Looking for the perfect synthetic!

Hi all! I’m new to the forums but thought I would make my first post about synthetic brushes and ask for recommendations. 

I’ll start by saying I would LOVE to find a perfect synthetic brush. Aside from badger farming probably being pretty nasty business, I like the idea behind the challenge of making a super high quality synthetic brush (as well as vegan soap). I say this because I’ve been thinking the perfect synthetic would perfectly mimic a badger, which is an idea I’m not as sure about now.

Here’s a list of what I’ve tried and my observances of them:

1) Maggard tuxedo - my first synthetic. Not a fan of this. Backbone too springy and felt pretty cheap. 

2)  Stirling Kong - first synthetic I really liked. Looking back it’s not the softest, but it was nice and big and much better than the tuxedo for me


3) yaqi plisson synthetic - similar to the Kong but felt small. Used this for travel 



4) yaqi mew - didn’t like it at the time. Not sure why, as I know people say it’s the same as the APshaveco Synbad which I like. Maybe just because I got it earlier 



5) APshaveco cashmere - very soft but very little backbone. Felt nice but not at all like a dense badger, which I was trying to find. 



6) APshaveco Synbad - maybe my favorite synthetic because it’s so soft and easy to use. Doesn’t feel like a badger because the density and cushiony feel isn’t there but still nice



7) Omega synthetic boar - hated this. Don’t like the idea of a painter style brush



8) Turn n shave hawk - also like this knot quite a bit. Had it first set too deep and it would fold over itself instead of staying splayed. I got this looking for something close to a badger, and while it didn’t get there it was still a nice brush



9) omega evo - got this because I thought it would be closest thing to a badger. Really didn’t like it as much as I wanted. Felt like it was hard to splay and I didn’t get that “1 big cloud” feel like a badger. 



10) frank shaving g4 - need to try this out again but it just felt like a lower quality evo to me. 


So there you have my long rant and history. I guess I’m looking for any suggestions either to 1) are there any synthetics that really get the feel of a high quality badger or 2) should I look for a different quality that synthetics really excel at but are different than a badger. 

Also if this wants to become just a discussion about synthetics I am fine with that too! Please ask me any questions!

Not sure that I can felt you much in your discovery of a better brush but I hope you find it. I am sure that you will find many people on here that can help offer suggestions. Take care and see you in the threads. Cheers

Love the Simpson Chubby 2 Synthetic. Having owned about every badger grade they make in this handle shape, the synthetic is a real performer.

In the last years, I'm a passionate supporter of synthetics.
In these, even more than in the natural ones, the settings (length of the loft, width of the knot, shape of the tips) are even more important.
I often see factory products (all, not just the Chinese) with dimensions that are not suitable for my preferences.
So usually I only buy the tuft, and then I have a carpenter friend make the handle.
I prefer delicate, medium-sized, super dense fibers that are set not too long.
This allows me to gain backbone, maintaining great lather production capacity, speed and delicacy.

My favorites are:
1. Yaqi Cashmere 24x50mm


2. Oumo Mother Lode 28x53mm


3. Plissoft 24x52mm


I have tried, often thanks to loans from friends, practically all the synthetic fibers of the last ten years.
But I find unhappy the choice to replicate the natural badger.
For me, if well set up, a much sweeter synthetic can perform better than the best natural badgers.
Both as a quantity and speed in producing the foam, and above all as ease of use and sweetness.
Especially when it comes to lathering an old fashioned hard soap, which many say is the true proof of the qualities of a brush.

My considerations mainly start from the fact that I have bad skin issue (dermatitis).
So a brush with strong fibers that do not open easily and that produces a strong massage is not a good thing for me.
For example, even a synthetic with similar specifications (Simpson CH2S, Omega Evo), they are too much for me.

APshaveco cashmere - very soft but very little backbone. Felt nice but not at all like a dense badger, which I was trying to find.

Which specs?

Teton Shaves makes a synthetic that is as close to a two band as I’ve found.  But if your set on a knot that feels like silvertip badger I believe you have to look at Silvertip Badger.  Synths have come a long way. I own many and enjoy their properties but they are not badger.

Teton Shaves makes a synthetic that is as close to a two band as I’ve found.  But if your set on a knot that feels like silvertip badger I believe you have to look at Silvertip Badger.  Synths have come a long way. I own many and enjoy their properties but they are not badger.

+1

Agree completely. I seem to gravitate toward synthetics more lately, but even with all the advancements in synthetic knots, there isn't one that's going to be the same as an actual badger. Natural hair knots all have their own "personality", and each one will behave a little differently than another. As much as I love using synthetic brushes, none have the "soul" of a badger.

Not sure who produced the handle on the Yaqi brush but it is gorgeous. Starting to fall for wood handles thanks to Tommy’s Feldmans

Jbeastmode, if you haven’t already read through this thread, you may find some helpful insight in it:
https://damnfineshave.com/thread-synthet...purchasing

In the last years, I'm a passionate supporter of synthetics.
In these, even more than in the natural ones, the settings (length of the loft, width of the knot, shape of the tips) are even more important.
I often see factory products (all, not just the Chinese) with dimensions that are not suitable for my preferences.
So usually I only buy the tuft, and then I have a carpenter friend make the handle.
I prefer delicate, medium-sized, super dense fibers that are set not too long.
This allows me to gain backbone, maintaining great lather production capacity, speed and delicacy.

My favorites are:
1. Yaqi Cashmere 24x50mm


2. Oumo Mother Lode 28x53mm


3. Plissoft 24x52mm


I have tried, often thanks to loans from friends, practically all the synthetic fibers of the last ten years.
But I find unhappy the choice to replicate the natural badger.
For me, if well set up, a much sweeter synthetic can perform better than the best natural badgers.
Both as a quantity and speed in producing the foam, and above all as ease of use and sweetness.
Especially when it comes to lathering an old fashioned hard soap, which many say is the true proof of the qualities of a brush.

My considerations mainly start from the fact that I have bad skin issue (dermatitis).
So a brush with strong fibers that do not open easily and that produces a strong massage is not a good thing for me.
For example, even a synthetic with similar specifications (Simpson CH2S, Omega Evo), they are too much for me.

APshaveco cashmere - very soft but very little backbone. Felt nice but not at all like a dense badger, which I was trying to find.

Which specs?

Thank you for your detailed answer, and I think you'e definitely right about figuring out which specs fit your preference. Your brushes look awesome! They have the wide and dense looking knot that I was trying to find in a badger replacement. Even your 24mm cashmere looks so dense! I think I have to get better at setting and re-setting knots to find what works for me best. I did try to do that with a 28mm Hawk, but when I set it too deep originally which made it too stiff and made the bristles fold over one another so it felt very awkward. 

The cashmere I have was set by APshaveco... so not sure of the specs, but it doesn't look nearly as "wide" or full as yours

Teton Shaves makes a synthetic that is as close to a two band as I’ve found.  But if your set on a knot that feels like silvertip badger I believe you have to look at Silvertip Badger.  Synths have come a long way. I own many and enjoy their properties but they are not badger.

+1

Agree completely. I seem to gravitate toward synthetics more lately, but even with all the advancements in synthetic knots, there isn't one that's going to be the same as an actual badger. Natural hair knots all have their own "personality", and each one will behave a little differently than another. As much as I love using synthetic brushes, none have the "soul" of a badger.

 I think you guys are probably right. I shouldn't try to replace a badger, but instead try to take the best parts of a synthetic and lean into them... No lather hogging, good flow through, etc.