2 Band Advice Needed

[RockyNomad]

I have a handle being made and I am going to put a Maggard 24 mm two band badger in it. I believe it is a bulb shape according to their website. I am an exclusive face latherer. I am looking for loft recommendations and anyone who can tell me their experiences with this knot.

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[InsomniHack]

I have a handle being made and I am going to put a Maggard 24 mm two band badger in it. I believe it is a bulb shape according to their website. I am an exclusive face latherer. I am looking for loft recommendations and anyone who can tell me their experiences with this knot.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Usually go with about a 2:1 ratio of loft:knot size, give or take a couple of mm, so for a 24mm knot you would do well with a 48-50mm loft.

 

[RockyNomad]

Usually go with about a 2:1 ratio of loft:knot size, give or take a couple of mm, so for a 24mm knot you would do well with a 48-50mm loft.

Yeah. That's what I've been reading but then I see the commercially made brushes, like the Semogue SOC in badger, and that has a 24 mm knot with a 53 mm loft. That's what confuses me.

Maybe I'm inaccurate but it seems the 2:1 ratio is more popular with the floppier silvertip than with the stiffer 2 band?

 

[InsomniHack]

Yeah. That's what I've been reading but then I see the commercially made brushes, like the Semogue SOC in badger, and that has a 24 mm knot with a 53 mm loft. That's what confuses me.

Maybe I'm inaccurate but it seems the 2:1 ratio is more popular with the floppier silvertip than with the stiffer 2 band?

There will be variation in the tensile strength of the hair depending on the stock used. It all depends on what you personally prefer, but Semogue seems to have found a sweet spot with their SOC (I wouldn't actually know, just basing this on all the positive reviews). Shorter loft yields better backbone.

What I would recommend if you're doing it yourself is to use coins as spacers and experiment with different loft heights using silicone before you settle on the perfect loft for you and epoxy that bad boy.

 

[KW Driver]

I have no experience with Maggard's 2-band. I do have a SOC. it's buttery soft, with enough backbone to work very, very well. I'm also a face latherer.

I think the suggestion to play with it before finalizing the loft you like is the smartest approach you can take, if you're knotting the handle.

 

[RockyNomad]

I am not installing the knot. I'm having the brush maker do it.

 

[Glaze3]

2:1 is the highest I would set it at.

 

[bakerbarber]

50mm.

The knot will likely be a smidgen more than 24mm. Anywhere between 48 and 52 is going to be really nice. I'd lean to the higher side for good flow and face feel. The Maggard two band knots I've got have all been really nice quality with good density and scrubby backbone. I could see them not feeling optimal if they're set very low into a handle.

 

[RockyNomad]

Great input. Thanks! I was thinking 50-52 mm.

 

[Bobcat]

+? for 50mm

 

[DEdestroyer77]

Its a difficult question to answer because like most things shaving related its up to your prefrences. Also it needs to be considered where the knot is coming from and hair quality.

The 2:1 ratio is spot on for my prefrences. I use Elite Razor 2 and 3 band knots. I bowl lather and don't like scrub, scritch or any perceived 'exfoliating'. I'll list some examples of what I have and use them for, all are ER knots, I have no experience with Maggard knots but maybe it can be used as a guideline

- 24mm 3 band set at 50mm. I went beyond the standard 48mm so it has a bit more give which is what I was shooting for. I use this brush exclusively for softer soaps like L&L and PannaCrema Pure 2 O croaps, I can load from the containers and not make a massive hole in the center on first use

- 26mm 2 band set at 52mm. I actually just received this brush about 2 weeks ago and fell in love. It's perfect for anything except direct loading of the soft soaps

- 26mm 2 band set at 50mm. I use this for my rock hard triple milled pucks. Loads with ease, no blooming required

 

[Rudy Vey]

Yeah. That's what I've been reading but then I see the commercially made brushes, like the Semogue SOC in badger, and that has a 24 mm knot with a 53 mm loft. That's what confuses me.

Maybe I'm inaccurate but it seems the 2:1 ratio is more popular with the floppier silvertip than with the stiffer 2 band?

Depends a bit on the knot itself. In general, the ratio of 1:2 is great, but I think it is mostly valid for a fan shaped knot. Bulbs sometimes need a bit more, normally I set bulbs about 2 mm higher than a fan, so 50 mm instead of the 48 mm loft for a 24 mm knot. Also, a bulb set too deep will result in a pointy knot that is very uncomfortable in use. So, when you get your knot play with it and see what the best ratio is for you.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Suggest you call Brad Maggard and ask him his recommendation based on your preferences.

 

[RockyNomad]

I did contact Brad and he recommended 56-57 mm loft which seems pretty high to me.

Rudy, thanks for weighing in on my thread. It is a bulb knot but unfortunately I will not be able to handle it personally. It has been sent to the brushmaker and he has it right now.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

56/57 does seem high. Maybe 54??

Please let us know what you decide and how you like it.

 

[RockyNomad]

56/57 does seem high. Maybe 54??

Please let us know what you decide and how you like it.

Will do. The handle is being turned tonight.

 

[InsomniHack]

I did contact Brad and he recommended 56-57 mm loft which seems pretty high to me.

Rudy, thanks for weighing in on my thread. It is a bulb knot but unfortunately I will not be able to handle it personally. It has been sent to the brushmaker and he has it right now.

Just a piece of info that you might find useful, but a ways back I ordered the razorock finest brush (barber handle), which has a 24mm knot but a 57mm (that's right, 57mm) knot. I was very concerned it would be floppy so exchanged several emails with Joe on the subject. He said if the loft was any lower it would be much too pokey, as the dark bands on this particular hair were very stout. This is what I was getting to in my first response to this thread about different tensile strengths. Brad probably knows what he is talking about, but it is all a matter of personal taste, and in the end you're the boss.

If you're still concerned you'll get it wrong, perhaps it'd be worth reconsidering the DIY option, so you can experiment with different loft heights before committing with epoxy.

 

[bakerbarber]

Every knot is different.

Everyone has different taste for the way it "should" feel.

If you bought the 24mm it's going to fit nicely into a 26mm socket. Probably be snug.

So roughly speaking 26 X 2 = 52. These knots are bulbs. Add a millimeter or two. Now we're at 54. They're nicely stiff or scrubby. Backbone. (Not scratchy) They're also nice and dense. Add another millimeter or two. Or even three.

Sounds good to me.

Then again, every knot is different and everyone's preferences are different.

There's no cut in stone rules about it. I used to obsess over the specifications a bit. Probably missed out on getting a new brush I likely would have really enjoyed having because I was hung up on ratios and millimeters. Now I just try to aim in the general direction of what I think my preferences are mostly and buy what I like the looks of. It's just soap and water after all.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Bulbs are generally stiffer than fans due to the shorter outside hair, so it is quite common to set a bulbs higher than the same sized fan.

 

[RockyNomad]

Bulbs are generally stiffer than fans due to the shorter outside hair, so it is quite common to set a bulbs higher than the same sized fan.

Thanks again for the input Rudy. I talked to the brush maker and we decided on 52 mm.