I picked this brush up from Old Dominion Soap company. Having exclusively used badger hair brushes, I thought I'd give a synthetic a try, and this one was available cheaply. I know when comparing a badger brush to a nylon brush, you aren't really comparing apples to apples, but I have to say, I did expect a bit more from this brush.



Clearly, if you are sensitive to animal rights issues or wish to limit your use of animal products, a synthetic brush is the way to go. However, this brush isn't even in the same category as a badger hair brush. That being said, the nylon tips are softer than I expected, and the brush is fairly dense for something under $20.



The brush itself does hold a little more water that I expected, but the water it does hold drips all over the place. Shaking the brush to get rid of excess water is of no use; I still end up with it dripping down my arm after soaking. When wet, the tips clump together into a single, solid mass with no spread at all.



Lathering is a bit of a pain. While I could create plenty of "suds" with my Mama Bear's shaving soap, that's about as far as I could get. Nowhere near the super-saturated, luxuriously slick lather I create with my Shavemac badger brush.



Cleaning the brush after a shave is also a pain. No matter how much I rinse, I'm still left with a soap residue that I have to physically work out of the brush under running water.



I wouldn't recommend this brush. It's the only experience I've really had with synthetic brushes and probably the last. Nylon, in my book, just doesn't seem to cut it by any means.

I bought an Omega Syntex brush for travel use. It's a nice little brush for the price. Believe it or not, I can generate cream of the same consistancy that I get with my Super Badger brush. It just takes a little longer and a slightly different technique. I would reccomend this brush for those just starting out since it wasn't expensive. The downside is tha this brush does not retain heat like a badger brush.

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Tom

I purchased an Omega Syntex brush from ebay, total cost shipped, under $12.00. Having low or no expectations I must say I am satisfied with this little guy. The bristles are soft to the touch, yet firm enough to give you enough resistance when charging the brush with soap/cream. It feels good on the face and is not "scratchy" or rough in the least. Running the brush under hot water and letting the excess run off, I was able to load the brush amazingly fast with QED sandalwood soap. Because the bristles are white it was hard to tell if enough soap was on the brush. With just a few swirls, I had enough soap to lather up for my 3 pass shave and then some!

The brush loft is on the small size, but fans out nicely when applying soap to your face. It made a nice lather, and did not need to rehydrate the brush once it was loaded. So, for the price, it is a great deal and works very efficiently. Try not to compare it to Badger or boar because it is "different", but in my opinion, not inferior in performance.

The Omega Sintex is one of the cheaper synthetic brushes available, and usually sells for around $10, and while clearly at this price point you will not getting the cream of the crop, I think you get a decent product for the money you pay. The handle is ugly to say the least (there are few transparent handles that look good) and the hollowness makes it feel very light, but considering the light head the balance works out pretty well. The brush I am reviewing here is the Omega Sintex #90072. Omega has eleven variations on this brush with various different handles and slightly differing loft sizes (and possibly knot sizes as well).



The hairs themselves are, unlike most synthetic brushes, completely straight and uncoloured. Because they are straight and not waved in any way, the brush gloms into a pillar when wet, which looks and feels weird when you see it for the first time (once you've created your lather the hairs are thankfully spread out by the lather loaded in the brush). Despite this it still holds a fair amount of water. Again, because it's not just synthetic hairs but completely straight hairs, the brush will quickly release the water it holds. This means that you will want to give it a squeeze before lathering up, and add water to your lather during the lathering process. Lathering straight from a soaked brush will dump too much water into your lather at once, which will create bubbly soup and take some time to work out into proper lather.



Here are a few images to give you a better picture (ahaha). It looks like there's less lather in the picture than there is, there's definitely enough for a few passes in there.























