Recommend me a Synth

I like my Yaqi Moka Express 24mm synth much more than I should for a bit of Chinese plastic. It's actually a very good brush, soft, but with backbone, fast drying, great for face or bowl IMO, especially those soaps that need a bit of help. And I really only bought it because the handle was inspired by the stove top coffee maker and is orange to go with my Koraat. A pleasant surprise and no huge glue bump or any other thing to reduce my enjoyment.
 
hotmetal said:
I like my Yaqi Moka Express 24mm synth much more than I should for a bit of Chinese plastic. It's actually a very good brush, soft, but with backbone, fast drying, great for face or bowl IMO, especially those soaps that need a bit of help. And I really only bought it because the handle was inspired by the stove top coffee maker and is orange to go with my Koraat. A pleasant surprise and no huge glue bump or any other thing to reduce my enjoyment.
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I’ll get round to making you one too, hotmeal. It’ll likely be sometime in 2025 but I’ll have to drop a LOT of projects to meet such a tight deadline.
 
Any AP Shave Co knot will do you, if you really don't like them soft then stay away from the Cashmere. I have never understood the obsession some shavers have with scrubbing their face with a brush though but each to their own I supppose All Synths will make a very good lather and that is what we are after. I own Cashmere, Silksmoke and 2 Bed.
I usually set my own in an artisan handle so can adjust the loft to get what I'm looking for. I honest;y believe a synth is now superior to a Badger when it comes to making a shaving lather.
 
I agree that modern synthetic fibre knots lather very well, if I have a soap that is being troublesome with a natural brush then a synthetic comes to the rescue. However I do like the feel of boar brushes too, and when you're using a hard triple milled soap like SV having a brush with a bit of backbone and scrub can be advantageous compared to a very soft knot.
 
Alright chaps.

Thanks for the replies and for bumping up this thread.

Since I started this thread I started picking up a few synths, including a Cashmere, Synbad, 2 G4's, a Boti N3C, and a Simpsons Trafalgar (I'm yet to use). I was planning to write a summary of all the brushes once I'd had a chance to use them a few times and worked out the pros and cons of each.

wayne_m said:
Any AP Shave Co knot will do you, if you really don't like them soft then stay away from the Cashmere. I have never understood the obsession some shavers have with scrubbing their face with a brush though but each to their own I supppose All Synths will make a very good lather and that is what we are after. I own Cashmere, Silksmoke and 2 Bed.
I usually set my own in an artisan handle so can adjust the loft to get what I'm looking for. I honest;y believe a synth is now superior to a Badger when it comes to making a shaving lather.
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My small 20mm Cashmere seems to be the one I reach for the most. It's soft and floppy, but without a moment's hesitation it's the easiest brush I own to build a lather with.

What glue did you use to set your loft heights? I tried using silicone to try a few different loft heights but I couldn't get the silicone to stick to the ApShaveCo spacers I was sent. I've got superglue on the spacers now, but the spacers are stuck to the handle with silicone. It'll be the third time I've attached it with silicone, the other two times I don't think I used enough and the knot came free.
 
donnie_arko said:
Alright chaps.

Thanks for the replies and for bumping up this thread.

Since I started this thread I started picking up a few synths, including a Cashmere, Synbad, 2 G4's, a Boti N3C, and a Simpsons Trafalgar (I'm yet to use). I was planning to write a summary of all the brushes once I'd had a chance to use them a few times and worked out the pros and cons of each.



My small 20mm Cashmere seems to be the one I reach for the most. It's soft and floppy, but without a moment's hesitation it's the easiest brush I own to build a lather with.

What glue did you use to set your loft heights? I tried using silicone to try a few different loft heights but I couldn't get the silicone to stick to the ApShaveCo spacers I was sent. I've got superglue on the spacers now, but the spacers are stuck to the handle with silicone. It'll be the third time I've attached it with silicone, the other two times I don't think I used enough and the knot came free.
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I am lucky that as a Tradesman I'm able to buy lots of adhesives . The one I use now is a Grab Adhesive called CT1 Grab Adhesive. It is super thick and strong and it comes in a Silicone tube so you'll need a caulking gun. I buy mine from a merchant called Travis Perkins but it will be available on line somewhere. Once that grips it isn't coming out again, that is for sure. You can use it on anything so you can get your spacers just right and then a small blob will hold your knot securely.
 
donnie_arko said:
Alright chaps.

Thanks for the replies and for bumping up this thread.

Since I started this thread I started picking up a few synths, including a Cashmere, Synbad, 2 G4's, a Boti N3C, and a Simpsons Trafalgar (I'm yet to use). I was planning to write a summary of all the brushes once I'd had a chance to use them a few times and worked out the pros and cons of each.



My small 20mm Cashmere seems to be the one I reach for the most. It's soft and floppy, but without a moment's hesitation it's the easiest brush I own to build a lather with.

