king for me. I don’t buy expensive brushes. They just face lather so much better for me and feel so luxurious. I’m glad that it is an option to use synthetic brushes.
I often use straight razors. I enjoy the traditional ways sometimes.
I often use straight razors. I enjoy the traditional ways sometimes.
While I realize that EVERY purchase I make has wide reaching ramifications that I would need to research and follow up on in order to look myself in the mirror and say "attaboy", I do consider the harvesting of an animal for a certain resource without utilizing the rest of the animal as unnecessary. I've not seen badger on any menus of late and my synthetics serve me just fine when it comes to smearing some soap on my face.
Since having a shorter amount of time available recently for shaving recently (mainly because of having an infant around), I have turned more to my synthetic knotted brushes and there is no doubt, as plenty of others have mentioned, that it's a quicker and more efficient lathering experience (in a bowl for me). And with the quality and volume of lather that is produced, I often find myself wondering why I would go back to my badger knots, but I still do from time to time. If only synthetics were available, I would be plenty happy with my shaving experience.
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
I could be wrong but I thought that badger meat is consumed, and the pelts and skin are used for clothing, leather etc. in those parts of the world where badgers are farmed. The carcass of a badger would seem to me to be too valuable to simply discard. I suspect you might see badger, and a good many other things, on the menu were you to visit China. That said, like many other parts of the meat production and animal processing business worldwide, no doubt it is a cruel trade.
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You all inspired me to give my synthetic (a Maggards Timberwolf) another shot and try to dial it in. I will say, man, it can really produce a great lather quickly. I might come around yet.
When I first went back to wet shaving several years ago, I thought I HAD to have a badger brush, so I bought a Parker. Not a bad brush, but it did shed occasionally. Then I decided to buy an inexpensive synthetic from Maggard's for my travel kit, for the obvious reason that it would dry easier. I was pleasantly surprised by its performance, so about a year ago, I saw the one below on Maggard's website. I have big hands, and since it was advertised as a large brush I decided to go for it. It's BIG, esp. compared to my other brushes, but man does it produce the lather!! I may have to go back and give the old badger a try just to compare it again, but I can't get over how well this one performs. Looks as good as the day I opened the box too.....!
Maggard Razors Granite Resin Handle Synthetic Shaving Brush, 26mm
The Maggard line of Synthetic Shaving brushes are sure to be a favorite among beginners and veterans alike.With high quality resin handles, and super soft synthetic fibers (similar to the famous Plisson synthetic fibers), we feel as though these brushes are some of the best values on the market...www.maggardrazors.com
As I mentioned in my previous post, I got out the badger brush and tried it out this morning......NO COMPARISON!!! Oh, it produced a nice lather all right, but it seemed like it had no body at all compared to the synth I mentioned. It was like brushing with a wet wash cloth!! When I hung it up to dry I thought to myself, "I'll take you for a spin again in a few months...!" It's now officially my "backup brush."
When small (18-20mm badger equivalent) knots, with dense bristle packing, that perform well *and* have great feel while face lathering start to be available in synthetic brushes, then I'll gladly switch! Especially in light of the cruelty and waste involved in badger hair production.
Watch some more PETA vids and you'll be off pork, chicken, beef, dairy, etc., not just badger hair.
I'm not a fan of loosely packed or floppy knots, no matter what the bristle might be, so your badger wouldn't even rate as "backup" in my rotation, the fact is that if you're not going to spend $50 on a brush, a synth or boar will be a better brush for anything except scuttle and paintbrush style lathermaking than almost any budget badger.
*unless of course you're making your own handles and just buying a knot*
Sure there are sub $50 badgers that can do what I want a brush to do, but they're all small and/or in "pure" bristle, which is an acquired taste due to the scrubbiness (sometimes scratchiness) of the coarser bristle.
The fact is that there is more available breadth of size (including loft), density, tip feel and resiliency in natural bristle than currently offered in synthetic... that doesn't mean that this can't change, we're just not there yet.
