Help me choose a synthetic brush

mark0

Forum GOD!
I want to add a good synthetic brush to my small collection. The only one I have at the moment is 19mm Black fibre. It preforms great but I find it too rough. Any advice you may provide will be greatly appreciated.

Here are a few pointers:
  • I face lather
  • I like small to medium brushes
  • speed of lathering and lather release are the qualities I look for
  • I would like to avoid pokey tips but some scrub is fine
 

Fozzie Bear

Forum Clod!
They are pricey but one of the best synthetic’s on the market. Muhle classic Silvertip fibre. I have a Muhle Black fibre as well but the silvertip is a step above, softer and nicer on the face.
 

mark0

Forum GOD!
Yaqi has a lot of variety, my main concern is the glue bump. I know there were some issues with QC, anyone ordered from them recently?
23mm Mhule STF is the other option I am leaning towards.
 

N_Architect

Travel, See, Feel, Explore
Depends on what your budget is. This is important.

If you feel that spending anything above £20-£25 on a synthetic brush is way too much, the choice is simple and straightforward - APShave Co. 24mm knot brush. If £20 is again over-budget, the discussion is pointless and you should go the Yaqi way.

You also do not state loft (short or long) preference, although your preference in small-to-medium size brushes helps us good enough.

If on the other hand your philosophy in life is to acquire (with moderation) good quality products that worth the $$$ you pay to get them, your choices are as follows:
- Muhle/EJ "L" (23mm knot) Silvertip Fibre V2.0 brush, or
- Simpsons CH2 synth bristle.

Secondary choices to these two just mentioned,
- APShave Co. SilkSmoke or SynBad knot (depending on how soft you like the bristles to be), or
- Plisson White Evolution.

Yaqi brushes do the job but when compared to any of those mentioned above they are by far inferior for a number of very specific reasons.
You may be lucky and get a good copy but normally we always get what we pay for.
 

mark0

Forum GOD!
@N_Architect CH2 synth and Plisson WE are out of the price range. 23mm STF is around £40 (ex. VAT) and that would be close to the upper limit for this purchase.
It comes down to STF vs SynBad then.
With badger brushes I like the lower lofts, CH1 (best) and Berkeley 46 (best) are the ones I enjoy a lot.

I could add one of the inexpensive Yaqi brushes to try it out and maybe use for travel.
 
D

Deleted member 1881

Guest
The price difference between the Yaqi & the AP shave is not that far.

I would go with the 28mm silksmoke.
 

DamianJ

Forum GOD!
I only use synthetic brushes, the muhle was my first and it's a fantastic brush.

I wouldn't rule out Yaqi, I got one recently and they are very good and the tuxedo is nice and soft.

Going by the size of my 24 and 26mm synthetics I'd personally not go for the 30mm synthetics as I think they'd be too big.
 

Fozzie Bear

Forum Clod!
I have a Muhle 23 mm Classic STF. Fantastic quality handmade knots with a great handle, with the Muhle after sales customer service if (unlikely) anything is wrong. Another good option is a Razorock Silvertip.
 
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