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I've been using an Omega boar brush for about a year, I enjoy face lathering and the boar hair does a wonderful job. I would like to try something new and thought of trying a synthetic brush, I've been told they don't have to be soaked and are vey soft. Any thoughts or recommendations would be helpful.
Check out these. I have one (Asylum BG7) and love it for face lathering: Shaving Brushes
Yes, they do not need to be soaked and the tips are soft. I would look for a brush with a synthetic knot that has a loft about 2X that of the knot size, 24mm knot/48-50mm loft. At least I find that combination good for face lathering.
They also do not hold water very well at all so you have to modify the way you lather with them. I just dip the tips in water, give a shake, shake again over the puck and start loading. If I need more water to load more soap I just repeat. Once the brush is loaded I start building lather on my face adding water as needed by just skimming the tips in water. If you just dunk the brush and go you are likely to wind up with watery soap running out of the brush and onto your hand. Once you work that out you are off to the races with synthetics. From my experience they will lather anything well that I have tried.
Bob
+1 to what Bob said!
I have gotten few very nice ones that I have used as give a ways. They came from the Body Shop and from L'Occtaine, both sources were nice brushes and did not seem to cost much if memory serves me correctly. They are not much more than a boar in price but much more in performance.
Here is where an individual's experience can differ from other's impression of a brush.
The first synthetic I tried about 3 years ago was the one from the Body Shop. It was cheap and could be had locally. Using that brush just about put me off synthetics altogether. The tip were soft enough but when I tried to do circular strokes face lathering to build a lather it felt prickly when trying to splay it. Gave it to the boss for a make up brush. I guess it would be OK if you used painting strokes to apply lather and it seemed to have a different fiber than current synthetics.
I then tried other synthetic brushes with much more satisfaction and played with resetting the lofts lower than what the factory supplied at that time. Somewhere along the line I bought a synthetic at L'Occitaine that was actually labelled Plisson. That brush works very well but it is so soft and floppy to me that I don't care to face lather with it. I don't get that nice backbone feeling a 2 band badger or a boar gives when face lathering.
Not saying these two brushes are bad but it is just my personal experience with them. Others do like them s o it is a case of YMMV.
I have had it happen the other way too. I bought one of the first production run Simpson Chubby 2 LE synthetics and liked it very much. More than a few people thought the loft was too low making the brush to stiff too splay. My bet is that a Plisson would have suited them better for what they wanted out of a brush.
That is why I tend not to recommend a certain brand. Just look for a "current" generation synthetic with "roughly" the loft to size ratio I mentioned if you like to face lather.
Bob
I've got an Omega synthetic that I like very much, it seems to hold more lather than my boar brush but not as much as my badger
I've got the L'Occitane Plison and a FM Brush Co. HIS 1794. Latter has big knot, good loft, and sizeable handle. I love it, recommend it. The former is also nice, but on the smallish side. But I really love my VP LEONHARDY 700050 silver tip. Now that's a big brush.
I've got a synthetic brush on the way, it's supposed to be a gift so I won't be able comment until the end of December.;)
Tried an Omega synthetic.
Was soft, but as floppy as trying to lather with a wet cotton ball.
If you like your boar, you may not necessarily like the synthetic.
I've been told, by a friend with VERY high standards and experience with a lot of different badger brushes, that the Frank Shaving synthetic brush is part of his "perfect" kit... Good luck
I will comment on the brush once I have a chance to try it. The knot will be set 3mm deeper than normal at my request and the makers recommendation as I lather on my face. I'm looking forward to trying it out.
Synthetics can be a bit of a crapshoot but this Chinese $5.00 no-name has never let me down
in the three years I've been using it.
Bought on ebay, it's not scritchy or scratchy, lathers up all my soaps nicely and sheds few hairs.
Just my luck.
Attachment 218701
I can highly recommend the Muhle STF synthetic brush.
I've been using one for the last 3/4 months and its a firm favourite.
My favourite brush for face lathering is my Edwin Jagger 25mm xl synthetic. It is slightly cheaper than the Muhle and I think the loft is slightly lower.
I received my brush and have had a chance to use it a few times this week. It is soft with plenty of backbone, I happy with my choice and would recommend one to anyone.
Glad to hear that you are satisfied with your new brush. Out of curiosity what size knot and what is the loft?Quote:
Originally Posted by maliboy67
Bob
The knot is 24mm and the loft is 66mm, the knot was set 3mm deeper on the makers recommendation as I prefer to face lather and it would add some extra back bone.Quote:
Originally Posted by BobH
Is that 66mm from the glue at the bottom of the knot to the knot tip or 66mm from where the knot leaves the brush handle to the knot tip ( the visible part of the knot)?Quote:
Originally Posted by maliboy67
Bob
All I can do is measure from the handle to tip and let you know. I got the brush from Whipped dog. I'm sure if you contact Larry he can fill you in.Quote:
Originally Posted by BobH
Yea, that is the measurement for loft, handle to tip. It's just that a 66mm loft seemed kind of high for a 24mm synthetic knot to have a lot of backbone. The synthetics I have had made have been around 48/50mm loft for a 24mm knot for face lathering.Quote:
Originally Posted by maliboy67
Bob
I was quoting what is listed on the website. When I get home I'll measure it and let you know.Quote:
Originally Posted by BobH
Ok, looked at his web site and 66mm is the OAL of the knot before setting into the handle. Normally he bores the handles 10mm deep so the standard loft for his 24mm synthetic would be about 56mm. So your loft is likely around 53mm then.Quote:
Originally Posted by maliboy67
Sorry about the back and forth on the loft measurements but I just wanted to make sure we were talking about loft and not the AOL of the knot before setting.
Bob
Np I'm still learning so now I know a bit more about brushes[emoji106]Quote:
Originally Posted by BobH
