Synthetic Brush Woes

Got a synthetic (H.I.S.)to complement my first and only $12 Escali. I am finding the thing won't let me bowl lather AT ALL. Tried a number of my favorite soaps/creams including my go-to super bowl latherer Tabula Rasa. Nuttin'.

I was hoping synthetic would be decent if not awesome to assuage dear wife's concern over the welfare of the animals giving their warmth so she doesn't have to kiss a piece of sandpaper. Anyone having good luck with any synth's they can recommend that won't break the bank?

J

BobH is the man to talk to. He is an expert when it comes to synthetic brushes. He has many. I'm sure he'll be by to shed some light for you.

Might try horse. No death involved in the collection of hair :<0)

Have never tried a syn brush,am sure they can be made to work just fine.
We live in a syn world,plastic this, plastic that,gotta get used to it,breast implants come to mind,give me natural any day:)

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Originally Posted by JudeH

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I was hoping synthetic would be decent if not awesome to assuage dear wife's concern over the welfare of the animals ,,,,,,,,,,,
J

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That's not a problem,,,, you just need to use badger from Northern China, the area of Mongolia. The Mongolian Badgers are not killed for their hair, they are trimmed in the spring & the hair grows back by October. The farms in Mongolia only raise "free roaming" badgers & are fed a strictly vegetarian diet. Now you pay a few dollars more for the knot, but they are worth it. :shrug:

We have several brushmakers here that sell Mongolian Badger knots,,,,Harrywally, Pixel, Walleyeman, Glen,,, just reach out to one of them & tell them you want the Mongolian Badger knot in your brush,,, I'm sure they will fix you right up.

Watch out for Trimmy,, I hear he only uses Southern China knots.

John, badgers are an important food source in China,They are also considered a pest as they ravage food crops.
They are trapped,skinned and proccsed for the skins and the meat:)

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I am actually a vegetarian and try to avoid animal products, but I am a hypocrite when it comes to anything "gear". I wear down coats, leather belts/shoes, down sleeping bags, badger, and boar brushes. Granted I try to limit how many of these products I consume, but will cross the line for quality equipment. There are some excellent synthetic brushes I hear by Muhle. You would be surprised all the things that have animal products in them or were tested on animals... even vegans are hypocrites on some level. I personally have nothing against killing an animal for your benefit, but I think it should be done in a respectful/humane way and using all that can be harvested. As was mentioned; horse would be an excellent option for you.

Muhle V2 STF or Omega Hi Brush. Both 100% synthetic. Both excellent knots. They're as good as or excell most natural hair knots

Three things first off, I am no expert on synthetic brushes, I don't use them to save the wildlife but because they work well for me face lathering and lastly I don't bowl lather. There are differences between all the synthetics out there and some are better than others I suppose especially since they are now into the 4th generation of fibers. I use Muhle STF V2 brushes, a Plisson brush and 2 brushes with Virginia Sheng knots. I have no idea of how they compare to an HIS brush.

I dug out my scuttle to see how a Plisson and a Muhle STF V2 travel brush would bowl lather Tabac using cold water. I was quickly reminded how much of a PITA bowl lathering was which is why I do not do it anymore. Here are the results using the Muhle travel brush. Keep in mind I do not regularly bowl lather.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...psef0b8a64.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...psb4f68df8.jpg

The result was similar using the Plisson brush. I guess they can bowl lather.

Try sprinkling a few drops of water into your bowl from your finger tips, Dip just the tip of the dry brush in water and shake some water from the brush onto your puck and load the brush. You might want to wet the tips and repeat the loading again. Then take the brush to the bowl and build your lather adding water as needed by just dipping the tip of the brush in water. There is no need whatsoever to pre soak a synthetic brush from my experience. Hope that might work for you, good luck.

Bob

I prefer brushes with large handles and a large knot. I enjoy the Plisson (23mm) for softness, but it feels a little floppy for face lathering, but also does a good job. I have been enjoying the Mühle STF 2.0 25mm synthetic, as it's larger, is less floppy, and does a great job with face or bowl lathering, and is very soft, although not as soft as the Plisson. Recently, I discovered the Edwarg Jagger XL Synthetic. It uses the same fiber as the Mühle and is also 25mm, but the handle is larger, and the knot feels more dense to me, and is wonderful to face lather with. Some people have liked the Grooming Co. synthetic. It uses the same fiber as the Plisson, yet is 25mm and is a shorter loft for face lathering, but I find the small handle to be too small, and find the knot to feel stubby and without enough splay. Enclosed are photos of the brushes mentioned.From left the right: Grooming Co., Plisson, Mühle STF2.0 25mm, and Edwin Jagger XL Synthetic (name on other side of brush).

