Stirling and Razorock are comparable. I own both. I also own tuxedo, cashmere, Crown King, etc. They all perform very similarly. Amongst these you can't go wrong. Pick whichever you like, and you'll be pleased.
My Maggard's synthetic is still my go to even with Cashmere or Whipped Dog. I haven't been able to bring myself to use my Tuxedo brush, it is just too beautiful.
Yes, you can go wrong ... and that was exactly my point. There are different styles of synthetic knots, and there is no guarantee the OP likes the "soft wet rag" feel of the Plissoft style fibers, for instance. If I would recommend, I would say Mühle, but that is just as subjective as other recommendations. I can't even predict if the OP likes Silvertip Fibre style knots or not. So I don't recommend them ... I could only suggest to try them. For the record, I tried (and have an opinion on): - Omega S-Brush - Omega Hi-Brush - Plisson l'Occitane brush - The Grooming Company Plissoft style brush - Whipped Dog brushes (two different generations) - Edwin Jagger Silvertip Fibre brush - Kent Infinity synthetic brush - Vie-Long synthetic brush - Mühle 21mm synthetic brush - HJM Black Fibre brush The one that stands out for me is the Edwin Jagger brush. Several others were disappointments. But my point is; I do not know what the OP likes. So I cannot tell him what's best.
I would like something with a firm knot, with the tip to be right in the middle of soft and scratchy. Not overly soft, but not overly scratchy either.
To me that sounds like Edwin Jagger. But I really think you need to try out a few different knot styles yourself. A less expensive option is a Whipped Dog 24mm synthetic. They have the feel, to me, like you describe, and are more affordable than the Silvertip Fibre brushes. I personally did not like the bigger WD knots, but the 24mm makes a good travel brush for me. Edit: by all means, try the Plissoft, Tuxedo, Omega (preferably S-Brush), and whatever knots as well (I forgot to mention the cheap Chinese EBay brushes in my list, btw) because they might be exactly what you like.
I'd highly recommend evershave on Etsy. I have the quarter moon, full moon, white (cashmere?) and BOSS. I also have a maggard 24mm and Razorock Bruce and i like evershave brushes better.
Let me apologize ahead of time if I mistakenly am taking the above post wrong and am overreacting here, but it really hit me the wrong way. I hope the post was not intended the way I am reading it, because it seems like it is slamming me and others for making a brush recommendation to a newbie who asked for a brush recommendation. Everyone here, myself included, is taking their time to try and help a new shaver pick his first synthetic brush based on the parameters he laid out. Do any of us guarantee that these recommendations will be the finest end-all-be-all knot that he would enjoy for his entire lifetime, prefer above all others, settle upon as the best synthetic brush he's ever tried, and never want to try another knot again? Of course not. Could he find a different synthetic knot he likes better after trying it? Of course. As a newbie, the only way he will know "what he likes" is to try a few things himself and see. Therefore, I based my recommendation of specific brushes for him based on the following: 1. They meet the OP's original criteria. 2. They are high quality products made by reputable vendors. 3. They have a very large following among many experienced shavers. 4. They are generally well liked by those experienced shavers and receive many positive reviews. 4. They are inexpensive, and therefore a low risk proposition for someone who's never tried a synthetic brush. 5. They are in line with the other brushes that he specifically stated in this thread that he was considering buying. 6. I personally own and use these brushes and find them to be excellent brushes. So much so, in fact, that they stay in my rotation right alongside other brushes costing 10 times as much. I thought saying "you can't go wrong with these" was easier to say than specifically detailing the above criteria, but for anyone who misunderstood, there they are. If anyone disagrees, I welcome and value your recommendations to him. Christian, if you have more questions or want something more specific than the above in a brush there are many folks who will chime in to help. My experience when I was a newbie is that I had too many choices and information overload, so I just wanted suggestions and recommendations of what a large number of experienced shavers liked so I could try them myself. My comments were made with that in mind. My (and other members') recommendations were all well intended, and I think were all good, helpful recommendations.
@BaylorGator I think that I may have overreacted on the "you can't go wrong with these" statement (of which the subtlety was probably lost in translation to me). Please allow me some time to think about a proper response. It may well be that I have to apologise for taking your post in the wrong direction, but I want to take some time to craft a good reply (in English). Probably superfluous, but of course I had no intention to offend you, or to question your motives!
No worries. Eeyore. I really hoped it was one of those "lost in translation" internet things. If no harm was meant, there is certainly none taken. Hopefully my response was not offensive or an overreaction on my part. If it was, my apologies as well. I looked at my original post and for clarification it was meant as a direct response to him trying to decide between a Razorock and a Stirling and considering buying both. My intended point was that these brushes, and a few others (which I named) all perform similarly and are all good brushes, so I wouldn't think to hard about picking one over another.
By the way, these are all excellent recommendations as well, including the WD and the EJ. Again, not to repeat a controversial quote, but I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the suggestions here. All of them are quality brushes. Can you find one you like better? Very possibly, but that's honestly part of the fun of the hobby. If you pull the trigger on any of these, I think you will be pleased and very likely keep them in your rotation regardless of which brush is ultimately your favorite. I prefer my badgers to anything, but I still enjoy my synths and boars too. Don't overthink it; just pick one, try it out and see what you think.
I found the this brush to have great backbone and scritchiness for even the most stubborn course beard. the only down side is you go through a lot of soap.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/534203750/25mm-fan-shaped-synthetic-white-knot?ref=shop_home_active_2 71mm from the base. Like a tall soft boar.
