Ali Express26MM Yaqi Mysterious Space Color Handle Tuxedo Knot Men Shaving Brush
Material: Synthetic hair bristles + Mysterious Resin Handle
Brush knot diameter: 26MM
Loft size: 57mm (+/-1mm)
Handle height: 65mm (+/-1mm)
Widest part of the handle diameter: 40mm (+/-1mm)
The Yaqi shaving brush.
Purchase:
Purchased from Ali Express for €15 + Shipping.
It took 3 weeks to deliver from order.
I've used Ali Express a number of times (the Qshave is one of their bargains). I've never had any issue of problem with them. Recommended.
I was originally looking for a smaller handled brush as i have developed a habit of gripping the base of the knot on my BS brush for face lathering, however, Yaqi didn't have the smaller Space handle with this knot so i got the bigger one.
It arrives as all Ali express stuff does, in a simple box and wrapper. There is a simple instruction sheet included in the box:
Form:
The brush has a "tuxedo" knot apparently. I think this means the tips of the fibres are split?
The handle is amazing to behold. I love the colours and hue. It is quite like the image on Ali Express even though Yaqi do state that variations can occour so a well done to Yaki for that.
This is not a dainty thing! It is much heavier than my BS brush and feels really substantial in the hand. That is not a bad thing. It doesn't feel clunky. Just "robust ".
The name and make is nicely stamped on the base:
There are a lot of fibres in this brush! The knot is very dense. You can see through the knot on my BS brush. Not so the Yaqi. The fibres are very fine and densly packed.
The Finish is excellent.
I don't detect any glue bump either.
In Use: Loading.
How does it lather/shave?
Because of the dense/fine fibres, the brush can hold a lot of water. It needs a good flick to get it ready for loading. Because of the fine fibres, i thought this would struggle with a firm puck of soap, so to test this aspect, for my first use i used my Dr K Lime soap which is a really solid puck. The brush had no problem loading. It loaded better than my BS brush . On reflection, i think that whilst my BS brush has stiffer fibres, the Yaqi has such a higher number of them that the puck doesn't stand a chance
Lathering:
I expected the brush to really splay out with the soft fibres. I thought it would be all over the puck during loading, much like my (cheap ) badger did, but something weird happens when this brush is wet; the fibres pull into each other forming a soft yet firm knot. It is excellent during pick up. It stays in a consistant shape and sucks anything it can into the knot. It is not a messy brush!
Application:
(Face) Lathering is similar to the pick up. The knot doesn't splay like a dropped pie when lathering. It stays compact and is very well behaved. Because of the fibre density, it lathers like mad. The lather is very soft and creamy. The fine fibres seems to encourage a fine lather.
Application is where this brush really shines. Whilst it keeps its shape during the build up, it "flows" around the contours of your face when applying lather. Again, those fine fibres help the brush almost flow when applying pressure perpendicular to the brush (as when using it to apply the lather).
I took a picture of the brush pressed against my flowerpot to give some idea how it feels on the face.
It is quite remarkable.
It is beautifully soft during the strokes, Almost liquid. It feels like silk it is that soft. It is almost sensual lol.
This softness which comes from the fine fibres really really help with getting a fine, even layer of lather. Seriously, watching youtubers painting thick clumps of soap on the face prior to shaving is a million miles away from this brush. I have to stop myself from doing it just for the pleasure rather than the necessity lol.
Post shave:
I've had no problems with this brush post shave. I simply give it a few really strong shakes and it dries into its original shape.
Wrap up:
I've lost 2-3 fibres on the first use and nothing since which i am happy about. I'm mad about the handle, it looks great although I'm still getting used to its size. I like the larger head as well. The characteristics of this brush allow it to easily cope with a bigger head and this really helps on application.
This brush cost me nearly the same as the BS brush i have. For that, it is an absolute bargain. It behaves differently than any other brush I've used but only in a good way. It's performance on the face is a real treat and something i have begun to look forward to during my shave. If it proves to be as reliable as my BS brush then i will be highly impressed with it.
On the strength of this brush, I will at some time go back to Ali express and get the Yaqi silvertip. If it is as well built and performs as well as this one does, I'm sure i will be delighted.
A wonderful brush. Well done Yaqi
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