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Help finding synthetic knots

Hi guys,

I'm trying to find a couple synthetic knots similar to what I tried last year in the synthetic brush passaround. I'll post my thoughts from that thread just so you can get an idea of what I liked or didn't like. They don't have to be the same size. I may get a larger knot. Don't have the handle yet so it isn't set in stone. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

From pass around thread:
So, my favorites from the box were probably the
Crown King Checkmate
Kong
Plissoft
Plisson
Jagger silvertip
Hunter

They had enough backbone without it keeping them from splaying if I wanted to use them that way. Knots were soft without being floppy. Plisson was one of the softest brushes in the box too me. I tried finding a Checkmate for sale, but unfortunately they are no long available. I'll probably be ordering a Razorock Plissoft, but I'm going to do some shopping.

Didn't care for the solid black Purest Bristle, clear handle Omega, or the Muhle Silvertip. They were okay for painting strokes, but felt too rough if you wanted to splay them any. My primary brush is an Atomic Rocket and I like it, but the Green Ray knot seemed too floppy. Glad I didn't order one of those before.
 

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Hi guys,

I'm trying to find a couple synthetic knots similar to what I tried last year in the synthetic brush passaround. I'll post my thoughts from that thread just so you can get an idea of what I liked or didn't like. They don't have to be the same size. I may get a larger knot. Don't have the handle yet so it isn't set in stone. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

From pass around thread:
So, my favorites from the box were probably the
Crown King Checkmate
Kong
Plissoft
Plisson
Jagger silvertip
Hunter

They had enough backbone without it keeping them from splaying if I wanted to use them that way. Knots were soft without being floppy. Plisson was one of the softest brushes in the box too me. I tried finding a Checkmate for sale, but unfortunately they are no long available. I'll probably be ordering a Razorock Plissoft, but I'm going to do some shopping.

Didn't care for the solid black Purest Bristle, clear handle Omega, or the Muhle Silvertip. They were okay for painting strokes, but felt too rough if you wanted to splay them any. My primary brush is an Atomic Rocket and I like it, but the Green Ray knot seemed too floppy. Glad I didn't order one of those before.

The EJ and the Mühle are the same knot - the loft on the EJ is set very slightly higher, which could account for the difference you noted.

I both face and bowl lather depending on mood and time. Most of the brushes i use regularly will do both.

The following are commercially available items.

For knots: check out the Full Moon and Silver Synth knots at Turn-N-Shave on Etsy. Milton is a true gentleman and a pleasure to do business with. As an aside, he has a $10 Chess brush that's a great value.

You don't list a price range so, for finished brushes, this is what I'd choose between:

Omega Evo
Mühle 25mm STF
EJ 25mm STF
Shavemac 26mm Fan
Simpsons Chubby 2
PAA Peregrino 24mm Roswell Hybrid (great value)
RazoRock Big Bruce (great value)
Epsilon 26mm STF
Zenith S10 (LOTS of backbone)

Just got my new PAA Atomic Rocket and have it on tap for my Saturday shave.

Hope this helps.
 
The EJ and the Mühle are the same knot - the loft on the EJ is set very slightly higher, which could account for the difference you noted.

I both face and bowl lather depending on mood and time. Most of the brushes i use regularly will do both.

The following are commercially available items.

For knots: check out the Full Moon and Silver Synth knots at Turn-N-Shave on Etsy. Milton is a true gentleman and a pleasure to do business with. As an aside, he has a $10 Chess brush that's a great value.

You don't list a price range so, for finished brushes, this is what I'd choose between:

Omega Evo
Mühle 25mm STF
EJ 25mm STF
Shavemac 26mm Fan
Simpsons Chubby 2
PAA Peregrino 24mm Roswell Hybrid (great value)
RazoRock Big Bruce (great value)
Epsilon 26mm STF
Zenith S10 (LOTS of backbone)

Just got my new PAA Atomic Rocket and have it on tap for my Saturday shave.

Hope this helps.

I believe from the brushes the OP is referencing, the muhle is the vq and the jagger is the v2, which has softer tips.

+1 on the turn n shave knots. Their full moon, quarter moon and Angel hair are just awesome!
(Don't have silver synth yet)
 
Maggard's knots usually break down like this...

