Synthetic brushes

[ajc347]

I used the DS Cosmetics Tuxedo for the first time today.

The knot on the brush felt, stiffer and springier than the other Tuxedo brushes I own. It doesn’t splay easily but is fine for bowl lathering.

It has a sizeable glue knot and the fibre feels as though it belongs to an earlier generation of synthetic brushes.

The tips aren’t as soft as some of the better synthetic brushes but were soft enough.

It’s not the best synthetic brush on the market but it’s cheap. Yaqi and AP Shave Co do, though, make much better brushes for a similar price.


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[ajc347]

The DS Cosmetics Flat Top brushes arrived yesterday.

The fibre in the knots does not feel the same as the fibre in an AP Shave Co Flat Top (pictured centre).

The fibre feels thicker, stiffer and springier in both of the DS Cosmetics brushes. It would appear to be the same fibre used in their other synthetic knots.

From this, it’s pretty easy to conclude that both companies use a different supplier (or the same supplier who is selling two differing grades of fibre).


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[morr]

The DS Cosmetics Flat Top brushes arrived yesterday.

The fibre in the knots does not feel the same as the fibre in an AP Shave Co Flat Top (pictured centre).

The fibre feels thicker, stiffer and springier in both of the DS Cosmetics brushes. It would appear to be the same fibre used in their other synthetic knots.

From this, it’s pretty easy to conclude that both companies use a different supplier (or the same supplier who is selling two differing grades of fibre).


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That's good to know, I was thinking about getting one flat top and I guess APshaveCO is the way to go.
@ajc347 would you mind sharing some info about Epsilon synthetic? How do they compare to Simpson or Edwin Jagger. I received an email from G&C that Epsilon synthetics will be discounted by 25%...

 

[ajc347]

The Epsilon synthetics are pretty nice brushes.

The knots are hand tied and, unfortunately, they do suffer from the same QC issues you occasionally see in Vie Long brushes (both synthetic and badger knots) as a result.

The fibre Epsilon and Vie Long uses is similar (but not the same) as that used by Muhle, EJ and Simpsons. It's a bit springier and doesn't splay as easily. It is, though, still better than some of the other fibres available on the market.

25% off is a significant reduction and I'd definitely suggest trying one out at that price.

 

[Mr Bigmem]

The Epsilon synthetics are pretty nice brushes.

The knots are hand tied and, unfortunately, they do suffer from the same QC issues you occasionally see in Vie Long brushes (both synthetic and badger knots) as a result.

The fibre Epsilon and Vie Long uses is similar (but not the same) as that used by Muhle, EJ and Simpsons. It's a bit springier and doesn't splay as easily. It is, though, still better than some of the other fibres available on the market.

25% off is a significant reduction and I'd definitely suggest trying one out at that price.

I'll be totally honest, hand tied means nothing to me if the knot and its overal construction from fibers, feel, backbone and glue knot (lack of) aren't in check. I'd rather have a artisan handle and machine created knot that hits all the marks

 

[Dr Watson]

These two landed in the mailbox yesterday afternoon. Both 28mm on paper, but the SynBad really would be a miss if you don’t have a little extra to go on in the socket.. Softness of the flattop is of another dimension, and the density of the SynBad is immense. Now for experminting with loft.

View attachment 38241

Any update on these Halvor? Currently considering one for a handle myself... My biggest concern with the flat top is lack of density, how does it compare in this regard to other synthetics?

I've been using a "Boss" knot for the past few shaves, it simultaneously lacks density and is a lather hog... I wasn't aware it was possible to have that pair of bad traits in one brush

 

[Matsilainen]

That flat top would look fab in a Shavemac 173 handle

That’s the exact combination I was trying some days ago. However, I’m not set on actually setting the FlatTop into the 173 handle permanently… Testing continues.

Any update on these Halvor? Currently considering one for a handle myself... My biggest concern with the flat top is lack of density, how does it compare in this regard to other synthetics?
I've been using a "Boss" knot for the past few shaves, it simultaneously lacks density and is a lather hog... I wasn't aware it was possible to have that pair of bad traits in one brush

If I may – I find that the FlatTop truly isn’t as dense as some of AP Shave Co’s other knots. I played with the loft in the 173 handle, but even that didn’t affect the feel that much. (I think that with this knot, backbone just can’t be a priority, and it has to just be about the luxurious softness.)

Because of the shape, the knot also behaves quite differently than most other knots. It’s not as easy to load. On the other hand, it’s incredibly soft and feels very nice when lathering on the face.

I think the problem with BOSS knots is that there are many manufacturers and sellers who use that name, and all the knots are different. I recently bought two different types (both 26 mm, one bulb, one fan), and they are definitely not from the same manufacturer, and are made using very different materials. The bulb-shape is one of the finest knots I have ever used (very dense, yet soft), whereas the fan is OK, but nothing too special.

 

[halvor]

Sorry, James @Dr Watson Fell off the radar... Everyone at home are sick and I’ve had too much testing going on at the same time. Have only given the flattop one shave and I think Matt is spot on in saying

backbone just can’t be a priority, and it has to just be about the luxurious softness.

A pleasurable shave though, the one I had. It obviously calls for paint strokes, and everything about the experience is different, as in the brush behaving differently from anything else I have. Backbone is low, yet I wouldn’t call it floppy. (Tall lofted Chinese horse hair brushes, now that’s floppy!)

Not sure about density vis-a-vis the other AP knots, as the outward funnel shape may have an impact.

