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In absolute awe of the new G5A

I purchased the 26mm G5A from AP Shave Co and put it in a Graydog handle. After reading the comments above about it being set a bit too low from AP and speaking with Andrew about what the standard loft he sets them at, I set mine at 52mm. I’ve only used it twice so far but I’m happy with it and excited to get more shaves in with it.

I’ll add, I love my badgers and haven’t like any of the synthetics I’ve tried so far but the G5A is the only synthetic I’ve actually enjoyed and will continue to use
 
I purchased the 26mm G5A from AP Shave Co....I set mine at 52mm. I’ve only used it twice so far but I’m happy with it and excited to get more shaves in with it.
I have been curious about the 26 mm knot. What do you think is the maximum loft you could get out of the 26mm? If it is at least a couple millimeters taller than the 24 mm knot I will probably pick one up.
 
I have been curious about the 26 mm knot. What do you think is the maximum loft you could get out of the 26mm? If it is at least a couple millimeters taller than the 24 mm knot I will probably pick one up.
I’d message Andrew and confirm with him but I believe, don’t quote me on this, both the 24mm and 26mm knot are the same total height, approximately 65mm.

The entire knot from the bottom of the glue to the top of the hair was 64mm on mine. I’m guessing you could possibly get up to 3 mm max or maybe a hair more loft out of it before the yellow glue base would start being visible. So you are aware, mine set at 52mm loft has a 10mm glue bump above the top of my handle so it has 42mm of “free loft” as Paladin calls it.

I used this knot again yesterday and it’s a fantastic knot. One thing I noticed on the first two uses is that it really holds water, I have to ring it out until no more water comes out before I start building the lather or it can fling lather when I’m painting. I did that yesterday and had zero issues with lather flinging. I’m a badger user except for this knot so I think that was why I was used to giving the knot a squeeze and a flick, not giving it a really good squeeze so almost all the water is out. I don’t think somebody who uses synthetics consistently will notice this.
 
I like the G5a knot. I think I've used it five days in a row, so still early on. My impressions so far is that it lathers very well. No issues whatsoever with the lather. The brush is very dense and quite short making it require quite an effort to splay it on the face. It holds more water than any synth I've used. Today I picked up it's sibling from APShave, the 2Bad. It's a taller loft, not as dense and makes lather just as well. Together they are the best synthetics that I've tried.
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I like the G5a knot. I think I've used it five days in a row, so still early on. My impressions so far is that it lathers very well. No issues whatsoever with the lather. The brush is very dense and quite short making it require quite an effort to splay it on the face. It holds more water than any synth I've used. Today I picked up it's sibling from APShave, the 2Bad. It's a taller loft, not as dense and makes lather just as well. Together they are the best synthetics that I've tried. View attachment 1343362View attachment 1343363
2bad? Do you mean the G5B? The G5A and G5B are the two premium knots made in Germany. I'm very curious about the G5A.

There's also a 2bed, but it's been out for years. I don't think it's affiliated with the G5A/B but It's one of my favorite synthetics in any case. I love mine.
 
2bad? Do you mean the G5B? The G5A and G5B are the two premium knots made in Germany. I'm very curious about the G5A.

There's also a 2bed, but it's been out for years. I don't think it's affiliated with the G5A/B but It's one of my favorite synthetics in any case. I love mine.
Yes, I meant 2Bed. I have the G5a and the 2Bed. I like them both for different reasons.
 
Received this today from the Oct 10th drop:

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Yay! It fits me razor stand.
I don't have many brushes; a Mistura mixed, Trafalgar synth, WCS black bristled synth (don't care for it) and an Omega pure Badger. Hope I can grow to love this one... maiden shave this evening.
Very nice handle, sir. I'd be interested in your first impressions of the G5A knot. Takes several lathers to break in but I loved mine immediately nonetheless
 
Very nice handle, sir. I'd be interested in your first impressions of the G5A knot. Takes several lathers to break in but I loved mine immediately nonetheless

Thanks, it was your initial review that perked my interest. My first impressions after just one use are quite positive. The G5A definitely splays easier that my Trafalgar but still has nice backbone. I'm not as well versed on brush characteristics as many of you but the splay/backbone reminds me of my Omega pure Badger but a much softer face feel. One thing for certain, it whips up a face lather licketysplit and the longer handle (most of mine are short) is a joy to use.
 
Yes, mine is the Raspberry ebonite and I had Andrew set it to 52mm loft based on feedback in this thread.
There were a couple other ebonite designs I loved also, like the Honey and Sand.
You’ve really got me considering getting one. What size knot did you get?
 
Set my 24mm knot over the weekend in a 64mm Wild West handle with a 27mm x 16mm hole, and it got its first use this morning. Tried to set the loft around 52mm but the end product came in between 50-51mm for whatever reason.

The brush still splayed ... with some resistance... but certainly not deal killer resistance. My hunch is after some more use the splay might be perfect.

