diff --git a/mwparserfromhell/string_mixin.py b/mwparserfromhell/string_mixin.py
index bf68c18..856035b 100644
--- a/mwparserfromhell/string_mixin.py
+++ b/mwparserfromhell/string_mixin.py
@@ -26,20 +26,12 @@ interface for the ``unicode`` type (``str`` on py3k) in a dynamic manner.
 """
 
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
+from sys import getdefaultencoding
 
-from .compat import py3k, py32, str
+from .compat import bytes, py3k, str
 
 __all__ = ["StringMixIn"]
 
-def inheritdoc(method):
-    """Set __doc__ of *method* to __doc__ of *method* in its parent class.
-
-    Since this is used on :py:class:`~.StringMixIn`, the "parent class" used is
-    ``str``. This function can be used as a decorator.
-    """
-    method.__doc__ = getattr(str, method.__name__).__doc__
-    return method
-
 class StringMixIn(object):
     """Implement the interface for ``unicode``/``str`` in a dynamic manner.
 
@@ -55,10 +47,10 @@ class StringMixIn(object):
             return self.__unicode__()
 
         def __bytes__(self):
-            return self.__unicode__().encode("utf8")
+            return bytes(self.__unicode__(), getdefaultencoding())
     else:
         def __str__(self):
-            return self.__unicode__().encode("utf8")
+            return bytes(self.__unicode__())
 
     def __unicode__(self):
         raise NotImplementedError()
@@ -67,33 +59,21 @@ class StringMixIn(object):
         return repr(self.__unicode__())
 
     def __lt__(self, other):
-        if isinstance(other, StringMixIn):
-            return self.__unicode__() < other.__unicode__()
         return self.__unicode__() < other
 
     def __le__(self, other):
-        if isinstance(other, StringMixIn):
-            return self.__unicode__() <= other.__unicode__()
         return self.__unicode__() <= other
 
     def __eq__(self, other):
-        if isinstance(other, StringMixIn):
-            return self.__unicode__() == other.__unicode__()
         return self.__unicode__() == other
 
     def __ne__(self, other):
-        if isinstance(other, StringMixIn):
-            return self.__unicode__() != other.__unicode__()
         return self.__unicode__() != other
 
     def __gt__(self, other):
-        if isinstance(other, StringMixIn):
-            return self.__unicode__() > other.__unicode__()
         return self.__unicode__() > other
 
     def __ge__(self, other):
-        if isinstance(other, StringMixIn):
-            return self.__unicode__() >= other.__unicode__()
         return self.__unicode__() >= other
 
     if py3k:
@@ -117,250 +97,10 @@ class StringMixIn(object):
         return reversed(self.__unicode__())
 
     def __contains__(self, item):
-        if isinstance(item, StringMixIn):
-            return str(item) in self.__unicode__()
-        return item in self.__unicode__()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def capitalize(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().capitalize()
-
-    if py3k and not py32:
-        @inheritdoc
-        def casefold(self):
-            return self.__unicode__().casefold()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def center(self, width, fillchar=None):
-        if fillchar is None:
-            return self.__unicode__().center(width)
-        return self.__unicode__().center(width, fillchar)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def count(self, sub, start=None, end=None):
-        return self.__unicode__().count(sub, start, end)
+        return str(item) in self.__unicode__()
 
-    if not py3k:
-        @inheritdoc
-        def decode(self, encoding=None, errors=None):
-            kwargs = {}
-            if encoding is not None:
-                kwargs["encoding"] = encoding
-            if errors is not None:
-                kwargs["errors"] = errors
-            return self.__unicode__().decode(**kwargs)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def encode(self, encoding=None, errors=None):
-        kwargs = {}
-        if encoding is not None:
-            kwargs["encoding"] = encoding
-        if errors is not None:
-            kwargs["errors"] = errors
-        return self.__unicode__().encode(**kwargs)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def endswith(self, prefix, start=None, end=None):
-        return self.__unicode__().endswith(prefix, start, end)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def expandtabs(self, tabsize=None):
-        if tabsize is None:
-            return self.__unicode__().expandtabs()
-        return self.__unicode__().expandtabs(tabsize)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def find(self, sub, start=None, end=None):
-        return self.__unicode__().find(sub, start, end)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def format(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        return self.__unicode__().format(*args, **kwargs)
+    def __getattr__(self, attr):
+        return getattr(self.__unicode__(), attr)
 
