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TGN Synthetic?

Has anyone ever used it? I'm interested in possibly doing my first restore with this knot but wouldn't do it if it's not that great of a performer (would rather go two band finest or STA)
 
I believe I read this is the same knot that Frank's shaving uses and guys have gotten pretty good results. I personally have never used. I will tell you that the Finest knot is really nice
 
I love them. They are great knots but a little springy at first and hard to splay. I'd suggest painting lather for the first couple of times then splaying the knot. I have 3 of them (2 in a FS Brush, 1 in a Burma Shave Brush Handle).
 
I just got one in today amd it's really soft feeling against the face. Will be setting it hopefully this weekend and we shall see how it performs and will get back to ya
 
Anyone able to compare TGN synthetic knots to the synthetics offered by Muhle?

I can. They are a step below some of the lower priced Muhle equivalents and a couple of steps below the higher ones. Muhle has two approaches, one is the Black Fibre which is more springy and looks more like a natural fiber and the second is the Silvertip which is thicker and softer.

In my list of synthetic brushes, here is where they rank.


First Place - Tie between the H.I.S. synthetic and the Muhle 35K series Silvertip
Second Place - Muhle 33 K series Silvertip
Third Place - Muhle Black Fibre
Fourth Place - TGN / Franks Shaving Knot

Now understand that there are several synthetics that are far, far worse than the TGN so fourth place is not bad on the list. Some people believe that the Omegas use the same fibers as the TGN. I have not tested one to verify that claim.

The TGN is a great little knot that allows the restoring community a chance to have a long lasting brush without costing too much!
 
Anyone able to compare TGN synthetic knots to the synthetics offered by Muhle?

I agree with Gary with regards to the Muhle silvertip fibre being ahead of the FS (I prefer the 21mm Muhle).

BUT, for the price, the FS is a fantastic brush (regardless of fiber). Even though I like the Muhle, it's not 3-4x the brush, IMHO.
 
I agree with Gary with regards to the Muhle silvertip fibre being ahead of the FS (I prefer the 21mm Muhle).

BUT, for the price, the FS is a fantastic brush (regardless of fiber). Even though I like the Muhle, it's not 3-4x the brush, IMHO.

Yes, on a price order it is the H.I.S. first then the Franks / TGN knot.
 
GD, have you done any reviews on the Muhle 39k256?

No, I have not. At 19mm it should make a great travel brush and a solid face lathering brush.

My last acquisition was the 35K series (25 mm) and that is more than likely where I will stop collecting synthetics. Between it and the H.I.S., I am pretty well set on brushes.
I will continue to dabble in my own custom brush making from time to time.
 
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I just scored an Ever Ready teal and cream handle on eBay. This had a boar knot, so I was thinking of dropping a boar knot into it. Based on this thread, I'm going with a 23mm TGN synthetic knot, which will fit nicely into the 24mm opening (this was one of those Ever Readys with the knot in a thick plastic collar, so after I removed the knot and the collar, it was a pretty big opening).

Question: What loft do you recommend? The knot is 65mm overall.

I rounded the corners of this brush top and bottom, inspired by someone on this forum who'd done the same. However, I wasn't careful with the power sander and took away more than I had planned, so it's quite rounded! I hope I'll like the synthetic knot. Otherwise, I'll probably go with an Omega knot (and hopefully can remove the black collar, as I'd like it to be just the teal and the bristles showing).

Dave

$Ever Ready 200T.JPG
 
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Here's the completed brush with a 23mm TGN synthetic knot set 12mm into the handle. The knot was a touch taller than spec, so the loft is around 55mm.
All in all, I'm pleased with the result.

Dave

$Ever Ready 200t with knot.JPG
 
Here's the completed brush with a 23mm TGN synthetic knot set 12mm into the handle. The knot was a touch taller than spec, so the loft is around 55mm.
All in all, I'm pleased with the result.

Dave

View attachment 261634

Excellent work.

These are rough rules of thumb based on what I have experienced using synthetics.

You will find that the loft on a synthetic needs to be 5% to 10% higher than natural bristles to be roughly equal in terms of movement and flex. So a 55 mm synthetic will behave like a 50 - 52 mm natural.

The same 5% to 10% factor applies to knot size as well. A 23 mm synthetic will behave more like a 21 mm natural.

I think you will enjoy this brush.
 
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Thanks, GDCarrington. I appreciate the input on synthetics, as I know next to nothing as of now.

Dave


Dave,

You will find out quickly. Take it for a spin and remember, they are more efficient than naturals so you may need to reduce the amount of soap or cream that you use.

Gary
 
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