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Badger knot - size and supply

I have a small olive wood Vie-Long handle that I want to put a badger knot in.
The hole in the top of the handle, now that the old knot and all its epoxy has been fully removed, is 21mm in diameter.
So do I need to order a 21mm knot to fit it? Or a 20mm knot to allow for the diameter of its base ring?
And where can I get a single cheap badger or boar knot from in UK?
I don't mind ordering from China etc, but who will supply me with just one or two?
 
There are lots of vendors and one I could recommend would be Virginia Sheng, available both on ebay and aliexpress. As to the size, my general rule of thumb is to order a knot that is 2mm smaller than the actual bore of the brush. In your case that would be a 19mm knot, which would limit your options. By sanding the bore to 22mm and utilizing a 20 mm knot you will have many options from many different vendors. I should also add that I prefer a scrubby feel to my shaving brushes and tend to set the knot low and this requires the extra room, if you prefer a higher loft you might be able to fit a 20mm knot into the existing hole. If you order from a vendor like TGN they will be more than happy to answer questions about knots that will fit into your existing handle without modifications, getting answers from other vendors may be a little more challenging due to the language barrier.

Just as a for instance, I have some "19mm Finest" knots from Ace (also on aliexpress) and these knots require a 22mm bore to fit and they are still a snug fit at that. Be prepared to take your time and measure twice and cut/drill/sand once. Check out the brush restoration forum at the top of this page for a virtual library of information related to what you are trying to accomplish.
 
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