Face Lathering

[Barney14]

I face lather using Proraso green with a Yaqi synthetic brush.

Is there a better synthetic brush for face lathering, I have seen G7 and T4 shaving brushes on Aliexpress, are they going to be noticeably better.

If not any recommendations in the £20 price range that are available in the UK.

Thanks

 

[NorthernSoul]

For that budget category, Yaqi is pretty good. It is more up to you which knot you prefer. Yaqi makes a lot of different brushes. Which one do you have now?

Two brushes from Yaqi that I've found quite good for face lathering are the Sagrada Familia with Tuxedo knot and the Purple Haze with Mew Brown knot. The first one is more firm, the second is softer.

If you decide to spend more, something like the Muhle Silvertip Fibre brushes would be nicer.

 

[Goblin]

I own several Yaqi brushes and face lather with all of them, including the Sagrada Familia recommended above (I am pretty sure the folks at Yaqi don't know what that means).

I think for your budget they are tough to beat. The only other thing you might consider within your budget is a boar. Face lathering with a nicely broken-in boar is wonderful, although they take more effort than a synthetic due to the need for pre-soaking, and take longer to dry out, etc.

 

[Barney14]

I own several Yaqi brushes and face lather with all of them, including the Sagrada Familia recommended above (I am pretty sure the folks at Yaqi don't know what that means).

I think for your budget they are tough to beat. The only other thing you might consider within your budget is a boar. Face lathering with a nicely broken-in boar is wonderful, although they take more effort than a synthetic due to the need for pre-soaking, and take longer to dry out, etc.

I have the Mysterious Space but would like to find how it compares to newer fibres

I have just seen a DScosmetics A2S brush any idea what these are like

 

[ivan_101]

Yaqi is good enough. Don't bother with other synths.

 

[Barney14]

Yaqi is good enough. Don't bother with other synths.

That's a good straightforward answer but why

 

[Goblin]

I have the Mysterious Space but would like to find how it compares to newer fibres

I have just seen a DScosmetics A2S brush any idea what these are like

I never used a DScosmetic brush. Back when Yaqi and DSCosmetic both started offering cheap synths, most folks seemed to think the Yaqi offerings were better quality. I don't know if that still holds though.

 

[ByMyBeard]

I think my question may be related to the OPs request. I have strictly face lathered since I started DE shaving maybe 10 years ago. I've had the same Omega boar brush the entire time. It may be the "professional". The handle is fairly large in that it is about as tall as my palm is wide. Anyway, I've noticed some black dots near the base of the bristles, and feel it may be some mold and time to replace it. This is where the connection with the OPs request comes in...

While I've had no issues with the brush, I'd like some input regarding my next purchase. I'd like to stay in a budgetish category (Definltey sub $50, and lower than that is even better!). I've always soaked the brush for some amount of time, but if I can skip that step it'd be an improvement as well. Never shaved with badger or synthetic. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Barney14]

I think my question may be related to the OPs request. I have strictly face lathered since I started DE shaving maybe 10 years ago. I've had the same Omega boar brush the entire time. It may be the "professional". The handle is fairly large in that it is about as tall as my palm is wide. Anyway, I've noticed some black dots near the base of the bristles, and feel it may be some mold and time to replace it. This is where the connection with the OPs request comes in...

While I've had no issues with the brush, I'd like some input regarding my next purchase. I'd like to stay in a budgetish category (Definltey sub $50, and lower than that is even better!). I've always soaked the brush for some amount of time, but if I can skip that step it'd be an improvement as well. Never shaved with badger or synthetic. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

I have had my Yaqi synthetic for around 5 years, in that time it's been absolutely perfect, no rot, drys quickly, feels pretty soft and makes nice lather.

My only reason for changing it is that I saw Dscosmetics A2S brushes advertised as being the latest thing in synthetics especially for face lathering.

The Yaqi will be used as my travel brush.

I am no tree hugger but I also like that some poor badger wasn't killed to make a nice lather.

I like the fact that the A2S is only £18.

 

[Goblin]

I've noticed some black dots near the base of the bristles, and feel it may be some mold and time to replace it.

Sounds like you have a Pro 49, the greatest brush of all time! (Others may disagree with that).