     if py3k:
-        @inheritdoc
-        def format_map(self, mapping):
-            return self.__unicode__().format_map(mapping)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def index(self, sub, start=None, end=None):
-        return self.__unicode__().index(sub, start, end)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def isalnum(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().isalnum()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def isalpha(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().isalpha()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def isdecimal(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().isdecimal()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def isdigit(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().isdigit()
-
-    if py3k:
-        @inheritdoc
-        def isidentifier(self):
-            return self.__unicode__().isidentifier()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def islower(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().islower()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def isnumeric(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().isnumeric()
-
-    if py3k:
-        @inheritdoc
-        def isprintable(self):
-            return self.__unicode__().isprintable()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def isspace(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().isspace()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def istitle(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().istitle()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def isupper(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().isupper()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def join(self, iterable):
-        return self.__unicode__().join(iterable)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def ljust(self, width, fillchar=None):
-        if fillchar is None:
-            return self.__unicode__().ljust(width)
-        return self.__unicode__().ljust(width, fillchar)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def lower(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().lower()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def lstrip(self, chars=None):
-        return self.__unicode__().lstrip(chars)
-
-    if py3k:
-        @staticmethod
-        @inheritdoc
-        def maketrans(x, y=None, z=None):
-            if z is None:
-                if y is None:
-                    return str.maketrans(x)
-                return str.maketrans(x, y)
-            return str.maketrans(x, y, z)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def partition(self, sep):
-        return self.__unicode__().partition(sep)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def replace(self, old, new, count=None):
-        if count is None:
-            return self.__unicode__().replace(old, new)
-        return self.__unicode__().replace(old, new, count)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def rfind(self, sub, start=None, end=None):
-        return self.__unicode__().rfind(sub, start, end)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def rindex(self, sub, start=None, end=None):
-        return self.__unicode__().rindex(sub, start, end)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def rjust(self, width, fillchar=None):
-        if fillchar is None:
-            return self.__unicode__().rjust(width)
-        return self.__unicode__().rjust(width, fillchar)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def rpartition(self, sep):
-        return self.__unicode__().rpartition(sep)
-
-    if py3k and not py32:
-        @inheritdoc
-        def rsplit(self, sep=None, maxsplit=None):
-            kwargs = {}
-            if sep is not None:
-                kwargs["sep"] = sep
-            if maxsplit is not None:
-                kwargs["maxsplit"] = maxsplit
-            return self.__unicode__().rsplit(**kwargs)
-    else:
-        @inheritdoc
-        def rsplit(self, sep=None, maxsplit=None):
-            if maxsplit is None:
-                if sep is None:
-                    return self.__unicode__().rsplit()
-                return self.__unicode__().rsplit(sep)
-            return self.__unicode__().rsplit(sep, maxsplit)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def rstrip(self, chars=None):
-        return self.__unicode__().rstrip(chars)
-
-    if py3k and not py32:
-        @inheritdoc
-        def split(self, sep=None, maxsplit=None):
-            kwargs = {}
-            if sep is not None:
-                kwargs["sep"] = sep
-            if maxsplit is not None:
-                kwargs["maxsplit"] = maxsplit
-            return self.__unicode__().split(**kwargs)
-    else:
-        @inheritdoc
-        def split(self, sep=None, maxsplit=None):
-            if maxsplit is None:
-                if sep is None:
-                    return self.__unicode__().split()
-                return self.__unicode__().split(sep)
-            return self.__unicode__().split(sep, maxsplit)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def splitlines(self, keepends=None):
-        if keepends is None:
-            return self.__unicode__().splitlines()
-        return self.__unicode__().splitlines(keepends)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def startswith(self, prefix, start=None, end=None):
-        return self.__unicode__().startswith(prefix, start, end)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def strip(self, chars=None):
-        return self.__unicode__().strip(chars)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def swapcase(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().swapcase()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def title(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().title()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def translate(self, table):
-        return self.__unicode__().translate(table)
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def upper(self):
-        return self.__unicode__().upper()
-
-    @inheritdoc
-    def zfill(self, width):
-        return self.__unicode__().zfill(width)
-
-
-del inheritdoc
+        maketrans = str.maketrans  # Static method can't rely on __getattr__
diff --git a/mwparserfromhell/wikicode.py b/mwparserfromhell/wikicode.py
index 3bf458e..148726c 100644
--- a/mwparserfromhell/wikicode.py
+++ b/mwparserfromhell/wikicode.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import re
 
-from .compat import maxsize, py3k, str
+from .compat import py3k, str
 from .nodes import (Argument, Comment, ExternalLink, Heading, HTMLEntity,
                     Node, Tag, Template, Text, Wikilink)
 from .string_mixin import StringMixIn
diff --git a/tests/test_string_mixin.py b/tests/test_string_mixin.py
index ec0c97c..ca627ea 100644
--- a/tests/test_string_mixin.py
+++ b/tests/test_string_mixin.py
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ class TestStringMixIn(unittest.TestCase):
         else:
             methods.append("decode")
         for meth in methods:
-            expected = getattr(str, meth).__doc__
-            actual = getattr(StringMixIn, meth).__doc__
+            expected = getattr("foo", meth).__doc__
+            actual = getattr(_FakeString("foo"), meth).__doc__
             self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
 
     def test_types(self):
@@ -109,12 +109,12 @@ class TestStringMixIn(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertFalse(str1 < str4)
         self.assertTrue(str1 <= str4)
 
-        self.assertTrue(str1 > str5)
-        self.assertTrue(str1 >= str5)
-        self.assertFalse(str1 == str5)
-        self.assertTrue(str1 != str5)
-        self.assertFalse(str1 < str5)
-        self.assertFalse(str1 <= str5)
+        self.assertFalse(str5 > str1)
+        self.assertFalse(str5 >= str1)
+        self.assertFalse(str5 == str1)
+        self.assertTrue(str5 != str1)
+        self.assertTrue(str5 < str1)
+        self.assertTrue(str5 <= str1)
 
     def test_other_magics(self):
         """test other magically implemented features, like len() and iter()"""