Amber Aerolite 24mm Stygian Synth Hybrid Brush | Retro Shave Tech!

With this release we are also introducing our latest, NEW hybrid knot, The Stygian Synth! Fans of our knots, especially the Roswell Grey (Peregrino/Starcraft Knot), will immediately recognize the similarity in feel and performance. In fact, the only real difference is the color!  

"...it has a very similar feel to a 2 band badger knot. What makes that special is since it is still a synth, you don't have to bother with soaking the brush prior to shaving. I have multiple 2 band badger brushes that I enjoy using. While it is not exactly the same feel, it is pretty close. There is a gel type feeling to the tips when wet, just like with a good badger brush. I find myself reaching for it more than my badgers because I just wet it and go." ~ David Ansley, Customer

If It Ain't Broke

I mean, why stray away from a knot design that really seemed to check off all the boxes when it came to a high quality knot that made soooo many rethink their take on synthetics? But we'll come back to that, now for a little, and I mean little, extremely vague history of the handle we did our best to reimagine! 

[Check Out Our Entire Brush Line====> HERE!]

 

The Itsy-bitsy Erskine B-200 

Such an obscure little brush the B-200 is, and good luck finding one! If you do, good luck working with the size of it! This baby was tiny, but the shape held soooo much potential if you ask me. It was clear we needed to revive this one. Historically, it was a butterscotch number with a knot of about 15mm in diameter. To be a daily driver would be laughable by todays standards. Heck, even using this as a travel brush would be difficult...but that shape, it just called to me!

 

So Fran and I began to reinterpret it as a jazz musician may add a little color and swing to their rendition of My Favorite Things (or any other standard at that). We also thought it might be interesting to get thematic. I mean, everyone and their mom is doing seasonal scents, but what about some hardware with a seasonal motif? That thought greatly influenced the design. Granted, an amber handled brush can & will be used all year round but for the sake of the launch date we were aiming for, it seemed more than fitting!

Ergonomic?

I think that feature is what really draws me to this handle. I mean, Erskine were really ahead of their time whether they were aware of the benefits of their geometry or knot...um, not. Meaning; the octagonal shape collar and base really make for that perfect, locked in grip for the slipperiest and soapiest conditions! It also just feels really substantial in hand, not bulky but robust! But lets get back to the elusive Erskine shall we? 

Erskine Brushes?

Yet another classic, vintage shave product with a history thinner than a whisker. Aside from a few 75 year old ads, there's not much out there in regards to the Erskine Company. 

What We Know

Erskine brushes bear the name of the company founder James Lowe Erskine (b. 1861, d. 1937).  The James Lowe Erskine Company was located in Brooklyn, NY and made brushes from 1888 to at least 1957. [Old School Shaving Brushes]

I have also seen some dates on a certain shave forum, but no real history, no real story. Again, it's so sad how much history we have lost...but i'm sure someone out there can put some pieces back into place for us! But I digress.

The Stygian Synth Hybrid Knot

You'd be amazed at how fast synthetic fibers are evolving. With the market and demand for synthetic knots growing, the competition in quality & development will send your head a spinning! This is also due to the fact that a lot of big shave giants, like Art of Shaving, are also making the switch to offering only synthetics...this is huge and forcing manufacturers to out do each other every other month! 

Fans (pun intended), of our modern synthetic knots are going to love our latest Fan/Bulb Hybrid, Stygian Hybrid Knot! Not only is The Stygian visually stunning mounted on that moody, amber resin-type handle, but the performance is exceptional. 

There is something so naturally ergonomic about the octagon shaped base of the handle. It really feels good and secure in the hand; substantial & comfortable. Traits we are always looking for in our designs.

The Stygian features super soft tips, almost gel like when wet and a killer fiber density, providing you with some great backbone and more wispy than scritchy face lathers. The Stygian Knot is sure to impress even the hardiest traditionalist out there still clinging to their badger, boar and horse hair counterparts. Again, if you love our Peregrino, you are pretty much guaranteed to LOVE the Stygian!

Aesthetics 

Before any of our brushes are released they must pass a simple test, aside from quality control and performance, it needs to move me. It has to appeal to something deep inside me that I really can't describe in words, that I should not need to describe in words. It must evoke this same feeling in our customers too...or what's the point? Quality, Value and Style! (That's really what it's all about!)

So with that my friends, it gives me GREAT PLEASURE to introduce you all to our latest, EPIC, Retro (& then some), Amber Aerolite Shave Brush!!!! 

Approx. Specs:

Complete Length: 120 mm

Width at Widest point: 41 mm

Width and Shortest point: 29mm

Weight: 3.88 Oz (110 grams)

Knot: 24 mm

Loft Ht: 55 mm

Handle Material: Acrylic 

BPA-free, phthalate-free, PVC-free and lead-free