Looking for synthetic brush recommendation.

[FlScott]

Ike - I'm looking forward to your review. I've recently ordered my first synthetic brush - a
Maggard Razors 24mm Blue and White Two Piece Resin Handle Gray and White Synthetic Shaving Brush - but haven't received it yet. I primarily face lather and I use the a circular motion for the first pass.

 

[ike]

Ike - I'm looking forward to your review. I've recently ordered my first synthetic brush - a
Maggard Razors 24mm Blue and White Two Piece Resin Handle Gray and White Synthetic Shaving Brush - but haven't received it yet. I primarily face lather and I use the a circular motion for the first pass.

FlScott,

Like you, I like to circular lather first and then paint stroke. For circular lathering my Simpson Persian Jar 2 Super Badger simply excels and I was hoping for something similar with synthetic bristles but that has not yet been the case for me.

I have two synthetic Simpsons, a Chubby 2 and a Duke 3, and they are excellent brushes for paint strokes but both really have too much backbone for circular motions. Nevertheless, these brushes are excellent for the paint stroke and could replace my badgers and eventually probably will. I've had these two brushes for at least 4-6 months now and they should be broken in by now.

Having high hopes for the Razorock Barber Handle 24, I've used it a couple of times now, but understand that it may take some breaking in as well. However, here are my initial impressions after the first couple of uses:

1. I like the handle, size, and loft. It fits my hand very nicely and has a good balance. Not too heavy and not too light.
2. It does allow me to circular stroke better than the Simpson synthetics but still not to the level that I want. Maybe I'm expecting too much from a synthetic brush.
3. My experience with loading the Razorock brush still needs some work. I compare this synthetic against my Simpson synthetics and the Simpsons seem to load better for me. In any case, I will give the Razorck some more time and see if it settles in for me.

I will indeed keep you posted, thanks for your interest and I wish you well on your synthetic brush journey.

Peace,
Ike

 

[BigShaveBill]

Here's what I use to face lather, using circular pattern...

1. Stirling Soap Company - 26mm x 63mm (KONG). $14.99

2. ENVY - 8 BALL brush - $80

I love these two brushes. I haven't used a natural hair brush in probably 3 years. The KONG is gigantic, a real lather monster. It can load enough soap for 3 passes for my head+face. I own 3 additional, unused KONGS in preparation for a wet shaving apocalypse... LoL.
The ENVY 8 BALL, I believe, is a higher generation of the synthetic bristles. It's more of a pampering to my face brush. It can handle your daily face lathering, too.

For the price, get the KONG. It's truly massive and will become the KING of all your brushes.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[ike]

Bill,

I’m glad to hear you have found a synthetic brush you can circular lather with - this gives me hope!

 

[FlScott]

Like you, I like to circular lather first and then paint stroke. For circular lathering my Simpson Persian Jar 2 Super Badger simply excels and I was hoping for something similar with synthetic bristles but that has not yet been the case for me.

This is my first foray into synthetics. Plenty of folks swear by them, so I'm happy to give them a try. I started wet shaving in 2013 and I've only used badger knots, so the synthetic should be a nice change of pace. One thing that I've learned over the years is I like large brushes both handles and knots. I enjoy having those big fluffy pillows nestled against my face.

Cheers!

 

[FlScott]

Here's what I use to face lather, using circular pattern...

1. Stirling Soap Company - 26mm x 63mm (KONG). $14.99

2. ENVY - 8 BALL brush - $80

I love these two brushes. I haven't used a natural hair brush in probably 3 years. The KONG is gigantic, a real lather monster. It can load enough soap for 3 passes for my head+face. I own 3 additional, unused KONGS in preparation for a wet shaving apocalypse... LoL.
The ENVY 8 BALL, I believe, is a higher generation of the synthetic bristles. It's more of a pampering to my face brush. It can handle your daily face lathering, too.

For the price, get the KONG. It's truly massive and will become the KING of all your brushes.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Fantastic pics.

 

[muzichead]

My advice now to anyone wanting to try the synthetic experience would be to not judge all synthetics on a generic brush like a Maggards Plissoft or RazoRock Tuxedo because those knots can be very deceiving... What I mean by this is exactly what @BigShaveBill pointed out with his Envy 8 ball brush. The Tuxedo knot in that brush is completely different from the $8 Yaqi or the $15 Maggard!!

