Yaqi Arctic Sky Deep Blue Review: A Synthetic That Looks Like Cashmere
Okay, kids. We’re talking about the Yaqi Arctic Sky Deep Blue.
Look at that thing. This one’s a looker. The handle’s got this deep blue resin, gorgeous. I make it out to about 73mm tall, but that’s my old eyes reading a tape measure, so if I’m off by a millimeter or two, don’t call the cops. It’s got a 24mm synthetic knot, says so right on the bottom, set at about a 52mm loft. That’s not bad at all.
The knot
If you just look at pictures of this thing, you’d swear it’s cashmere. Even holding it in your hand, you look at it and go, “oh, that’s cashmere.” It’s not. It’s a regular synthetic knot, white fibers, gray tips. It’s got that whole “I’m soft, pet me” look going on, and it doesn’t flop. Before the comment section grabs their pitchforks: that’s not a knock. Just an observation.
This knot has more backbone than a cashmere. It’s not going to sit there stiff as a board, but it’s not laying down flat if you look at it wrong, either. You have to put some real pressure on it to break that backbone and get it splaying. I’d put the backbone about a hair under a Simpson Trafalgar T3, maybe right in that neighborhood.
How it performs
No complaints here. It picks up soap easy, builds a lather with zero drama, feels good on the face. My only knock, if you even want to call it that, is I don’t like brushes with this much backbone. I like them soft. Give me a cashmere, give me a thin-hair tuxedo, something that’s not floppy but also isn’t fighting me the second I try to splay it. I don’t love having to push through the backbone just to get this thing open.
A lot of you don’t share that opinion, and that’s fine. So don’t run out and buy this off my say-so alone. You might hate this knot. You might love it. Depends what you’re used to.
Who this brush is for
Here’s how I’d trust my own take on this one: if you’ve already got a brush with a knot similar to mine and you like the way it handles, then what I’m telling you probably lines up with what you’d find. If your whole den is soft, floppy cashmere and tuxedo knots, take this review as a heads up, not a green light. You might love the change of pace. You might hate fighting the backbone every morning. I don’t know your hand, only mine.
What I do know: this is a nice little brush with a nice knot in it. Good performer. Some of you are going to love it, some of you are going to hate it. I don’t hate it. It’s just not my favorite, and that’s on my preference for soft knots, not on the brush.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go run out and stare at brushes for another five minutes, because that’s apparently what I hear guys in wet shaving do.
You all have a great night. Stay smooth.