New AP Shave Co. FlatTop

I bought this one out of curiosity as I had a Tuxedo "quarter moon" and loved it. Well, this one is better IMO. As a matter of fact it's the best synthetic knot extant IMO and I have tried a boatload of various generations. I was using a "mew brown" or SynBad knot brush, but it will now be relegated to 2nd tier behind this one.

https://apshaveco.com/collections/flatto...-apshaveco


I will preface this by stating up front that if you are a face latherer then you need this one. If a bowl latherer then perhaps not so much. It is extremely soft, slightly softer than the Synbad "mew brown" knot IMO. It splays extremely easy, easier than a Tuxedo & SynBad for sure. I honestly think you could face lather for an hour with this one w/o brush "burn". What is does better IMO is quite simply distributes lather better to the face than other synthetics. I needed far less "paintbrush" style face lathering than with my "mew brown" brush or other earlier gen. synthetics I have used and since sold/traded/mothballed.

Is it Earth shattering? No, but these few things it does better are exactly what I was wanting a synthetic brush to do in that it splays so easily, is so damn soft and is such a perfect face latherer. I don't have a Cashmere to compare, but perhaps this is the "missing link" between softness & latherability(?).

I have a similar looking knot from EverShave (now TurnNShave). I've been sitting on it for about a year, now, and I've recently been considering picking up an APShaveCo uBrush handle for it.

Interesting, I've always been intrigued by flattop brushes. Maybe this will be one to try out

I’ve got a couple of AP Shave Co Flat Top brushes and find the 28mm brush to be one of the nicest synthetic brushes I’ve ever used.



It is very easy to splay and feels as good as the top end badger brushes I used to own.

I have a 24mm Flat Top coming from DS Cosmetics as the knots look as though they could potentially be identical to those used by AP Shave Co.


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I have a 24mm Flat Top coming from DS Cosmetics as the knots look as though they could potentially be identical to those used by AP Shave Co. ...

Yes, I believe it is their knot.

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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I have a 24mm Flat Top coming from DS Cosmetics as the knots look as though they could potentially be identical to those used by AP Shave Co. ...

Yes, I believe it is their knot.

No, I believe it is not their knot.

Trying to ascertain who uses which knot form which co. is a perplexing mystery at best and the importers/makers are coy with their cards close to their vests. All I will add is that you can't go wrong with AP Shave Co. for a few bucks more than a Yaqi. Far better perhaps to have a custom maker/importer sort out glue "bumps" and dud knots than a Chinese woman on an assembly line.

Can anyone compare these type of synthetic knots/fibres to the Chubby 2 synthetic fibres, if possible?
After trying the majority of synthetic fibre brushes, the Chubby 2 synthetic is the best I have tried to date. Of course, this all quite subjective.
I am intrigued by the Synbad, SilkSmoke and the Cashmere fibres, but I am doubtful that they will compare favourably to the Chubby 2's fibres.
I don't need any more brushes, but I would like one or two for travelling and to give to my son, as well.
Thanks.

The FlatTop is the softest knot I have ever experienced. Loading it directly on a soap can be a little tricky in my experience, though. Since all fibers are the same length, there seems to be some friction at the edges of the knot, whereas with a bulb-shaped knot, only the center fibers glide over the surface of the soap (unless you use force to splay the knot against the soap).

The FlatTop isn’t as dense as some of AP Shave Co’s other knots, which may be part of the reason for why it feels so soft on the face. I believe the fibers are different, perhaps similar to something used in make-up brushes (just a guess), which also makes the experience so plush. Painting the lather on with it is easy. It does also splay nicely, but at times, all the fibers want to splay in the same direction, so it might be best to begin the splay at the chin or the Adam’s apple, where a pointy shape will help facilitate a splay.

celestino, I haven’t used the Simpson synthetic, but if its fibers are at all like the Mühle STF fibers, then you won’t really find that same feel in the AP Shave Co. knots (haven’t tried the SilkSmoke yet, though), which tend to have a more plush feel instead of the natural hair feel that the STF fibers imitate so well. Most of the AP Shave Co. knots are very dense, though, so if set at a low loft, you will at least have some backbone, even though perhaps not quite the scrub you may be looking for.