My advice would be to look into Etsy sellers also and what they offer. If you find that the Maggard or RR have either too little or too much backbone, you can get most Etsy sellers to set a knot either with a little more or little less loft and you will find something that will work to your liking or expectations.

I found from a couple posts here on B&B and some YouTube video's that I could remove and replace knots in most handles of brushes where I didn't really care for the feel of the original setting the brush had. This turned out to be very economical in most cases but you can spend a little more on a handle if you have something special in mind. I found that it didn't really matter what knot or handle it was but more that I like a higher lofted brush worked best for me as I was looking for more splay and less backbone overall. I use circular and painting strokes on all passes that I do, each and every shave... A very big advantage to setting a knot in a handle yourself is you can just use a basic silicone to set the knot and if you don't care for that setting after a few uses the knot is easily removed and you can reset it at something that is more to your liking. Its easier and less expensive trial and error!!

Without going on for days here I'd suggest keeping an open mind to everything that is offered out there in buying something that is already put together and something that is customizable...

All these are knot / handle combo's that I set myself. All are set at approximately 56-58mm loft and the handles vary in height from about 60mm to 68mm which has been my preference to date...

#1 24mm APShaveCo Synbad / Shore Shave/Turned Timber by Bill handle
#2 26mm TurnNShave Timberwolf fan / DC Shaving handle
#3 25mm TurnNShave Angel Hair fan / DC Shaving handle
#4 25mm TurnNShave Quartermoon / DC Shaving handle
#5 24mm APShaveCo Cashmere / Wild West handle

 

[BigShaveBill]

My advice now to anyone wanting to try the synthetic experience would be to not judge all synthetics on a generic brush like a Maggards Plissoft or RazoRock Tuxedo because those knots can be very deceiving... What I mean by this is exactly what @BigShaveBill pointed out with his Envy 8 ball brush. The Tuxedo knot in that brush is completely different from the $8 Yaqi or the $15 Maggard!!

My advice would be to look into Etsy sellers also and what they offer. If you find that the Maggard or RR have either too little or too much backbone, you can get most Etsy sellers to set a knot either with a little more or little less loft and you will find something that will work to your liking or expectations.

I found from a couple posts here on B&B and some YouTube video's that I could remove and replace knots in most handles of brushes where I didn't really care for the feel of the original setting the brush had. This turned out to be very economical in most cases but you can spend a little more on a handle if you have something special in mind. I found that it didn't really matter what knot or handle it was but more that I like a higher lofted brush worked best for me as I was looking for more splay and less backbone overall. I use circular and painting strokes on all passes that I do, each and every shave... A very big advantage to setting a knot in a handle yourself is you can just use a basic silicone to set the knot and if you don't care for that setting after a few uses the knot is easily removed and you can reset it at something that is more to your liking. Its easier and less expensive trial and error!!

Without going on for days here I'd suggest keeping an open mind to everything that is offered out there in buying something that is already put together and something that is customizable...

All these are knot / handle combo's that I set myself. All are set at approximately 56-58mm loft and the handles vary in height from about 60mm to 68mm which has been my preference to date...

#1 24mm APShaveCo Synbad / Shore Shave/Turned Timber by Bill handle
#2 26mm TurnNShave Timberwolf fan / DC Shaving handle
#3 25mm TurnNShave Angel Hair fan / DC Shaving handle
#4 25mm TurnNShave Quartermoon / DC Shaving handle
#5 24mm APShaveCo Cashmere / Wild West handle

Love Muzichead's brushes.... NICE!
Beautiful handles!!!!!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[BigShaveBill]

Here's another brush that YouTube Chris likes a lot..... So big! Lathers the head in just a few swipes.

RazoRock F-400 Synthetic Shaving Brush - XXL 34MM

$24.99

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Badger in the Sun]

My advice now to anyone wanting to try the synthetic experience would be to not judge all synthetics on a generic brush like a Maggards Plissoft or RazoRock Tuxedo because those knots can be very deceiving... What I mean by this is exactly what @BigShaveBill pointed out with his Envy 8 ball brush. The Tuxedo knot in that brush is completely different from the $8 Yaqi or the $15 Maggard!!

