24mm G5C Premium Synthetic Knot

Turned handles for family members. Haven’t settled on my own. Knot definitely nicer than what’s has bee available from turning supply houses..

Cheers

The G5C is a fabulous knot that is soft and with very nice backbone. One of the best synthetics that is superb in performance and feel. I also have another in 26mm. I highly recommend the G5C premium synthetic knots.

I only use synthetics, so I can't compare this to a badger, but this is among the best of synthetics and is my favorite of the few I've tried. A couple others I've used are slightly, SLIGHTLY softer (STF and another which I think is equivalent to silksmoke), so if maximum softness is the only thing you're after, this isn't quite it. But this is a very soft, very dense knot, and with more backbone than any other synth I've used, yet it still splays nicely. On Andrew's advice, I had him set it at 52mm loft in one of his cool handcrafted handles and I couldn't be happier. This is now the brush I use every day, and I'm no longer shopping around for brushes.

As close an approximation of a classic silvertip badger that I have experienced. Soft tips, good splay and enough backbone to eliminate any suggestion of floppiness. A very classy synthetic knot. My personal favourite is still a 26 mm Silksmoke set at 56 mm. But YMMV.

This is my first synthetic knot, as my only previous experience, is with a real silver tipped badger brush, which is all I can compare it too honestly. I had Andrew set this knot in a Blue Lagoon handle, and I think he did a superb job of it! My silver tipped badger brush has 100% solid backbone, and has soft tips, and it naturally splays out, without any give. What I noticed about the G5C synthetic knot, is that it has the softness tips I have ever felt in a brush, that really surprised me honestly.

Also, the G5C is heavily springy in nature, the knot hairs want to return to center, just like a spring. When I do movements on my face, the hairs always want to return to facing straight. I guess that means that the knot has good backbone, but its quite a bit different then a silver tipped badger in regards to backbone, and I would say its about 50% backbone in comparison. As far as the knots ability to splay, well, it doesn't want to naturally splay, unless you really apply pressure to your face.

Unlike my silver tipped badger which is a lather hog, the G5C synthetic knot is not a lather hog at all. It does hold some lather don't get me wrong, but it won't suck up all the lather in your bowl like a vacuum, I see that as a good thing. I am able to whip up a lather fairly well with this knot, so not really any problem there. Applying the lather to my face, the knot does alright, but due to the springy nature of the knot, it does have a tendency to fling lather off the brush and onto the sink, countertop, or mirror.

I would have proffered this knot to have been less springy. Having said all that however, I am still using my synthetic brush since I got it a month ago. My main reason for loving it over my silver tipped badger brush, is the simple fact its not a lather hog, it actually allows me time to whip up a lather. Where as my silver tipped badger sucks it all up before I can whip up a proper lather. So the G5C synthetic holds value there for me. And while downsizing from 30mm knot to 24mm knot takes a bit to get used to, its really not that bad in that regard.