Softest synthetic brushes out there, any recommendations? Love the Faux Horse fibers, no scrub or very little prefered

[OscarSWE]

As i've used my Yaqi Rainbow more and more i've realised just how much I love this knot, it works great as a face latherer and it's pillow soft

I am wondering if there are even softer fibers out there, I was looking at the Cashmere fan and some PAA offerings, do any of you have any experience with the Faux Horse knot and either the Cashmere knot or a PAA knot?

I prefer buying in EU but I am fine with importing if something stands out.

Which knot size do y'all prefer?

As little scrub as possible.

 

[OscarSWE]

As i've used my Yaqi Rainbow more and more i've realised just how much I love this knot, it works great as a face latherer and it's pillow soft

I am wondering if there are even softer fibers out there, I was looking at the Cashmere fan and some PAA offerings, do any of you have any experience with the Faux Horse knot and either the Cashmere knot or a PAA knot?

I prefer buying in EU but I am fine with importing if something stands out.

Which knot size do y'all prefer?

As little scrub as possible.

I've seen that a lot of synths try to replicate badger but personally I prefer them being their own thing. There's no such thing as too soft imo so hit me with your softest pillowiest synths that splay easily and barely have any scrub if at all

I am not worried about stiffness or backbone, unless you consider a 26x55mm Faux Horse knot backbony.

Heat retention isn't something that I need either as I solely use cold water for shaving

 

[Multum in parvo]

I find the Mühle 25mm STF to feel and perform just like a nice Silvertip so this might be one. The softest Yaqi (too soft for me) was the Moka Express Synth - not sure of the knot name.

 

[OscarSWE]

I find the Mühle 25mm STF to feel and perform just like a nice Silvertip so this might be one. The softest Yaqi (too soft for me) was the Moka Express Synth - not sure of the knot name.

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That's a unique fiber, never seen it before. Handle doesn't look all that comfortable though.

I've considered the STF but I heard it's a bit scrubby if you really splay it and dig it in which is what i'm not looking for. My skin is sensitive and prone to brush burn even with a Tuxedo knot but the Faux Horse has no issues like that.

 

[SammieM]

My softest brush that I have is APShave Co. SynBad. Lathers everything. If you are looking for soft and backbone the G5C is great. Some people complain that it doesn’t splay much, but if you set it as high as possible it does wonderful. I like 24-26mm brushes…

 

[OscarSWE]

My softest brush that I have is APShave Co. SynBad. Lathers everything. If you are looking for soft and backbone the G5C is great. Some people complain that it doesn’t splay much, but if you set it as high as possible it does wonderful. I like 24-26mm brushes…

I've found that I vastly prefer splay to backbone for face lathering, i've never felt like I needed good backbone. My favorite brush, one many consider floppy, facelathers just fine. Tip softness and splay matters most to me

I've heard good things about the SynBad and Cashmere, two very interesting knots. SynBad seems pretty Similar to Faux Horse with a little more backbone and a little less splay

Ultimate Synthetic Knot Properties Quick Guide - https://apshaveco.com/pages/ultimate-synthetic-knot-properties-quick-guide this guide is interesting, not sure if all the differences are hugely noticable when it comes down to 5% or so

 

[Multum in parvo]

The Tuxedo was too springy for me I only kept it for the Lucky Dice handle and use it rarely. The Rainbow Pony is currently in my headshaving rotation and works nicely. I have 3 STF a 19mm that looks sparse but is an excellent face lather machine and a recent buy 21mm travel brush that feels much denser and substantial compared to the 19mm. Finally a 25mm in a Rudy Vey handle where everything just feels right.

 

[OscarSWE]

The Tuxedo was too springy for me I only kept it for the Lucky Dice handle and use it rarely. The Rainbow Pony is currently in my headshaving rotation and works nicely. I have 3 STF a 19mm that looks sparse but is an excellent face lather machine and recent buy 21mm travel brush that feels much denser and substantial compared to the 19mm and finally a 25mm in a Rudy Vey handle where everything just feels right.

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The Tuxedo is way too stiff for my liking, doesn't comfortably splay, I have to really force it. I use the Yaqi Rainbow for both head and face and it's great, I can't remember the last time I bowl lathered but is that a Captain's Choice copper bowl?

