Soaps Under $10.00

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

The Maggard 22mm Synthetic Brush

New Synthetic Brush Stock Picture
Purchasing the Maggard 22mm synthetic brush was a great investment. I bought this brush back in April of 2016 and since then I have used it exclusively. I have put  round 850 shaves on this gem and it has performed flawlessly the whole time. Before I purchased this brush I owned a couple of boar hair brushes and a cheap badger. All of those constantly lost their bristles, became floppy when wet or just to stiff for my needs. Buying this brush put a whole new dimension on lathering.

I wished I had taken a picture of the brush when I first purchased it. But the stock photo from Maggard Razors does a good job of showing it's condition when it is new. At $9.95 it is an exceptional buy. The 22mm knot is a perfect fit for my face and for lathering soap from a small container.

After 2-1/2 Years of Use




Brush after over 2-1/2 years use

As you can see from the pictures, the brush has held up remarkably well. There is no floppiness in the bristles and they continue to stand up nice and straight. The only wear on the bristles in the very tips where they have split and softened up. Some loss of color has occurred from that. I have yet to see a single bristle fall out, bend over or damaged in any way. The center continues to be well formed and firm when you stand it on the bristles. The grove at the base of the handle is great when I wash out the brush and sling the water out in the sink. Easy to hold and hangs nicely on a razor stand. Just be sure you get a stand that holds small brushes.


Brush Center
Standing on Bristles
Easy Grip Handle

Lathering and Cleaning

Lathering with this brush is a very therapeutic experience. This brush does not need to soak. Just Wet the brush with hot water, knock it out a few times and load it with soap. The bristles do not absorb water, but instead, the water is trapped between the bristles. It will take a few shaves to get used to this if you currently use a natural hair brush.

I don't build my lather in a bowl but am an avid face latherer. And boy does this brush make it a great experience! I could literally face lather for hours with this thing. It allows the soap to sink into the skin and gently massages your face. My skin feels more refreshed after using this brush over a stiffer brush. I think this is why the high dollar badgers are so prized.

Cleaning up is really easy. After washing out the soap, I hold the brush by the grove and gently sling the water out of the brush in a left to right motion towards the sides of the sink. I then take my towel and cup it in the palm of my hand and place the bristles in the towel. I gently close my palm around the bristles and then twist the brush out of the towel in the direction of my thumb, flicking the bristles as they come out of the towel. This removes the water, and preserves the formation of the bristles. After a few times I then hang the brush to dry.

One thing I will add about the pictures, is that this brush spent it's first year hanging from a brush stand. After I was flooded out of my home, I lost my stand, and I resorted to  standing the brush up on the end of the handle for the second year of it's life. Both ways of drying has had no effect on the shape of the brush or the integrity of the knot. Standing it on it's handle will cause the printed Maggard logo the eventually come off. Otherwise, this brush is just great!

If you haven't tried a synthetic, you should really try one. When I did, all my other brushes went into the closet. There is just no comparison to the experience for the low price of this brush.

Until my next post, keep the lather thick and slick!