Best Synthetic Knot?

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Nottingham
Hi guys, Just wondering what the best synthetic knot is at the moment. I currently have a tuxedo knot and love it. But I'm wondering if there is a better knot out there. Searching for a new brush hence why I'm asking. I like 24mm knots. Good backbone, not fussed if it's a bit scratchy, but soft is welcomed. I face laver sometimes, but not all the time. I usually bowl lather it just depends on time.

Thanks
Callum
 
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For me the Cashmere knots are the best I have met to date. I find the smaller knots (Yaqi Dandelion 24mm) more of a daily all rounder but the larger 30mm might not be for everyone. After these I have one which appears to be called a grey/white synthetic and an absolute blinder.

All the above are super for both bowl and face lathering
 
Like many I have travelled thru a good few synthetic shaving brushes to find a sweet spot that suits me. Face feel is the most difficult element of a brushes characteristic to describe and you will have your own preferences. If you like a cloudy, soft, smooth, pillowy, face feel - the Yaqi / AP Shave brushes will probably suit, with AP Shave knots having better QC, with regards to glue bumps - they are solid synthetics. Simpson's "Trafalgar" synthetic brush series perform better for me though, in terms of face feel, the progressiveness of the splay, density and backbone. However my overall experience with synthetics to date, is that the hand tied knots from Muhle (STF) and Simpson (Platinum fibres) are still a step-up, and worth paying extra for. A Simpson's Chubby synthetic with a loft of 54mm will splay readilly; a shorter loft will give you a ton of backbone - no other synthetic brush comes close to the unique feel a CH2S gives. Muhle's 19mm STF is also a great brush, if you are a face latherer. It feels sparse, small and quite scrubby at first, but the more you use it the more you realise Muhle's heritage as a brush maker shines through especially when you directly compare to other synthetics. it's size is not an issue in use. Their other knot sizes are nothing special for me, except the discontinued 25mm which was good. Both Muhle and Simpson are hand tied knots, set deep in the handle with no glue bump above the handle socket opening. This method of construction affords these brushes superb progressive splay and great flow thru. Both these brushes have prescence at the tips or a for want of a better description some tactile scrub but certainly not scratchy or scritchy. Omega's EVO is also a superb synthetic, the construction of the fibres allows the knot to hold water and the water retention, face feel, progressiveness of splay and flow thru is second to none. Glue bumps have been a problem on some of their brushes though. Muhle, Omega and Simpson are the only brush manufactuers who had fibres developed / tailored for their synthetic shaving brushes - their deep heritage as shaving brush makers, first and foremost, really shows. A larger synthetic knot is not directly comparable to a similar knot size in badger, bristle or horse as synthetics knots tend to feel smaller in direct comparison.
 
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Thank you so much for that detailed write-up. You've sold me on the Simpsons Chubby 2 Synthetic. I was looking at one of these but a bit pricy for what I currently want to pay. So I might put a post in BST to see if someone has one they want to sell.

Thanks again
Callum
 
I'd echo that the Cashmere is a very nice knot and has a decent backbone without flicking soap all over the bathroom as some of the earlier synthetics did. Don't discount the legacy Muhle Silvertip Fibre, which continues to impress me just how good it always has been ... and I'd also put the Ken Infinity+ on the suggestion list.

I'll stresss that it's the Infinity+ (INF2 code) rather than the small/travel Infinity (INF1) I'm talking about there. I bought one recently as I have a real soft-spot for the Kent Infinity Silvertex which was my first synthetic brush. So, the Infinity+ (INF2) has a great splay, lovely legacy handle, it's dense, strong and has a smashing scritch for face lathering. Quite different to many modern knots and another showing that some of the legacy knots were indeed already excellent.

Kent-Rasierpinsel-infinityPlus.jpg
 
Like many I have travelled thru a good few synthetic brushes to find a sweet spot that suits me. Face feel is the most difficult element of a brushes characteristic to describe and you will have your own preferences. If you like a cloudy, soft, smooth, pillowy face feel, the Yaqi / AP Shave brushes will probably suit with AP Shave knots having better QC with regards to glue bumps - they are solid synthetics. Simpson's "Trafalgar" synthetic brushes perform better for me though in terms of face feel, the progressiveness of the splay, density and backbone. However my experience with synthetics is that the hand tied knots from Muhle (STF) and Simpson (Platinum fibres) are a step-up and worth paying extra for. With Simpson's Chubby synthetic with a loft of 54mm it will splay readilly; a shorter loft will give you a ton of backbone - no other synthetic brush comes close to the unique feel a CH2S gives. Muhle's 19mm STF is also a great brush, if you are a face latherer. It feels sparse, small and quite scrubby at first, but the more you use it the more you realise Muhle's heritage as a brush maker shines through especially when you directly compare to other synthetics. it's size is not an issue in use. Their other knot sizes are nothing special for me, except the discontinued 25mm which was good. Both Muhle and Simpson are hand tied knots, set deep in the handle with no glue bump above the handle socket opening. This method of construction affords these brushes superb progressive splay and great flow thru. Both these brushes have prescence at the tips or a for want of a better description some tactile scrub but certainly not scratchy or scratchy. Omega's EVO is also a superb synthetic, the construction of the fibres allows the knot to hold water and the water retention, face feel, progressiveness of splay and flow thru is second to none. Large glue bumps have been a problem on some of their brushes though. Muhle, Omega and Simpson are the only brush manufactuers who had fibres developed / tailored for their synthetic shaving brushes - their heritage as brush makers shows. A larger synthetic knot is not directly comparable to the knot sizes of badger, bristle or horse as synthetics knots tend to feel smaller in comparison.

