Do the fibers that Codfish is showing on the prior page look familiar to any one? Is their a familiarity to another brush ... synthetic ...?
I own an H.I.S. 28mm synth and have to say that the fibers are very, very close--if not identical to the Mühle enhanced STF knots. The fiber feel, thinness and performance characteristics seem identical. Naturally, the greater loft height and knot diameter in the H.I.S. brush add their own dimensions, but the physical fibers themselves are extremely close. Mühle does a superior job with dyeing, packing and shaping its brushes, IMO, and its handles are more elegant, but for shavers who would like to experience the feel of next-generation synthetic brushes, the H.I.S. line is available at a fraction of the cost.
That is excellent news for those who want the Generation 4 fiber performance to be available in more Traditional handles and various sizes!
I think I'm going to pick up the 20mm and try to do my first replacement on this bad boy. Should be fun! Would like to have a synthetic in my collection.
That one I have experience working with. Go for the 22 or 24 mm on that rather than the 20 mm. The original knot is 23 mm by measurement so you can fit a 22 in well or slightly expand the bore (as I did) and fit up to a 25 mm. You will be much happier with a knot that is more proportional to the handle.
Thanks GD! Just the man I was hoping to get a response from. I think I'll do the 22 and keep it simple for my first DIY. Also I know you have threads on here with instructions on how to do re-knots and removing knots. I'll be sure to check them out before I do anything.
This one is a little more tricky than some others. On this one, the steam method will not remove it. The handle is hardened rubber. So you will need to use a power drill or a Dremel tool to bore it out. Cut the hairs with a set of wire cutters (don't use scissors) as close as you can to the top of the hole before drilling out the knot. Be sure to protect the sides of the handle and at the top with a couple of layers of masking, or better electrical tape. This one more than likely will gum up inside if their is a lot of epoxy on the original knot. It is hit or miss on these as to how much work you need to do. If you have questions, PM me.
I was going to order one. Tried the steam bath on my shedding Berkeley and that did nothing but make a pot of stinking water after 30 minutes, went back in for another 30 as some suggest - didn't help either. Simpsons knots are BLOODY WELL IN THERE. May need to get drilled out but I'll save that for a day I feel adventurous.
Flagging is the technique that “explodes” the filament at the end so that it applies liquids smoothly with no stiffness at the tip.
For those who are making the transition to synthetics or want to understand more about the history. Here is my series articles on the history of synthetics and how they were developed over time. http://sharpologist.com/2012/09/syn...ow-they-relate-to-shaving-brushes-part-1.html http://sharpologist.com/2012/09/syn...ow-they-relate-to-shaving-brushes-part-2.html http://sharpologist.com/2012/09/syn...ow-they-relate-to-shaving-brushes-part-3.html http://sharpologist.com/2012/09/syn...ow-they-relate-to-shaving-brushes-part-4.html http://sharpologist.com/2012/10/synthetic-fibers-part-5.html http://sharpologist.com/2012/10/synthetic-fibers-part-6.html http://sharpologist.com/2012/10/syn...ow-they-relate-to-shaving-brushes-part-7.html http://sharpologist.com/2012/10/syn...ow-they-relate-to-shaving-brushes-part-8.html http://sharpologist.com/2012/11/syn...ow-they-relate-to-shaving-brushes-part-9.html http://sharpologist.com/2012/11/syn...w-they-relate-to-shaving-brushes-part-10.html
Nice Justin. Looks like we both are going to have to break out the old drill, so much for the easy way out Should be fun though. I just ordered my 22mm syn from TGN. Look forward to getting it all together. Think I'm going to gift it to my brother to use at his gf's house. He's about to start wet shaving, and spends half his time at the gf's place. Would be nice to only have to carry his razor back and forth. But I'll definitely take it back for myself eventually.
Bump. I've just finished reading this thread through from the start and just wanted to say thanks to Gary and Jim and all who posted or commented on other's posts. Interesting stuff and very informative. Thanks to All!
I'm bumping this thread because I picked up an original "Nylon" brush - it really does look like a bundle of wavy fishing line - and I'm wondering if there have been any changes in the synthetics since the OP posted in 2012. Specifically, buying synthetic knots vs entire brushes, but generally any changes. This is the main thread that showed up when I searched for 'Nylon shaving brushes'. BW
AP Shave out of Ottawa has some great synthetic knots. He is on Esty. If you want his page PM me. Sent from my STV100-3 using Tapatalk
