The Mother Lode Synthetic is ultra soft and not scratchy at all. Best for face lathering, it splays without any effort. If the backbone for the Tuxedo knot is 10 out of 10 then this is 2. I would say the Tuxedo knot is best for bowl lathering. I face lather so I'm happy with the purchase. I ordered the 23mm. The image on the site is accurate. Recommend the seller. Thanks!