Burgundy
Forum GOD!
For context - other than the three in this long-term review, I have experience of the following synthetic brushes: Kent Infinity Mühle STF v1 and v2, Omega S-Brush and Hi-Brush, Simpson Synthetic and The Body Shop. I have found the Plisson Fiber to be superior to all of the above but have not used any of the 'Plissoft' variations.
I have pushed against it, but I'm coming to believe that synthetic knots provide the most effective performance of any type of knot. That's not to say that I've gone all in yet. I still retain a marvellous Thäter 2 Band and a Maseto Shaving Finest that could well be the best value brush in production. However, the Plisson has been my Go To for a couple of years now for very good reasons.
I purchased the Plisson a couple of years after trying earlier 'Generation', to quote GDCarrington, brushes from The Body Shop, Omega, and Mühle STF v1. The Mühle STF v1 was the first synthetic that I really found to be a contender. I had a dinky 19mm brush that splayed relatively well but was a tad scritchy. I actually found it to be a better brush than the 21mm, 23mm and 25mm Mühle v2s that I tried subsequently. Here's one:
These were invariable softer than the v1 but were 'springy'; i.e. they didn't spray as you would expect a shaving brush to. The Plisson, however, does. Not only are the tips softer than any silvertip (and I include Thäter 3 Band and Kent BK8/12) that I've tried, the knot does mimic a natural bristle in the way it splays. Granted, you are aware that this is not a high end badger due to the lack of je ne sais quois... soul perhaps? But I love it for face-lathering and bowl-lathering alike because it's gentle on the face, generous in releasing lather, and practical for home and travel. Another objection to synthetic brushes is that they don't retain water properly. I currently find the Plisson better in this regard than any other synthetic but, yes, I still understand the criticism.
My sole complaint is that my La Maison du Barbier acetate handle isn't the best. I love the handle but the material scratches easily and lacks pizzazz. I haven't been particularly interested in the me too brushes from RazoRock, PAA, Fine etc that use comparable (the same?) 'Plissoft' fibres. The discernible differences are knot:loft dimensions, glue bumps and handle choices. They're all sources from China after all... although I read that the imitators are inferior due to sloppy glue bumps etc. Either way, despite the small base circumference, the loft of the Plisson means that it works well for my preferences. As a result, until 2017, the only synthetic brush I've been interested in is an upgraded handle.
However, within the last year, APShaveCo and Wolf Whiskers have been making waves with the Tuxedo and Black Wolf knots. These are meant to exhibit greater backbone than the Plissoft variations with a claimed greater density. The contrast from black shaft to white tips is striking and, I would guess, intended to mirror Two Band badgers. In truth, they look like my wife's makeup brushes... but that's fine by me. APShaveCo's Cashmere has been subject to considerably less hype. Compared to the Tuxedo, it's meant to exhibit more softness at the expense of backbone. The Wolf Whiskers would be wonderful - seemingly a fan-shaped complement to the Tuxedo's hybrid-bulb - but I suppose I'll try to get in on that if all goes well with the latter.
So, here we go. I decided to buy two pre-made brushes from APShaveCo last week - a Tuxedo (left) and a Cashmere (right). They arrived within six days for £25.75 each - including delivery from Canada to the UK. Upon arrival, both have been washed in shampoo soap and combed through. Alarmingly for a synthetic brush, the Tuxedo lost about ten hairs in this process but Andrew, the proprietor, suggests that this is to be expected. The Cashmere knot didn't shed at all.
My hope is to update this thread every couple of shaves to provide my reflections on these brushes. I hope that they will provide a vaguely interesting read - if not any useful insight - to those who stay with me!
I have pushed against it, but I'm coming to believe that synthetic knots provide the most effective performance of any type of knot. That's not to say that I've gone all in yet. I still retain a marvellous Thäter 2 Band and a Maseto Shaving Finest that could well be the best value brush in production. However, the Plisson has been my Go To for a couple of years now for very good reasons.
I purchased the Plisson a couple of years after trying earlier 'Generation', to quote GDCarrington, brushes from The Body Shop, Omega, and Mühle STF v1. The Mühle STF v1 was the first synthetic that I really found to be a contender. I had a dinky 19mm brush that splayed relatively well but was a tad scritchy. I actually found it to be a better brush than the 21mm, 23mm and 25mm Mühle v2s that I tried subsequently. Here's one:
These were invariable softer than the v1 but were 'springy'; i.e. they didn't spray as you would expect a shaving brush to. The Plisson, however, does. Not only are the tips softer than any silvertip (and I include Thäter 3 Band and Kent BK8/12) that I've tried, the knot does mimic a natural bristle in the way it splays. Granted, you are aware that this is not a high end badger due to the lack of je ne sais quois... soul perhaps? But I love it for face-lathering and bowl-lathering alike because it's gentle on the face, generous in releasing lather, and practical for home and travel. Another objection to synthetic brushes is that they don't retain water properly. I currently find the Plisson better in this regard than any other synthetic but, yes, I still understand the criticism.
My sole complaint is that my La Maison du Barbier acetate handle isn't the best. I love the handle but the material scratches easily and lacks pizzazz. I haven't been particularly interested in the me too brushes from RazoRock, PAA, Fine etc that use comparable (the same?) 'Plissoft' fibres. The discernible differences are knot:loft dimensions, glue bumps and handle choices. They're all sources from China after all... although I read that the imitators are inferior due to sloppy glue bumps etc. Either way, despite the small base circumference, the loft of the Plisson means that it works well for my preferences. As a result, until 2017, the only synthetic brush I've been interested in is an upgraded handle.
However, within the last year, APShaveCo and Wolf Whiskers have been making waves with the Tuxedo and Black Wolf knots. These are meant to exhibit greater backbone than the Plissoft variations with a claimed greater density. The contrast from black shaft to white tips is striking and, I would guess, intended to mirror Two Band badgers. In truth, they look like my wife's makeup brushes... but that's fine by me. APShaveCo's Cashmere has been subject to considerably less hype. Compared to the Tuxedo, it's meant to exhibit more softness at the expense of backbone. The Wolf Whiskers would be wonderful - seemingly a fan-shaped complement to the Tuxedo's hybrid-bulb - but I suppose I'll try to get in on that if all goes well with the latter.
So, here we go. I decided to buy two pre-made brushes from APShaveCo last week - a Tuxedo (left) and a Cashmere (right). They arrived within six days for £25.75 each - including delivery from Canada to the UK. Upon arrival, both have been washed in shampoo soap and combed through. Alarmingly for a synthetic brush, the Tuxedo lost about ten hairs in this process but Andrew, the proprietor, suggests that this is to be expected. The Cashmere knot didn't shed at all.
My hope is to update this thread every couple of shaves to provide my reflections on these brushes. I hope that they will provide a vaguely interesting read - if not any useful insight - to those who stay with me!
