Mühle Silvertip Synthetic Shaving Brush Review – A Gentle but Efficient Brush
Mühle Silvertip Synthetic Shaving Brush
One of the best selling shaving brushes from the company Mühle is their classic silvertip synthetic brush. We take a closer look at it in this review and tell you our findings.
Pros
Quality materials used
Nice softness while maintaining backbone
Lathers very good
Trusted brand
Cons
A bit pricey
May be tricky to choose the right size
Many guys that wet shave the traditional way favor using synthetic shaving brushes rather than any animal hair types like badger brushes that may have the possibility of being involved in any kind of animal cruelty.
So, many of us, including myself, are always trying to find the best synthetic shaving brushes that function just as well or even better than a badger brush.
The next brush I tested out that I will review today is the Mühle Silvertip Synthetic Shaving Brush. Again, a quality brush I was looking forward to mixing up some lather with.
The Brand: MÜHLE the brand is a German company known worldwide for its high-quality shaving products, especially its safety razors and shaving brushes. They have been crafting, making, and trading since 1945. Popular razors we have reviewed include the Mühle Rocca, R41, and R89.
Description and Features
This brush from the Mühle collection is what’s known as the classic. The classic is available in olive wood and high-grade resin like the one reviewed here.
Sizes: Knot sizes include 19mm (small), 21mm (medium), 23mm (large), and 25mm (XL).
Small
| weight: | 50 g |
|---|---|
| width: | 35 mm |
| length: | 90 mm |
| knot: | 19mm |
Medium
| weight: | 54 g |
|---|---|
| width: | 35 mm |
| length: | 93 mm |
| knot: | 21mm |
Large
| weight: | 62 g |
|---|---|
| width: | 35 mm |
| height: | 95 mm |
| knot: | 23mm |
XL
| weight: | 68 g |
|---|---|
| width: | 35 mm |
| height: | 113 mm |
| knot: | 25mm |
Which size a person chooses is mostly about personal preference. I bought and tested the medium brush and wish I had gone for the large size.
The bigger the brush, the more water it will hold, and they can produce lather quicker. As I mentioned, size is about preference (between 21 – 24mm is most popular with brushes).
What does the silvertip mean? Mühle can explain that better than I could. This premium quality, durable synthetic fibre is a worldwide innovation and proof from us that art is capable of surpassing nature. The synthetically produced hair, which is also suitable for vegans, is very easy to look after and dries faster than any natural material. The fibres are made by hand and are particularly soft at the tip. At the same time, the lower part of the brush is firmer and provides sufficient backbone for a pleasant massage effect even when wet. In addition, Silvertip Fibre® guarantees a luxurious lather even when using the smallest amounts of shaving soap or cream.
What Do You Think About The Handle?
The handle, as Mühle explains, is a classic type. Which I guess could also mean quite basic or standard.
The handle on the Mühle Silvertip Synthetic Shaving Brush has a nice weight and feels like a high-quality material is used. It has no plasticky feeling to it at all.
The Mühle logo stamped on the outside and on the underside of the brush gives it a nice look.
There isn’t much more to say about the brush handle. As you guys know, it’s all about the knot.
Can You Describe How It Performs and What You Think About The Knot?
I’ve had this Mühle Synthetic (medium 21mm) for some time, and while I have not found it to be my perfect brush, it’s a decent brush that whips up a great lather.
Backbone
This brush has a good backbone and feels quite springy, especially when it is not wet. Some guys may not like that springiness, while others may not notice it.
The brush has excellent stiffness, with a soft feeling from the fibers. However, it’s not a significant spalying type of brush that some guys will favor and others won’t.
Softness
It’s definitely about the softness, the silvertip synthetic. There is no scritch and scratch to it that some gents might prefer.
If you like soft, then this brush does soft very well.
Water and Lather Retention
This is one area that this brush and other synthetics can fail for me, but only if I lather from the brush to the face rather than a bowl. Water does drip out of the brush, and I can get a good bit of foam flicking left, right, and center if I don’t use a bowl first. I could be slightly to blame here, though, as I like to just slap it on.
When I lather from the bowl it’s a different brush and retains water and soap very well.
Durability
This Mühle brush is built to last. It feels solid, looks solid and there’s no sign of any hairs coming away from the base of the knot.
Cleaning and Drying
Like most decent shaving brushes, the silvertip synthetic from Mühle needs a good rinse to get all the soap out, which is a good sign that it’s retaining as it should. The good news is the brush dries out pretty quick and faster than a badger-type brush (typical for synthetics).
To help begin the drying process, I always softly run the tip and sides of a brush over a towel.
Lathering and Applying
Not a single complaint here in the lathering department or getting it on my face. Plenty of lather, and it holds well in the brush. You can have a nice thick lather on the face in no time with decent shaving soap or cream.
It works very well when loading the brush from a shaving soap puck and then lathering it up in a bowl. However, as mentioned above, I find lathering on the face directly tends to make me need to keep an eye on making sure there is not too much water in the brush, so it won’t dribble or splat foam here and there.
Value For Money
The price tag on this brush starts from around $46 for the smallest model, and then the large and XL models cost over $60. So, these are not the cheapest synthetic shaving brushes on the market.
The shaving brush is quality and made very well. There could be a little money added on these because of branding, but it is not overly expensive.
You might not want to spend this amount on your first shaving brush, but if you have a cheaper synthetic and want something that is of higher quality, then it could be a good buy for you.
Any Common Consumer Issues, Complaints or Positive Reports?
The main negative I have seen in reports is the price tag and that others just as good as the Mühle Silvertip Synthetic Shaving Brush can be picked up much cheaper.
I have seen people nit-picking in the forums about what aspect they dislike about this brush, and the end consensus that I must agree on is it’s much about personal preference.
There are some issues with gents buying the correct size. Quite a few wish they bought a larger size, and I have seen it mentioned that the large size was too big. I also tried out the medium-sized first and then preferred the large brush.
Final Thoughts – Who Is The Mühle Silvertip Synthetic Shaving Brush Best Suited For?
It’s a great brush that feels, looks, and lathers like a quality shaving brush that you would expect from a company like Mühle. So yes, it is a bit pricey but not at the top end of shaving brush prices.
If you consider purchasing one, do think about the size you want. Go with what size has worked before, I guess, and just keep in mind the handle is not that big.
You might not want to spend this much on a synthetic brush if this is the first time you are trying one out. Instead, you would save a bit of money by buying a Yaqi, Omega, or other synthetic to test whether you like synthetic brushes.
If you have a cheap synthetic brush that needs replacing, then the Mühle Silvertip Synthetic Shaving Brush is one to consider.
See you at the next lather up and shave down!
