Who makes some of the better Synthetic Brushes? Are RazoRock brushes good Synthetics? I am Wanting to try some good synthetic brushes, and don't know who uses the best knots.
Synthetic Brushes
- Thread starter big70tom
- Start date
This is another case of your mileage may vary. There's a synthetic brush passaround thread that you might want to check it. It's currently on the second person so you should already have some reviews to check out and possibly get in line yourself soon.
-RazoRock Plissoft brushes are highly regarded. I have one myself and I'd say that it has a healthy amount of backbone, but that makes it great for loading.
-I also have a Maggard. Maggard brushes, RazoRock Plissoft brushes, Stirling, and Shave Revolution Evo brushes all use the same exact fibers. These are also the same fibers used in the L'Occitane Plisson, which seems to be in the pantheon of holy grail brushes (hence the evocation with the name RazoRock "Plissoft").
-Other options include the Fine Angel Hair, The Purest Satin Tip, and Whipped Dog. Every option listed so far should be well under $30.
-Pricier options include those by Muhle and Simpsons.
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The new Whipped Dog is my personal favorite. I rotate between the Whipped Dog and the Plissoft but I use the Whipped Dog way more often. As a general consensus, the RazoRock Plissoft and the Stirling Kong appear to have the largest fan bases. Again, same exact fibers - they only appear to differ in the size of their glue bumps and the Stirling Kong is also a 26mm knot while all the other Plisson clones are generally 24mm.
-RazoRock Plissoft brushes are highly regarded. I have one myself and I'd say that it has a healthy amount of backbone, but that makes it great for loading.
-I also have a Maggard. Maggard brushes, RazoRock Plissoft brushes, Stirling, and Shave Revolution Evo brushes all use the same exact fibers. These are also the same fibers used in the L'Occitane Plisson, which seems to be in the pantheon of holy grail brushes (hence the evocation with the name RazoRock "Plissoft").
-Other options include the Fine Angel Hair, The Purest Satin Tip, and Whipped Dog. Every option listed so far should be well under $30.
-Pricier options include those by Muhle and Simpsons.
---
The new Whipped Dog is my personal favorite. I rotate between the Whipped Dog and the Plissoft but I use the Whipped Dog way more often. As a general consensus, the RazoRock Plissoft and the Stirling Kong appear to have the largest fan bases. Again, same exact fibers - they only appear to differ in the size of their glue bumps and the Stirling Kong is also a 26mm knot while all the other Plisson clones are generally 24mm.
The great thing about synthetics is that more money doesn't generally mean much higher quality.
Less Backbone, super soft
-Razorock
-Stirling
-Maggard
-Fine
More backbone
-Whipped Dog
More expensive
-Plisson
-EJ
-Muhle
-Envy
-Simpson
Less Backbone, super soft
-Razorock
-Stirling
-Maggard
-Fine
More backbone
-Whipped Dog
More expensive
-Plisson
-EJ
-Muhle
-Envy
-Simpson
The 24mm plissoft is the best for price. At $10ish. The black wolf is softer but a ww brush cost about $90
backbone wise the omega s brush is the best but it suffers in softness.
i haven't tried the new silver tip plissoft so it may be as soft as the black wolf.
Maggard's are little less soft then the 24 plissoft maybe little more backbone. The 26mm plissoft I found is less soft the the 24 and so on par with Maggard's. Handles are different options too. I prefer Maggard's 25 handle to the plissofts 26 handle.
stirling brushe I found to be less soft then Maggard's.
Satin tip below that
qualit wise I found more upside down hairs in the stirling after removing them it is softer but still below Maggard. Found few in both my Maggard's and the 26mm plissoft. When you get one check for upside down hairs. It harms the experience in my mind cause as your brushing your face it'll be soft then suddenly pokey then back to soft. I just weed thru for them and pull the upside down one to the side and cut it as far down as I can. Improved those brushes a lot
backbone wise the omega s brush is the best but it suffers in softness.
i haven't tried the new silver tip plissoft so it may be as soft as the black wolf.
Maggard's are little less soft then the 24 plissoft maybe little more backbone. The 26mm plissoft I found is less soft the the 24 and so on par with Maggard's. Handles are different options too. I prefer Maggard's 25 handle to the plissofts 26 handle.
stirling brushe I found to be less soft then Maggard's.
Satin tip below that
qualit wise I found more upside down hairs in the stirling after removing them it is softer but still below Maggard. Found few in both my Maggard's and the 26mm plissoft. When you get one check for upside down hairs. It harms the experience in my mind cause as your brushing your face it'll be soft then suddenly pokey then back to soft. I just weed thru for them and pull the upside down one to the side and cut it as far down as I can. Improved those brushes a lot
My favorite is the Muhle. It feels great and makes wonderful lather.
