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In absolute awe of the new G5A

Mine arrived today - 24 mm. I guess everyone's view of large and small is different. At first impression, this is the smallest 24 mm knot I have, with the fewest fibers (I have one Plissoft type, two different Tuxedo, and four SHD two band badger). I decided not to go to with the 26 mm because I didn't want it to be too large. Now I wish I had gone with the 26 mm. I'll see after a few uses if it opens up and performs.

I have it at 49-50 mm loft to start. The knot is short - I think the highest loft the knot will support is about 52 mm, which places the top edge of the plug level with the top of the handle hole. On the plus side the glue bump is minimal, which I can't say for my other synthetic knots.
 
It is a nice looking brush. Very tempting but I just ordered today a RazoRock Hive brush. I have to wait awhile so my wife don't think I'm just blowing my money away.
Your wife has full access to the joint account and she’ll always keep an eye out on what you’ve been spending, otherwise, watch out and good luck.

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Between the three brushes two are currently available for purchase that I like.

Between Evo and AP G5A which do you think is better set (loft, floppies and splay)?
Loft length is so subjective that it's hard to to give a firm answer. Evo is pre-set, where the G5A you can have Andrew custom set to whatever loft you prefer for free, so I suppose G5A would be my recommendation to anybody particular about loft length. Neither brush is floppy at all.
 
Loft length is so subjective that it's hard to to give a firm answer. Evo is pre-set, where the G5A you can have Andrew custom set to whatever loft you prefer for free, so I suppose G5A would be my recommendation to anybody particular about loft length. Neither brush is floppy at all.
Thanks.

I'm going to go for the 26 mm knot and have a chat and see what loft he recommends.

I face lather so a good combination of splay and backbone is desired, rest is as you very correctly said - totally subjective.

I lean towards bigger knots in synthetic as they don't bloom or develop much, maybe slightly.

Evo is pre set @ 28 mm x 50 mm (I think) and by that it is not a very splay friendly brush, backbone is very good AFAIK.

No matter which way I go at it, I think I'll end up with more than one 5th generation brush eventually.
 
@izlat what size knot and what loft is yours set at? @SterFry you said yours performs better after you set it at a higher loft, what is yours set at now?

I have a G5A that should be here next week, it’s a 26mm and thinking 52mm loft to start so curious what yours are at. Thanks in advance gents
The initial setting was just the "Your recommendation" option on the site. I don't know the precise depth in millimeter. So X+5 or 6mm. Giving it 7 or 8 palm lathers made a difference, too. Contrary to popular belief synthetics do break in. Especially dense ones.
 
Conforming what @SterFry said above: several hand lathers and uses made a difference, and synthetics do change some. This one did, to the point that I think I will keep as is and use for a while. Still not super splay-friendly but splays more now and works really well. There is a squeegee rubbery feel and sound that is very different from natural hair, but that’s not a problem for me. Currently.
 
Conforming what @SterFry said above: several hand lathers and uses made a difference, and synthetics do change some. This one did, to the point that I think I will keep as is and use for a while. Still not super splay-friendly but splays more now and works really well. There is a squeegee rubbery feel and sound that is very different from natural hair, but that’s not a problem for me. Currently.
Has flow through improved as well ?

I'll be teeing up another order from Maggard in a few weeks and I'm thinking about adding this knot at 24mm, assuming it's the same AP knot which apparently it is. Otherwise I'll get it from AP.

I'm grateful for the original stellar review and the valuable follow on comments.
 
I'll be teeing up another order from Maggard in a few weeks and I'm thinking about adding this knot at 24mm, assuming it's the same AP knot which apparently it is. Otherwise I'll get it from AP.
The knot from Maggards "is not" the same as the APShaveCo knot. Al's G5 knots are made in Germany and Maggards are Chinese...
 
My APShave g5a shipped a couple days ago. Looking forward to trying it. Today I used an APShave 2Bad knot. Super impressed. Lather capabilities is top tier. But the face feel isn't as nice as my naturals. BTW, fantastic soap also. Three passes today of nice full face coverage like sour cream.
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I have used the 24 mm G5A knot 4 times now. I like this fiber - soft with backbone, and a more natural splay than other synthetics I have (Tuxedo, Plissoft type, Synbad). I would definitely prefer more loft to allow more splaying, though. The knot is short enough that the most I can get is about 53 mm, which is where I have had it set the last couple of times. Some may like it there, but I would like a few more mm of loft. Also, to correct my previous statement, there is a noticeable glue bump, which I did not detect at first since I had set the knot deep enough in the handle that it was hidden. When I have the knot at its maximum height it is there. Not huge, but there.

The AP Shaveco G5A has fibers made in Germany, but assembled in China. The Maggard G5 has fibers made in China, assembled in China.
 
@cheeks flowthrough is not a problem for me with this knot - just my gen 2 Plisson is quite sparse and has even better flowthrough and is even easier to wash after use. But that’s not everyone’s cup of tea - I have heard people who say the Plisson can’t afford to lose a hair and who would prefer a denser knot.
 
My APShave G5a arrived today. I asked Andrew to both choose the size of knot and set the loft. He put a 24mm in. It looks great, and an initial hand lather makes me feel like this is going to be a very good face lathering brush. View attachment 1340028
Man I love that handle. My G5A killed my SBAD. It took 5 or 6 lathers for mine to open up fully. Now that it has I don't see how it could be improved upon as a face lathering brush. Perfection has been achieved. Ymmv, of course

Definitely prefer the look of your handle though
 
Man I love that handle. My G5A killed my SBAD. It took 5 or 6 lathers for mine to open up fully. Now that it has I don't see how it could be improved upon as a face lathering brush. Perfection has been achieved. Ymmv, of course

Definitely prefer the look of your handle though
That's helpful. First impression is very stubby. Not sure what Andrew set the loft at but it feels very short. So, I'll reserve any judgement until I've used it a half dozen times and maybe it will relax a bit. Very different from my other synths.
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That's helpful. First impression is very stubby. Not sure what Andrew set the loft at but it feels very short. So, I'll reserve any judgement until I've used it a half dozen times and maybe it will relax a bit. Very different from my other synths. View attachment 1340303
In that case I should state that I actually reknotted mine to a higher loft. I like my lofts a bit higher than Andrew's default and normally synthetics don't break in as much as the G5A. Had I waited for break in I doubt I'd have ended up reknotting.

How are the ergonomics of that handle?
 
Is that an AP handle? Looks like a Shavemac. Really nice.
Yes, it's an APShave handle, and I agree that Shavemac offers a handle that looks very similar if not the same. I've wanted this style of handle for a while. The Beagle really tempted me, except for the badger knot. It fits my hand very nice for face lathering.
The thing I noticed within a few seconds of using this brush is that it holds more water than any other synth I've used. Also very dense.
 
My knot arrived from APShave yesterday, I chose 24mm also. My plans are to set it in a 27mm x 16mm Wild West handle I already have.

I measured the knot at 62-63mm in height with the visible part of the glue bump at 8mm. After fiddling a little with it, the handle and some nylon washers, my gut tells me 51-52mm will be the loft for me. It will probably be next week or the week after before I'll have the time to set it.

I also agree with others who say 53mm looks like the max loft you can achieve with the 24mm version. I'm curious to know what lofts the rest of you have, should you end up measuring them.
 
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