Which synthetic knot for 2-band badger lover

If you don't like springy, lather flinging synthetics, do NOT get the Omega S-Brush. It's soft when you use painting stokes, but if you splay it during face lathering, it feels rather "pokey". It's also the springiest synthetic I've used.

My thoughts exactly.

From what you've described, my guess is you might like the maggard black knot, or even the Razorock 400 black knot. From those that have used them, they seem to have a pretty good balance of softness and backbone. The problem is that those only come in 24mm. If you really want something in a 26mm or larger, Stirling has a little brother to the Kong with a shorter loft that might fit your needs.

For me, the Satin Tip is the closest feeling to a badger brush of all synthetics I've tried. The fibers are thicker and stiffer than the Plisson, it's denser, and it's a classic fan shape. Of course, it's smaller than what you are looking for. But it can easily do three passes' worth.

Bearing in mind that the ratio of badger to synthetic in my den is about 20:1, the closest to a badger feel for me is the Stirling Kong-it's a 26mm knot, but a higher loft (I want to say 63mm) that makes it feel more robust.

To be more specific, the Satin Tip is the only synth I have used that feels scrubby the way a badger brush feels -- and I mean that in a good way.

I love my Plisson style brushes, but they are just too plush and soft to feel anything like badger...at least for me.

Apart from the Chubby 2, the Ubersoft II is the only knot I have tried that kinda feels like something other than just another synthetic in one form or another. The Tuxedo is kind of in a class by itself, but it is still very much a synthetic. I don't mean that as a knock on synthetics I like them very much for what they are, it is just an observation.

Again thank you for all your input gentlemen - and please don't stop.

At the moment on my list:
RazoRock 400
Edwin Jagger XL
and if all others fail: Simpson Chubby

It seems like I cannot get 100% what I want, so I will start with the least expensive and work my way up...

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It seems like I cannot get 100% what I want, so I will start with the least expensive and work my way up...

This sounds like a good plan to me, and I hope you find something that you can enjoy at least somewhat. (For the record, I used my Mühle Silvertip Fibre XL again, which is very close to the Edwin Jagger brush on your list, and the fibers/hairs on that brush definitely have a more “tactile” feel to them than some of the really super soft synthetics.)

I had another look at Zenith brushes - does anybody have experiences with them? They do have a black knot in different sizes (up to 28mm) so if it is the same knot as the one from RazoRock, it would be even higher on the list...

The also have a knot labelled synthetic badger, which looks very similar to Muhle/EJ - again I would love to hear your thoughts

I had another look at Zenith brushes - does anybody have experiences with them? They do have a black knot in different sizes (up to 28mm) so if it is the same knot as the one from RazoRock, it would be even higher on the list...

The also have a knot labelled synthetic badger, which looks very similar to Muhle/EJ - again I would love to hear your thoughts

+1 on this. The new black knots look intriguing. Nobody seems to talk about any of the Zenith synthetics, but it sure would be nice if someone did that now…  

Why not be the guinea pig Matsilainen?