I face lather and it's going to take some reps for me to dial in this brush, it's like no other synth I've used, but I can see and feel its full potential. As others have remarked, it's dense. And yes, it holds water well, I had to go pretty aggressive with it before it dripped anything. Flow through was good. Face feel is excellent both at the tips and splayed. This thing is beefy enough that my personal preference would be a 20mm or 22mm knot, but 24mm will work for me.

Thanks again to SterFry for his thorough and well written review which is spot on, and the rest of you for your valuable comments.

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I used the G5a daily for the last week while traveling. It's density might be a detractor for being thrown into a bag every day as it takes a while to dry. Using a badger today I'm reminded that synthetics shouldn't be thought of as imitating natural knots (they'll always feel kind of squeaky plasticy), but rather as great latherers in their own way with wonderful flexibility with different soaps. I'm interested in the G5b also.
 
First, the AP G5A is not to be confused with the FS G5 that was also released recently.

I'm amazed, boys. Amazed. The moment I picked up the brush it was immediately obvious just how similar the fibers are to the Muhle/EJ STF. Anybody who has used a STF will understand my enthusiasm. In fact, fiber for fiber, I am unable to distinguish and difference between the two. The following picture is an attempt to show this similarly...
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1)Softness: Just like a STF the G5A is supremely soft. Now, of course, any synthetic is going to have soft tips, but we don't build lather with just the tips. It's during splay that the face feel of a brush is decided and, just like the STF, the G5A is virtually just as soft while splayed as it is while painting. Not only is it soft, but it is a unique kind of soft.

2)Splay: I once more have to compare the G5A to the STF here. Most synthetics have a certain "all or nothing" kind of splay where, once applying enough pressure, the brush will abruptly go from not splaying to completely splayed. The G5A doesn't do that. It's more like a natural hair brush with a very intuitive splay that gives and takes in correspondence with the amount of pressure being applied. The G5A is tied with the STF as the smoothest splaying synthetic I've ever used.

3)Backbone: This is where the parallels with the STF part ways. The STF's only misalignment with my personal preferences was the backbone. They were a bit floppy for two reasons... loft ratio and density.

3a)Ratio: Where STFs were slightly longer lofted than other brushes of equal knot diameter, the G5A is a bit shorter lofted. I'd guess my 24mm as being between 50 and 55mm.
3b)Density: The only thing the STF lacked was density. Especially the non extra-large(25mm) variants. This has been addressed with the G5A in that it's much, much more dense. This density also helps with water retention which is excellent. Absolutely excellent. I suspect it has something to do with the non-linear fiber technology and surface tension, in any case...it's superb. Lather generation efficiency is fantastic even for a synthetic.

Beyond this, the brush and handle are well built and sturdy feeling, if not a bit heavy Very comfortable handle to hold. Though you can, of course, choose which ever handle you prefer from the site. The build quality is excellent and the brush has not lost one single fiber. Not one.

I'll sum it up by saying that the G5A is a STF on steroid, an AD killer and the single finest shaving brush available to the modern market.
Thanks for the awesome review! I just won an @Graydog brush in the ST Sue Moore auction but I want to put a really special knot in it. I am going to order a 24mm G5A knot for it. It will probably be a while before I get to try it out but I will try to post my experience here when I do.
 
Thanks for the awesome review! I just won an @Graydog brush in the ST Sue Moore auction but I want to put a really special knot in it. I am going to order a 24mm G5A knot for it. It will probably be a while before I get to try it out but I will try to post my experience here when I do.
Yes, please do. I'm certain you'll love the knot if you face lather.

Congratulations on your win. I was looking at that handle just a couple hours ago. It's beautiful..
 
I used the G5a daily for the last week while traveling. It's density might be a detractor for being thrown into a bag every day as it takes a while to dry. Using a badger today I'm reminded that synthetics shouldn't be thought of as imitating natural knots (they'll always feel kind of squeaky plasticy), but rather as great latherers in their own way with wonderful flexibility with different soaps. I'm interested in the G5b also.
I looked at the G5B info also and it does sound like it would make a better travel brush than the G5A with it's quick drying characteristics. It appears to be less dense (and less expensive!) so I am wondering how well does it splay. I suppose we will start seeing some reviews here on the G5B knot in the near future.
 
@Graydog set the knot on my brush at 57mm as I asked him to set it as high as he thought he could. He did remark that the glue bump is larger than normal which he attributed to the high density of the fibers. I am moving in 10 days so I asked him to go ahead and give it a spin for a week before shipping it to me. I am so excited to try this brush. It is a beauty! Here is a picture with the knot set.

Graydog Brush.jpg
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
A question for thems of youse with experience using APShaveCo G5A and Mühle/Jagger STFv2, higher density Badger brushes, and “tuxedo” synthetic knots:

Do the fibers on the first two types of synthetic knots spread out like a badger brush might?

Asking because I have 24mm Silvertip brush from DS Cosmetics and it spreads out wider than the Maggards 30mm synthetic brush that normally gets used.

If they (APShaveCO G5A and Mühle/Jagger STFv2) do, it strongly suggests getting something in the 21-23mm range won’t leave me ugly crying by the sink.

Many thanks for your time and consideration.
 
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