Badger brush?

Do badger brushes use up soap faster than synthetics?

Depending on the density of a knot, you can use a badger or synthetic fiber in a container of water and pull up some water. It will grab differently depending on your pressure of loading as well as the amount of loading.

So the answer is maybe. Depends on which two knots you could be comparing.

In general, I would say, yes, but there are many variables to consider; for example, the size and density of the knot and, subjectively, how much soap you would like to use.

My opinion is yes, the badgers use more soap, especially the denser and larger knots.

I agree with what others have said...depends on how heavy you load, the density of the knot, etc..

At the end of the day is using more soap a big concern for you? If you are in to shaving as a hobby you may end up like most of us with dozens of soap that no normal human will get through in a lifetime. People have used Badger brushes in their Old Spice mugs and a puck lasted 6 months, but it wasn't a 30mm super dense badger, I have problems fitting 24mm knots in vintage brush handles without modifying them, quite often vintage brushes were 22 or 20 mm so there are many factors. That's the fun of this journey.

TL;DR--In my experience, yes, they do.

I have 4 badger brushes: Zenith 24.5mm best; Stirling 24mm finest bulb; Stirling 24mm finest fan; Off-brand 24mm Silvertip. Of these, the Stirling brushes are the densest, with the fan knot edging out the bulb by a miniscule margin. In fact, the margin is so small, the difference could easily be attributed to the fan shape, rather than the actual knot density.

I have experience with 3 different synthetics: Crown King 24mm duro; Maggard's 24mm synthetic; Omega S-brush. The only one of these that I actually enjoyed using is the Maggard's, but I traded a little while back for a splash. Fair deal, in my opinion. Anyhoo... All 3 synthetic brushes produce a large amount of lather with lesser material loads. The CK duro and the S-brush I don;t enjoy at all. Too much back bone and "spring" for my taste. Getting either to splay is a chore, and both tend to fling lather about due to the backbone. The Maggard's 24mm is a great little brush, in my opinion, and very much worth the $12 pricetag, no doubt. BUT...all 3 could produce copious amounts of quality lather with a relatively light load of product.

I say all of that so you can take this opinion with the grain of salt it deserves based on my experience.

Yes...my badger brushes require a heavier load for a similar lather production. So do my boar brushes. But at the end of the day, I don't care. The performance of each individual badger brush is exponentially better, FOR ME, than all of my synthetics combined. The experience of loading, lathering and applying with a nice badger brush is exponentially more satisfying, TO ME. I get lather that is super slick, glistens like an ice cube in direct sunlight, and provides outstanding protection with all of my badgers. So the fact that I load more product to produce that lather does not, in any way, bother me. I have been using brush and soap for a little over a year now, and my den is decently stocked with quality soaps that all get used and rotated. I haven't finished even 1 purchased artisan soap in the last 14 months or so, and I shave every single day, without missing a single day...yet...

For the record, my boars require a heavier load than my synthetics as well. Again...I enjoy my boars exponentially more than synthetics.

In the end...I traded away my Maggard's synthetic, I gave away the Omega S-brush, and I am in the process of putting together a PIF that will include the Crown King Duro. You couldn't pry one of my badgers from my hands with a crowbar...

Yes 5char