Recommended Yaqi Synthetic

[vorpal]

Is there any way to tell which generation a Yaqi is, like with the code or something? I'm looking for a recommendation. May sound weird, but I would like to control how much product I can load better, so a 'thinner' one would be better?

YAQI Shaving Brushes With Natural Or Synthetic Bristle | HairMaker.Gr

YAQI is professional in manufacturing all kinds of shaving brushes since 2007. Yaqi is aiming at designing and producing excellent quality products and now popular all over the world.

hairmaker.gr

This shop has the biggest selection here.

 

[mata_66]

Yaqi brushes for many years were the gateway to the synth world for many of us and they had the best value for money in the shaving world.
Then two things happened: 1) They doubled their prices overnight; 2) They haven't innovated their knots in a few years. The most recent knot you can buy from Yaqi is the G4 while the competition moved on offering better knots (G5a/b/c G7 etc.)

Still you have a huge choice of good brushes from the link you provided. I would choose the "Deep Stones R220329" or the Timberwolf R1736s2-24.

My current favorite China brush at the moment is the Dscosmetic Kensurfs G7 but you have to order directly from their Aliexpress shop. No retailers in Europe or anywhere else.

 

[vorpal]

Yaqi brushes for many years were the gateway to the synth world for many of us and they had the best value for money in the shaving world.
Then two things happened: 1) They doubled their prices overnight; 2) They haven't innovated their knots in a few years. The most recent knot you can buy from Yaqi is the G4 while the competition moved on offering better knots (G5a/b/c G7 etc.)

Still you have a huge choice of good brushes from the link you provided. I would choose the "Deep Stones R220329" or the Timberwolf R1736s2-24.

My current favorite China brush at the moment is the Dscosmetic Kensurfs G7 but you have to order directly from their Aliexpress shop. No retailers in Europe or anywhere else.

Thank you! What about knot diameter? With my old boar ones I felt anything above 24mm was wasting product. I'll have to look if I can find a G7 with 24 from AliExpress, hopefully shipping won't be crazy.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000944404448.html

Really like this one, but doesn't seem to be G7.

 

[mata_66]

That one looks to be a Cashmere knot. Those are very very soft and floppy. Coming from boar brushes I don't think you'll like it.
I like G7 because in my opinion it feels more natural than other synths. It mimics a Two-band badger. Soft tips with decent backbone and splays with ease. I would also avoid anything bigger than 24mm. The Dscosmetic Amber Smoke G7 is 22mm and the Coffee G7 is 24mm. The other brushes are way too big in your case.
Shipping is often free if you order from Aliexpress but hurry because sales end tomorrow!

 

[vorpal]

That one looks to be a Cashmere knot. Those are very very soft and floppy. Coming from boar brushes I don't think you'll like it.
I like G7 because in my opinion it feels more natural than other synths. It mimics a Two-band badger. Soft tips with decent backbone and splays with ease. I would also avoid anything bigger than 24mm. The Dscosmetic Amber Smoke G7 is 22mm and the Coffee G7 is 24mm. The other brushes are way too big in your case.
Shipping is often free if you order from Aliexpress but hurry because sales end tomorrow!

I was actually looking for something softer as boar sometimes irritates my sensitive skin, is cashmere considered last gen too but softer? Having a hard time understanding synthetics. Worried that 22 may be too small, but not sure.

 

[mata_66]

All Synths from Yaqi or Dscosmetics are very soft, being Cashmere the softest of them all. 24mm is the right size, imho, for your needs, not too big nor too small. Cashmere, mew brown, g4, have been around for some years but they are all nice hair. Tuxedo (black hair with white tips) from Yaqi is good, from Dscosmetics not so much. Also Yaqi has better quality control, some older Dscosmetics had problems, the new ones seem fine.

 

[cryhavoc]

My favorite Yaqi synth is the Purple Haze Mew Brown. Its a 24mm knot and and great for face lathering for me, other say its a great bowl latherer also.

 

[vorpal]

Thanks guys, I ended up buying the surf one together with this stand, looks quite pretty. The Surf is 22mm, went for a little smaller since I had a 24mm one and I still found it too big. Maybe in the future I'll bother ordering from AliExpress and get a G7, for now this will be good enough, I hope.

 

[Keyvan]

I think that you will be happy with the brush you purchased. I purchased several Yaqi brushes from WCS and the Yaqi Factory store. In my opinion, Yaqi is wise in not focusing on the generation of the synthetic fibers. The shape of the individual hairs, their diameter and length, the way that the knot is formed, the density of the knot, how and where they crimp the fibers, and how they set the knot can all give you a great deal of variation in the physical characteristics of the knot. In my opinion Yaqi has more or less mastered making synthetic brushes.

If you chose one based on aesthetics alone, you might be happy.

Here are some thoughts that might be of help to you in the future.

