Synthetics, who me?

Discussion in 'The Brush' started by tuxxdk, Jan 26, 2014.

  1. newb

    newb Resident Newb

    I've been away for awhile and haven't bought a brush in a long time, but the HIS was an outstanding product. It's hard to imagine that Syn'ths have improved much beyond the HIS.
     
  2. GDCarrington

    GDCarrington Burma Shave

    Yes they have been improved. They are much more refined and aimed more toward the face latherer with shorter lofts and better handles than the H.I.S.
     
    newb likes this.
  3. newb

    newb Resident Newb

    I will not buy another brush. I will not buy another brush. What do you recommend ? :hooray:
     
  4. GDCarrington

    GDCarrington Burma Shave

  5. fishcrow

    fishcrow Birdman of TSD

    I recently bought HJM synthetic, it is a decent brush. The splay is a little weird it does not splay out. I'm a strictly a bowl latherer it gets the job done.
     
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  6. Dusan

    Dusan Active Member


    Thank you for answer, would you recommend it? I like Omega synthetic, but sometimes on some angles when facelathering it can feel just a little bit prickly.
     
  7. JRod22

    JRod22 Well-Known Member

    I owned a Muhle STF that I really enjoyed face lather with. No complaints about the knot, however I hated the handle on it. Looked like this:
    [​IMG]
    The ring at the base would always dig into my finger to the point where it was very painful. Didn't feel comfortable using other grips on it. So I traded it away. Wouldn't mind picking up a new synthetic at some point (just got a big boy job) with a handle shaped more to my liking. I don't want to shell out the $90+ for the Simpson even though its supposed to be incredible and I am a Simpson's fan. But the brushes I am looking at have a decent price point that won't break the bank. Anyone have a comparison or preference for Omega Hi-Brush series vs Muhle New Black Fibre series?
     
  8. Dusan

    Dusan Active Member


    +1 on this!
     
  9. JRod22

    JRod22 Well-Known Member

    Went ahead an picked up a new V.2 Black Fibre Muhle from Connaught Shaving. The model i choose is in their "Modern" Series and was at a good price point right around $25 (16.50 euros). Here's a picture:
    [​IMG]
    It called 21 H 3, and is set in an Ashe wood handle with a 20mm knot and a 53mm loft. On first use, I used some AoS cream I had sitting around. I squeeze some cream into a damp brush and went to a face lather. The fibers caked up and i couldn't get a good lather at all. But, I have seen this happen once before and knew that I has used too much cream. So i squeezed all the cream out, wiped it onto my face, cleaned the brush out with water and went to a face lather again. Same thing, caked up. I removed the lather again, washed brush clean, and presto the brush I expected sprang into action. Similar to how I remember my Muhle STF, extremely soft face feel, works up a great lather with ease even with circular motions.

    Trial 2 was this morning. How would this brush do loading soap? I used my mikes natural. Put a bit of water on the puck, ran some hot water on the brush for about 1 minute, then poured the water off the soap and shook the brush out. Loaded for about 30 seconds with light to medium pressure. Went to a face lather with amazing results. Man Muhle knows how to make a good synthetic. Soo soft on the face, enough backbone to use my regular lathering techniques. Worked up a wonderful lather with ease.

    Summary: This brush is everything I loved about the fiber quality in my STF and gets rid of that IMO terribly uncomfortable handle. This handle is small, simple, and comfortable. If your a bowl latherer, you may want to opt for the longer handle (pictured below). But as a face latherer, this thing is spot on. I would highly recommend this to anyone in the market for a synthetic brush, and at about $25 dollars, it is a steal. Heck, I would even recommend this brush to someone looking for a quality badger with a good price.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2014
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  10. lindyhopper66

    lindyhopper66 Well-Known Member

    I love my Muhle 35 K 257 V1 and Muhle 33 H13 V2. The synthetic brushes for $22 at whippeddog are good as well, if you need to go more inexpensively.
     
  11. JRod22

    JRod22 Well-Known Member

    Update: Since I liked my Muhle V.2 black fibre so much i picked up a Plisson synthetic that I've been hearing so many good things about. Have been on a big synthetic kick since. Just switching back and forth between the two.

    Haven't used a badger or a boar since. These synthetics have such soft tips, nothing can compare, and they work great for face lathering. Been getting nothing but fantastic, luxurious lathers with them. I think I may have just made they switch to being a synthetic guy. Weird, never saw that coming.
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2014
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  12. jmsodpc

    jmsodpc Well-Known Member

    i just got a muhle 25 mm xl synthetic . i like it but not more than
    my badger i will probably resell it
     
  13. fram773

    fram773 Well-Known Member

    I have a HIS. Excellent if oversized brush. It's better than the Tweezerman pure badger I used to have. I'm definitely a boar man though.
     
  14. J. R. Bell

    J. R. Bell New Member

    I agree on both counts-
    Great brush, so-so handle...............Which is why I got it- the cheapest 23mm knot from Muhle I could get from Gifts & Care. Figure I can cut it off the knot some day and use a nice ergonomic, vintage handle after I decide on a loft.

    I can compare this Muhle to a Frank Shaving Pur-Tech and the Omega Hi-performance Synthetic-

    The Muhle is far superior to the other two- worth 2-3x the price for something that may last a lifetime. Still trying to decide if I like it better than a good badger or horse. But it has all the characteristics I am after.
    The Frank Shaving Pur-Tech is just toooooo soft for me. Not enough "scritch" Backbone- ok. Drips water like a turkey baster.
    Omega Hi-performance- If you want to try get the less expensive handle- about 40% cheaper than the Barber Pole model (which is stunning and is probably quite ergonomic)
    Because.....
    It bunches up distressingly. The fibers will go from acceptably stiff to impossibly stiff for a face latherer. I got it to an acceptable splaying level by cutting off the handle and setting it into a new one with maximum loft. So maximum in fact that I had to grind off some of the epoxy overflow. Darn shame to cause the tips are quite nice- soft but "rugous" enough for face lathering. Otherwise use it for bowl lathering. It has the synthetic advantages of longevity, fast drying and soap efficiency with decent lather while not dripping to excess like the Frank.
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2014
    Tdmsu and JRod22 like this.
  15. JRod22

    JRod22 Well-Known Member

    I'm still digging my synthetics. I slightly prefer my Muhle to my Plisson because it has just a bit more backbone to the fibers. The Plisson can be a bit floppy and sloppy at times if you don't know how to handle it. But I still very much enjoy it each and every time I use it. Nice to also add a Plisson to my line up since I probably would have never bought one of their badgers.

    Been revisiting my badgers and boards on my off days to exfoliate my beard area. Never thought I'd see the day when my badgers were not my go-to.
     
  16. tuxxdk

    tuxxdk International Penguin of Mystery

    NEKROPOST! :)

    I move slow, yes, so I haven't gotten a synthetic yet.

    What do you guys think of the 31K252 Silvertip knot from Mühle?

    I absolutely love the look of the handle.

    [​IMG]

    I use daily a Shavemac Silvertip knot, 20@48mm. Love size and so forth. I recon the Mühle is a bit wider and longer.

    Any thoughts? It's not the most cheap brush, and selling it off again is a bit expensive for me, given my location. So I want to choose right the first time, both looks and performance. I don't like the looks of the HJM, hence my look at this more expensive one.
     

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