Attachment 180792

The short and the long of it from my synthetics.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ps86ecf9c1.jpg

I use both to face lather but I know which I'd reach for if I was sentenced to bowl lather for life.

Bob

Might be just a matter of getting the water to soap ratio dialed in. I know that my lathering improved when I began leaving some water on top of the puck for five minutes while I tended to other things. Softens the soap up nicely for the loading of the brush. OTOH, I've only used badger and boar. :gl:

I've had better luck with shorter brushes in general. Last time I looked tough to find that chubby synthetic. Where are those these days?

+1 on the Omega Hi Brush.

And anyone considered about the welfare of a badger or a boar needs to meet one in person. Definitely a shoot first and ask questions later situation.

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

That's not a problem,,,, you just need to use badger from Northern China, the area of Mongolia. The Mongolian Badgers are not killed for their hair, they are trimmed in the spring & the hair grows back by October. The farms in Mongolia only raise "free roaming" badgers & are fed a strictly vegetarian diet. Now you pay a few dollars more for the knot, but they are worth it. :shrug:

We have several brushmakers here that sell Mongolian Badger knots,,,,Harrywally, Pixel, Walleyeman, Glen,,, just reach out to one of them & tell them you want the Mongolian Badger knot in your brush,,, I'm sure they will fix you right up.

Watch out for Trimmy,, I hear he only uses Southern China knots.

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I thought my ears were burning....Southern China knots....Mongolian Badger knots? I use pure Yeti...

I've been using an Omega synthetic for about 5 years, it's worked very well for me. In performance it's similar to a boar brush but holds more water.

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Originally Posted by JudeH

I've had better luck with shorter brushes in general. Last time I looked tough to find that chubby synthetic. Where are those these days?

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If you are looking to find a new synthetic Simpsons Chubby 2 I believe you have to buy direct from Simpsons Simpson Shaving Brushes: Products: Limited Edition Brushes .

Bob

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Originally Posted by Trimmy72

I thought my ears were burning....Southern China knots....Mongolian Badger knots? I use pure Yeti...

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Have you tried the High Mountain White Yeti? I got one from Larry at Whipped Dog....INCREDIBLE! I also started with a pure, but once you make the jump ya can't go back. It's a 30mm knot with 55mm loft in a unicorn handle.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

We have several brushmakers here that sell Mongolian Badger knots,,,,Harrywally, Pixel, Walleyeman, Glen,,, just reach out to one of them & tell them you want the Mongolian Badger knot in your brush,,, I'm sure they will fix you right up.

Watch out for Trimmy,, I hear he only uses Southern China knots.

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Thanks for the infos !

HMWs are indeed Beautifull Knots,If the real deal I do believe Hair from Badgers that live in colder climes (snow covered Mtns) is nicer hair as is true of most fur bearing animals in winter (when coats are prime).
Is the bang for the Buck there?? say over a best or finest? cannot answere that.

I have become a true fan of synthetics of late. For sure they have come a very long way since the days of my Grandfather, whose Lucite handled Ever-Ready 600N is shown in this line up (3rd from left). Most recent acquisition is my L7 replica with a Muhle STF V2 knot. Exceptionally nice brush. I'm thinking I would choose a good synthetic as the "desert island" brush if I had to do so.


Attachment 180896


L to R

Omega 346235, Omega Hi Brush, Grandpa's Ever-Ready 660N, Rudy Vey L7 Replica w/Muhle STF V.2, Muhle Kosmo, Muhle Chrome Travel Brush

I rehandled a "The Grooming Company" synthetic knot. I haven't used it enough to form a firm opinion about it but I always liked the Muhle STF and original H.I.S. synthetics. I've been using mostly boars with an occasional badger thrown in for good measure for the last year and a half so how much it get used remains to be seen.
http://s19.postimg.org/t8wanbndv/P1010001.jpg

Tried an Omega barber pole handle synthetic.
Handle was very nice, but found the knot to be much too floppy.
Did lather well, but I prefer the backbone and scritch of boar.