The Synthetic Brush Shootout
For a few weeks I've been teasing my upcoming synthetic knot review, and since all of my knots have finally arrived I am now prepared to begin.
For those who have missed or avoided my earlier posts, my ten year history is a wonderful illustration of poor to mediocre brushes. My first brush was an Art of Shaving (AoS) "genuine badger" brush and I got many good years of service out of this thoughtful gift from my wife. In fact this little brush is still knocking around my bathroom drawer, chipped handle and all, and has done fill-in duty in the recent past. Another notable budget buy was a VDH badger brush I purchased from Walmart to use as a test subject for my Brush Stand project. This brush did daily duty for six months as I evaluated how my stand was going to weather the humid environment of my bathroom sink before it shed its knot mid-lather. In between I've had a Casswell-Massey "Pure Badger" travel brush (alive, kicking and used for its intended purpose), an Ever-Ready 100T, a cheap boar brush and an even cheaper generic synthetic that somehow fell into my possession (These final two were so hated or useless as to be demoted to use in dusting keyboards and similar tasks.)
As I started searching for a better brush the reviews of the synthetics kept catching my eye. No one claimed that the synthetics were the greatest shave brushes known to man. No one claimed that shavemac had decided to go out of the knot business because the wet shavers of the world were abandoning badger brushes. Yet the worst thing that I could find about synthetics, from reviewers that seemed reasonable, was that they were "boring" that they did a good job but somehow lacked the soul of their favorite badger brushes. If that is the worst, reasonable complaint I could find then a synthetic brush was certainly worth a look...but which brush? Why not several?
Reviews are useful up to a point, the point at which the reviewer's desires differ from yours. Far too many reviews simply recommend one brush over another with no real explanation and no actual attempt to evaluate the brush beyond, "I used it and liked it and so you should buy it too!" Not exactly a sound reason to run out and buy a brush, even if it retails for less than $30, and at that we are ignoring the possibility that the reviewer is simply hoping to get more manufacturers to ship him free brushes to review.
My background in science causes me to find the whole process somehow offensive.
I know that it is impossible to transform a purely subjective subject, how much I like the feel of a particularly brush against my face, into an objective measurement. Despite this I'm going to try to reduce the number of variables that can affect the feel and performance of a knot, examine the lather that I build with each brush and attempt to differentiate each knot when it comes to feel.
Parameters
- Affordability: One of the virtues of synthetics is their value. All knots in this test are currently available for under $20.
- Knot size: In an effort to reduce variability I have restricted the knots to the relatively common diameter of 24mm.
- Handles: All knots, due to their common size, are to be temporarily mounted in a Whipped Dog 24mm Tall handle. Not only does this reduce variability but also reduces my financial burden. (Exception - The Whipped Dog knot was permanently mounted by Larry as part of my purchase.)
Knots
- Synthetic "Game Changer" Knot (AMACK4Shaving) $18.00
- Synthetic "Sunrise" Knot (AMACK4Shaving) $10.00
- Cashmere Synthetic Extra Dense Knot (APShaveCo) $16.98
- Tuxedo Extra Dense Synthetic Knot (APShaveCo) $16.98
- Ubersoft 2 Synthetic 4th Gen (EnvyShave) $13.99
- Whipped Dog Synthetic Knot (whippeddog.com) $16.00
It should be noted that AMACK4Shaving is currently listing the "Sunrise" knot as the last batch of these knots that they are likely to have in stock. FrugalShave has a knot similar in appearance, listed as a "Sunsoft" knot, for the same price.
Next Up: My initial impressions
4 Attachment(s)
The Cashmere Synthetic Knot (APSaveCo)
When I decided to test each brush for two consecutive days of shaving it was largely to ensure that I could rule out any abnormalities caused by my own error. On Tuesday, the first day of reviewing the Cashmere knot, I felt secure in my decision.
I have mentioned before that while I was getting a good quality lather from my Whipped Dog synthetic brush I have never really been able to obtain the quantity of lather I got from my old, entry-level badger brushes. My answer to this issue was simply to adapt my normal routine and begin a secondary load of the brush, a solution that still didn't produce the amount of lather that I did with my older brushes but yielded a sufficient quantity for three passes. Whether MWF, Catie's Bubbles or Dr. Jon's Anne Bonny I simply needed a second loading to be sure I had enough lather to complete my shave. Up until this point I wasn't entirely sure that this was an issue with my technique or if it was related to the fact that the synthetic brushes simply don't hold onto water, and I would assume soap, like natural brushes...and then I met the Cashmere synthetic knot.
On my first day I felt the need to return to the puck twice before I had enough lather to begin shaving and then went back to the Fat one more time before my last pass, something that didn't overly surprise me simply because this knot has such super soft tips. Day two was more of the same, three sets of laps to load and one more to ensure that I had enough lather to finish the job. At this point I have to figure that the fault, if you consider it one, lies less with me and correlates rather strongly with the synthetic brushes.
Is such an issue a deal breaker? I've gotten used to a secondary load as part of my routine so while four loads is certainly an inconvenience I don't consider it a mortal sin. Let's face it, most of us who wet shave, particularly those who have chosen to use a straight razor, are more interested in the process and the finished product where efficiency is perhaps an irrelevant concept. Speaking of finished product, I was thrilled by the lather I produced on day one. That slow, inefficient process built a wonderful, glorious lather that is certainly one of the best I've ever enjoyed!
Let me be clear, I've just spent several days over the last month reviewing my lather building technique and then evolving it to deal with a new synthetic brush. Nothing here was a radical change but after making a number of modifications I'm fully aware that a sudden, one day improvement in my lather probably had more to do with luck and random chance than the brush I happened to be using that day. With that thought in mind I was more than happy to return to the Cashmere Wednesday morning, fully prepared for lather that didn't rank in my personal top three. What I was rewarded with was more of that fantastic, plush lather that I experienced on Tuesday morning!
In feel the Cashmere knot is as soft and silky as expected. The brush simply glides over my face and leaves me feeling pampered and soothed even before I truly begin shaving. I will admit a touch of 'floppiness' in the brush but nothing I consider an actual detriment as the brush never feels like it is trying to collapse in hopelessness against my face. For some any brush that simply lacks the amount of backbone they prefer gets labeled as 'floppy' a diminutive that I consider neither fair nor accurate. For me the term is more clinical and precise, a condition where the fibers of the brush want to collapse into uselessness when any pressure is placed upon the knot. With the Cashmere knot there is the slightest hint that the fibers might simply prefer to surrender rather than splay but I never had the feeling that I was mashing a ball of loose, synthetic hairs against my face.
Conculsion
I currently lust after the Cashmere knot but 'lust' is exactly the right word. The face feel and lather that I enjoyed for two days were so wonderful that it had me, briefly, toying with the idea of giving up my cold shave lifestyle in a mad effort to heighten my pleasure (I have become a cold water shaver due to skin issues and my Hollywood face would simply punish me throughout the day for minutes of indulgence). Yet, for all its allure, the Cashmere knot probably isn't the one I want as part of my daily routine. The truth is that I tend to prefer more backbone in a brush and having to make three extra passes over the soap, even if it is MWF, is a hindrance in what can be a tight schedule.
The final verdict is that this is certainly a brush that will find a permanent home in my rotation but one that I am unlikely to reach for on a daily basis. Instead, once it is given a fitting handle in which to live out its life, the Cashmere is a luxury to be pulled out on Saturdays, or just when I need a little pampering, to thrill me with its touch and lather building ability and leave me wistfully looking forward to its caress the rest of the week.
Next Up: The Game Changer