I have some expensive synthetic brushes that are so good I got rid of all of my badger and boar. However, my number 4 favorite (in a line of ten or so keepers) is a humble Yaqi 22mm Cola. It's a nice brush.
Recommended Yaqi Synthetic
- Thread starter vorpal
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The guy from APS Co is very knowledgeable and helpful. If you have some experience with synthetics and have a good idea of what you want, that’s also a good way to go.
The good thing about AP Shave Co is...they offer some very attractive, more expensive handles, but they also offer handles that, may not be as visually appealing, but are very reasonably priced. You can pair whatever knot you choose with any of the handles they offer. It's a nice setup. Most of the brushes in my collection are from AP Shave Co. I have a few others, Yaqi, RazoRock, Turn'n'Shave, Semogue...but most are AP Shave Co brushes.
Synthetic brushes are following a strange drift, on the one hand an undeniable fiber innovation is taking place, and on the other hand, prices are soaring unjustifiably that now the cost of some synthetics is priced higher than the best badger brushes.
The appeal of Yaqi comes from the time when they were cheap. I remember when Yaqi synths were surprisingly good brushes with a wide variety of fibers (plissoft, tuxedo, timberwolf, cashmere, mew brown) and were priced between $9 and $15.
Obviously many shavers looked at Yaqi like the best bang for a buck for a good reason. Still that perception survives even if the price of the new brushes are higher than some better brushes made in Europe.
Can a China brush using older fiber technology cost more than a Simpson Trafalgar T2 or a Omega Roma Colosseum? The British lady that glues the knot to the handle and the gentleman who operates the lathe on the Isle of Man earn like ten Chinese workers that are employed under semi-slavery conditions. A Yaqi synth and a Simpson cost the same, they arrive in two-three weeks VS next day, so why people still think Yaqi brushes are more cost-effective?
Yaqi's another problem is that they long ago stopped introducing novelties in terms of new knots. They have stuck to the same fibers from 4-5 years ago while in both Europe and China, rival manufacturers have made giant steps introducing many new knots with superior features.
The appeal of Yaqi comes from the time when they were cheap. I remember when Yaqi synths were surprisingly good brushes with a wide variety of fibers (plissoft, tuxedo, timberwolf, cashmere, mew brown) and were priced between $9 and $15.
Obviously many shavers looked at Yaqi like the best bang for a buck for a good reason. Still that perception survives even if the price of the new brushes are higher than some better brushes made in Europe.
Can a China brush using older fiber technology cost more than a Simpson Trafalgar T2 or a Omega Roma Colosseum? The British lady that glues the knot to the handle and the gentleman who operates the lathe on the Isle of Man earn like ten Chinese workers that are employed under semi-slavery conditions. A Yaqi synth and a Simpson cost the same, they arrive in two-three weeks VS next day, so why people still think Yaqi brushes are more cost-effective?
Yaqi's another problem is that they long ago stopped introducing novelties in terms of new knots. They have stuck to the same fibers from 4-5 years ago while in both Europe and China, rival manufacturers have made giant steps introducing many new knots with superior features.
I still keep a Yaqi in my rotation, even though they have made few improvements in the last several years.
I picked one up as one of the Yaqi handle issues. For the life of me I cant see a thing wrong with the handle or knot. It feels great in the hand and the knot is great, whips up all my soaps and cream with no problems at all. And best of all ot was only a few £££'s to my door.
IMHO the Omega S brush knot is as close to an Omega boar as it gets. They're dirt cheap and come in all shapes and sizes.
I just bought a Yaqi Monster 30mm and got it for $12. Some places haven't raised prices artificially. Seek and ye shall find.
If anyone wants a really good fiber brush, I can't recommend Rudy Vey making them a brush with the Muhle Silvertip Fiber knot. This is my favorite brush of all time. My next favorite is a Shavemac fiber brush. The APShaveCo G5A is number 3 in my list of favorites. The Yaqi Cola is in 4th place, which is still good, because it is competing with the big dogs.
If anyone wants a really good fiber brush, I can't recommend Rudy Vey making them a brush with the Muhle Silvertip Fiber knot. This is my favorite brush of all time. My next favorite is a Shavemac fiber brush. The APShaveCo G5A is number 3 in my list of favorites. The Yaqi Cola is in 4th place, which is still good, because it is competing with the big dogs.
Which is hard to understand given the higher quality of best badger hair over synthetic.
I just took a screenshot of the Yaqi Aliexpress store. The Monster you are talking about lists at $24.57.....