I’ll give it a go today at a lower loft. Last was ~52mm. I can’t see how anyone can possibly use the stock APShave handles with this knot, as those equate to may too high a loft.

 

[Mr Bigmem]

That’s the exact combination I was trying some days ago. However, I’m not set on actually setting the FlatTop into the 173 handle permanently… Testing continues.


If I may – I find that the FlatTop truly isn’t as dense as some of AP Shave Co’s other knots. I played with the loft in the 173 handle, but even that didn’t affect the feel that much. (I think that with this knot, backbone just can’t be a priority, and it has to just be about the luxurious softness.)

Because of the shape, the knot also behaves quite differently than most other knots. It’s not as easy to load. On the other hand, it’s incredibly soft and feels very nice when lathering on the face.

I think the problem with BOSS knots is that there are many manufacturers and sellers who use that name, and all the knots are different. I recently bought two different types (both 26 mm, one bulb, one fan), and they are definitely not from the same manufacturer, and are made using very different materials. The bulb-shape is one of the finest knots I have ever used (very dense, yet soft), whereas the fan is OK, but nothing too special.

Do you have a link to that bulb boss knot you brought? And any pics of the flat top sat in the 173?

 

[Dr Watson]

That’s the exact combination I was trying some days ago. However, I’m not set on actually setting the FlatTop into the 173 handle permanently… Testing continues.


If I may – I find that the FlatTop truly isn’t as dense as some of AP Shave Co’s other knots. I played with the loft in the 173 handle, but even that didn’t affect the feel that much. (I think that with this knot, backbone just can’t be a priority, and it has to just be about the luxurious softness.)

Because of the shape, the knot also behaves quite differently than most other knots. It’s not as easy to load. On the other hand, it’s incredibly soft and feels very nice when lathering on the face.

I think the problem with BOSS knots is that there are many manufacturers and sellers who use that name, and all the knots are different. I recently bought two different types (both 26 mm, one bulb, one fan), and they are definitely not from the same manufacturer, and are made using very different materials. The bulb-shape is one of the finest knots I have ever used (very dense, yet soft), whereas the fan is OK, but nothing too special.

Sorry, James @Dr Watson Fell off the radar... Everyone at home are sick and I’ve had too much testing going on at the same time. Have only given the flattop one shave and I think Matt is spot on in saying


A pleasurable shave though, the one I had. It obviously calls for paint strokes, and everything about the experience is different, as in the brush behaving differently from anything else I have. Backbone is low, yet I wouldn’t call it floppy. (Tall lofted Chinese horse hair brushes, now that’s floppy!)

Not sure about density vis-a-vis the other AP knots, as the outward funnel shape may have an impact.

I’ll give it a go today at a lower loft. Last was ~52mm. I can’t see how anyone can possibly use the stock APShave handles with this knot, as those equate to may too high a loft.

Thanks gents, and no worries Halvor there's more to life than shaving forums... Apparently

It doesn't sound like my cup of tea really, especially after seeing one in action on Freedberg's channel:

I realise the AP & DS fibres are not identical. Fact is I find all synthetics super soft (bordering on too much so) so one that is "extra-super soft" is not worth pursuing. I don't really like the make up brush feeling on my face... A trait all of the APShaveco knots share, perhaps an inevitability when you have a dense knot constructed of very thin filaments

 

[Boojum1]

Recently released Simpson M7 Synthetics

 

[ajc347]

Recently released Simpson M7 Synthetics

View attachment 39174

These look great. I can’t see them on the Simpsons website though?


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[Matsilainen]

Do you have a link to that bulb boss knot you brought? And any pics of the flat top sat in the 173?

My apologies for taking so long to reply! It’s been difficult to find time to spend at ATG, as much as I enjoy it.

The BOSS knot I mentioned is from the Turn-N-Shave Etsy shop, and it’s the Original BOSS 26 mm (bulb). Last I checked (about a week ago), he only had about half a dozen left in stock. I’ll try to remember to post a picture of that knot in a brush later. Here’s a link to the Turn-N-Shave shop:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TurnNShave?ref=l2-shopheader-name

By the way, today I realized that the AP Shave Co. SynBad 28 mm knot at a loft of 55 mm feels very similar to the BOSS 26 mm bulb knot at a loft of 54 mm. They are dense knots, and at those lofts, they offer quite a bit of backbone. Also, it takes a little bit of force to splay them, but they remain soft and comfortable to use.

As for the FlatTop, I tried a few different lofts in a 173 handle, and still haven’t set it, but I really started to like the 28 mm at a loft of 49 mm. I agree with @halvor that the loft they come in when bought as a ready-made brush from AP Shave Co. is too much. Even at 49 mm, the FlatTop still behaves differently than any other knot I’ve used, but I do enjoy it quite a bit. Can’t remember if the loft is 49 mm in these pictures, but in any case, it’s between 49–52 mm.

 

[JamieM]

I prefer the Muhle 23mm brush over the Simpsons, for me it as the perfect amount of softness with the just the right amount of splay, this is my own benchmark regarding synthetic brushes, it works equally well with hard soaps and creams.

 

[ajc347]

I’ve tried to capture the contrast of the colours in one of the Wild West brushes I own in the two pictures below.

Derek has masterfully combined a pearlescent purple with a pearlescent White which has a blue tinge when turned towards the light.

It’s very subtle but completely pops when the light is right and is very difficult to easily capture in a photo.

It’s another example of the great work Derek produces and I must admit that the 24mm Cashmere knot (set at a loft of 50mm) is fast becoming my favourite synthetic knot. [emoji106]


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