If you want a brush with some more backbone and splay, I would really recommend the brown fiber (SK 06) in the rainbow handle. That one is 26 mm, but I believe that they also have a 24 mm version.

If you just want a nice all around brush, the mew knot that was recommended above is really nice.

If you want a small brush that has a little more spring than the mew, you might like the Sagrada Familia with what I believe is a tuxedo knot. The one that you purchased might be a tuxedo knot or a boss knot, but I am not certain.

They also sell a brush with what they refer to as a mink knot. I like that one; it has very soft tips and holds on to water a bit more aggressively. Nevertheless, for some reason I prefer the characteristics of their mew knot.

If you want to save money on a Yaqi brush, sometimes they offer factory seconds for $7. Whatever issue those have is with the handle and is often not discernable to the eye.

I bought way too many synthetic brushes and then discovered that I really prefer boar. You really only need one good synthetic brush. IMO, Yaqi is a better value than everything else, including the Plisson/Plissoft, the STF brushes from EJ and Muhle, and definitely the Simpson Sovereign Fibre brushes than burned my face . I expected better from the Isle of Man.

 

[Keyvan]

Vorpal,

I am glad you found a brush with which you are happy. I thought one more piece of information might be useful to you in the future. With the exception of the 26 mm Rainbow handle, my Yaqi synthetics are all 24 mm. When you put them side by side, however, the diameter of Mink knot (measured at mid height or higher) is smaller than the other 24 mm brushes. That may be because Yaqi set the knot deeper in the handle or could be the consequence of some other reason.

Unfortunately, knot diameter (e.g. 22 mm or 24 mm) only tells you the diameter of glue cylinder at the base that holds the fibers together.

 

[mata_66]

My first foray into Yaqi synths was in the summer of 2017 with the Tuxedo Butterscotch (model R1710).
It has been a great brush that served me well during all these years. Many others followed, some came and went , others are still here. My other favorites, for a reason or the other, are, in no particular order: the Moka Express with the 'mew brown' knot, the Rainbow with the brown knot, the Goblin with the Husky knot (great brush that went almost unnoticed) and the latest arrival, the Night Emerald with the SK02 knot.

 

[Ron R]

I have lots of Yaqi synthetic brushes and really enjoy them all, I had this thing stuck in my head that the 24mm synthetics are the perfect brush, but I bought some of the 26mm synthetic knots over the years (sales) and they are best for a luxury feel on the face and are a little better than the 24mm for that soft gentle luxury face feel that synthetic brushes can offer. 26mm knots are not lather hogs either that also surprized me when squeezing out last lather out of brush to see how much was left in the brush, not a whole lot different than a 24mm knot IMO.
(Some 26mm synthetic Yaqi knots, soft, gentle & luxury face feeling.)

Have some great shaves!

 

[StuMcB]

Just going to say these words....Yaqi twist.

 

[Ron R]

Just going to say these words....Yaqi twist.

That is a interesting brush 24mm synthetic, I was thinking on pulling the trigger on that one but black handle did not turn my crank. They had a batch with a different synthetic knot that was tempting.

 

[Pedigree]

I don't understand the appeal of Yaqi brushes, when there are much better (higher quality) brushes out there.

 

[Zarafrance]

The best way to tell which generation a Yaqi comes from is to test it. We are all aware that not all products are created equal and that they perform better at different levels of use. Selecting shaving products is essential for all. I still remember getting an infection after my first shave and my beard falling out. After consulting with the doctor, he advised me to use aftershave products. I continue to use aftershave.

 

[vorpal]

Just going to say these words....Yaqi twist.

Is this one of the newer ones? Damn it, it's a thing of beauty, had to order one..

 

[Keyvan]

I don't understand the appeal of Yaqi brushes, when there are much better (higher quality) brushes out there.

Yaqi is much more innovative than its competitors. Look at the handles offered by some of the custom brush vendors. They might be selling the handle for 20 or 30 dollars. The handles on the Moka, Sagrada Familia, and the aforementioned Twist are superior to most of those in aesthetics and design. They also manufacture good knots. None of my synthetic brushes have high glue bumps, lose hair, suffer from poor ergonomics, or burn my face.

The only area where they are not competitive is boar brushes. Semogue and Omega are so well established and offer such great quality and value that no one is likely to overtake them anytime soon.

The main thing about Yaqi is that they focus on product development as opposed to marketing hype. That mentality resonates with the market segment that is attracted to DE shaving.

 

[JCarr]

Is there a reason you're set on a Yaqi synthetic? Take a look at AP Shave Co's offerings. They even have a faux Boar synthetic knot which is one of my favorites now. Prices are reasonable.

 

[Keyvan]

Is this one of the newer ones? Damn it, it's a thing of beauty, had to order one..

I also have the Twist. It is extremely beautiful and has very soft tips. It’s on the larger side of 24 mm.