Shaving Brush Water Retention Comparison 

Badger and boar are organic hair, they absorb water given time and the individual hairs swell in size where as synthetics can't do that. Synthetics hold water on the outside of the fibers allowing the water to release quicker along with any surfactant(soap/cream). Water retention goes to the natural hair brush. Thanks Geo!

This is the daddest channel I’ve ever found on a RU-vid. From the style of an intro till the very topic of channel - pretty solid, crispy dad experience

I actually prefer synthetics and boar brushes the most. My badger brushes are the least used brushes I have, here is why .... I like how the synthetics hold the water and release it as you lather, this is exactly what you need for a good face lather. Synthetics also do a great job of releasing the soap to your face. Badger brushes hold the water and soap in the brush and keep it from your face. I like boar brushes when I am shaving a lot of growth because it really lifts and agitates the hairs which is great right before shaving. So, I prefer synthetic and boar brushes because they both provide a particular property better than the badger brush. For me, the badger brush is well rounded but doesn't perform specific functions better than the synthetic or boar. Boar lifts hairs better than badger, and synthetics distribute soap and water better than badger.

I was saprised at how well the boar performed in this experiment. I tend to use a bit more water now than I did in my earlier years of DE shaving. I had to learn that I wasn't using enough water to get the lather I was wanting to whip up. The synthetic brushes are good,but don't require added water to get the result because as this video proves..enough water comes out to start whipping up a good lather. It just takes practice with what a person prefers. I just had the 2 year anniversary of having my brain tumor removed and brain cancer continues to go down. This was a great comparison video geo.

Interesting. It was fun to see inside the product cave and see all the different products. Have you considered adding a Shave Nation brand synthetic brush with the fancy polished resin colors and handles to your lineup?

Love the shop on the background. I bet it smells amazing in there

Good Morning Geo,I'll Take A Badger Brush Over Any Other, I Love The Way It Feels During That Zen Moment, There's No Comparison. Have A Great Shave Have A Great 🦡Day LOL

Thanks Geo. Love your videos!!

Super informative video , Thank You GEO , you are the best!!!!!!!😊😊😊

I only have a synthetic brush but have no problem lathering up. The reason I prefer the synthetic is because I have really sensitive skin so the soft bristles is a must. I must say when I go for a third clean up pass I do need to add a bit of water. Interesting experiment.

Great comparison

Loved it! You went deep on that one Geo! 😎

My wife and I were watching your Show, my wife for the first time, but the Joke fell flat because I had to explain who the man was and what was the significance of a Badger. So I guess it was a 'technical' joke that you had to comprehend the significant participants for it to be understood. The rest of the show was interesting and the comments it raised were helpful as well. Thanks for the video.

What a great idea for a video man!

Happy Father’s Day Geo! You are the father figure most of us never had! Hope you have a fantastic day! Keep shaving!

good video, tyvm Geo. Big fan

Great joke and even better content!!! Also, your stock room is a friggin candy shop man!!! I say you host private events after the shop closes and do product demos and discussions. Feed people some good food and drinks and sit back and enjoy rocketing sales for the day! Your the man Geo💪🇺🇸🇬🇷

Hi Geo great Video learning more each time I watch your channel I have my Son watching you now he is just starting to get in to wet shaving , keep up the good work really enjoy your channel😎 Alex

Great, thanks!

Hi Geo, nice vid, yes, i have noticed that with my synthetic brushes, i do have them in my rotation, but prefer my badger or boar.

Excellent video Geo, do make a quick video for horse hair brushes too.

I like synthetics least but still use - they have their place. Try squeezing the base of a synthetic knot a bit before face lathering. It’ll release some water and help prevent the drips. Nice vid Geo. For science!

Excellent comparison Geo, still like boar brushes as the exfoliate the skin really well and hold enough moisture to carry out a 3 pass 🪒 shave. Oh and less “man down” situations😅

Great comparison - ya can't change the facts !

13:45 It has its pros and its cons. Pros: There is loose water retention, which makes it much easier to clean and dry off for subsequent shaves. Cons: Loose retention means more water droplets splashing everywhere as well as potentially wasted shaving cream that flops about as well. Overall, I think given the price that synthetics are a good enough replication of the Badger fibers for most if you're more careful and patient with them.

