I understand your not caring for the soft feel, but I am not sure where your problems face lathering are coming from. If synthetics are good at anything, it is making lather. I probably face lather with synthetics more than bowl. While I prefer a little more scrub, I find them exceptional at face lathering. The water all over the place is simply lack of experience in their characteristics. They trap a lot of water. Squeeze the knot out and add water as you build. The soap all over the place could very well be the brush, depending on what brand of brush and how it is put together. Some of them are pretty springy. I didn't think this thread was especially hype filled. It is about synthetic brush recommendations, I guess I would expect to see mostly endorsements. If you asked for recommendations for a first time badger purchase with a $100 cap, I bet it would have twice as many posts.
There are already so many suggestions here that I really can't add much. I'll just say that there is a surprising amount of variation between the knots and as always, your mileage may vary. Synthetics are inexpensive enough that you can probably try several different knots without breaking the bank. Having tried a Whipped Dog, a Maggard synthetic, and a RazoRock Plissoft, I really like the WD synthetic the most. It's extremely soft and it whips up a very good lather. The Maggard felt very harsh to me and the Plissoft was similar considering that it's the same knot, but it was great at creating and holding a lot of lather. Ultimately they didn't work out for me so I'm getting rid of them and keeping the Whipped Dog.
Fair enough. And then followed it with "you shouldn't" which made me misunderstand your intent. Apologies. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I find synthetic to be the absolute easiest brush to lather with. It will vary slightly from soap to siap and depending on which synthetic I use, but here is what I do: Fully saturate the brush in cold water (or hot, if you prefer). I don't let it sit for any period of time since it doesn't improve the water retention. I then give the bottom of the knot near the handle a good squeeze to release the water. I proceed to giving it one or two good flicks to release any additional loose water. I then proceed to lather as normal. So of the "thirstier" soaps will possibly require more water added. If this is the case, I will sprinkle a few more drops into my brush (or in my bowl) and proceed to lathering. This method works from everything from MWF to Stirling to Williams mug soap and Tabac (amongst dozens more).
Different strokes for different folks. I would say everyone should at least try a synth (and a boar) at some point, and give it a fair chance. If you do that, and you don't enjoy it, so be it. I used boars almost exclusively my first year of wet shaving. Found synthetics and I've never looked back. I head and face lather with them with little to no issues. Always had problems loading enough soap with my boars, and they were definitely too scratchy for my sensitive skin.
Depends on the knot and how it's set too. I have a TGC synth that I really enjoy for head lathering, but I think the knot is set too deep, which makes it hold excess water at the base of the knot. It's fine for head lathering when the brush is upside down and the extra water finds it's way down to the tips of the brush and into my lather. Bad for face lathering when it finds it's way down the handle and all over my hand... I also found the 30mm Whipped Dog (2015 version) to have odd water retention characteristics. Sometimes it would seem like it was far too dry, then you would splay it at just the right angle and a whole bunch of water would ooze everywhere. I passed mine along to a friend who had never tried a synthetic before.
Are you looking for something with a really cool handle, or just wanting to try a new synthetic knot? What size knot do you prefer? If you're looking for something on the less expensive side that will feel a little bit different than the RR synth you mentioned, there's always the Maggard 22mm Black knot, or the Razorock 400 Noir knot. The BC Silvertip Plissoft is also supposed to be just a tiny bit softer than the other Plissoft brushes. If you want to try a bigger knot, then there's always the Razorock BIG Bruce (or the HULK if you really want to go crazy). I just picked up a Cashmere and Tuxedo knot, which both feel very nice, but I haven't set them in a handle yet, so can't really provide much input on comparison. If you want something with a nicer, artisan-made handle, then there are a lot of good recommendations here already.
I was kinda looking for both. I found a handle that should arrive tomorrow that I'm going to try a silvertip in. If I don't like that knot I'll switch for a synthetic in that handle.
I am a shavette user, and synthetics are my first choice. And last choice. Synthetics lather far more efficiently than anything I've ever tried. Mine is a Plisson gen 3 synthetic.
Razorock 400 Noir, most under rated brush going. Face lather, bowl lather works great. Super soft tip but it's the backbone that sets this brush apart. Not expensive at all. Great Value. Every den should have one.
My first synthetic was a Plisson. I bought two other brushes since because reviews I read claimed they were better than the Plisson (more backbone, etc). While the other brushes are both excellent, I find myself reaching for the Plisson most of the time. IMO, the Plisson doesn't get enough love.
I quit soaking any of my brushes long ago. I simply wet them with cold water, shake them out, load, and start face lathering. If I need a bit more water, I just dip the tips in the water and continue. Here is my newest synthetic brush, finished today: Jayaruh #147. Maggard 22mm knot.
I highly recommend the Omega S-Brush. It's great for glycerine soaps, cremes and even canned foam. I still use a boar brush for tallow soaps.
I will grant you that they build lather like a big dog. I tried one, but it was so sproingy it flung lather everywhere. It didn't stay around long.
