For those who have used a synthetic for awhile and then tried a badger, question

Ok so I have some badger brushes and a bunch of synthetic brushes. I really love the synthetics. I have been using them exclusively for awhile now. For fun I decided to try my badgers out again. After using a synthetic so long they felt really weird. The hairs felt much thicker. The face feel was much coarser. It wasn't prickly or anything but just rougher feeling. More resistance in moving the brush. Also the brush felt "dead". Since it didn't have that spring the synthetics have the hairs felt like they just pushed in and stayed that way without giving any feedback.

Has anyone else noticed something similar? Thanks.

What type of badger hair is in your brush? I tried a pure badger and was a no go on my face, in contrast my romera manchurian badger 28mm is as soft as any synthetic I've tried but with better backbone to work through hard soaps.

mata777 said:

What type of badger hair is in your brush? I tried a pure badger and was a no go on my face, in contrast my romera manchurian badger 28mm is as soft as any synthetic I've tried but with better backbone to work through hard soaps.

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TGN Finest

Two different beasts (not "beast" in the R41 sense, I know some members are touchy on the subject). Actually, many different beasts. You may find the Omega S or Hi brushes out-scrub the lower badger grades hairs, but not in the scritchy, coarse feel.

Brushes and creams/soaps etc. are fantastic! So much variety!

Peace, Gentlemen!

I have noticed same sensation.

Every natural hair brush feels uncomfortably scritchy to me after I used a synthetic for a while. I must remark that I only have boar brushes, and a "best" badger brush, not a "finest" or "silvertip".

I have gotten to the point where I use a synthetic about 90% of the time.

Jinx18 said:

Ok so I have some badger brushes and a bunch of synthetic brushes. I really love the synthetics. I have been using them exclusively for awhile now. For fun I decided to try my badgers out again. After using a synthetic so long they felt really weird. The hairs felt much thicker. The face feel was much coarser. It wasn't prickly or anything but just rougher feeling. More resistance in moving the brush. Also the brush felt "dead". Since it didn't have that spring the synthetics have the hairs felt like they just pushed in and stayed that way without giving any feedback.

Has anyone else noticed something similar? Thanks.

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+1

I have Plisson pour L'Occitane and Grooming Co. synthetic brushes. I have used them pretty much exclusively for over a month now. Just for fun I decided to use my Silvertip for a change. At the time I couldn't put my finger on it, but your comments are spot on for what I felt. The brush had little feedback and seemed "dead". I guess I have gotten used to the liveliness of my two synthetics. A couple days after I tried my silvertip I used the best boar brush I own. While it had more feedback than the silvertip it was much more course. Not near as nice as using the synthetics.

I guess will be sticking to my synthetics... for now.

I began with a badger, moved on to a couple of boars and then a synthetic; lastly I bought a couple of Vie-Long horsehairs. I use them all and all have therir resepective strengths and weaknesses. But if I had to pick only one, it would be a synthetic. The latest generation knots (I have both EJ and Mühle) are fantastic.

Musikmann said:

I began with a badger, moved on to a couple of boars and then a synthetic; lastly I bought a couple of Vie-Long horsehairs. I use them all and all have therir resepective strengths and weaknesses. But if I had to pick only one, it would be a synthetics. The latest generation knots (I have both EJ and Mühle) are fantastic.

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Aside from the last about EJ and Muhle (I have no experience with these) if it was a "go / no go"; yes Synths get the job done with alacrity and are efficient as all heck. Most of the time they have their individual natures; but like all the brush I have tried, that's the spirit of something hand made and how it is ultimately used. Going to Mars, need to extend your shave cream/soap? This is it! Lasts forever, cleans and dries well. Minimal contamination around the space craft.

...uh... don't mind the floating bits of water and soap flicked off the tips while I lather... we'll find them later...

Jinx18 said:

Ok so I have some badger brushes and a bunch of synthetic brushes. I really love the synthetics. I have been using them exclusively for awhile now. For fun I decided to try my badgers out again. After using a synthetic so long they felt really weird. The hairs felt much thicker. The face feel was much coarser. It wasn't prickly or anything but just rougher feeling. More resistance in moving the brush. Also the brush felt "dead". Since it didn't have that spring the synthetics have the hairs felt like they just pushed in and stayed that way without giving any feedback.

Has anyone else noticed something similar? Thanks.

Click to expand...

I have an Omega 643167 that I used exclusively for a stretch. (Gen 2 or 3 hair?) Kind of a floppy knot. Very different all the way around from any natural hair that I had tried up to that point. But once I learned to 'gauge' the pressure while face lathering I found it to work great!
Recently got a 23mm, synthetic (large?) knot Muhle. It's more densely packed with synthetic bristles. Definitely more "spring-back" than the Omega I have. I've enjoyed it too but the knot is a bit stiff to get to splay open much while face-lathering and forcing it to makes it feel a bit harsh. Almost like it could cause a mild friction burn. Maybe the knot will break in more? I guess I don't expect it too since it's synthetic... ...but yeah, I think the 'tips' of synthetics may feel smoother than some or most natural hair. Overall I think knot construction comes into play too with any hair used.

I have a Semogue 1250 that's almost as soft as my Plisson when face lathering. My Whipped dog pure badger on the other hand feels scratchier compared to the synthetic.

I recently bought a Boker (Muhle) synthetic. If I had started with that brush, I'm not sure I ever would have bought another.

I must admit, for whatever reason I was very hesitant to initially try a synthetic. Maybe it was because at the time I got into wet shaving, they didn't have a very good reputation. Fast forward some 5-6 years later and I gifted myself a Plisson for Christmas, figuring that it would be a good travel brush if nothing else (as I noted many members here use synths only for travel). Now, I find it hard to reach for any brush *other* than the Plisson on a daily basis. I've got two badgers and two boars and now I find them to all be lather hogs when I compare it to the synth. The most drastic difference I noted was how on the second and third passes the lather seems to remain stable when I apply it to the face whereas in all my other brushes it seems to dissipate and become a little unstable, especially if I'm using a tallow-based soap. I'm not sure if anyone else has experienced this.

All in all, I'm now planning to get rid of at least one boar and one badger b/c I don't think I'll be reaching much for them any more and have a Muhle Black Fibre synth in transit to see if I can get a better backbone than the Plisson (as that's the only thing that's a downside for me currently). If it turns out to be anything reasonably close to the Plisson, it will be very hard to reach for natural hair brushes anymore. I'm a full-on synth convert as, for me, they have created some of the best lathers I've ever shaved with.