Good one!

Great experiment. Now, YMMV, but this probably helps explain what I have noticed: I lather bowl and I usually need to add less water with synthetics than with boar or badger. Not saying whether it’s better or worse, just an observation. Depending on my mood 😀and the specific soap, I’ll choose between the 3 types of brushes.

Just got my latest resupply of feather blades and TOBS soap from SN. Been thinking about a new brush for a while. Cheers Geo.

Great video Geo. I have been using synthetics for over a year and never have a problem with lather dripping or being thrown all over the place. I think this is do to the thickness of the lather that you create. If you like your lather a little on the thin side, this may cause the lather to be loose on the brush and drip. Also for me, I find that a 24 mm works better for bowl lathering and larger knots work better for a face lather. By the way I still use my Shave Nation lather bowl and love it.

I just received a Shave Nation sythetic brush. I like it. It is certainly different than my Shave Nation badger brush. The one thing I've noticed is that the badger brush retains the warmth of the warm water better than the synthetic.

I have a the Simpsons synthetic brush and the Proraso boar brush. But I use the Shave Nation Finest Badger Brush everyday, it’s my favorite brush!

Very well presented! It shows me what I expected to see, now I'm sure. Boar is still my favourite, I like the massage and exfoliation (Omega 10049 Pro). See you soon.

@geofatboy You definitely need a scale with better resolution of 0.1 g or better. You need dry weights for each brush first (W1) Then you need a long soak to thoroughly saturate, then a quick shake to remove excess water. Weigh, note the weight (this tells you how much water it has absorbed into the fibers plus how much it's holding, call that W2), rub on a dry towel to remove water that hasn't actually been absorbed and weigh again (W3). Subtract W3 from W2 to know how much water has been absorbed by the fibers. Then you have to start weighing all the brushes every 10-15 minutes or so to see how long it takes for all of the moisture to evaporate for each knot. It is best to think of the water that is absorbed as "moisture" and the water that is just clinging to the outside of the bristles as "water" or "wetness", or whatever terms you want to use to distinguish between the two. It's also important to note that a deeply set knot will allow slower evaporation than a knot that isn't deeply set that allows for more splay. Synthetic fibers definitely absorb water, just not as much as natural hairs do. They're nylon, just like monofilament fishing line. Any fisherman can tell you that their fishing line and monofilament nets will definitely absorb water. They also will swell and stretch more when wet. Lots of people say that synthetics don't need to be soaked before use. I disagree. IMO a well soaked brush, natural or synthetic is less likely to absorb scent. It will also help to keep soap from working its way deep into the base of the knot, reducing buildup over time as well as reducing the amount of scent the brush will absorb and retain. Drying the brush with the handle up and the bristles down also helps. No matter what kind of brush you have, a good long soak to ensure the fibers have absorbed as much moisture as they can will ensure that your brush behaves consistently from shave to shave. A dry brush will rob the lather of water/moisture and pull soap and scent into the fibers, necessitating adding water for desired lather consistency as well as more frequent and thorough brush cleaning. People who puck load and face lather will probably want a different amount of "wetness" than people who scoop and bowl lather.

You’d be a fun lab partner in science class!

i would love to see a review on the Supply “Single Edge Pro”

I think the amount of time soaked in the water plays an important role. Synthetic holds water immediately but if you leave it for couple of minutes it will still hold the same amount. Natural hair will actually absorb water over time and hold more. Synthetic can't absorb it, only hold it between the bristles

You are right.synthetic hold more water,but doesn't retain it in the bristles like badger or boar. Good job Geo.😊

I like the joke! But seriously, I use my badger brushes the most! Thanks for the video Geo!

I love Badger and Boar brushes. I never liked Synthetic brushes. I've had Parker and Omega Synthetic brushes of those two I liked the Omega Synthetic much better. But I still like natural brushes much more. I also have a Zenith Horse Hair brush that's fantastic.

