Making a Case for Synthetics
As with so many things on the internet, if you go looking for reviews about synthetic knots you are sure to find an argument. The fact of the matter is that there are wet shavers who love synthetics and some who hate them and far too many simply want to shout down those who disagree with them.
Let's face it, there has to be a legitimate reason why so many men want high-end badger brushes and I doubt that it is merely because a shavemac, Thater or vintage Simpson is a mere status symbol. I have no doubt that all of these brushes provide a level of comfort that their proponents have come to expect and cheaper brushes are unlikely to provide. That said, I'm forced to bring up the price of these paragons of what all brushes seemingly aspire to be. They ain't cheap, my friends. I happily support those who can afford this level of BAD and maybe one day someone will give me some one-on-one time with their shavemac and make me a convert.
Okay, that's out of the way and I hope everyone can respect the fact that I'm not trying to spark a brush holy war as I extol the virtues of synthetic knots because the fact of the matter is that synthetics have some traits of their own to pontificate about.
Price: Every knot in this series retails for less than $20, making each and every one a legitimate choice for the wet shaver on a budget.
Shedding (or Lack Thereof): Natural brushes have a tendency to shed a number of their hairs when used for the first several times, synthetics shed very few, if any, of their fibers.
Funk: Badger knots can be infamous for the funk that they may have when new. Synthetics have little to no odor and after their first use quickly take on the scent of your favorite soap or cream.
Consistency: Synthetic knots are, by definition, unnatural. What this means to us is that while natural knots will vary based upon individual animals and the environment they lived in the synthetics should be consistent from knot to knot.
If the sythetic knots have a glaring deficiency it would be the fact that simply don't hold onto water, and thus lather, as well as the natural brushes. This isn't a major issue for most wet shavers but it does mean that building a lather with synthetic knots is a different experience, and requires slightly different technique. Over the months that I've been using my synthetic brushes I've learned to compensate for this trait and the only issue I have is that I simply don't generate the volume of lather that I did with my cheap, natural brushes. There is also an upside to this trait, synthetics tend to be a favorite option as a travel brush. Fibers that shed water and dry quickly are a natural choice for anyone who doesn't want to resort to a can of gunk while traveling.
The complaints of "soullessness" in regard to the synthetics? I don't doubt that there are many wet shavers who truly feel this way, after all I have that exact feeling about one or two brushes in this panel. Some of these knots will remain in my collection and be pulled out on a regular basis because I truly love the experience they provide, others will lapse into disuse. I suspect that most of these detractions relate to individual knots as opposed to synthetics in general but I have no need to convert others, my efforts are primarily intended to help those who haven't found a knot they love.
The bottom line is that if I'm suggesting a brush to a new wet shaver I'm probably going to point them in the direction of a synthetic. The price point is nearly ideal at the entry level and, as I've witnessed, there are a wide-range of options to experiment with. That these brushes whip up a good lather with relative ease is a plus for those new to the hobby and the fact that these knots don't hold onto water should be less of a problem for those who have never used a badger brush. Last but not least is the issue of scritch, a trait most of the synthetics lack. While many shavers like some scritch in their brush this is also the trait that can quickly turn off those who don't share this desire. Far too many of the budget level, natural brushes include a fair amount of scritch but the synthetics trend toward softer fibers, a trait that I feel is less likely to offend those new to wet shaving.
Synthetics are not the knots for every wet shaver, like so many other things in our hobby YMMV. Yet with their faults they exhibit a remarkable number of virtues that should be experienced by those who haven't yet found their perfect brush.
Up Next: By the Numbers
P.S. I had originally intended to sum this up with one long post but it's been a busy week and I've suffered from a bit of writer's block.