Background
My intention with this comparison of my favorite synthetic brushes is to shed some light on how the top synthetics of today compare among each other. I compare the 23 mm Mühle STF (Silver Tip Fibre) V2, the Plisson by Cade and a no name 26mm Pur Tech. The reason I don't want to name the last brush is that the vendor is banned on B&B and I do not wish to endorse a banned vendor out of respect for the members and mods of this board.
I have been shaving with synthetic brushes since long before the V1 of the STF. This comparison is made right after I finished the 'One Blade in February' challenge. That is to say I have been shaving daily with the blade I use (a Black Indian 7 O'clock) in this comparison for 28 days with BBS results. I continued throughout this comparison to use the same blade. I did so partly to see how far I can go and partly to see what these brushes can offer in demanding circumstances.
I know that the Simpsons first synthetic is out but I wont be getting one. I don't own any Simpsons and, especially after these comments from what I consider the leading authorities on the matter, I don't see me getting one either: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...ubby-2-synthgetic-brush?p=5993894#post5993894 .
I have a structured way of evaluating brushes as to not mix the properties of a brush with the impact these have when using the brush. For example the loft is a property of the brush but no one can feel it on their face. The loft has impact via the face feeling and on how a brush makes lather.
As you probably could tell by now I am an old (grumpy ) fogey and I judge shaving equipment solely by how it delivers for me, with my way of shaving. I use these brushes only for face lathering while using a stick or a soap directly on my face.
Plisson by Cade, no name Pur Tech 26 mm and Mühle 23 mm STF2
Face feeling
Face feeling is dependant on loft, material of fibres, density and width of the knot.The face feeling of these brushes is soft and non splaying after you have adjusted your technique accordingly.
The Plisson is the softest one but still it also feels most concentrated. I think this is partly because it has a more pronounced bulb shape than the others and partly because the handle is lighter. The material of the fibres is different than the other two have. The fibres are still somewhat curly but thinner and they do offer backbone.
The Pur Tech fibres of the no name brush are the same as in the Mühle. In the no name version the face feeling is that of more splay and a larger brush. This is because the knot is wider (has an almost fan shape) and the density is lower. According to the vendor this knot is extra dense - it is not that.There is however no glue bump as in the older and bigger 28 mm version of this brush.
The Mühle is denser and has more backbone than the no name. It feels more concentrated on the skin because of the bulbier profile and more density. It also feels decidedly bigger on the skin than the Plisson.
Lathering
For me the lather building and release are the second most important characteristic of a brush. The size, loft and density of the knot are important properties in this respect.
This is obvious: the Plisson makes different lather than the two others. The Plisson lather has smaller air bubbles from the beginning and the difference grows as one builds up the lather. This is because of the different fibres of the knot.
The release of lather is also affected by the choice of fibres. The Plisson releases marginally slower than the others. Mind you all brushes still release way better than a 3 band badger. The sparser Pur Tech releases best of these brushes.
Backbone
The backbone is dependent on what material the knot is made of and how the loft is set.Backbone is an essential property when it come to picking up and distributing soap on the skin.
The backbone of the Mühle is by far the most noticeable one of the brushes. A glue bump in a sparse knot can assist in this respect but the Pur Tech has no bump and is saved in this department by not having a very high loft. The backbone of the Plisson is surprising. Although it has the smallest knot (about 22mm) it has a very decent backbone and distributes soap and proto lather quite effortlessly on the skin.
Top view to show density, same order on the brushes
Knot
The feeling of the knot on the face is dependent on the diameter, loft, shape, density and bristle type of the knot.
The shapes of these knots do vary more than you would think while looking at different pictures on the web. When put side by side the differences appear. The Plisson is a bulb and the Pur Tech is a hybrid leaning to the fan. I notice that Mühle has altered the shape of their knot since the STF version ( as seen in the last picture). It is now distinctly more of a bulb than earlier. The shape differences are easily detected during usage. The Pur Tech has the biggest knot and an almost fan shape: it gives by far the face feeling of a large brush accompanied with the sparser knot. The Plisson gives the most concentrated experience and the Mühle is not far behind.