I remember when that 'heavy metal handle' (fourth on the first line) came out in 2017/2018 was one of the most expensive at $12 and spare. Still the same brush with the same Tuxedo knot from yesteryear.
For the same money this is a hugely better brush
Latest G7 fibers, great handle to boot.
I don't want to start a religious war and go against Yaqi, but objectively they are no more the best brushes from China nor the best bang for your hard earned money. Maybe they don't even rank in the top three.
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
I mostly exclusively use Yaqi & Razorock brushes and they are in the middle of the road for quality and their knots are just excellent for my shaving needs and if a person has to have a badger feel in synthetic just buy the real McCoy IMO.
A knot that Yaqi uses that simulates the silver tip or 2 band badger to a tee and it works wonderfully is the Atlantis (G4?) IMO.
People should not over look real badger brushes either because at the moment they are inexpensive compared to a few years ago.
I never used badger for years and when I thought the price was reasonable compared to synthetic brushes I thought why not give it a whirl and find out why older generations enjoy using them so much.
They are just as good for lathering as anything out there but they do take longer to dry and boar brushes should be soaked for a few minutes prior to using when using boar bristle.
Synthetics are very good and there are a lot to chose from to make any shaver user dizzy looking.
(Very close to a good badger feel the Yaqi "Atlantis"& looks like a silvertip IMO.)
Have some great shaves!
A knot that Yaqi uses that simulates the silver tip or 2 band badger to a tee and it works wonderfully is the Atlantis (G4?) IMO.
People should not over look real badger brushes either because at the moment they are inexpensive compared to a few years ago.
I never used badger for years and when I thought the price was reasonable compared to synthetic brushes I thought why not give it a whirl and find out why older generations enjoy using them so much.
They are just as good for lathering as anything out there but they do take longer to dry and boar brushes should be soaked for a few minutes prior to using when using boar bristle.
Synthetics are very good and there are a lot to chose from to make any shaver user dizzy looking.
(Very close to a good badger feel the Yaqi "Atlantis"& looks like a silvertip IMO.)
Have some great shaves!
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That was also my experience. I think the issue might be that these were prototypes and something about them is different than the standard ones that they decide to go with on large scale. It's not necessarily a defect, but something about the labeling, the font or the design is different. I became suspicious of this when they released a defect with the Lucky Die handle. The die in the handle was 6 sided rather than the 16 sided D&D version that they incorporated into the official product.
Yaqi and Razorock are both value kings. Razorock does a great job with scented soaps and the Plissoft brush. Yaqi offers greater variety in knots and handles. I am glad that they are both around and believe that they are deserving of their success.
Which of Yaqi's synthetic knots is the stiffest? I only have one, a tuxedo, and it is quite floppy.
The Yaqi Monster 30mm barber pole is a lot of fun because it is so big. It isn't a bad brush in any case, but the size makes it interesting. They do make a 75mm barber pole! It's huge! It is too big to use. A head shaver could lather his head in one swipe with that thing. I know someone who has one and it is really something to look at.
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
I bought one of the 30mm Tuxedo knots on the live sale for use in the shower because of its size instead of a using a wash cloth. Does it ever kick up a lather from a bar of soap in seconds and it was worth the experimenting with for the price I paid at the time. For head shaving it would coat the globe in lather in seconds no doubt(I'm not a head shaver). It dries fast enough so no mildew has a chance to set in like wash cloths can (hate that smell).
Have some great shaves!
The Yaqi brush I really want is this one. I can’t understand why anybody would buy another manufacturer’s brushes when they could have this with the happy panda and the paw prints. It just adds a touch of class to any bathroom.
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
I have one, I'm a sale type of fellow and bought mine close to a black Friday sales 2 years ago and thought why not. It has a good Tuxedo knot in it also. It kicks up a good lather for a 24mm knot and it has those cloud like soft tips for massaging the lather on the face . It is unique design and how they make their handles in such detail is amazing when it comes to handles IMO.
If you really enjoy24mm 2band badgers & they are awesome when they where offering it on sale, that would be a excellent brush for a gentle scrub with those soft tips and great lather painting. But at the time I had enough Yaqi 2band badgers and should of pulled the trigger and a good price they offered but was interested in silvertip badgers when I was buying badgers.
Have some great shaves!
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You, sir, are a man of taste and distinction. I can tell you are worthy of this fine brush.
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
Thanks for the kind words, I love eye candy when looking at shave gear and I'm kind of a weak even when I have lots of shave gear.
