Thread: Synthetic Brush warning

Ok, so I know that most people arent really too bothered about what their brush is made of so long as it does the job, but for a lot of people this is a real concern, personally while it is a consideration, it was also a stipulation put down by SWMBO (Her whole family is heavily into British heritage and wildlife conservation), along with me having to promise to be careful .. as if!!

The crux of the matter is that there are 2 synthetic brushes which are widely ragarded as being as good if not better than most badger brushes, made by Men-u and Taylors of old Bond.

If a synthetic brush is important to you be aware that Taylors have two brushes which are badger friendly and only one of them is truely synthetic. Pretty much every review I have read on the Taylors Synthetic brush (which without exception class it as exceptional) is actually talking about Taylors line of 'Imitation Badger' brush which is actually made from a combination of Hog hair, Synthetic fibres and thin hair. product codes B11-B16, Their Synthetic brush is relatively new (product code: 02255) is made from crimped synthetic fibres and is more expensive at approx £35. however I cannot find very much written about this brush from users.

So basically of you want a badger friendly brush, have a look at Taylors 'Imitation Badger' which is widely regarded as one of the best. If you want Synthetic/Vegan there are a number of options Men-u is reviewed as one of the best, an exceptionally fast drying travel brush, but not as smooth on the face. Taylors synthetic should be decent considering the price, the research that went into its production and the fact that the first few batches were sold out prior to release which always boads well, however I havn't found any third party reviews of this brush.

Sorry for the long post, this may be common knowledge among vegan shavers however I only realised today when my 'Imitation Badger' brush arrived .. ooh well I guess I will have to spend some more money on shaving toys .. what can I do, SWMBO must be obeyed!

The Body Shop do a synthetic shaving brush that is quite well regarded.

If it's just a matter of being badger friendly why not go boar. Omega makes some great one's variety of handles and they get real soft. For the longest time my omega boar was number one in my rotation. They're killing Mr.piggy anyway might as well utilize all the parts. If your going 100% vegan though this won't be an option either though.

As far as I know, all of the badger hair that is used in the making of brushes comes from China, where a completely different species of badger to that in England is actually a pest to farmers, so the government licenses farmers to kill them and sell the hair. You can get yourself a nice badger brush and your SWMBO can relax, knowing it's not the British badgers that are being used in it (since they're protected, along with most European and North American badgers, according to Wikipedia).

If you soak the Men U brush onthe sink with hot water for a while before lathering up you will find that it softens up considerably .
I used one for traveling & I found if I did this it performed as well as my own Varilux best badger brush . I hope this tip helps.
Paul