Cashmere/Angel Hair/White (all white or very light beige): very low backbone, extremely soft tips; super plush

Timberwolf (grey with black tips): low-medium backbone, extremely soft tips; plush

Brown (faux horse): low-medium backbone, slightly springy, doesn't tangle like real horse hair; slightly scrubby

Plisson (beige with brown tips): medium backbone, soft tips; just a touch of scrubbiness

Black (dark grey with black tips or all black): medium backbone, soft tips; a Plisson/Tuxedo hybrid

Tuxedo (black with white tips): medium-firm backbone, soft tips; high-density version might be harder to splay
 
Maggard's knots usually break down like this...

Cashmere/Angel Hair/White (all white or very light beige): very low backbone, extremely soft tips; super plush

Timberwolf (grey with black tips): low-medium backbone, extremely soft tips; plush

Brown (faux horse): low-medium backbone, slightly springy, doesn't tangle like real horse hair; slightly scrubby

Plisson (beige with brown tips): medium backbone, soft tips; just a touch of scrubbiness

Black (dark grey with black tips or all black): medium backbone, soft tips; a Plisson/Tuxedo hybrid

Tuxedo (black with white tips): medium-firm backbone, soft tips; high-density version might be harder to splay
Thank you for the breakdown!
Amy knowledge about how the colors from Turn N Shave compare to each other?
 
I'd just like to share here that I see across the forum where the Cashmere and Angel hair are usually talked about as being the same knot and can vouch from personal experience that they "are not" the same!! The Cashmere is a bulb style and Angel Hair is a fan style knot with the fibers of the Angel Hair being ever so slightly thinner. To my knowledge, Milton @ TurnNShave is the only vendor that sells the Angel Hair. I think I recall Yaqi listing a brush with the description of Angel Hair but it was actually a Cashmere knot that was in the brush. Milton does also sell a Cashmere bulb knot but it is called the Ghost knot.
 
If Milton's Silver Synth knot is the same or similar to his old Evershave Premium Synthetic, then I think that's what you want based on your preferences. Lots of backbone, but still has soft tips so it isn't pokey like some of the Gen 1 Synthetics. I have one in a Brush handle. The other option I might recommend would be to get something like a Tuxedo or Boss knot and use silcone to play with a few different loft settings to get the backbone you desire out of it.
 
I'd just like to share here that I see across the forum where the Cashmere and Angel hair are usually talked about as being the same knot and can vouch from personal experience that they "are not" the same!!
I don't know about anybody else, but I'm referring to the Angel Hair knot (which happens to be bulb-shaped) used by Fine Accoutrements. Other than colouration, they feel similar to Yaqi's Cashmere... at least to my face.

Also, since we're comparing these knot types, AP Shave Co.'s Cashmere is more like an Angel Hair due to the use of ultra-thin fibres.

Seems like we need some kind of standardization when it comes to naming knots!
 
I don't know about anybody else, but I'm referring to the Angel Hair knot (which happens to be bulb-shaped) used by Fine Accoutrements. Other than colouration, they feel similar to Yaqi's Cashmere... at least to my face.

Also, since we're comparing these knot types, AP Shave Co.'s Cashmere is more like an Angel Hair due to the use of ultra-thin fibres.

Seems like we need some kind of standardization when it comes to naming knots!
Thanks for the clarification because to be honest, I'd completely forgot that FA even had brushes!! I see some mention of them from time to time and that's good. I almost bought one once but the handle they came in just wasn't to my preference so I had to pass. Its nice to see people are still using them though.

I've previously had the Tuxedo, Cashmere, Synbad, and Silksmoke knots from Al and sorry to say but none are remaining in my cabinet anymore since putting TurnNShave knots in custom handles over a year ago. Al sells a great product but I personally feel Milton sells better synthetic knots for me... I can say though that I never felt that the Cashmere was that thin though and certainly not as thin as Milton's Angel Hair or Timberwolf.

Here's a pic before I sold the Cashmere (L) and Synbad (R) with my TurnNShave knots...
20181104_084633.jpg
 
Milton does also sell a Cashmere bulb knot but it is called the Ghost knot.
The ghost knot has soft tips, but one of the scrubbiest bases I have ever tried. The only thing that might even come close is a g5b, but that has more backbone. Not what I would imagine a cashmere being like...
 
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