Synthetic Brushes-What if I’ve been doing it wrong?

I have really come to dislike synthetic brushes. Yeah, they are easy to use, dry fast, blah blah blah, but no other knot compares to the feeling of face lathering with a nice dense 2 band badger. To me synthetics feel like what they are.... plastic. Sure it's soft, but it's not the same kind of softness. I don't know how to explain it better but i guess it's just the difference between something natural and something man-made. I even prefer boar over synths. Not horse though, lol. I'll take any knot over one of those. I still keep them around for travel, but that's about it. Just not as enjoyable to use for me.

At this point I prefer synthetic brushes. The only tip I can think to mention is that they use less water. I build lather by adding a little at a time. The reason I like them better is that they are very consistent. I do a lot of testing and the consistency really helps.

The only synthetic I've found that I really like so far has been the Simpson CH2 synthetic. And even then, it needs to be at a high enough loft. There seems to be a lot of variability in the knots and buying one direct is a bit of a crapshoot at Simpson's prices. I have two, one for home and one for travel. I use the home one mainly to lather samples, but sometimes for a change of pace, if I want to conserve a particular soap, or if I don't want to leave a badger brush out to dry for one reason or another.

I'm not sure anyone will get a synthetic to mimic a good badger brush, but if someone could make the overall synthetic experience just as good as my best badger brushes, I would consider buying one and using it as my primary brush.

I have really come to dislike synthetic brushes. Yeah, they are easy to use, dry fast, blah blah blah, but no other knot compares to the feeling of face lathering with a nice dense 2 band badger. To me synthetics feel like what they are.... plastic. Sure it's soft, but it's not the same kind of softness. I don't know how to explain it better but i guess it's just the difference between something natural and something man-made. I even prefer boar over synths. Not horse though, lol. I'll take any knot over one of those. I still keep them around for travel, but that's about it. Just not as enjoyable to use for me.

I hear you, I try synthetic every few years much like I do Brussel sprouts just to confirm my feelings about them.  Did you ever read that short story in English class about a guy lost in the woods in winter with night approaching and temperatures plunging?  He's got I think two matches and a rifle but no bullets but he keeps checking the chamber to confirm that he actually has no bullets (I suppose he could have fired a help me shot) anyway, its like that for me with Brussel sprouts and synthetics.  I admit that I have found that synthetics have improved and that the technique issue (smashing) seems to make a difference for me but I just don't like them the way I like Badger and boar.  I'm with you on horse brushes - they just have no soul.  Oh, and the guy managed to light a fire with his last match only to have an overhead branch dump a load of snow on it.  I assume he died.

Is it just a case that we prefer to use what we learned with??? Here is a question for the gentlemen that like synthetics...is that what you started and learned with? I know for me I started with a badger brush and used it exclusively for probably the first 4-5 years, and that is what I still prefer.

I think Fenster may have a point - when I started out it was with a badger and the synthetic I did try was really awful.  All the discussion on the forums was about the badgers and the various grades, props and cons, gel tips, hooked ends, knot density etc.  Maybe I also like the connection to my past with badger brushes and vintage razors more than I like the futuristic Jetsons pull of the synthetic brushes.

My favorite Synthetic is the Turn N Shave hawk and have a frank shaving G4 coming tomorrow. Anyone here use one? Have heard it's very similar to muhle STF/omega evo. Hopefully it's just as good.

I received a Yaqi cashmere brush a couple of days ago and yesterday I figured I'd do a test lather on an old Latha Lavenda (B&M) soap I had lying around.  For me Latha was never a great latherer, maybe it was my technique back then because I haven't used one of these in several years.  The Yaqi lathered that soap up like nobody's business  - I'm impressed.  I'm going to give the brush its maiden voyage on my face today with Wholly Kaw Entropy Man to see if its as good with the latest generation of soap.  I find that I don't have to load much soap on my brush with Siero in order to get sufficient lather for a three pass + shave.  Great stuff 

This could be the start of a beautiful friendship

After trying all kind of knots in a couple of decades, now I'm full in love with synths.
Specially the sweet, super-high density, easy-opening ones.

And I have a friend of mine who turns nice wood handles ...
http://www.ilrasoio.com/viewtopic.php?t=13851

... so, here they're my favs.

Bat71 “Cashmere”, Olive Wood, Abalone Shell Inlay
Yaqi SK07 aka Maggard Beige, 24x50x115mm


Bat71 “PP73”, Prugno (Plum), Abalone
Oumo Mother Lode, 28x53x115mm


Bat71 “J86”, Olive Wood Briar
Oumo 3Color Synth, 26x55x115mm

Very nice handles ischiapp  - I'm not sure I'm in love with synth, at least not yet.  I use this one this morning

https://www.westcoastshaving.com/collect...andle-24mm

It did a good job lathering WK Siero Entropy Man but I'm not sure I like the feel on my face compared to badger or boar. Also, the loft was a bit low and I had to be careful or I was knocking the sides of the handle on the edges of the Captain's Choice copper lather bowl.  I didn't like that.

I'll give it more time and see where it goes.