28mm SilkSmoke™ Synthetic Knot - Bulb

I purchased this knot in 2018, back when it was a new product. I have only a small rotation of brushes, and this knot has never been bumped from regular use. The performance of the SilkSmoke is top tier and - amazing to me - it seems to be getting better over time. The backbone and overall integrity of the knot have remained as strong as ever after at least 700 shaves, but I'm just starting to notice that the very tips of the fibers (perhaps the top 1/16 of an inch) are wearing thin and bending very slightly. This is a really good thing. This fiber-tip wearing results in an even softer cheek-scrub and (I suspect) even better lather production than when it was new. I've used (and loved) the G5A and the G5C from Andrew's lineup, but this 28mm SilkSmoke remains one of my favorites. After at least 700 shaves with this knot, I do not hesitate to offer my strongest recommendation for it.

I like mostly knots with backbone and natural splay. My favourite knot was the Timberwolf.

This one is way denser and Andrew set it somekind low, as I prefer.

I recently got one brush from Andrew and it's fantastic. Tons of backbone, but when it's wet, splays wonderfully without being scratchy and retains its original splay.

This is my favourite knot (28mm) from now on.

As for the handle. It was from Scratch & Dent.

What scratch, and what dent?? 🤣
I checked it for several minutes, it's flawless.

First, let me note I ordered this knot in white shaving brush handle on accident. I think the drop down menu reset when I forgot to enter something and it got selected when I fixed the first goof. Wanted a 30mm bulb knot in this handle which I now also have. Anyways…

The first thing I noticed was the looks. The white tipped grey knot made the slightly ivory tint of the handle look even classier than in the photographs (no easy feat).

The second thing I noticed was the softness of the tips. Before this, my softest brush was a competitor’s “tuxedo” knot. It’s very soft, but felt like Jiminy Scitchett in comparison to the Silksmoke. This is one soft brush.

The third thing I noticed was the backbone. Ordering a short loft (I like short lofts!) made the backbone even stronger.

Splaying can be done with this brush with this setup, but it excels at both painting and making you happy you painted. The combination of the softness and the backbone is a very pleasant and effective combination.

10/10, do recommend

I was surprised with how tight this knot was. I was expecting something with a lot of splay and soft.

Ordered a 28mm Silksmoke knot in the ‘Disco’theme with a taller (65 mm) handle.Great brush with medium backbone dense 28 mm bulb which is ideal for either face or bowl lathering. Service was superb. Thanks Andrew!