I think there are a few reasons synthetic brushes get a bad rap. First, a lot of wet shavers do it at least partially for nostalgic reasons, and using a synthetic brush just rubs them the wrong way I guess. Secondly, I'm guessing there are a lot of people who base their opinions on old crappy synthetic brushes and general ignorance (that's the only way I can explain statements like "synthetic brushes are the cheapest and worst kind of brush there is" regularly popping up). Finally I think people might be using them wrong, and assuming that what works with a badger hair brush will work with a synthetic one. As I mentioned before, synthetic brushes in general, and the Omega Sintex specifically, will hold water but will release it much quicker than a badger hair brush, and you will have to take that into account when using it. Also, you shouldn't be afraid of being aggressive and really beating the lather with your synthetic brush, they can take quite a beating.



Personally, I think the Omega Sintex is a bit too floppy. A bit stiffer hairs, or possibly a slightly shorter loft might work better for me. The tips are fairly soft though, which is nice.



I feel I have to respond to cubiculum's review a bit and say that I disagree. The brush works up lather just fine, as long as you use it properly, a squeeze would be much more effective in draining it of water than just a shake, and I wouldn't think that any brush would get completely clean just by running water over it. After shaving I always clean my brush (whichever I happen to be using) by running it around in my lathering both but just with water instead of lather.



In conclusion, whether you want a synthetic brush because you don't want animal hairs for whichever reason, or you want something that will dry up quick to take along while traveling, or just looking for a cheap brush, this isn't a bad deal.





Discussion thread for the brush is here

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Björn

I agree with bjrn’s review. This brush is very different from any brush that I have ever used but that is not to say that it is bad. It is definitely quirky. I have a version with a more traditional handle but oddly, it diameter is too large to use a standard brush holder. The whole setup is light weight and the molded plastic handle has a palpable ridge where the two sides were fused together. Mine was under $10.



It is softer than a boar brush but not as soft as a badger. When you get it wet it clumps together, but it opens up when you load it with soap. I holds water in an unusual way and not as efficiently as either a boar or badger, but it does hold water.



This morning I was able to make a perfectly acceptable lather with a puck of Tabac.



On the pro side, this brush is very inexpensive and works just fine. It also dries quicker, has no odor out of the box it doesn’t lose any fibers. On the con side, the handle on my version is a bit too big for my brush holder and the fibers are somewhat floppy. In addition, it feels different when you use it (this may be a problem for folks that like traditional experiences).



This definitely is a usable utilitarian brush that would work if you are looking for a useable, very inexpensive brush. I think it would be great in travel situations where quick drying and low replacement cost rule.

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I have compared this brush to 13 others at

Syntex brushes work absolutely fine for me when I want to...create lather and put it on my face. Simple as that.



Not at all elegant (unless you like white) and the bristles, though they seem to mat together when wet, are comfortable enough on my skin. They splay out when twirled and pressed and it spreads a thick layer of lather easily for me.



I have no trouble whatsoever getting lots of lather from Syntex. Rubbed over the top of a stick of Irisch Moos, I get slick, creamy lather in no time. It whips up great lather with Proraso cream.



This is my brush of choice when I want a quick shave in the shower---its rugged, dries fast and I don't worry much about damaging it if it should hit the floor.



Syntex certainly won't be a traditionalist's first choice, but its an easy brush to lather with and I find it satisfying to use.

As with all the other reviews of the syntex brush I bought a couple of the for the following reasons:



1) A cheap brush that dries quick and won't be missed if it is lost.

2) I'm slowly trying to work away from shaving items that have animal products in them.



The syntex was I think a good choice, bought a small green one (90065) and the omega pro in syntex (290049) also.



Was quite impressed with the quality and amount of lather generated by both syntex brushes and the scrubbiness too, I'd say definitely different but in a good way.



I loaded up both brushes with some real shaving co shave cream and the resulting lather in my mug was very good, not as good as a badger brush but the syntex does hold water.



Overall I was quite impressed. The 90065 is being put into my travel kit along with other items as we speak and will be used when I have to work away from home.



Overall would recommend it as something different but a brilliant brush to use if your travelling

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