The Trafalgar has landed!!!

[macintoshBR]

It’s hard to imagine better performance than these PAA brushes. At $20 a piece, they are an absolute bargain.

Happy you find them pleasant and enjoyable. They are indeed inexpensive and I’m sure they build lather well.

That’s the thing about this hobby. For me the PAA brushes have too big handles, and aesthetically are not my preference. I only own one synthetic, a Muhle STF M size, but I would trade 4 PAAs for 1 Chubby 2 any time.

 

[Cesare]

Since synthetic bristles don’t absorb water, I got an Evo as a travel brush. Problem is we seldom stay in the same place for more than one night. Left sink-side for just a few hours and it dries. But the dense Evo knot can’t when packed away wet into a travel tube for a day’s drive to the next destination.

Until the Evo, my experience was limited to natural fibers. While I love the lavish softness of the Evo’s dense knot, I miss the backbone, face massage, and lather-bomb qualities of my Zenith boar.

I’ll likely find a less dense synthetic or boar for our style of travel. Maybe something with a wood or aluminum handle to survive the fall. But my nitpicking based on travel style and skin feel preferences shouldn’t tarnish the Evo’s well deserved reputation as a top shelf brush.

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Well said, Doug. Circumstances: we often overlook them when evaluating things.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Since synthetic bristles don’t absorb water, I got an Evo as a travel brush. Problem is we seldom stay in the same place for more than one night. Left sink-side for just a few hours and it dries. But the dense Evo knot can’t when packed away wet into a travel tube for a day’s drive to the next destination.

Until the Evo, my experience was limited to natural fibers. While I love the lavish softness of the Evo’s dense knot, I miss the backbone, face massage, and lather-bomb qualities of my Zenith boar.

I’ll likely find a less dense synthetic or boar for our style of travel. Maybe something with a wood or aluminum handle to survive the fall. But my nitpicking based on travel style and skin feel preferences shouldn’t tarnish the Evo’s well deserved reputation as a top shelf brush.

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What I like about the Evo is that it does retain water. I have heard this is because each fiber is a braided fiber. I don't know if that's true, but it does behave more like a badger. This is a huge difference from it and my plissoft, cashmere, synbad, tuxedo, silksmoke, and angel hair knots. The Evo is the only brush I've wanted to use since I've acquired it. If the Trafalgar T3 can hold a candle to it, it would be a viable, classy, alternative at its price point, we'll see.

 

[Raven Koenes]

This was my first use of my Simpson Trafalgar T3. It has a very nice, thick, luxurious feel and performance. It has good splay and paints well. It releases product with excellent flow threw. It is by no means a lather hog. It's not springy in any way. The brush reacts much like a animal hair brush. This brush is a step up from my other synthetic brushes with the exception of my Omega Evo. Here's the kicker. The Evo's fibers are a notch up from the Simpson sovereign grade synthetic fibers used in the Trafalgar line. They simply are. This puts my Simpson Trafalgar T3 as my second favorite brush. It is the equal of the Omega in every way but one. That is the absolute luxury feel of the Omega Evo knot. Though, it must be said, you pay twice as much for an Evo. This makes me curious about trying a premium Simpson synthetic.

 

[Raven Koenes]

I enjoyed using my Simpson Trafalgar T3 today. I put any comparisons with the Omega Evo out of my mind, and I just shaved with it on its own accord. It was really nice. There really is nothing not to like about this brush. I also got into the feel of the fibers today. It really is a more scrubby, not scratchy, brush. If you like a good exfoliating synthetic this brush fits the bill. I can see that my appreciation for this brush is growing the more I use it. The more I think about it, this brush is like a Simpson badger brush in Best. It's not a Silvertip, but there are a large amount of badger brush aficionados who prefer Best grade for exfoliating.

 

[Cesare]

I enjoyed using my Simpson Trafalgar T3 today. I put any comparisons with the Omega Evo out of my mind, and I just shaved with it on its own accord. It was really nice. There really is nothing not to like about this brush. I also got into the feel of the fibers today. It really is a more scrubby, not scratchy, brush. If you like a good exfoliating synthetic this brush fits the bill. I can see that my appreciation for this brush is growing the more I use it. The more I think about it, this brush is like a Simpson badger brush in Best. It's not a Silvertip, but there are a large amount of badger brush aficionados who prefer Best grade for exfoliating.
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Is it more scrubby/exfoliating than the Evo?

 

[andromeda673]

I have been using the T1 for so long now, it's been my daily driver for now for a year and some change, I rarely have been changing out brushes like I used too.

