I have a Men-U brush, I bought it because I was being all Eco and didn't want to buy something made from slaughtered animal. Don't get me wrong, I'm no veggie, I eat meat. But I was in that kinda crazy space where I wouldn't wear furs but I do wear a leather jacket and leather shoes and leather belt.
Hypocracy all over.
Anyway, the Men-U brush cost me 30 notes, and is very smooth and gets me a lather. My dad showed me his old shaving brush today, it was like wire. "You need a harder brush to generate a lather," he said. I'm not one to contradict my father, but my soft Men-U brush seems to do the trick.
I'm 3-4 weeks into DE shaving, and no expert, but those are my observations.