Favorite synthetic brushes?

[member 119848]

I ordered a Starcraft too!
...and because I couldn´t resist I just added a Green Ray to my basket!
I´m in Europe so my package should arrive in a couple of weeks...
I can´t wait
Thanks to Doug for reviving those cool brushes.

 

[kaizen]

I ordered a Starcraft too!
...and because I couldn´t resist I just added a Green Ray to my basket!
I´m in Europe so my package should arrive in a couple of weeks...
I can´t wait
Thanks to Doug for reviving those cool brushes.

Also have a StarCraft on the way

 

[Dave in KY]

4 favorite for me in no particular order. Razorock Big Bruce, Stirling Synthetic and my Cashmere and 1/4 moon customs from Eric Sorrentino

 

[Rhody]

Starcraft touched down today. I think i ordered it over the weekend. Amazing fast!
Initial impressions similar to the other two vintage copies. Nice weight. Cool blue. Interesting silver tan knot. I noticed a synth smell out of the box it wasnt bad or necessary but since i was in the kitchen i put a dab of dawn on it and did a palm lather. Its basically dry now and ready to go tomorrow
Handle is so cool and seems to match several vintage ones i was looking at on line. Fits great in the hand the hour glass shape lets you grab it with two fingers easily. Based on the vintage design color and cost i already love this. Upon further review,
Iam noticing a man made smell even after dawn but its mild and only with deep breathing it. I bet shave soap will take care of it.

 

[kaizen]

Starcraft touched down today. I think i ordered it over the weekend. Amazing fast!
Initial impressions similar to the other two vintage copies. Nice weight. Cool blue. Interesting silver tan knot. I noticed a synth smell out of the box it wasnt bad or necessary but since i was in the kitchen i put a dab of dawn on it and did a palm lather. Its basically dry now and ready to go tomorrow
Handle is so cool and seems to match several vintage ones i was looking at on line. Fits great in the hand the hour glass shape lets you grab it with two fingers easily. Based on the vintage design color and cost i already love this. Upon further review,
Iam noticing a man made smell even after dawn but its mild and only with deep breathing it. I bet shave soap will take care of it.

I used the Starcraft this morning. I was extremely surprised at how much weight this thing has for $15. It's feels similar to a weighted chess piece. Great fit in the hand and easily held 3 passes + worth of lather. This brush is "home run!"

 

[IMightBeWrong]

I have a Wolf Whiskers with an original Nathan Clark Ubersoft knot and no other synthetic has dethroned it. I’m still more of a natural knot guy but this particular synthetic I enjoy.

 

[Rhody]

I used the Starcraft this morning. I was extremely surprised at how much weight this thing has for $15. It's feels similar to a weighted chess piece. Great fit in the hand and easily held 3 passes + worth of lather. This brush is "home run!"

I agree with you. I used it this morning too. I really like this hybrid grey synth. Very soft with decent backbone. The handle is super comfortable and its a 10 in the looks department. Again for the price its crazy good.

 

[member 119848]

Even when I include the shipment to Europe, the price of PAA brushes remains a bargain.
I´m like a child waiting for a present. Starcraft, please use warp 10!

 

[Rhody]

Even when I include the shipment to Europe, the price of PAA brushes remains a bargain.
I´m like a child waiting for a present. Starcraft, please use warp 10!
View attachment 924649

hope it lands soon!!

 

[Aziraphale]

I have a razorock Italian Flag synth that I bought on a whim.
I think I like it better in some cases than my AoS boar. The boar gets sort of bogged down sometime when it gets too much moisture. The synth does not have that issue and remains soft with just enough backbone to do the job without throwing soap and foam all over the place.

FYI 95% of the time I'm a face latherer.

 

[John Rose]

Of the few that I have, (APShaveCo Synbad, APShaveCo Tuxedo, The Body Shop, EcoBamboo Kabuki) I like the 24 mm Synbad in a Blue Lagoon handle the best, for all lather methods. In fact, I like it best of all my brushes, including a dozen boars and badgers.

24 mm SynBad knot in Blue Lagoon handle

• John Rose
• Oct 19, 2018

24 mm SynBad knot in Blue Lagoon handle, from AP Shave Co.
The colour is more of a cobalt blue...

To be fair though, the only reason I don't use the Tuxedo more is because it's on a long Barbershop handle.

Barbershop brush with Tuxedo knot

• John Rose
• Sep 23, 2016

Restored Rubberset Barbershop brush with Tuxedo synthetic knot, from APShaveCo

I learned that I prefer stubby handles.