My advice would be to look into Etsy sellers also and what they offer. If you find that the Maggard or RR have either too little or too much backbone, you can get most Etsy sellers to set a knot either with a little more or little less loft and you will find something that will work to your liking or expectations.

I found from a couple posts here on B&B and some YouTube video's that I could remove and replace knots in most handles of brushes where I didn't really care for the feel of the original setting the brush had. This turned out to be very economical in most cases but you can spend a little more on a handle if you have something special in mind. I found that it didn't really matter what knot or handle it was but more that I like a higher lofted brush worked best for me as I was looking for more splay and less backbone overall. I use circular and painting strokes on all passes that I do, each and every shave... A very big advantage to setting a knot in a handle yourself is you can just use a basic silicone to set the knot and if you don't care for that setting after a few uses the knot is easily removed and you can reset it at something that is more to your liking. Its easier and less expensive trial and error!!

Without going on for days here I'd suggest keeping an open mind to everything that is offered out there in buying something that is already put together and something that is customizable...

All these are knot / handle combo's that I set myself. All are set at approximately 56-58mm loft and the handles vary in height from about 60mm to 68mm which has been my preference to date...

#1 24mm APShaveCo Synbad / Shore Shave/Turned Timber by Bill handle
#2 26mm TurnNShave Timberwolf fan / DC Shaving handle
#3 25mm TurnNShave Angel Hair fan / DC Shaving handle
#4 25mm TurnNShave Quartermoon / DC Shaving handle
#5 24mm APShaveCo Cashmere / Wild West handle

Wise advice regarding setting the knots yourself. It's easy with silicone adhesive. I use a brand called Marine Goop. Adjusting the loft makes a huge difference in how a knot performs.

The Quartermoon is one of my favorites.

 

[MM879]

Wise advice regarding setting the knots yourself. It's easy with silicone adhesive. I use a brand called Marine Goop. Adjusting the loft makes a huge difference in how a knot performs.

The Quartermoon is one of my favorites.

I talked to a shop owner on setting the knot height. He told me that the primary purpose is to set the knot low enough to protect the glue bump. The theory of setting the height to control the bending of the fiber is wishful thinking. I agree with his understanding. The test is to insert a fine needle into the knot from the side at the edge of the handle. The pin should go over the glue bump or just touch it. This height will protect the fibers from breaking when the brush is splayed to the maximum.

 

[Badger in the Sun]

I talked to a shop owner on setting the knot height. He told me that the primary purpose is to set the knot low enough to protect the glue bump. The theory of setting the height to control the bending of the fiber is wishful thinking. I agree with his understanding. The test is to insert a fine needle into the knot from the side at the edge of the handle. The pin should go over the glue bump or just touch it. This height will protect the fibers from breaking when the brush is splayed to the maximum.

Interesting. That seems to make sense, although I've never had an issue with synthetic fibers breaking. Maybe I don't press down hard enough to cause a problem.

 

[JohnnyWayne203]

My 28mm Yaqi Tuxedo has been seeing the most use out of all my brushes, as of late.

 

[Bratwurst]

RazoRock 400 in orange
Simpsons Simfix

 

[Steve1981]

I use synthetic brushes. I heard yaqi is a good synthetic choice.

 

[BigShaveBill]

For a large, I mean, really large synthetic... 34mm knot. RazoRock F-400 RED. Wow. I used it last night, and I couldn't believe the lather volume and coverage due to its enormous size. Impressive!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[ike]

Alas, the Razorock 24 Barber synthetic has been retired. It just wasn't doing it for me, whatever "it" is. However, I may next try life on Boar Bristle Avenue.

 

[Esox]

$10. Cant go wrong. Out of stock at the moment, again!

Maggard Razors 22mm Black Handle Shaving Brush Synthetic | Maggard Razors Traditional Wet Shaving Products

 

[MM879]

$10. Cant go wrong. Out of stock at the moment, again!

Maggard Razors 22mm Black Handle Shaving Brush Synthetic | Maggard Razors Traditional Wet Shaving Products

You might want to check image 4/4 on the Maggard site, Maggard-Razors-Synthetic-Knot-Cross-section. It's ulgy. I don't know why they would publish information like that.

 

[1Vader]

Love Maggards black synthetic brushes, it's been my daily driver for quite some time. I think the 22mm size is perfect.