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REVIEW: Frank Shaving develops in-house synthetic fibre!!!

I ordered a couple more Frank Shaving brushes and received them the other day. Their Aliexpress store is my usual place for ordering. Ordering and delivery were easy and cost-effective.

This particular brush is unique in that the knot is made up of a new fibre that FS has developed in-house!

I originally enquired about another pur-tech brush but was advised by FS that they have developed a similar fibre so I got very curious about it.

It basically aims to replicate the Gen4 synthetic fibre, as used in the Muhle, EJ Silvertip Fibre ("STF") knots and the FS Pur-tech knots. Let’s call this one “FS fibre” for now.

Read on to know my experience with this new knot…

But first, here are some pics:

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Shedding:

No shedding at all, as per the case with all synthetics I’ve ever used.

Softness:

The Muhle Silvertip Fibre V2 (STF) is basically a market leader in synthetic fibre IMO. It’s basically perfection!

Well, Frank Shaving nailed it with this new FS fibre!! It’s nearly the same as the Muhle STF in terms of the fibre itself! I’m surprised to experience just how much this feels like the STF.

It’s really soft at the tips to the point where you barely feel them. The brush overall has substance, but the tips are like air! The way the STF and FS fibre both whip lather in no time is also unique. I add water, swirl a little, and it’s already incorporated and formed a nice-looking lather!

Splay:

The FS fibre splays very nicely! Again, like the Muhle STF, it expands amazingly as the volume of lather grows inside it. In fact, the splay is not just “very nice”, it’s actually amazing! It’s very natural and I like it better than my Muhle STF and my FS pur-tech!

Backbone (and glue bump):

The ratio of backbone and density is just perfect! As mentioned above, the splay is very natural so I don’t need to push down hard to get it to splay. Even though it does have a glue bump of approx. 8-10mm, it doesn’t negatively impact the performance, whereas on all other synths I have, a glue bump of about 10mm does negatively impact the experience of the brush.

The combination of the fibre, the tips, the substance, density and backbone all combine to give me exactly what I would classify as perfection!

The 24mm knot with the 53mm loft is just awesome! The finish on the knot could be a little better when compared to Muhle and EJ STF brushes however, at $23 for the 24mm FS fibre compared to the $86 for the Muhle 23mm STF …it’s a no brainer for me!

It’s a big call, but this brush is now my #1 synthetic brush of all time (out of the 25 I have)!!

Drying time:

The brush dried out fully within a few hours, just like other synthetics on the market. No difference to be noted.

Handle:

The faux agate handle is lovely. It’s classy but I do wish it comes in other shapes as this handle shape is becoming common. No knocks against it though, it’s a really pleasing handle for sure!
 
Could you compare the glue bump to the Muhle and Jagger STF?

And could you elaborate re the finish on the knot? You indicated it was not quite as good. What does that mean, please?

Thanks, nav!
 
Could you compare the glue bump to the Muhle and Jagger STF?

And could you elaborate re the finish on the knot? You indicated it was not quite as good. What does that mean, please?

Thanks, nav!

The glue bump is there on the FS but both my muhle and ej don't have one, however, the muhle STF v2 has a much shorter loft so even without the glue bump, it feels less substantial and holds less lather than the FS fibre.

Despite the glue bump, I much prefer the FS fibre brush. I have basically every synthetic knot on the market and this is now my favorite brush overall.

The finish is very good...perfect on the handle, just a few small glue dots at the base of the knot. Nothing major at all, just something I mentioned for the sake of comparison. The muhle is hand made and flawless quality but at more than triple the price!

I used to always recommend the muhle/ej for the most premium synthetic but I can't in good conscience recommend them over the new FS fibre brush any longer.
 
I ordered a couple more Frank Shaving brushes and received them the other day. Their Aliexpress store is my usual place for ordering. Ordering and delivery were easy and cost-effective.

This particular brush is unique in that the knot is made up of a new fibre that FS has developed in-house!

I originally enquired about another pur-tech brush but was advised by FS that they have developed a similar fibre so I got very curious about it.

It basically aims to replicate the Gen4 synthetic fibre, as used in the Muhle, EJ Silvertip Fibre ("STF") knots and the FS Pur-tech knots. Let’s call this one “FS fibre” for now.

Read on to know my experience with this new knot…

But first, here are some pics:

proxy.php

proxy.php

proxy.php

proxy.php


Shedding:

No shedding at all, as per the case with all synthetics I’ve ever used.

Softness:

The Muhle Silvertip Fibre V2 (STF) is basically a market leader in synthetic fibre IMO. It’s basically perfection!

