WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

What kind of shaving brush do you use? Tell us all about it!
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houlejames
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WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by houlejames »

I am down to three brushes, all synthetics. Just received the 24mm WD Synthetic from Larry and only used it once so far but I think I am going to prefer it over the Plisson. It has a better face feel mainly to me than the Plisson. Other characteristics are similar, except it seemed to retain the same consistency on all five passes, two with the headshave and three with the face. The Plisson I need to wet a bit between passes as the lather gets too dry. With the WD I only wet it a bit on the last face pass and it was still not too dry without wetting. I think it is because the knot seems a bit denser. The EJ and WD both seem to retain the water better than the Plisson. I bowl lather with Proraso Cream pretty much exclusively.
Between the EJ and WD it really isn't fair to compare because the EJ is over 3 times more expensive. But other than more bloom, denser knot and nicer handle they really perform quite similar. The EJ is just more luxurious looking and a bit bigger, denser knot with more bloom. The WD rinses easier than the EJ and will probably dry faster. The WD will make a great travel brush and I probably will get down to just using the WD as I have a hard time justifying the price of the EJ over the WD.
Has anyone tried the WD 30mm synthetic? That may be the next brush I try if I settle down to just the 24mm WD and sell the other two. I think the fibers in the WD are about perfect for me. The plisson too soft, floppy and the EJ just a bit too dense and harder to rinse. But the EJ is the nicest brush for a luxurious shave. The EJ probably mimics a good badger hair the closest of the three.
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houlejames
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by houlejames »

I just noticed that the WD knot has a glue bump. The loft from the glue bump is 46mm so that explains why the brush is a bit stiffer than the Plisson. You don't feel the glue bump when using the brush. I used a toothpick to measure the loft from the glue bump to the tips. The Plisson is 52mm and the EJ is 54mm. Just some more useless information for everyone to digest.
ShadowsDad
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by ShadowsDad »

What's a "WD"?

Yeah, OK, so I live in a cave. :-)
Brian

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Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
houlejames
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by houlejames »

WD is abbreviation for Whipped Dog Shave Brush . http://whippeddog.com/
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Rufust445
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by Rufust445 »

There's a similar thread on synthetic brushes over at B&B, and the WD brush seems to be the preferred one.

Good news travels fast, as Whipped Dog is currently out of the synthetics.

In the meantime, I'm quite happy making do with my Muhle hjm black fibre brush w. red ergo handle,
and, an Omega S-Brush for travel.
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Sam
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by Sam »

I did not like the Plisson, and visually, it was not as appealing. I have the EJ XL and a Simpsons Chubby 2 in synthetic. The EJ is a bigger knot and is very, very soft, even softer than the Simpsons. It does tend to splay on the face as more, but that is not a bad thing. I use the Simpsons every day because it has a little bit more scrubbing to it and its density and the way the knot is on the face, well, I just prefer it
houlejames
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by houlejames »

I just ordered the 30mm WD Synthetic in butterscotch to match the 24mm. I am selling the Plisson as I like the 24mm WD much better and if the 30mm works out I will probably sell the EJ XL as well. Larry's new synthetic 24mm seems to be the best of the synthetics that I have used.
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Sam
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by Sam »

How does the WD brush compare to the Edwin Jagger. I have a Simpsons synthetic and the EJ. Two very soft brushes. Lather greatly. The Simpsons to me is denser, the EJ splays more. And because the EJ splays more, it feels more like a 30mm brush knot. I think it is a tad bit softer but it takes up my whole cheek.

I am thinking a 24 or 22mm WD symthetic. Also, do you have experience with the WD silvertip or High Mountain badgers and how deep to set the loft?
houlejames
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by houlejames »

Actually I can't tell a lot of difference between the 30mm WD and the 25mm EJ in size or performance. The 30mm WD has a glue bump that keeps it from splaying as much as the EJ so size wise both brushes feel similar when using. I like them both and the WD is quite a bit cheaper to buy, so value wise the WD is a better value. Aesthetically I would give the EJ the edge. I really like both brushes and use them both exclusively at home.
On the road I like the 24mm WD and the Satin Tip Purest as they dry faster then the bigger 30mm WD and 25mm EJ, but these even though they are big dry quite fast.
The 24mm WD and Satin Tip are very similar also. The 24mm WD with the glue bump and the smaller Satin Tip with no glue bump perform and feel quite similar IMO. I also have found that the larger brushes seem to lather better if I soak in water a bit before using. I think it is because of the density of the knots, 45mm EJ and 30mm WD that they need some time to get uniformly wet? Also I need to shake the water out with 4 or 5 shakes instead of 3 shakes with the smaller knots. But of the 4 brushes I would be hard pressed to really like one of them better than the others. I have been going back and forth between the brushes and like them all. I really like the Satin Tip handle as it isn't slippery when wet but I am not sure yet how durable the finish is. It seems to have lost the shine in places and is going flat black, especially near the knot.
I haven't any experience with the WD badger knots. I had the older WD synthetic knots which were okay but the new synthetics that Larry has are much better. For me they are just the right amount of softness and splay. WD synthetics are a very good quality and value IMO
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Sam
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by Sam »