It certainly does sound like mould, which suggests the brush hasn't been drying out fully inbetween uses. It can take 48hrs for a big brush like that to fully dry out, so ideally you need more than one so that you can rotate between them. The same can really be said for any natural hair brush.

Synthetics are much lower maintenance and dry faster. I suggest something from Razorock or Yaqi in 24mm or maybe 26mm if you like the larger size of the Omega. You can't really go wrong. Get a Razorock Bruce AND another Pro 49 and you have two great brushes for <$25. What could be finer?

 

[emwolf]

My favorite face lathering synthetic is the Razorock Monster.

 

[ByMyBeard]

Sounds like you have a Pro 49, the greatest brush of all time! (Others may disagree with that).

It certainly does sound like mould, which suggests the brush hasn't been drying out fully inbetween uses...

Interesting. I never used a brush stand, and the brush would always sit bristles up when I finished. I assume that doesn't help, either. Sounds like I need to find a synthetic version of the Pro49.

 

[NorthernSoul]

It's good to have at least two brushes and rotate them, so they can dry out completely. Try to get most of the water out when you've finished shaving.

You can also use a disinfectant made for brushes to kill any mold, mildew, etc. No need to throw out your brush.

 

[Goblin]

Interesting. I never used a brush stand, and the brush would always sit bristles up when I finished. I assume that doesn't help, either. Sounds like I need to find a synthetic version of the Pro49.

Orientation of the brush makes no difference. Capillary action draws water out regardless. Humidity and ventilation however are definitely factors.

I would avoid Omega synthetics personally - boar is where it's at for Omegas. Likewise, trying to duplicate the dimensions of a boar with synthetic fibres probably isn't a good plan - they have fundamentally different characteristics and attempts to do so (back to Omega synthetics) haven't been very successful.

 

[Frank Shaves]

Brush choice is highly subjective. I love face lathering with my Semogue Torga C5 brushes. 24 mm with 50 mm loft, which makes the brush a little scrubbier and (in my opinion) perfect for face lathering. Photos from Connaught Shaving.

I know that 46.80 euro is above your price point, but I would urge you to consider springing for a Mistura.

 

[frbock]

For that budget category, Yaqi is pretty good. It is more up to you which knot you prefer. Yaqi makes a lot of different brushes. Which one do you have now?

Two brushes from Yaqi that I've found quite good for face lathering are the Sagrada Familia with Tuxedo knot and the Purple Haze with Mew Brown knot. The first one is more firm, the second is softer.

View attachment 1763928View attachment 1763929

If you decide to spend more, something like the Muhle Silvertip Fibre brushes would be nicer.

I have the Muhle and it's a very nice brush. I keep it at home.
When I travel, I have a 24mm tuxedo brush, and leave the bowl at home. It beats the snot out of a pure badger, and If I lose it on a trip I can easily get a new one for under $20
Here's a link to an article about all the different types of synth brushes out there (lots). It might help you figure out what you want in a brush.

15 Synthetic Shave Brushes - Which Is Best For You? - Sharpologist

Badger hair has been acknowledged as the preferred material for shave brushes. But have synthetic shave brush materials finally met the challenge?

sharpologist.com

 

[Lane101]

I face lather using Proraso green with a Yaqi synthetic brush.

Is there a better synthetic brush for face lathering, I have seen G7 and T4 shaving brushes on Aliexpress, are they going to be noticeably better.

If not any recommendations in the £20 price range that are available in the UK.

Thanks

One doesn't need to pay a lot for a good synthetic brush. My go-to brushes are the Razorock Monster and Big Bruce plissoft synthetics both with the same 26mm knot. They are brilliant for face lathering quickly loading and building plenty of creamy lather from almost any of my soaps or creams. In the U.S. they sell for less than $15 and often for less than $10 when on sale. I've had the Monster for well over three years and the Big Bruce for around half that time. Both are almost the same as when new with no visible signs of wear. Knots are holding up well even though I start with hot water that, thanks to the size of the knots, generates an initial pass of warm lather.

Purchased these from Italian Barber who also ships to the U.K. You will need to evaluate these to determine how they may compare to your Yaqi and find out what the shipping to your location will run.