Question about synthetics

Hi all.  I've been away from the forum for several years.  But I had to come back to ask a question.  Basically, what are your thoughts about synthetic brushes?

On a lark, I bought two synthetic brushes at Maggards for a total of about $40 USD, and they simply blew my mind.  I believe they are better than any of my badger brushes -- and I have a rotation of about 40 badger hair brushes, including silver tips, two-bands and Manchurians from top manufacturers.  But these synthetics lather up more easily and they are not lather hogs.  They lather up my face almost instantaneously.

Am I in a minority or do others see the superior qualities of synthetics?

I still have and enjoy my badger and boar brushes but Synthetics have come a LONG way and I use them more often.

I have two brushes with Tuxedo knots, and I love the combination of sufficient backbone and soft tips.

Synthetic bristle brushes are pretty damn amazing these days. They build up a superb lather with almost no effort. If anyone is having trouble getting MWF to lather, I suggest that they try a synthetic brush. The cheap ones (Razorock, for example) are really good.

That being said, there's a place for all the different types of bristle. I have badger, boar, mixed hair, and horsehair brushes and I like them all. They're all slightly different.

Still, at this point if I had to go down to just one brush, it would be a synthetic fibre brush.

My AP Shave Co. 24mm SynBad synthetic beats my high-end badger and good boar handily in terms of building a quality lather more quickly while using less soap. But the badger feels a bit nicer on my face, and the boar has its own unique feel. So I use the SynBad mostly, especially for my expensive soaps, and the natural brushes as a variation for soaps I don’t care if I use up quickly.

+1 here as well for the SynBad.

Synthetic bristle brushes are pretty damn amazing these days. They build up a superb lather with almost no effort. If anyone is having trouble getting MWF to lather, I suggest that they try a synthetic brush. The cheap ones (Razorock, for example) are really good.

If MWF is the problematic Mystic Water, I agree.  It helps using the Mystic Water as sticks to directly apply as much soap as you want to the skin.  But  I agree that the synthetic brushes give the best results with it.

In Chemistry, synthesis is used for many good reasons.
Speed, precision, cost, performance.
This is a fact, not an argument.

Synthesis makes it possible to produce better materials.
With the same mechanical capacity, at lower price.
At the same price, for superior mechanical capabilities.
This is a fact, not an argument.

The rest is a matter of perception and suggestion.
A personal preference, in the realm of YMMV.
This is a fact, not an argument.

The use of PBT instead of other materials like nylon
(for example) ,the chemical tapering of the fiber tips ,
the wavy structure and the use of different fibers on the
same knot are the main factors that have contributed
in the relatively recent evolution that took part ,
regarding the synthetic shaving brushes.

PBT feels and acts more like a "natural" material ,
in relation to other types of polymers that can be "springy"
or way too soft .

The chemical tapering really skyrocketed the
soft feeling of the fiber tips .

The wavy structure helps for better water & air retention
thus turning the synthetic shaving brushes into
lather building hand grenades.

The use of different ( regarding diameter,
hardness and structure ) fibers , randomly
dispersed into the same knot ,further enhanced
the lather building ability and contribute to
the fibers feeling more like a natural material.

What's left ( or what we should expect ) ?

The surface treating ( nanoparticles ,etching ,etc )
of each fiber.
It's the next big thing that hopefully will
find it's way to synthetic shaving brushes.

Synthetic bristle brushes are pretty damn amazing these days. They build up a superb lather with almost no effort. If anyone is having trouble getting MWF to lather, I suggest that they try a synthetic brush. The cheap ones (Razorock, for example) are really good.

If MWF is the problematic Mystic Water, I agree.  It helps using the Mystic Water as sticks to directly apply as much soap as you want to the skin.  But  I agree that the synthetic brushes give the best results with it.

I was referring to Mitchell's Wool Fat - a soap quite a few people give up on because they cannot get a thick, stable lather. Paired with a decent synthetic bristle brush, this soap becomes easy to use and it really does provide a nice amount of glide and protection (in my experience). 

I have a puck of Mystic Water that I may have to dig out and see how it performs.