Thread: Initial impressions, Muhle synthetic silver tip and eating crow

My one and only experience with a synthetic shave brush left me with a very low opinion of synthetics to the point of writing them off as a lost cause. So many good things have been said about synthetic brushes on here I broke down and gave it another try.

My Muhle synthetic silver tip travel brush arrived today and by happy coincidence I had just honed up a razor so we did a test 3 pass shave. Being a travel brush and my travel soap is an Arko stick that is the combo I did a cold water face lather with. The brush lathered up a storm in short order and felt great on the face with just enough backbone too. The brush made enough lather from one loading to do all 3 passes with some to spare. The brush just plain works and works well. There I have eaten crow. I won't say that it is superior to traditional boar or badger but this brush, at least, is a very viable alternative at first blush.

The brush is chrome on brass, I believe, with a high standard of fit and finish that leaves nothing wanting.





If tomorrows shave using MWF goes as well I think I have a winner here. All I can say is that if you go synthetic don't go cheap like I did with The Body Shop's synthetic brush for your first experience.

Bob

Neat brush,hard to believe it is syn.It looks like a real badger brush.

They have always dyed bristle and horse to look like badger.

I guess like everything else they keep improving the synthetics. Maybe some day they will be superior to Badger, who knows.

They quite possibly may eventually be superior to badger but I think this incarnation of a synthetic from Muhle is certainly going to give badger a run for it for the money. I does have one advantage, it dries a lot quicker and that might be a very good thing in a travel brush. Then again you could just get a boar brush, save a few bucks and still enjoy a good lather.

Bob

I have had one of the Muhle Basics Black Fibre brushes for a year now. Very well made and good to look at with its white resin handle and chrome base.

It is now my go to brush over the several decent quality badgers I own. It just plain works! I only face lather and have no idea how it would perform in a bowl but it prduces masses of lather with less product. I generally get plenty for four passes. Last one gets a but thinner but I prefer that.

Dries quickly as mentioned above. I reckon if I'd had this brush first I wouldn't have bought the others!

Well, of course I would have! You know what BAD is like!

If you aren't sure, I recommend getting a Muhle. You may be surprised!

Gareth

Well that settles it, the Muhle ate up the MWF and delivered more the enough lovely lather for this mornings 3 pass shave. I am beginning to think like Gareth and wonder what would have happened if this had been my first brush. For people looking for an alternative to traditional brushes, for whatever reason, or just have BAD this is one that is really worth a try.

Bob

Crow doesn't taste too bad with enough Tabasco. I'd agree with you, the Muhle is a very nice knot. I also have the original 28 mm H.I.S. with the loft shortened and a 24 mm TGN which is supposed to be the same as the Frank's Shaving synthetic knot. I've made the handle for the TGN but the knot isn't glued yet. While I still like my badgers I can use a synthetic and not feel shortchanged in any way. (TGN below)

Originally Posted by BobH

My one and only experience with a synthetic shave brush left me with a very low opinion of synthetics to the point of writing them off as a lost cause. So many good things have been said about synthetic brushes on here I broke down and gave it another try.

My Muhle synthetic silver tip travel brush arrived today and by happy coincidence I had just honed up a razor so we did a test 3 pass shave. Being a travel brush and my travel soap is an Arko stick that is the combo I did a cold water face lather with. The brush lathered up a storm in short order and felt great on the face with just enough backbone too. The brush made enough lather from one loading to do all 3 passes with some to spare. The brush just plain works and works well. There I have eaten crow. I won't say that it is superior to traditional boar or badger but this brush, at least, is a very viable alternative at first blush.

The brush is chrome on brass, I believe, with a high standard of fit and finish that leaves nothing wanting.





If tomorrows shave using MWF goes as well I think I have a winner here. All I can say is that if you go synthetic don't go cheap like I did with The Body Shop's synthetic brush for your first experience.

Bob

Could you let me know where you got that brush?

+1 on that. I read this thread and had a look but have not found one. Looks like just the thing for my travel kit.

In the US here is one place Mühle Shaving Brushes . There are likely more, search Muhle travel brush for hits.

Bob