Well, Frank Shaving nailed it with this new FS fibre!! It’s nearly the same as the Muhle STF in terms of the fibre itself! I’m surprised to experience just how much this feels like the STF.

It’s really soft at the tips to the point where you barely feel them. The brush overall has substance, but the tips are like air! The way the STF and FS fibre both whip lather in no time is also unique. I add water, swirl a little, and it’s already incorporated and formed a nice-looking lather!

Splay:

The FS fibre splays very nicely! Again, like the Muhle STF, it expands amazingly as the volume of lather grows inside it. In fact, the splay is not just “very nice”, it’s actually amazing! It’s very natural and I like it better than my Muhle STF and my FS pur-tech!

Backbone (and glue bump):

The ratio of backbone and density is just perfect! As mentioned above, the splay is very natural so I don’t need to push down hard to get it to splay. Even though it does have a glue bump of approx. 8-10mm, it doesn’t negatively impact the performance, whereas on all other synths I have, a glue bump of about 10mm does negatively impact the experience of the brush.

The combination of the fibre, the tips, the substance, density and backbone all combine to give me exactly what I would classify as perfection!

The 24mm knot with the 53mm loft is just awesome! The finish on the knot could be a little better when compared to Muhle and EJ STF brushes however, at $23 for the 24mm FS fibre compared to the $86 for the Muhle 23mm STF …it’s a no brainer for me!

It’s a big call, but this brush is now my #1 synthetic brush of all time (out of the 25 I have)!!

Drying time:

The brush dried out fully within a few hours, just like other synthetics on the market. No difference to be noted.

Handle:

The faux agate handle is lovely. It’s classy but I do wish it comes in other shapes as this handle shape is becoming common. No knocks against it though, it’s a really pleasing handle for sure!
Well that's awesome you found the one!
 
I have 25 synthetic brushes and enjoy them all but this is now my favorite of the lot! It's my "desert island" brush.



I don't believe they sell just the knots.

This brush can be found here...

"FS" 24MM FS3# Synthetic Fiber Shaving Brush Faux Agate Handle+FREE STAND+FREE SHIPPING on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group
All right. Once again I have been enabled to purchase another brush! I will report back after it arrives and I have used it. I thank you, but my wallet is grumbling!

- Karve Diem, M. BOSC
 
All right. Once again I have been enabled to purchase another brush! I will report back after it arrives and I have used it. I thank you, but my wallet is grumbling!

- Karve Diem, M. BOSC
I don't like to hear a wallet grumble, haha. Good one!
 
All right. Once again I have been enabled to purchase another brush! I will report back after it arrives and I have used it. I thank you, but my wallet is grumbling!

- Karve Diem, M. BOSC

Please let us know how you get on with it.

I find the FS fibre identical to the muhle silvertip fibre (the best fibre on the market IME) but the FS brush characteristics are better, more user friendly.
 
does it hold enough lather/water w.r.t to normal badger/boars

I got a full three passes worth of lather plus about one pass worth washed down the drain.
The 24mm knot along with the characteristic of the fibre means it'll hold plenty of water. Best to shake most of it out prior to loading your soap. Then you can add water as required. It'll hold plenty of lather and there's no lather flinging either.
 
I have 25 synthetic brushes and enjoy them all but this is now my favorite of the lot! It's my "desert island" brush.



I don't believe they sell just the knots.

This brush can be found here...

"FS" 24MM FS3# Synthetic Fiber Shaving Brush Faux Agate Handle+FREE STAND+FREE SHIPPING on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

If this is the same knot, it does look like they sell just the knot without a handle...

Synthetic Fiber Hair Knot for Wet Shaving Brush by Frank Shaving 16MM-26MM | eBay
 
Thanks. What about this one?...

Frank Shaving Pur Tech Fiber Silvertip Hair Knot for Wet Shaving Brush 18-30MM | eBay

If it's the right knot, I'd like to use it in a custom handle.

The Pur Tech is highly regarded, buy I do not think it quite the same. Nav is the expert....

That's correct, the pur-tech is basically the muhle STF fibre which FS purchases for its own brushes, just like EJ does.

It's the original STF fibre so one could definitely buy the knot for custom brushes as FS don't sell knots of their own new fibre as yet.

The next thing about the new fibre brush is that it replicates the STF fibre at a fraction of the cost so now anyone can experience the feeling of the STF.
 
nav, are you saying Pur tech is Muhle v1?

Sorry, I should have said "genuine" instead of "original" muhle STF.

The pur-tech is definitely v2 fibre and supplied by muhle.

The v1 STF has not been available since 2012, which is a pity as it's the only knot which actually emulates a badger brush in behavior and face feel.
 
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