I must also comment on how these knots hold water. This is somewhat of a weak spot for synthetic brushes, they do not retain water very well compared to badgers. When you adjust your technique this is no problem. To my surprise the Plisson holds water very well compared to the others, to an extent to call for yet another technique change. The Plisson behaves more or less like horse hair brush or an old finest badger. The difference to the other brushes is noticeable.
On a personal note I must add that I really don't like the yellowish tint of the Plisson - I think it's downright ugly. I am still somewhat surprised that the manufacturers insist on dying the fibres to remind of badger bristles. They should really let go of this and be led by the example of Vie-Long with the white natural horse brushes. Well this time they have at least managed to make the color stick unlike with the original STF (insert grumpy fogey smile here!).
Handle
The ideal handle is a very personal choice. I use all my brushes for face lathering. This usage calls for a compact handle. The total height of the brush should not be too tall or it will be uncomfortable to hold to the face.
The Plisson handle is made of wood with a thin matte laqueur. I hope the material is stabilized to withstand water. I must admit that it looks very nice though.It is also very light and that affects the feeling of the brush. The Mühle is a classic, well functioning handle while the Pur Tech has this distorted copy of a Chubby. I did not like the upper part of the handle; it has an odd angle and is hard to hold firmly with soapy hands (and the sparse knot leaks a lot of it onto the hands!).
Lastly I would like to say that when comparing these brushes I have had in mind the history, or lack of it, of them. I am very impressed by how the synthetic brushes have evolved over the few years I have used them. My first one many years ago was really horrible and only in my den because my daughter insisted on me having a non animal brush. Well the daughter moved out to live her own life but the synthetics stay in the den! I truly believe that they are the way to the future.
Mühle 23 mm STF2, 21 mm silvertip badger and 21 mm STF first version
My intention with this comparison of my favorite synthetic brushes is to shed some light on how the top synthetics of today compare among each other. I compare the 23 mm Mühle STF (Silver Tip Fibre) V2, the Plisson by Cade and a no name 26mm Pur Tech. The reason I don't want to name the last brush is that the vendor is banned on B&B and I do not wish to endorse a banned vendor out of respect for the members and mods of this board.
I have been shaving with synthetic brushes since long before the V1 of the STF. This comparison is made right after I finished the 'One Blade in February' challenge. That is to say I have been shaving daily with the blade I use (a Black Indian 7 O'clock) in this comparison for 28 days with BBS results. I continued throughout this comparison to use the same blade. I did so partly to see how far I can go and partly to see what these brushes can offer in demanding circumstances.
I know that the Simpsons first synthetic is out but I wont be getting one. I don't own any Simpsons and, especially after these comments from what I consider the leading authorities on the matter, I don't see me getting one either: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...ubby-2-synthgetic-brush?p=5993894#post5993894 .
I have a structured way of evaluating brushes as to not mix the properties of a brush with the impact these have when using the brush. For example the loft is a property of the brush but no one can feel it on their face. The loft has impact via the face feeling and on how a brush makes lather.
As you probably could tell by now I am an old (grumpy ) fogey and I judge shaving equipment solely by how it delivers for me, with my way of shaving. I use these brushes only for face lathering while using a stick or a soap directly on my face.
Plisson by Cade, no name Pur Tech 26 mm and Mühle 23 mm STF2
Face feeling
Face feeling is dependant on loft, material of fibres, density and width of the knot.The face feeling of these brushes is soft and non splaying after you have adjusted your technique accordingly.
The Plisson is the softest one but still it also feels most concentrated. I think this is partly because it has a more pronounced bulb shape than the others and partly because the handle is lighter. The material of the fibres is different than the other two have. The fibres are still somewhat curly but thinner and they do offer backbone.
