I enjoy synthetic brushes but......

We've really seen a leap forward with the advent of good quality synthetic brushes the past few years.  From the wonderful Muhle and Edwin Jagger synthetics,  the Plisson to the very inexpensive Omega S brushes, Whipped Dog/Envy, Fine etc.  These brushes do it all and feel very nice against your beard as you're using them.

However while using synthetic brushes for awhile, I sometimes miss the sensation of natural hair against my face.  Whether it be the scrubbiness of a good boar brush, the amazing softness of silvertip, or a simple two-band, when I lather with a natural hair brush, I can feel on my face that I am lathering in a way that I don't feel with the synthetic brushes.  

I suspect that if I had never used a natural hair brush, I would never miss it.  Does anyone else go back and use a boar/badger/horse brush occasionally just for the face feel?

I started with the cheap boar that came with the VDH kit that began my adventure. Pretty soon after that, I got a HIS synthetic from a guy on BST and it changed everything - it was huge and soft and excellent in every way. I had no intention of trying any other natural brushes, but that changed when I won a Simpson Colonel in a photo contest.

I have fallen in love with the Colonel! I still use the HIS, but I really like the badger much more than I thought I would. It never really stunk too bad, and it is very soft and it tears up soaps very quickly. So to answer your question, I do find myself missing the Colonel a bit when I use my HIS.

I have favorite brushes in all categories and it just depends what I'm in the mood for for any given shave.  However, I find that I love the feel of my Plisson Pour L'Occitane Synthetic brush in a way that surprised me.  Bob, you are right in that sometimes I want a brush that may be a bit stiffer in feel on my face.  Today it was my Vie-Long Gonzalo horsehair/boar combination brush, for example. Sometimes I enjoy my Tonal silver-tip,which tends to be floppy in feel. I'm glad I don't have to choose just one brush to use but if I did, that synthetic would definitely be a front runner.

I'm with you Freddy in not having to be wed to any one particular brush or type of brush.  

I equally enjoy badger, boar, synthetic and horse.  

I keep them all lined up on couple of shelves in my study and tell my wife that they breed like rabbits.  She of course now appreciates shave brushes after she made the switch to a Lady Gillette.  

I'm with you Freddy in not having to be wed to any one particular brush or type of brush.  

I equally enjoy badger, boar, synthetic and horse.  

I keep them all lined up on couple of shelves in my study and tell my wife that they breed like rabbits.  She of course now appreciates shave brushes after she made the switch to a Lady Gillette.  

I get some of the best shaves with my Lady Gillette.  Forty-five to fifty years ago, Gillette lost a great opportunity by not marketing these to men.  Perhaps they could have used a slightly different pattern (though I think the star pattern is unisex) but that long handle would have been a great selling point.  It's what I like best about it.  Also, several different lesser thought of blades, like Israeli Personna Red Packs, Sharks, and others work quite nicely when paired with it.

As for brushes breeding like rabbits, I know for a fact they do otherwise I'd have only one or two instead of 20+.

I love synthetics also Bob, but I use brushes made of all the fibers you mentioned because of the different feel that they have.

I've seen it written that synthetics lack "soul" and by that I believe it's meant exactly what you mentioned... the lack of face feel of natural fibers that aren't all the same.

I use every brush in it's turn, or try to. I might pass one up today in favor of another that I want to use beside it, but That passed over brush will be used the next day or so. FWIW, I just finished using all of my boars and my one horse, now I'm moving into the synthetics. The Plisson is up for the next shave.

I recently used a badger brush for the first time in about 18 months. It will be much longer than 18 months before another non-synthetic brush is used again. For me nothing can compare to that soulless perfection of luxurious softness and simplistic über performance of a quality synthetic. Plisson FTSW (for the soulless win)!

Brian the Plisson was absolutely my most surprising brush in the cabinet... ever. When I first got it and felt it my first thought was "You have got to be kidding me!". That was coupled with the mental question, "Do I even want to try this?". But I believe in giving things a fair shake and well, it's a really good brush.

Brian, I know you enjoy variety so having a rotation like yours is perfect. I apparently keep looking until I find "the one" for me. So far I've been able to do that with my brush and razor, for now. I'm down to 2 blades I use, about 4 different brands of aftershave, and about 4 different brands of soaps.

Just don't ask how many of each I had to try to whittle it down to his.

Brian the Plisson was absolutely my most surprising brush in the cabinet... ever. When I first got it and felt it my first thought was "You have got to be kidding me!". That was coupled with the mental question, "Do I even want to try this?". But I believe in giving things a fair shake and well, it's a really good brush.

Brian, that was almost verbatim my reaction also to using the Plisson the first time.  

Dr. Brian, am I correct in attributing the "soulless brush" moniker to the Plisson?  Whether it is you, or not, it brilliantly describes how I feel about synthetics, they are terrific brushes - but lacking in something.  (Thank heavens that I didn't live during the switch to the horseless carriage.  I"m sure I would feel the same way about not smelling sweating horse flesh).