I'm a huge fan of mine, and I think if I do get another one, I will get the T3 instead and go with the bigger version, however the T1 works perfect. If you don't have one, spend the $20 or so and get one, you won't be disappointed.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Is it more scrubby/exfoliating than the Evo?

Yes.

 

[Cesare]

Yes.

Thank you!

 

[nav]

My Trafalgar T2 has finally landed!

As you can see...

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It’s ok. I was never a huge fan of the brush. And the T3 was too huge for me.

Eventually, I’ll take the plunge and buy an STF or an EVO. I know many members will swear there are better and cheaper options out there, but this is just like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader: the Dark Side is too strong and, eventually, I will go there. Even if only to come back - or maybe not...

Those who own the EJ STF or the Omega EVO: would the handles survive a regular bathroom fall?

In the meantime, I’d appreciate if those of you who have tried the T2 and any of these brushes could give their opinion as to which one I should get as a replacement.

Yaqi Everest
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Yaqi Bali
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Thank you, from Mission Control...

PS. I don’t understand why producing a handle that can withstand a fall isn’t on every manufacturer’s priority list.

I can't comment on the handle situation as I've not dropped a brush on the tiles but out of the 70+ synthetics I've used, the STF is the king of synthetics.

I haven't used evo yet as it's very difficult to source where I live.

But I have 3 STF (muhle 25mm, EJ 25mm, EJ 23mm) and sold all the rest.

 

[Raven Koenes]

I can't comment on the handle situation as I've not dropped a brush on the tiles but out of the 70+ synthetics I've used, the STF is the king of synthetics.

I haven't used evo yet as it's very difficult to source where I live.

But I have 3 STF (muhle 25mm, EJ 25mm, EJ 23mm) and sold all the rest.

TheThe Evo and my Simpson Trafalgar T3 are equal brushes in different ways. The STF has absolutely impressed me this week enough to say that.

 

[nav]

TheThe Evo and my Simpson Trafalgar T3 are equal brushes in different ways. The STF has absolutely impressed me this week enough to say that.

So you rank STF above Evo?

What are the main differences between the two?

 

[Raven Koenes]

So you rank STF above Evo?

What are the main differences between the two?

No, they are equal. Both are a splendid dense brush, both splay and paint well, both are closer to animal hair in water retention, they're not springy, they load product easily. The difference is the Evo is softer, and the STF's are more exfoliating.

 

[life2short1971]

I’m not an expert on synthetics, but If you compare against the load of Chinese stuff out there, yes, but the Omega Evo and the larger Muhle and EJ STFs are not significantly cheaper than the Simpson’s Chubby 2 synthetic.

Could someone please tell me what "STF" is please? Thank you in advance.

 

[Wogus]

Could someone please tell me what "STF" is please? Thank you in advance.

"Silver Tip Fiber". Though I think EJ uses the British spelling, "Fibre".

 

[nav]

No, they are equal. Both are a splendid dense brush, both splay and paint well, both are closer to animal hair in water retention, they're not springy, they load product easily. The difference is the Evo is softer, and the STF's are more exfoliating.

Could I ask when you bought your STF?

Cos there was a v1, v1.5 and v2
But muhle classified everything after v1 as v2.

The latest v2 (post 2017) are much softer than the v1.5.

 

[life2short1971]

Ahh Thank you!
I have two knots I put in handles that came from Maggards and @Kcnwea sent me a few years ago and I play with them off and on and i could be perfectly happy with the brown one if it was my only brush for the rest of my days.The black one I have not spent a lot of time with but it is a bit different than the brown somehow. I should also point out I have 3 badger brushes I could also be perfectly happy with under the same circumstances. There is a bit of a learning curve and sweet spot in the loft where the knot will bore through the stubbornest of soaps to produce as good a lather as one could ask for. Maybe its because I have boar and badger brushes most of my life that made the learning curve a bit steeper because it did take me a while to respect the synthetic knots and actually enjoy them on occasion.
I should also point out that I am bit hard to please so if I like something the rest of the world likely loves it.

 

[Cesare]

The Evo and my Simpson Trafalgar T3 are equal brushes in different ways.

It's not possible that I'm the only one intrigued by this statement!

 

[Raven Koenes]

I used my Evo expecting it to have a significantly better feel, and by it out performing my Simpson Trafalgar T3. My Simpson Trafalgar T3 feels exactly the same as my Omega Evo. I could tell them apart other than the T3 is a lot more brush. This is curious? I expected to be blown away upon using my Evo again. Instead it put things into perspective. If you're looking for a high end feeling synthetic, but you don't want to shell out the money for am Omega get the Simpsons. It's the same thing.

 

[Shave Souffle]

How does something like the Yaqi synthetic brushes that have the mew brown knots compare?