+1
I'm not much tempted in shaving brushes but quite happy with the Muhle Silvertip Fibre V2 23x56mm. Very soft tips and good backbone, pleasant for my sensitive skin and effective in lathering. I even placed its fibre under microscope to understand why it is so good, here is its spherical tip:
BTW I've noticed only two hairs lost during a half-year of nearly daily use the brush.
I think my only wish is to try a FAN synthetic brush of an equal or better quality as I prefer a face lathering. I would be thankful for your advice.
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I *love* my Whipped Dog synthetic. Larry is a great guy to deal with as well http://www.whippeddog.com/products/view/24mm-handles
+1. My go-to brush.
I have a Bluebeards Revenge Synthetic and I think it's about 22mm. I have had the brush for about 2 years and I love it and would happily recommend it.
Recently ordered a 30mm Synthetic from Larry at Whipped Dog but it's still on its way from Texas to New Zealand so I can't comment on that one yet. Larry is a great guy to deal with.
Recently ordered a 30mm Synthetic from Larry at Whipped Dog but it's still on its way from Texas to New Zealand so I can't comment on that one yet. Larry is a great guy to deal with.
This question comes so often, but I would start cheap if you've never bought a synthetic before. Try the Razorock or Maggard offerings. Personally I prefer the black hair in that category so far. The S brush is nice, but suffers a bit from floppiness.
I predict you'll end up with an EJ or Muhle knot!
I predict you'll end up with an EJ or Muhle knot!
Muehle or Simpson!
Have not tried many , but like to put my own together. I'm liking the fairly new Tuxedo knot sold off Etsy.
I have a Maggard 24mm synthetic brush that does it all for me as in whipping up tons of lather & it easy to splay the brush on my face. The Disruptor 22mm Razorock synthetic is just as good but, I like the Disruptor better due to its 22mm size compared to the 24mm size. Both brushes are A-1.
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Another vote for the Tuxedo Knot (Etsy, APShaveCo). Here are two examples. One is the knot set into a wood (Burl) handle made by an Etsy vendor and the other a restore I did on an Ever-Ready 100 handle. Both great to use and look at. I also have the Muhle STF and Ubersoft 2 knots and the Tuxedo is my favorite.
View attachment 697272
View attachment 697272
My 30mm synthetic brush arrived from Larry at Whipped Dog and I had my first shave with it this morning .... bl--dy amazing brush from a great guy. I will be getting more stuff from Larry 
I picked up a Razorock Plissoft shave brush last year, while planning a trip over seas. Synthetics dry quickly, and I wouldn't feel too upset if something happened to it on the trip. To say I was surprised at the performance would be a gross understatement. I found the performance on par with my most expensive badgers. Since then, I've bought them for my sons, my brother-in-law and a Razorock Plissoft Monster for myself. It may not be the absolute best brush I've ever used, but nothing compares at the price point. I'm sending a vintage Rubberset 400 to Rudy Vey to be restored, and I'm tempted to put a synthetic knot in it, they are that good. If I like the Plissoft synthetics this much, I'm really curious to try what he considers to be the best one.
I like the fit and finish of the Muhle XL. It feels very soft on the face and the knots are always perfectly set into the handle. I also like the feel of the Plissoft, but fit and finish-wise it's hit and miss. I have one perfect one, but I've also had many more where the fibres have been jammed into place and look ragged and strangled. That's just downright unappealing. I think symmetry and conformation is as important as softness, loft, etc.
Just had my first shave with a synthetic RazoRock monster brush, never going back. Only negative is the handle is a bit too big in my opinion.
You can't go wrong with Razorock synthetic plissofts (imo). Soft, lather well, cheap... Maggards use the same plissoft knots I believe as well.
Muhle STF is the best synthetic I have used but its costly and frankly not that much better than razorock to me.
Muhle STF is the best synthetic I have used but its costly and frankly not that much better than razorock to me.
I like the plisson. Some people says it doesn't have enough backbone. But I think it splays the most naturally. The others are "springy" in comparison (require downward pressure to keep them splayed).
I think the fibers in the plisson, razorock, shave revolution, stirling and maggard are the same. The non-plisson brushes just add backbone by increasing the height of the glue bump to reduce the effective loft.
The plisson that used to be sold by Loccitane had a wooden handle. The resin handles available directly from plisson are much better. The knots are the same.
I think the fibers in the plisson, razorock, shave revolution, stirling and maggard are the same. The non-plisson brushes just add backbone by increasing the height of the glue bump to reduce the effective loft.
The plisson that used to be sold by Loccitane had a wooden handle. The resin handles available directly from plisson are much better. The knots are the same.