Well I hate this! I am a former engineering tech for a petroleum consulting firm. There is a lovely vintage book and various scholarly articles on The Flow of Fluids Through Porous Media. The discussion is very comprehensive and yes eventually will give you an understanding of your question and how to develop an experiment that provides conclusions but …and this is a meaningful but. Leonardo Da Vinci says it best, “The supreme misfortune is when theory outstrips performance. You do ill if you praise, but worse if you censure, what you do not understand.” My first and only brush is a Semogue boar 830 for the last 9 years. It finally came apart when I dropped it in the shower while I was shaving. Just the center portion of the knot was dislodged. It still works and maybe a little better. It’s very soft. I have some new diy varieties coming in tomorrow from Brush Forge. I’m excited to try them. They all work. I always look forward to shaving every day. I can’t improve on that.

Imho and experience, a synthetic lathers up quicker and with greater quantity and consistency in the bowl , but a boar/badger lathers better on the face. And my favourite brushes are synthetic - dry quicker and never smell.

My synthetic brush Just flings soap everywhere. I have only been wet shaving for a couple years now. Perhaps my technique sucks.

That's exactly why I don't like synthetic. It drips all liquid cream when you apply it. The badgers hold onto everything and are nicer to use

I do shaking out my brushes well before Lathering. That much that my brushes are moist but bot dripping. With the Synthetik the lather stays over all passes like in the first pass. With boar and Badger it happens that the brush starts making the lather thinner over the passes. That's why i prefer synthetics now. I don't get it why holding water should be such a good thing with badgers boars. There are more advantages with Synthetic than with natural brushes nowadays. At least for me...

Depends the type of soap you're using, if you're using a hard soap it's best to use synthetics if you're using soft or creamy soaps it's best to use a quality natural hair brush, whether badger or boar. Just don't go for horse, they shed all the time.

Hi Geo! Can I order from shave nation if I live in UAE Abu Dhabi? Do you ship internationally?

My friends told me that the best os a horse brush. What do you think Geo?

Cute

👍

As a trained experimenter, you had a lot of variability in your empirical method. By that, I mean each step must be exactly the same. While that is true, I believe the conclusions are sound.

Should've put the brush on then clicked 'tare' so zero, then you would've had only water retention weight. I also think shaking out was a bad idea.

Hey geo great idea 4 you shave nation should carry brand name shave products raulph laren tommy hifiguer calvein clien hugo boss

And the Winner is Mr. BADGER!!

I couldn't come up with a better shaving joke so I'm just going to be quiet

I don’t shake my brushes during lather. I’ll be darned if a $75.+ best badger trumps a $19. Goodfella Smile, for example.

How much water a brush holds is probably a function of the size/diameter and quantity of bristles, whereas the water retention would be a function of the friction between the bristle and water. Nylon is slick, so water sheds off easily and the badger hair stem is probably more coarse, so the water doesn’t shed as easily. Close up pictures of both types of hair would probably provide the answer. Just my 2 cents.

first comment, have a good day geo.

Great water retention video Geo, in the different types of shaving brushes. I personally like all different types of shaving brushes Badger, Boar, Horse Hair and Synthetics. All very good. But to me the Simpsons Badger and Synthetics shaving brushes, are the go to brushes. Proper time tested, hand made works of art. There a must have shaving tool to have in the shave den. Take care Geo. OHH that joke Geo, VERY PAINFULL !

Joke is about a 7/10,just depends on if it is understood or not,seeing most people Nowa days don’t know what a safety razor is unfortunately

I am a former boar brush user. Now all I use are synthetic brushes. Specially the Simpsons Trafalgar T2......best shaving brush I have ever owned and used.

Bad joke but I get it.

All together we don’t mess up our environment and spray water or soap around with natural brushes 😂

At least he wasn't BOARD...lol

Grownnnnnnn But funny.

Badgers are over priced...

This test is meaningless since there is no control on the amount of water you allowed each brush to soak up and no control on how much water was removed when you shook the brush so any conclusion is based on arbitrary numbers...just sayin

Great joke

Yeah, nice brushes, but have you seen the VEG right behind you? I can't concentrate, it's like looking at a holy miracle. Amen

👍