 

[Multum in parvo]

Yes that’s a CC, for headshaving I use a bigger Pereira bowl.

 

[SammieM]

I've found that I vastly prefer splay to backbone for face lathering, i've never felt like I needed good backbone. My favorite brush, one many consider floppy, facelathers just fine. Tip softness and splay matters most to me

I've heard good things about the SynBad and Cashmere, two very interesting knots. SynBad seems pretty Similar to Faux Horse with a little more backbone and a little less splay

Ultimate Synthetic Knot Properties Quick Guide - https://apshaveco.com/pages/ultimate-synthetic-knot-properties-quick-guide this guide is interesting, not sure if all the differences are hugely noticable when it comes down to 5% or so

SynBad is right up your alley. The smaller 24mm I had was a bit prickly. The 26mm and 30mm I have are super soft.
Cashmere is another favourite and splays well but not as much as the SynBad. The Cashmere knot is not as soft as the SynBad although it is still pretty soft.

 

[SammieM]

I agree with the post above regarding that Yaqi. Forgot to mention that the Rainbow Yaqi is another favourite and I used to use it for testing new gear. It always provides great consistent lather and it is very soft…

 

[JCarr]

Two of my favorite AP Shave Co knots are the Faux Boar and the Silksmoke...plenty soft while still retaining enough backbone to whip up a good lather. And those knots aren't their expensive knots.

 

[SydneyShaver]

The Yaqi MewBrown knot (which is pictured above in the Moka brush) is according to them their softest, which is followed by the knot in your Yaqi Rainbow. To me it has no scritch and very little scrub whilst still maintaining good backbone. I read somewhere else that it is the same as the SynBad knot though I cannot verify this from first hand experience. Without spending a minimum of literally 5x the price...I don't think there's anything else that would come close.

 

[rsp1202]

The current Zenith S10 synthetic knot feels softer to me than the SynBad and Cashmere, without any hint of poke, and it splays just as easily. It comes with a very comfortable Zenith 502 handle, which also bumps up the price. Unfortunately it's been out of stock at The Gentle Shave for more than a month, the only supplier I know of. This version doesn't get the same attention as other synth knots, also unfortunate. Don't confuse it with an earlier version that was reported to be stiffer.

 

[pierrelortie44]

The Simpsons Sovereign bristle is silky soft. The Trafalgar brushes and most of their other synthetic brushes are made with this bristle.

A few models are also offered with the more expensive Platinum bristle (Classic1, Duke3, M7, Chubby2). This bristle is stiffer and feels more « natural », but it’s not as soft.

 

[Vraad]

the motherlode knot is prolly your best bet its crazy thin fibers means it's soft and floppy

 

[Darth Scandalous]

See if you can find an E.L.F. brand kabuki brush. It's a makeup brush, very soft but tightly packed enough that it won't tangle. I bought one on a lark (less than $10 USD) and it makes great lather. Incredibly soft. If you like it you can figure out how to mount it in a handle. Mine fits in the cheap Proraso Pro handle, I suppose you could glue it in but I like the boat too.

 

[OscarSWE]

The Yaqi MewBrown knot (which is pictured above in the Moka brush) is according to them their softest, which is followed by the knot in your Yaqi Rainbow. To me it has no scritch and very little scrub whilst still maintaining good backbone. I read somewhere else that it is the same as the SynBad knot though I cannot verify this from first hand experience. Without spending a minimum of literally 5x the price...I don't think there's anything else that would come close.

The Yaqi Purple Haze uses those fibers I think, a very nice looking brush.

Yaqi brushes are tremendous for their price, great bang for buck brushes and this is one I need to try

 

[OscarSWE]

the motherlode knot is prolly your best bet its crazy thin fibers means it's soft and floppy

Motherloade sounds great, read up on some reviews of it and wow. It really sounds like what i'm looking for it. Do they set the knot themselves if I ask for it? I've never set a knot personally so that'd be helpful

 

[OscarSWE]

The Simpsons Sovereign bristle is silky soft. The Trafalgar brushes and most of their other synthetic brushes are made with this bristle.

A few models are also offered with the more expensive Platinum bristle (Classic1, Duke3, M7, Chubby2). This bristle is stiffer and feels more « natural », but it’s not as soft.

I've heard good things about the Trafalgar brushes but i've also heard they are difficult to splay but YMMV