I have found this on a number of different synthetic brushes, it seems to be fairly common. At their price point it's hard to complain, I just lather them up and shave, or like shave/brush recommends, just double down.
Who makes the softest synthetic brush
- Thread starter narativesoul
- Start date
I couldn't take it any longer and finally ordered one of their SynBad brushes. Its in the mail and will probably be here sometime early next week. I was pretty set with my 24mm WD, Cashmere, and Angel Hair brushes but seeing some of the reviews of the SynBad has gotten to me!! I just hope its not a let down like the Silksmoke was... IMO, there was no difference between the Silksmoke and the Tuxedo and they both were as stiff as a board. Couldn't even use painting strokes without flinging lather everywhere!!
I think you’ll enjoy the SynBad. Those who have tried it within the synthetic pass-around have really liked it.
I also have a synbad and silksmoke on their way to my house. I could not resist. I have a handle coming from love your shave for the silksmoke and if I think I will like the synbad I am going to put it in a custom brush I'm going to have made. I am interested to hear what you think of the synbad knot.
Happy shaves.
SMURF
Hello,
I just went down the synthetic brush rabbit hole. My favorite to date is the 46806 Omega Hi-Brush. Fantastic performance and looks great.
Cheers
John
I just went down the synthetic brush rabbit hole. My favorite to date is the 46806 Omega Hi-Brush. Fantastic performance and looks great.
Cheers
John
Hey, Muzichead , any idea which one of those two brushes as less backbone?
I have both and in my opinion the turnnshave definitely has less backbone.
Both are very soft .
Happy shaves
SMURF
Both are very soft .
Happy shaves
SMURF
Thanks
Atomic Rocket.
Funny, I've always kinda liked a waist with a handle of some sort.
Though my Timberwolf knot has been the softest in my den i think the PAA Starcraft might have it beat by a hair. Incredibly soft
I think they are both pretty equal between the 2 probably because I was the one to set them in their respective handles, and at about the same loft of about 57-58mm, but if I had to really choose I would give it to the Cashmere having more backbone only due to the density of the knot... Just goes to show this is truly one of those YMMV cases here!!
Most new synthetics will be softer than almost any natural hair brush. My tuxedo has the softest tips, but very sturdy backbone. The APShaveco SynBad has almost as soft tips, but more splay. Their cashmere knot is probably the softest overall.
Their Silksmoke is also another fine brush. I have the Synbad and the Cashmere. Both have upside down fibers. For me an upside down fiber is the bane of synthetics. I was able to clip errant fibers on my Synbad. It is now a most excellent brush. Trying to hunt down the upside down fibers and eliminate them on my Cashmere is a logistical nightmare. The brush is one solid light color. My Apshaveco Silksmoke and my Tuxedo brushes are fine. I wish the whole upside down fiber thing in brushes could be figured out instead of a purchasing crap shoot. I've never had that problem buying Omega S-Brushes though they are not as soft nor meant to be.
I am with you on this. Those upside down hairs are pokey and ruin the feel of otherwise soft tips. The first thing I do when I get a synthetic brush is to look for them and pluck them out.
All I use these days is synthetics, and I'm not sure I've ever run into that problem. If I have, I haven't noticed.
I've rarely experienced the pokey upside down fibres. Large glue bumps are the worst defect if synthetics IME. Especially since I can't do anything about them whereas the upside down fibres I just pluck out.
That's why I started setting my own knots. You can adjust for any glue bump issues that way.
But the glue bump is already inside the knot so how does setting it yourself help?
The glue bump is a defect in the gluing of the knot base, not gluing the knot into a handle. When the maker uses too much glue at the base, it seeps up the knot and causes the bump.
Only density and loft should be the variables in knots, glue bumps are defects and add a major variable whether the particular brush/knot will be good or not.
I have a couple of brushes that are unusable even though the loft is annoy 57mm but with such a huge bump, it makes them unusable as I like my brush to splay somewhat. A brush with a loft of even 50mm and no bump will still be really nice to use due to a good splay.
I currently have five synthetic brushes three of them have noticeable upside down fibers. Andrew at APShaveco says that all synthetics have upside down fibers. The three noticeable brushes I have are my APShaveco Synbad and Cashmere and my Maggard Plissoft. My APShaveco Silksmoke and Tuxedo have so little of them that you cannot tell. I've fixed my Synbad and will start working on my Cashmere which will be difficult as it's all one color. The tips on synthetic fibers have a rounded nub which is why the fiber is soft. The base of the fiber is basically exsposed clipped plastic. If all the fibers were set correctly the synthetic brush should feel every bit as soft as a Silvertip and not like a Best or Pure badger where there is scrub imo. The more upside down fibers that scrub can turn to scritch or pokiness. My Cashmere has scritch which ticks me off because I specifically bought it as it's supposed to be tops in softness. It's not even close. Perhaps that's because the fibers are so fine that it makes the blunt upside down fibers that much more pronounced. It seems like Yaqi listened to consumers where glue bumps are concerned, but it is hard to find any info on upside down fiber scritch. Perhaps that's because we think that's the way synthetics are supposed to feel? My Synbad after I pulled the errant hairs is now as soft as my TGN High Mountain White. It's a night and day difference. I am hooked on the performance of synthetics. I do believe they are superior. They could and can be even more superior to the very best badgers in feel as well depending on quality control. Upside down fibers ruin the true feel of how the brush was designed and intended to be felt.
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