Watch some more PETA vids and you'll be off pork, chicken, beef, dairy, etc., not just badger hair.
I'm not a fan of loosely packed or floppy knots, no matter what the bristle might be, so your badger wouldn't even rate as "backup" in my rotation, the fact is that if you're not going to spend $50 on a brush, a synth or boar will be a better brush for anything except scuttle and paintbrush style lathermaking than almost any budget badger.
*unless of course you're making your own handles and just buying a knot*
Sure there are sub $50 badgers that can do what I want a brush to do, but they're all small and/or in "pure" bristle, which is an acquired taste due to the scrubbiness (sometimes scratchiness) of the coarser bristle.
The fact is that there is more available breadth of size (including loft), density, tip feel and resiliency in natural bristle than currently offered in synthetic... that doesn't mean that this can't change, we're just not there yet.
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In my experience they outperform badger/boars by a significant margin, even the high end badgers I had. I also appreciate the fact that the materials are not sourced from animals.
No soaking. No drying. No cleaning. No break in period. They really lather in a second. I can get perfectly good lather from Tabac stick applied to face in less than a minute. And we are talking about synth from a cosmetic store
No looking over your shoulder for PETA members
No looking over your shoulder for PETA members
I switched from badger to synthetic some time ago don't get me wrong I'm getting great shave from my two remaining badger brushes but not better then a synthetic there's so many benefits easy to lather and clean, cheaper and it gives me great shaves so its a no brainer for me
Well, I rolled out a favored boar today along with one of my best-performing soaps. The lather was great. However, having used a synthetic with an okay soap yesterday and having gotten fantastic lather with it, it's hard for me to see using the boar as anything more than a change-up when I want the face feel of natural hair.
Likewise, while my 2-band badger is excellent, it's still not as on-point as my synthetic is every time.
I'm even pondering a Trafalgar T2 now, thinking it might give me a shorter-lofted scrubby face-lathering option than the Muehle 25mm knot that I use.
Still can't get the feel of natural hair from a synthetic, but otherwise, I wouldn't be bothered with natural hair at all anymore.
Likewise, while my 2-band badger is excellent, it's still not as on-point as my synthetic is every time.
I'm even pondering a Trafalgar T2 now, thinking it might give me a shorter-lofted scrubby face-lathering option than the Muehle 25mm knot that I use.
Still can't get the feel of natural hair from a synthetic, but otherwise, I wouldn't be bothered with natural hair at all anymore.
I completely understand this, but every time it happens I am wondering why not ditch the "okay" soap and stick to the elite ones and my boars...
Synthetics are great in all aspects except for face feel which is different than natural hair. Nowadays, I use them quite frequently and I am getting used to it.
Badger is overrated and overpriced.
How do those synthetic shoes look and feel? 
Yeah, but the thing is, the synth and an elite soap gives a lather on a completely different plane. Even my best badgers don't touch it.
Feel is lacking, for sure. Or I guess I should say it's different. But when I was using my EJ XL daily for a few years, I rarely thought about the lack of natural feel. Every brush has its own feel and character anyway.
I dunno. I love the quick drying, lack of maintenance, zero shedding, consistent performance.... I can generally deal with a different feel when it comes with all of those bonuses.
That said, I haven't gotten rid of my Mistura, my 2-band badger, or my 2 boars...yet.
My feeling exactly. Had I started with a synth, there is a high chance I would have stuck to it, or at least return to it after trying some natural hair brushes. I have the Muhle XL and it is lovely.
I can get close to the lather of a synth with a boar, but I need more product and effort. That said, the result of the shave is great, no matter the choice.
The T1 I own isn't scrubby... in fact it's slick, silky tips make it slightly less of a face massager than my Emperor 1 in Super. That is to say, the pressure is there as is the reactive feel while scrubbing (don't tell Simpsons, but I use their brushes with a swirling motion not just gentle painting motions...), but the softness at the tips is a pulled punch compared to a good 2-band or Pure knot.
Like you, I'm still waiting for a scrubby synth, that can do a man's work