Basically all synthetics have crimped fibres, you just need to look closely as the dark colored fibres sometimes hide the crimping.

It's the crimping that gives the synthetics the ability to function as shaving brushes.

Yup. I think it serves to give the knot volume, with airspace between the fibres. One of the ones I mentioned, the Kabuki brush (for makeup)...

... is, of course, not a proper shaving brush. It has fibres that have very little crimping, and it feels very weird. Finer, straighter hairs, and more of them. It's like lathering up with a squishy chunk of memory foam.
It still works though, in a Dancing Bear kind of way.

 

[Rhody]

Of the few that I have, (APShaveCo Synbad, APShaveCo Tuxedo, The Body Shop, EcoBamboo Kabuki) I like the 24 mm Synbad in a Blue Lagoon handle the best, for all lather methods. In fact, I like it best of all my brushes, including a dozen boars and badgers.

24 mm SynBad knot in Blue Lagoon handle

• John Rose
• Oct 19, 2018

24 mm SynBad knot in Blue Lagoon handle, from AP Shave Co.
The colour is more of a cobalt blue...

To be fair though, the only reason I don't use the Tuxedo more is because it's on a long Barbershop handle.

Barbershop brush with Tuxedo knot

• John Rose
• Sep 23, 2016

Restored Rubberset Barbershop brush with Tuxedo synthetic knot, from APShaveCo

I learned that I prefer stubby handles.


Yup. I think it serves to give the knot volume, with airspace between the fibres. One of the ones I mentioned, the Kabuki brush (for makeup)...

... is, of course, not a proper shaving brush. It has fibres that have very little crimping, and it feels very weird. Finer, straighter hairs, and more of them. It's like lathering up with a squishy chunk of memory foam.
It still works though, in a Dancing Bear kind of way.

what are the details of that barbershop handle? W Germany wow

that moca is growing on me too

 

[John Rose]

what are the details of that barbershop handle? W Germany wow

I don't have much more than what you can see in the photo. Andrew had the handle with the 24 mm knot already installed for sale on his Etsy vendor page two years ago. It was not a lot more than the cost of the knot alone, IIRC. By now nearly all the original finish has flaked off of the wood, so I'm planning to give it a coat of clear polyurethane or something.

 

[Rhody]

I don't have much more than what you can see in the photo. Andrew had the handle with the 24 mm knot already installed for sale on his Etsy vendor page two years ago. It was not a lot more than the cost of the knot alone, IIRC. By now nearly all the original finish has flaked off of the wood, so I'm planning to give it a coat of clear polyurethane or something.

That usually makes me avoid wood handles. but it does look cool!

 

[John Rose]

4 favorite for me in no particular order. Razorock Big Bruce, Stirling Synthetic and my Cashmere and 1/4 moon customs from Eric Sorrentino
View attachment 923441

What are the dimensions on the handle on that Stirling? I'm guessing ... something like 2" high?
It looks great, like something from the '20s or '30s, and goes nicely with that Tuxedo knot.
I like handles with a waist.
I might have to get me one of those.

 

[Rhody]

$19 (including shipping) for the yaqi moca synth .... ok I couldnt resist. I have a few "shorter" (chubby is such a strange descriptive) on the way. I remember about a year ago I felt like the small stirling (forget the name) was giving me some hand pain so I stopped using it. I hope that isn't the case with several short stack brush handle types I have in the pipeline....

 

[kaizen]

Even when I include the shipment to Europe, the price of PAA brushes remains a bargain.
I´m like a child waiting for a present. Starcraft, please use warp 10!
View attachment 924649

you're going to love it! I have used it on a croap as well as a hard soap. It is really a surprise how good it is

 

[Rhody]

you're going to love it! I have used it on a croap as well as a hard soap. It is really a surprise how good it is

Ive been using it everyday since I got it and like it a lot
Too bad PAA isnt selling this hybrid synth knot by itself.

 

[emwolf]

I've got a few synthetics in rotation. My personal favorite is the Razorock Monster, but I also really like my Yaqi Moka Express Mew brush. I've got a Maggard Tuxedo knot I use for a travel brush and a Maggard Plissoft style synthetic that I like the handle a lot on.

 

[Dave in KY]

What are the dimensions on the handle on that Stirling? I'm guessing ... something like 2" high?
It looks great, like something from the '20s or '30s, and goes nicely with that Tuxedo knot.
I like handles with a waist.
I might have to get me one of those.

Right at 2 inches high and about an inch and a half wide at widest point.
From their website:
Total Brush Weight: ~85g

Total Brush Height: ~4.375in

Knot Diameter: 24mm

Knot Height: ~56mm