Shopping for Muhle Synthetic - Handle Materials and Ergonomics

Discomfort with holding my brush has me looking for a new one. I already bought a new boar (Omega 48) that is nice and big. The boar, despite being 2x the size, is half the weight of my old full badger with a metal handle. The badger weighs in at about 135 grams dry. I would like to try a synthetic and I'm thinking about going to the extreme on the other side for weight. I wanted to try a Muhle since it seems the most favored of the synthetics.



These Muhle Moderns at http://ift.tt/1bI53sf look like my best bet:



A few questions:

1. The lightest one's, like the 21H33, weighing in are 28 grams. The handle looks comfortable, albeit a bit short, but I'm worried about the wood. How quickly does it degrade? Is one kind of wood better than another in terms of lasting longer over time?


2. Similar question for the 21A3, Acrylic glass but more from the perspective of how easy it is to scratch. I probably won't opt for this one since it's heavier but I do like the aesthetics of it.


3. For those who have ordered from Connaught Shaving, how long does it usually take to ship to the U.S.

Thanks in advance!