Frank Shaving Synthetic G7 26mm Shave Brush - long handle!

[Noclue]

I just got a new synthetic shaving brush from FS and it's love at first sight! However, I'm not entirely sure if the knot is 26mm. When I compare it with my existing Yaqi 24mm silvertip badger brush, the head feels nice and soft, but it’s more like 22mm knots head.


The head of the G7 feels compact and not dense… so it

Also sharing some comparison shots with my 24 mm badger brush.

So are synthetics like this?

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I would expect that a synthetic might feel and appear smaller than the same size of badger brush due to the differences in bloom and splay. My Simpson Chubby 2 synthetic is way smaller than my Chubby 2 in Manchurian and I would expect a Best or Super to be even larger. The only way to be certain is to measure the knot at the handle exit and even that may not be accurate depending on how deep the knot is set. Some manufacturers, such as Simpson, are known to play fast and loose with knot size and loft, having tolerances as much as +/- 5mm for loft.

 

[Noclue]

I would expect that a synthetic might feel and appear smaller than the same size of badger brush due to the differences in bloom and splay. My Simpson Chubby 2 synthetic is way smaller than my Chubby 2 in Manchurian and I would expect a Best or Super to be even larger. The only way to be certain is to measure the knot at the handle exit and even that may not be accurate depending on how deep the knot is set. Some manufacturers, such as Simpson, are known to play fast and loose with knot size and loft, having tolerances as much as +/- 5mm for loft

Thanks, that's helpful.

My comparison reference was a 24mm High Mountain Silvertip, so it’s quite high-quality. The know at the handle “felt” similar in size to the 24mm - will need to measure it accurately.

I had my first shave with the FS G7, and here are my thoughts:

Pros:
- No initial smell.
- I love love love the handle.
- The G7 produced a nice lather.

Cons:
- The head feels like 22mm.
- The backbone was stronger than expected, and the splay can't compare to badger brushes. It felt more similar to medium-soft boar hair brushes.

So that’s my first experience with a synth. Will use this for the new week or two and see how it fares. Having high Silvertip Badger isn’t a good starting point!

 

[Rhody]

Great vintage style handle. Hopefully you end up liking it.

 

[Mustard Seed]

Pros:
- No initial smell.
- I love love love the handle.
- The G7 produced a nice lather.

Cons:
- The head feels like 22mm.
- The backbone was stronger than expected, and the splay can't compare to badger brushes. It felt more similar to medium-soft boar hair brushes.

Have the same brush. Agree totally. Not one of my better synthetic brushes. Love the Yaqi silvertips. I have three of those.

 

[thombrogan]

Either you’ll grow to love your G7 a la Stockholm Syndrome or you have a great handle in need of a knot.

Thank you for the review and all the awesome pictures, @Noclue !

 

[Noclue]

Either you’ll grow to love your G7 a la Stockholm Syndrome or you have a great handle in need of a knot.

Thank you for the review and all the awesome pictures, @Noclue !

I am growing to appreciate what it offers and have stopped comparing it with badger. Lathering is definitely excellent.

if anything, in future I would select 28mm or 30mm for synths to get the fullness factor.

 

[nav]

I am growing to appreciate what it offers and have stopped comparing it with badger. Lathering is definitely excellent.

if anything, in future I would select 28mm or 30mm for synths to get the fullness factor.

You need not get such huge knots.
The fullness factor depends more on the size of the glue bump when it comes to synthetic knots.

Premium synthetics with minimal glue bumps splay and provide face coverage to the point where even a 23/24mm synth knot is great (e.g. G5A, G5C, Muhle STF).

 

[Big Jim]

You need not get such huge knots.
The fullness factor depends more on the size of the glue bump when it comes to synthetic knots.

Premium synthetics with minimal glue bumps splay and provide face coverage to the point where even a 23/24mm synth knot is great (e.g. G5A, G5C, Muhle STF).

True enough, but still there is nothing like the luxury feel of of big knot, synthetic or not. I live my 28 mm Maggard black with white tips synthetic knot.

 

[Noclue]

You need not get such huge knots.
The fullness factor depends more on the size of the glue bump when it comes to synthetic knots.

Premium synthetics with minimal glue bumps splay and provide face coverage to the point where even a 23/24mm synth knot is great (e.g. G5A, G5C, Muhle STF).

My knot feels quite a lot thicker in the glue area, and the moment u go over - you can feel the drop of like 20+% And the head after a few uses continues to feels like 20/22 mm. Wouldn’t recommend the synthetic knots from FS - but their handles are in a league of their own.

That’s all for this brush. Love love love the overall look and handle, but the knot is a 6/10 rating.

Next synth - would be size 28 hopefully.

 

[horizon]

I have two brushes with a G7 knot from Dscosmetic, one is 26mm, the other 30mm and one brush with a G9 knot from FS 24mm.
I find no difference in quality, even though this FS is twice the price. At first, I really liked both knots, but over time, testing other higher-end brushes, I understand that the G7 and G9 are too hard and rough for my taste.
However, I still use them, but they are certainly not my favorite.

 

[Big Jim]

Reflecting back on this thread, I have some further comments. I have an FS brush with the same shape handle in ivory. It is a 24 mm with a Finest Badger knot. I would consider the handle to be ideal for most shaving, especially for use in smaller mugs. It works great with Old Spice mugs. It also works well with taller mugs because of the longer handle. I also have a couple of Misteso handles of the same shape but in Faux Horn. Both with Finest Badger 26 mm knots, one as Misteso made it, and the other with a Maggard's that provided a lot more loft. I once had a Misteso 24 mm Faux Horn with a 24 mm knot. I had given it away intending to replace it with another just like it, only to discover it was no longer available. The replacement was the FS in Ivory as mentioned above. The two were pretty equivalent, I have a slight preference to the FS with it's slightly higher loft although I liked the looks of the Faux Horn better.

I like tall handled brushes and have several other examples in various sizes.

Another wonderful example of a tall handle for a 24 mm knot is from Whipped Dog. I have a Dark Amber example with a Finest Badger knot. I also have a couple of 30 mm examples, both with Silvertip Badger knots. The 30 mm examples are probably my most favorite brushes. I have several favorites.

I think you may also like the Whipped Dog Tall Handle in whatever color you choose with whatever knot you choose. If you are bent on a synthetic, I would recommend either a Whipped Dog or a Maggard's.

Here is a link to Whipped Dog:

Tall Handle | WhippedDog

www.whippeddog.com