For someone moving from silvertip brushes to synthetic, they will appreciate the extra backbone and comparable softness of the synthetic. For someone who uses two-band brushes, trying a synthetic is like using a softer two-band brush with lousy water retention. Perspective is everything. Edit: it's why I dislike the comparison of synthetic as a one to one replacement brush for badger. Synthetic, by and large, tends to emulate silvertip badger, and ignores the existence of all the other grades of badger. Silvertip is held up as the nom plus ultra of the brush world, when in reality, it would be like saying that aggressive razors are better than mild razors. We all know that isn't true. You buy the razor that fits your face and shaving habits, and a brush is no different.
So I gave the Trafalgar 2 a go on Saturday. Did the job, but did feel well, synthetic. Actually held more water than I thought it would. I’ll use it some more, but it’s not replacing natural hair for me.
I've been using a Simpson T2 almost exclusively for the last few months - I do use a T1 when I travel. I also have a T3 but it's just too big for me. Yesterday I pulled out an Edwin Jagger in best badger. It lathered nicely but it's far too floppy so I'm going back to the T2.
I have tried a variety of brushes including badger, boar, horse and synthetics. I have tried several synthetics including assembling my own. Lately I have been using a custom Muhle 25 mm STF brush (knot set at 55 mm) made by Rudy Vey and it has become my number one brush. It is very soft but not floppy. It holds a good amount of water. It has the right amount of splay for me. I wish I had purchased this brush sooner!
I had been against synthetics for years. But, the new ones are a game changer. Soft, with backbone, and very inexpensive.
Our college Senior Class did a "gong show" for amusement. I had a fake dark mustache(which as I later realized looked funny with my blond hair.).
I have one vintage synthetic brush and have to say it is the softest brush of all the types I own but it tends to make lather that is way to watery for my liking.
Try a squirt of Kiss My Face unscented shaving cream in with your soap. It'll thicken the lather without affecting the scent of your soap. That way you can use your brush and not have thin, watery lather
I bought an H.I.S. 1865 synthetic brush primarily for business travel due to quick drying, but I liked it so well, it became by far my favorite brush. Soft, doesn’t lose bristles, and is an absolute champ at lathering. I use it exclusively now.
Do you like scritchy? Old white nylon brushes lather up great and have a pleasingly roughness to them (probably an acquired taste).
I have a Simpsons Trafalgar T2. It's the only brush I have so I can't compare it to badger, boar, etc. I've been happy with it's performance. I really don't have a desire to buy a more expensive brush right now.
Still waiting for Semogue to release that limited edition Black Iberian boar brush they promised 10 or 15 years ago.
I own over 70 brushes in badger, boar, horse and synthetic remaining after my recent thinning of the heard. I am immensely picky with lather characteristics/quality and shave with a synthetic 99% of the time as they arrive at said lather quality easier, faster and with less soap. Mind you, the parameters of lather perfection differ depending on whether I'm shaving with a straight or DE, but in both cases synthetics simply outperform in virtually every way at this point. This gap is likely to only widen as technology progresses, as synthetics are not bound by some of the inherent restrictions of natural hair brushes. Plus having to soak and baby natural brushes is tedious for me to go back to after getting used to the splash and go ability of synthetics. Sometimes I see comments (though much less here than another forum) of people making broad generalizations about synthetics because they didn't like the one or two gen3 synthetics they tried years ago. Of course opinions differ and all opinions are welcome here, but it may be wise to weigh such input similarly to the input of somebody declaring that 'badgers aren't soft' because the one cheap Chinese pure grade badger brush they have is skritchy. The variation is badger hair is clearly too diverse to generalize in this way, yet the variation in synthetics now dwarves that of badgers. This may be is how obsolete information like "synthetics don't hold as much water" is maintained. If you want incredible water retention, try a G5a... the variation in fiber crimping holds buckets of water. The G5a is a a bit like the STFv2, but much less floppy and a shorter loft. If you want ultra soft tips with light/moderate backbone try the try the Solar Flare, Perengrino and Quartermoon are all fine choices. If you want a balanced goldilocks brush the BC silvertip synthetic from Razorock with the clear handle is probably the best work horse I've found for less than $15. If you want a bit of skritch and a unique feel, the FSg5 is a very interesting brush due to having less, but wider fibers with a non linear taper resulting in the fibers splaying at a different point on the shaft than most brushes. If you want crazy high backbone that is somehow still soft, the G5c is amazing... but too much backbone for me, personally. I'm looking forward to trying the new AP shave Co MiG in 24mm.
