Wilkinson Sword finest bristle brush

1st post here - I've just started DE Shaving!

I heard that the Wilkinson Sword Shaving Brush was supposed to be synthetic and it does smell odd after soaking in water.

I contacted Wilkinson Sword who confirmed that it is indeed synthetic - response from Wilkinson below:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at Wilkinson Sword.

I can confirm that the bristle used on our shaving brushes are made from synthetic fibers, and do not containing any animal materials.

I hope you find the information above useful.

Kind Regards

Mr Asa Frempong
Consumer Service Executive
Energizer | Wilkinson Sword
Sword House | Totteridge Road | High Wycombe | Bucks | HP13 6DG

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Number_Six said:

1st post here - I've just started DE Shaving!

I heard that the Wilkinson Sword Shaving Brush was supposed to be synthetic and it does smell odd after soaking in water.

I contacted Wilkinson Sword who confirmed that it is indeed synthetic - response from Wilkinson below:

Click to expand...

First, let me welcome you to B&B and thank you for your post!

I'm a bit of a skeptic, particularly when it comes to statements made by marketing people. To verify whether the brush is truly synthetic, I would pull or cut a single hair from the brush and try lighting it. If it melts, it's synthetic. If it ignites and smells like burning hair, then it's an animal hair, probably boar.

I don't like the cheap "bristle" brushes
If it's not Blond then it isn't a real Boar for me.

I just got one of the Wilkinson Sword Made In Germany brushes (and a uranium glass DE blade hone!) from a boot fair for 50p and it is definitely boar, split ends and all, and what a great handle:

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Snargle said:

First, let me welcome you to B&B and thank you for your post!

I'm a bit of a skeptic, particularly when it comes to statements made by marketing people. To verify whether the brush is truly synthetic, I would pull or cut a single hair from the brush and try lighting it. If it melts, it's synthetic. If it ignites and smells like burning hair, then it's an animal hair, probably boar.

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You're right! I pulled out a hair from the brush and put a flame to it and it certainly did not smell of plastic and definitely hair! I think there are some black plastic bristles in there as they seemed to melt.

I'm a bit shocked that Wilkinson informed me in their email that it was synthetic - when it's clearly quite possibly not. I'm not a vegan but I don't want to use a brush made out of animal hair.

I've just ordered a synthetic brush from the body shop uk.

Number_Six said:

I've just ordered a synthetic brush from the body shop uk.

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I have it
Small diameter in base knot,adequate backbone.

Looks like this thread is rather old, but anyone use this brush and recommend it? Especially considering the low price point at $6 and that its easy obtain at Walmart. Or is it low quality and more worthwhile to buy a boar hair omega for 2x the price instead?

Buy the Omega, usually have it at Shopper's, and never look back.

I have to say I brought one of these super cheap brushes as a donor knot for my first attempt at making a brush. It has become my favourite brush for bowl lathering with creams, it is very soft and holds a lot of water. It makes a brilliant lather and has made my semogue 1305 redundant. Even better that it's in my custom handle. I intend to buy another.

I've been enjoying this boar brush for a week now. IMHO the value is excellent!! It does have a smell the first couple times I used it, but after a week of using Williams Mug the smell is gone. While my synthetic had no smell, the bristles have a better firmness than my synthetic, larger size, but cost half the price. The oval handle fits in my hand nicely and grips well. Very pleased I risked $6 on trying this brush!

I have the same brush, when new, one or two of of the outside bristles were a little broken or short which makes me think that it's animal hair. Unless of course they deliberately did that as a decoy, but at £3.50 they wouldn't go to that trouble.

Absolutely trash brush. Threw it from the window with the Wilkinson soap on it. As a rubbish package.