Thanks. I am looking at the 24mm WD synthetic. One thing about the EJ, which has a 25mm head, is that the loft is so high that it splays open, and since i have a goatee, it seems that the brush covers my whole cheek. What loft do you have on the WD 24mm? And how does it compare to the EJ XL you have? I am thinking maybe taking the regular loft and sinking it 1 to 3mm or so and making it a bit tighter. Any chance of a pic of those two, head to head?
houlejames
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by houlejames »

Lowering the loft probably won't change anything on the WD's as the glue bump extends past any loft you would probably set. The 30mm WD splays about the same as the 25mm EJ. The 24mm WD splays about the same as the Plisson and Satin Tip Purest but not near as much as the EJ or 30mm WD.
WD 30mm- glue bump is 48mm. Loft is 60mm
WD 24mm- glue bump is 46mm, Loft is 55mm
EJ 25mm- glue bump is 54mm, Loft is 58mm
The glue bump was measured by sticking a toothpick down the center of the knot and measuring from the glue bump to the top of knot. All measurements are approximate as I used a tape measure and not a micrometer. The tootpick may just go down to the knot where it is so dense it can't go any further.
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Sam
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by Sam »

Thanks. Im selling my Simpsons so I can get more splay than it offers, and then when I get the WD will sell my EJ. Saw y ours up for sale and that is a tremendous price for a super soft brush, surprised no one has jumped on it. Will get a WD 24mm badger but may have to sink it.
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by rsp1202 »

I'm waiting on an Ubersoft 24mm synthetic knot from Whipped Dog, have a Chiseled Face Fauxmere 24mm in house, and am thinking about adding the new Stirling 26mm. These are all Plisson-style knots in a denser and/or larger configuration than the original Plisson. They're inexpensive: the three together total less than one factory Plisson (adding the cost of a handle for the Fauxmere alone would still be cheaper) and are supposed to address many of the original's issues. I expect none of them will replace badger but will be an interesting supplement. The Muhle and Jagger look to be better finished, and I liked the XL EJ knot, but I couldn't handle the handle on it.
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mpols1968
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by mpols1968 »

houlejames wrote:Actually I can't tell a lot of difference between the 30mm WD and the 25mm EJ in size or performance. The 30mm WD has a glue bump that keeps it from splaying as much as the EJ so size wise both brushes feel similar when using. I like them both and the WD is quite a bit cheaper to buy, so value wise the WD is a better value. Aesthetically I would give the EJ the edge. I really like both brushes and use them both exclusively at home.
On the road I like the 24mm WD and the Satin Tip Purest as they dry faster then the bigger 30mm WD and 25mm EJ, but these even though they are big dry quite fast.
The 24mm WD and Satin Tip are very similar also. The 24mm WD with the glue bump and the smaller Satin Tip with no glue bump perform and feel quite similar IMO. I also have found that the larger brushes seem to lather better if I soak in water a bit before using. I think it is because of the density of the knots, 45mm EJ and 30mm WD that they need some time to get uniformly wet? Also I need to shake the water out with 4 or 5 shakes instead of 3 shakes with the smaller knots. But of the 4 brushes I would be hard pressed to really like one of them better than the others. I have been going back and forth between the brushes and like them all. I really like the Satin Tip handle as it isn't slippery when wet but I am not sure yet how durable the finish is. It seems to have lost the shine in places and is going flat black, especially near the knot.
I haven't any experience with the WD badger knots. I had the older WD synthetic knots which were okay but the new synthetics that Larry has are much better. For me they are just the right amount of softness and splay. WD synthetics are a very good quality and value IMO
I really appreciate this analysis. I hadn't heard the term "glue bump", but it makes a lot of sense. It can change the feel of the brush.
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Re: WD,EJXL and Plisson Synthetics

Post by brothers »

houlejames, that WD30 is a real beauty!
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