The Pur Tech fibres of the no name brush are the same as in the Mühle. In the no name version the face feeling is that of more splay and a larger brush. This is because the knot is wider (has an almost fan shape) and the density is lower. According to the vendor this knot is extra dense - it is not that.There is however no glue bump as in the older and bigger 28 mm version of this brush.
The Mühle is denser and has more backbone than the no name. It feels more concentrated on the skin because of the bulbier profile and more density. It also feels decidedly bigger on the skin than the Plisson.
Lathering
For me the lather building and release are the second most important characteristic of a brush. The size, loft and density of the knot are important properties in this respect.
This is obvious: the Plisson makes different lather than the two others. The Plisson lather has smaller air bubbles from the beginning and the difference grows as one builds up the lather. This is because of the different fibres of the knot.
The release of lather is also affected by the choice of fibres. The Plisson releases marginally slower than the others. Mind you all brushes still release way better than a 3 band badger. The sparser Pur Tech releases best of these brushes.
Backbone
The backbone is dependent on what material the knot is made of and how the loft is set.Backbone is an essential property when it come to picking up and distributing soap on the skin.
The backbone of the Mühle is by far the most noticeable one of the brushes. A glue bump in a sparse knot can assist in this respect but the Pur Tech has no bump and is saved in this department by not having a very high loft. The backbone of the Plisson is surprising. Although it has the smallest knot (about 22mm) it has a very decent backbone and distributes soap and proto lather quite effortlessly on the skin.
Top view to show density, same order on the brushes
Knot
The feeling of the knot on the face is dependent on the diameter, loft, shape, density and bristle type of the knot.
The shapes of these knots do vary more than you would think while looking at different pictures on the web. When put side by side the differences appear. The Plisson is a bulb and the Pur Tech is a hybrid leaning to the fan. I notice that Mühle has altered the shape of their knot since the STF version ( as seen in the last picture). It is now distinctly more of a bulb than earlier. The shape differences are easily detected during usage. The Pur Tech has the biggest knot and an almost fan shape: it gives by far the face feeling of a large brush accompanied with the sparser knot. The Plisson gives the most concentrated experience and the Mühle is not far behind.
I must also comment on how these knots hold water. This is somewhat of a weak spot for synthetic brushes, they do not retain water very well compared to badgers. When you adjust your technique this is no problem. To my surprise the Plisson holds water very well compared to the others, to an extent to call for yet another technique change. The Plisson behaves more or less like horse hair brush or an old finest badger. The difference to the other brushes is noticeable.
On a personal note I must add that I really don't like the yellowish tint of the Plisson - I think it's downright ugly. I am still somewhat surprised that the manufacturers insist on dying the fibres to remind of badger bristles. They should really let go of this and be led by the example of Vie-Long with the white natural horse brushes. Well this time they have at least managed to make the color stick unlike with the original STF (insert grumpy fogey smile here!).
Handle
The ideal handle is a very personal choice. I use all my brushes for face lathering. This usage calls for a compact handle. The total height of the brush should not be too tall or it will be uncomfortable to hold to the face.
The Plisson handle is made of wood with a thin matte laqueur. I hope the material is stabilized to withstand water. I must admit that it looks very nice though.It is also very light and that affects the feeling of the brush. The Mühle is a classic, well functioning handle while the Pur Tech has this distorted copy of a Chubby. I did not like the upper part of the handle; it has an odd angle and is hard to hold firmly with soapy hands (and the sparse knot leaks a lot of it onto the hands!).
Lastly I would like to say that when comparing these brushes I have had in mind the history, or lack of it, of them. I am very impressed by how the synthetic brushes have evolved over the few years I have used them. My first one many years ago was really horrible and only in my den because my daughter insisted on me having a non animal brush. Well the daughter moved out to live her own life but the synthetics stay in the den! I truly believe that they are the way to the future.
Mühle 23 mm STF2, 21 mm silvertip badger and 21 mm STF first version
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