What glue did you use to set your loft heights? I tried using silicone to try a few different loft heights but I couldn't get the silicone to stick to the ApShaveCo spacers I was sent. I've got superglue on the spacers now, but the spacers are stuck to the handle with silicone. It'll be the third time I've attached it with silicone, the other two times I don't think I used enough and the knot came free.
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Thanks for this. Got any more updates? My wife today said that people are asking what I'd like for my birthday. I do not have a synthetic brush, but definitely would like one. I just don't know where to begin.

What are Muhle knots like? I asked for one for Christmas because I liked the idea of the handle with the replaceable knot. I now don't think that's as much as an advantage as I did then.
 
havings said:
Thanks for this. Got any more updates? My wife today said that people are asking what I'd like for my birthday. I do not have a synthetic brush, but definitely would like one. I just don't know where to begin.

What are Muhle knots like? I asked for one for Christmas because I liked the idea of the handle with the replaceable knot. I now don't think that's as much as an advantage as I did then.
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If you want a brush with a replacement knot, there are a few ones where you can screw them in, but it's not my area of speciality. Or you could get a handle from ApShaveCo, and a few different knots and set them with bathroom silicone. If you want to remove the knot, all you have to twist the knot out, scrape off the remnants and put in a different knot.

I've not used a Muhle knot so I can't comment on how it performs.

What kind of brush are you after? Something which feels like a badger, something with scrub, a good all rounder or something which is as soft and fluffy like a cloud? Do you have a particular size in mind?

The pick of all synths I have used is the ApSc SynBad, I know there are a few fans of it here as well. It's incredibly soft, but the knot still keeps it's shape after being splayed and mashed around. It's a superb knot for face lathering, but a touch too soft for bowl lathering?
I've got a Boti N3C which I presume is a new generation like some others (maybe it's a bit like the Muhle?) and it's an excellent knot for building a lather with, but difficult to splay.

The run of the mill of the Tuxedo knot is a classic as well, I think of all the synths I have used I still think it's the best all rounder (face/bowl/sticks/creams, works perfectly every time). IMO, the Yaqi Sagrada is a bit of a classic and rightly so and it'd be my no.1 choice for starting with a synth. If you want something with more or less backbone you could take it from there. The Sagrada Tuxedo can be bought for about a tenner if you keep an eye out for their sales.
 
donnie_arko said:
If you want a brush with a replacement knot, there are a few ones where you can screw them in, but it's not my area of speciality. Or you could get a handle from ApShaveCo, and a few different knots and set them with bathroom silicone. If you want to remove the knot, all you have to twist the knot out, scrape off the remnants and put in a different knot.

I've not used a Muhle knot so I can't comment on how it performs.

What kind of brush are you after? Something which feels like a badger, something with scrub, a good all rounder or something which is as soft and fluffy like a cloud? Do you have a particular size in mind?

The pick of all synths I have used is the ApSc SynBad, I know there are a few fans of it here as well. It's incredibly soft, but the knot still keeps it's shape after being splayed and mashed around. It's a superb knot for face lathering, but a touch too soft for bowl lathering?
I've got a Boti N3C which I presume is a new generation like some others (maybe it's a bit like the Muhle?) and it's an excellent knot for building a lather with, but difficult to splay.

The run of the mill of the Tuxedo knot is a classic as well, I think of all the synths I have used I still think it's the best all rounder (face/bowl/sticks/creams, works perfectly every time). IMO, the Yaqi Sagrada is a bit of a classic and rightly so and it'd be my no.1 choice for starting with a synth. If you want something with more or less backbone you could take it from there. The Sagrada Tuxedo can be bought for about a tenner if you keep an eye out for their sales.
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Much appreciated. I can't even answer your questions because I'm such a newb (a lack of experience means that I'm yet to develop informed preferences). But your reply has useful information and has given me some fresh points to ponder. Probably best for me to just buy a synth based on what you and others have said, get used to it then decide if I'd like anything different. So basically, what you said ;)
 
havings said:
£8.02 from Ali express. Incredible. It wouldn't turn up for my birthday, but I don't care.
I'm thinking...
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If you want a brush with a Tuxedo knot that will arrive this week, you can get one of the Razorock Tuxedos, which I think are the same knots and have slightly nicer handles.

About £13 from Connaught Shaving. An excuse to get some other things from Connaught too!

Yaqi shipping can be a little erratic. Some things find their way in a few weeks, some other purchases a few months.

Just out of curiousity what is your current brush of choice?
 
TobyC said:
If you're going to Connaught, take a look at this.


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I've used the Simpson counterpart. Nice handle but the fibre is a bit springy, too much resistance.

havings said:
More good tips, thanks.



I can tell you which brushes I have - Semogue Owner's Club, Omega '48, Omega '49. They're just what I bought! I don't even know how to tell when I've broken them in! :eek:
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Some classics there. Even though I find my synths make great lather, I always find my way back to my boars!

If you are getting a synth from Connaught, I think it's rude to not add a Omega 10066 to your order! The unbleached 24mm/55mm boar knot is one of my all time favourite specs for a brush.
 
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