That's a great summary, not sure I have much to add to it.

A few sellers have started stocking knots which look very similar to the ones used in the Omega EVO series, and some have stated they think those fibres are close to the ones used in the EVO series.

From personal experience, I own a few different types of Yaqis knots/fibres and they all perform really well, and I think the type of fibre doesn't make as much difference in building a lather as the size of knot/loft, the glue bump and the density of the fibres.

I'm fairly sure Yaqi produce OEM knots/handles for a few others, but they seem to have better QC than buying from Yaqi direct, who occasionally send a stinker or two but I've always had replacements sent out quickly without any fuss.
 
That's a great summary, not sure I have much to add to it.

A few sellers have started stocking knots which look very similar to the ones used in the Omega EVO series, and some have stated they think those fibres are close to the ones used in the EVO series.

From personal experience, I own a few different types of Yaqis knots/fibres and they all perform really well, and I think the type of fibre doesn't make as much difference in building a lather as the size of knot/loft, the glue bump and the density of the fibres.

I'm fairly sure Yaqi produce OEM knots/handles for a few others, but they seem to have better QC than buying from Yaqi direct, who occasionally send a stinker or two but I've always had replacements sent out quickly without any fuss.

The EVO fibre is probably at the front of the pack at the moment, the way it retains water is uncanny; it would be great if it becomes more widely used. Be interesting to see how synthetic fibres develop in the future...
 
The EVO fibre is probably at the front of the pack at the moment, the way it retains water is uncanny; it would be great if it becomes more widely used. Be interesting to see how synthetic fibres develop in the future...

Interesting. I know some are turned away from synths due to the properties above but it's never really mattered much to me.

This is the synth knot which looks a little like the EVO, which is on sale at Maggards

Similar knots can be bought from Aliexpress via Oumo/Boti for a bit less, but whether they are the same knots are always difficult to tell from online pictures. I'm planning to buy a G5 style Fan from Boti sometime soon, but I imagine like all my other synths they will be used sporadically as it might sound bizarre, but I've never really got on with the kind of handles used by Yaqi/ApShaveCo etc, I much prefer the small light hollow plastic ones favoured by Omega used for their boar brushes (but that's a whole different issue)
 
Interesting. I know some are turned away from synths due to the properties above but it's never really mattered much to me.

This is the synth knot which looks a little like the EVO, which is on sale at Maggards

Similar knots can be bought from Aliexpress via Oumo/Boti for a bit less, but whether they are the same knots are always difficult to tell from online pictures. I'm planning to buy a G5 style Fan from Boti sometime soon, but I imagine like all my other synths they will be used sporadically as it might sound bizarre, but I've never really got on with the kind of handles used by Yaqi/ApShaveCo etc, I much prefer the small light hollow plastic ones favoured by Omega used for their boar brushes (but that's a whole different issue)

I remember reading a detailed post on one of the forums detailing the manufacturers who make the fibres, if I recall correctly, and I may not, there are only a few manufacturers of these type of fibres. We know that Muhle's STF fibres are used by others so I guess it is only a matter of time before EVO and Platinum fibres are also sourced by others. I get that some will not like any of the synthetic fibres and for a while I was that person also but once I determined that some synthetics do offer a face feel I enjoy I quickly warmed. At the moment I can not stop using a £6 Piccadily 19mm synthetic (Muhle handle with a Muhle sourced knot but with the semi-bulb shape supplied to Edwin Jagger) and Muhle's own 19mm STF which has a more rounded bulb shaped knot. Both these brushes hit the spot for me with the Piccadilly being my preference by a hairs width.
 
Thank you so much for that detailed write-up. You've sold me on the Simpsons Chubby 2 Synthetic. I was looking at one of these but a bit pricy for what I currently want to pay. So I might put a post in BST to see if someone has one they want to sell.

Thanks again
Callum
Do yourself and your wallet a favour and buy the Trafalgar T2 or T3 ahead of the Chubby 2 synthetic, you'll thank me later....
 
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