Muhle and Shavemac synthetics are my two items on the shortlist.I have tried both. 2 different animals. The synbad is very very very soft. Too soft for me. Almost like I can't believe this is even a shaving brush. The Silksmoke had a better feel and I used it for a while. It didn't splay very well but otherwise was good. For synthetics I settled on Shavemac and Muhle which I feel are nicer but also more expensive.
I am mostly a badger guy though.
Muhle and Shavemac synthetics are my two items on the shortlist.
@pwill112 I would love to hear your comparison of these two if you have the time.
Thank you for your detailed input!I still really use my Declaration Grooming badgers the most.
The Muhle synthetic is softer than the shavemac. I have the 25 mm. The handle is just a little too short for me. The brush is just a little too soft but not much. I have the 26 mm shavemac. It's a much harder and denser brush. The 26 mm is a little too big because of the density. I learned that this size shavemac requires more loading time and soap because it is so dense. My badgers are also 26 mm but don't require so much loading time.
So the muhle and shavemac have pros and cons for me. I "like" both and alternate them at will. Still looking for the perfect synthetic. I heard there is an Edwin Jaggar similar to the muhle but not as soft? I haven't researched it yet.
I have all bulbs. Actually one of the reasons I was looking at this was that I figured I try a fan. APLuxury has a fan.Those are the two knots that I'm considering also, but leaning towards the silk smoke as its available in a fan, which I prefer.
I have a tuxedo that acts like your silksmoke, but I'm pretty sure that it's because I set the knot too deep. I ordered the 26mm fan silksmoke and a 24mm 2Bed for a couple of handles that I have.I have both. The Synbad works quite well and is very soft. It also has very little backbone. Maybe it would be better with a lower loft.
The Silksmoke I have is almost unusable. It came from the batch that had stiffer fibers. It is so stiff it is difficult to splay, and swirling motions often result in the knot moving as a whole without any splay.
My synbad is a fan. I’ll be curious to know how much better this shape is for face lathering. do you notice a difference?Silksmoke in a fan knot.View attachment 1160069
Sure you'll feel the difference. Can't say one is "better" than the other, but I prefer the broader size of the fan for face lathering especially with painting strokes.My synbad is a fan. I’ll be curious to know how much better this shape is for face lathering. do you notice a difference?
You would really set a synbad that low? I was thinking of getting the 28mm and set it to 50mm loft. I want something with backbone but able to splay at the tipsIf you get a SynBad, my recommendation would be to set it deeeep. I have a 30mm*** SynBad that is set at ~52mm loft. I'd love to shave at least 5mm loft off that, but the handle can't accommodate a deeper bore. It's too floppy for my liking, but it sure works nice in the shower as a face washing instrument with my favorite CeraVe cleansers.
***sounds big, but these synths don't bloom so it actually looks (and in use, handles as) significantly smaller than a new 26mm 2-band badger that I have.