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EJ Synthetic compared to AOS Pure Badger?

Hi, I'm very new to wet shaving and this is my first post. I bought the $100 lavender starter kit from AOS which came with a pure badger brush, which they sell individually for $55. I guess it does its job, I had a bit of trouble today because I don't think I soaked it enough, so it was a lot more pokey than usual and didn't make a good lather.
Back to the point - since I already have it, I'll continue using it, but I would prefer not to use an animal product like a badger brush (or a boar brush), or at least not have to buy another one. It seems that EJ is the most highly regarded synthetic brush on here, but it seems that everyone who talks about them only compares them to other synthetic brushes or boar bristle brushes. What I'm wondering is how they comprare to a (I think) decent badger brush like the AOS Pure Badger. Is it a fair comparison and if I get an EJ synthetic would I be downgrading, upgrading, or staying the same? I'm using Art of Shaving lavender cream.

Thanks everyone, I find this forum very helpful.
 
Out of curiosity, why do you want the synthetic? If you found the pure badger too prickly, you may want to look at a silvertip, depending on what your budget is.
 
Mainly for my idealogical reasons, I'd rather not buy another animal brush. Silvertips are also too expensive.
 
My only experience with a synthetic is the Body Shop synthetic brush. I used it for a year, and it worked fine, but I had nothing else to compare it to. After getting my first badger (the AOS starter) I basically stopped using the synthetic. The biggest problem with the synthetic is that it does not hold any water, so it is harder to make a decent lather. Having said that, if you want to avoid animal brushes, any synthetic brush is certainly better than trying to lather without a brush or using canned goo.
Oh ya, I don't think I have ever tried to use a soap with the synthetic, but I have my doubts as to the effectiveness of this combo. Myabe someone else can offer up some experience in this area.

Enjoy your shaves, and good luck on finding something that suits your needs.
 
Thanks. I mainly want to know if I would be downgrading by getting this brush and using it instead of my pure badger. Since I already have my badger brush I'll still use it of course but once its life is over I would prefer not to get animal hair again but would also prefer not to downgrade. And mretzloff, thanks I read that review already, but like I said in my first post, he was only comparing to other synthetics so that doesn't answer my question.
 
I second Lavaine, the most notable difference is synthetic's lack of ability to hold water. From the sensory standpoint, they feel more like boar than badger IMO.
 
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The current synthetic brushes on the market are quite good and if you prefer to avoid an animal based brush they are a valid alternative. They do not work exactly like a badger or boar but they will produce and apply lather in good fashion.
 
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