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Boti brushes

I said something in another thread about being unable to find a fan shaped synthetic brush smaller than 24mm, and @Balthier suggested Boti. I couldn't find a thread here for them, just an odd occasional mention, but they have quite a selection on AliExpress.

There are 20 different synthetic knots, 2 of which are fan shaped (plus badger, boar, and horse knots too), with 100+ handles to pick from. What I thought was interesting was that they all - or at least the ones I looked at - are available in 1mm increments from 18mm-30mm.

I ended up ordering a 22mm N3C (Newest 3 Color) fan set in a 23mm square bule (sic) galaxy handle. The knot is 65mm high, and they'll typically set it at 12mm depth, so a 53mm loft. I was hoping to try something a bit scrubbier than my PAA Starcraft (24mm/53mm) but that still splays, so I had them set it at 15mm for a 50mm loft. Then I waited 3 weeks... and it finally came today!

I already shaved today, but I'll give it a go probably on Monday. So now there is a thread, if anyone else has used any Boti knots or brushes.

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Great idea starting a thread so others can easily find it when using the Search function of B & B. I'll be following with interest your review of the Boti knot. And hopefully others will add their thoughts on Boti to have this thread be a helpful resource.
 
Boti 22mm N3C fan with Square Blue Galaxy handle

tl;dr: Soft but not as soft as my other synthetics. Similar backbone. Holds plenty of lather. Knots are available in 1mm increments from 18-30mm, 100+ handles to pick from.

I was a bit rushed on Monday, so I waited until this morning to use the new brush. First impression, I think it looks good. It's no custom handle, but I like the color and style, and it's about 53mm long, right between the PAA Starcraft (69mm) and Maggard travel Timberwolf (37mm). That's about what I was hoping for - no need to be as big as the Starcraft, and the Timberwolf, while fine for travel, is small for everyday use - but without handle measurements on the web site, I was kind of guessing.

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The fibers are soft, but not quite as soft as either the Starcraft or the Timberwolf. (Sorry, those are my only 2 points of reference!) It face lathered my Speick cream very nicely. Again, almost but not quite as soft as my other 2 brushes. The handle felt good, easy to use. The 22mm fan felt slightly but noticeably smaller than the 24mm hybrid Starcraft (good, that's what I was going for), but it had a pretty similar backbone. I wouldn't call it floppy, since I don't think the Starcraft is (though again, I don't have many points of reference), but it didn't have much more scrub than the Starcraft, and it splayed just about as easily, so that was a bit disappointing.

It easily held enough lather for my usual 2 passes plus cleanup, with plenty to spare. I went next door and offered to shave my neighbor to see how many more passes it would provide, but he wasn't interested. But I'm confident it holds lather for at least 3 (or even 4) passes plus cleanup, for those who do more passes.

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Overall, a good first shave. It'll take a few more to decide if I prefer it to the Starcraft or not, as there are things I prefer about both. But it's a good quality synthetic, and with knots available in 1mm increments from 18-30mm and 100+ handles to pick from, anyone should be able to find what they're looking for.
 
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1 other thing I meant to add. I mentioned in the first post that the knot is 65mm tall and they typically set it at 12mm for a 53mm loft. Since I was hoping for a brush that's a bit scrubbier, I asked if they could set it deeper in a chat and they said yes, they'd set it at 15mm for a 50mm loft. I put that in a note on checkout as well to make sure it was with the order.

Well, being a bit disappointed that it's not particularly scrubby, I measured it, and as best I can tell without calipers, the loft is about 53-54mm. So that's kind of a bummer.

So in theory, you can also request a specific loft in addition to a specific knot size, but in practice, that may be hit-or-miss.
 
I don't mean to add salt to the wound, but at some point I mentioned this would be a good opportunity to assemble and test yourself. As the standard depth on many brushes is 15-17mm, it can be test fit before being glued. You can also use silicone, as I have done, so it can be popped back out. You do need to fabricate a spacer if it sits too low though. I will be ordering several of these knots when I have more time for experimenting, possibly some handles too.

I spent a lot more money on a synthetic only to discover that I didn't like the loft and it was right around the same height and permanently glued. What would be even worse is a custom order Simpsons that ends up not being the expected dimensions/feel. This was a good idea to order what you did to try it out.
 
I don't mean to add salt to the wound, but at some point I mentioned this would be a good opportunity to assemble and test yourself. As the standard depth on many brushes is 15-17mm, it can be test fit before being glued. You can also use silicone, as I have done, so it can be popped back out. You do need to fabricate a spacer if it sits too low though.
Hmm, either I missed that or I read it and decided I'm too lazy to bother with that if they'll set it at a requested depth for me. Oh well, lesson learned I guess. I'll use this one a couple of weeks and if it's important enough, I can order another knot and handle and figure out how to set it myself. It does sound like a pain though, lol! And what if the hole isn't deep enough?

I will be ordering several of these knots when I have more time for experimenting, possibly some handles too.
Cool, I'd be interested to know what you think!

What would be even worse is a custom order Simpsons that ends up not being the expected dimensions/feel. This was a good idea to order what you did to try it out.
True, at least I only dropped $25 or so on this. And it's still very good even if it's not precisely what I was going for.
 
I will never get tired of that picture, it is such a relatable mood. As I said, dry fit it and see if it is too deep. If so, fabricoble a spacer out of wood or plastic. You should be able to find silicone adhesive at the hardware store or get a packet from a shave shop that sells knots. Or just PM Andrew and roll the dice on a G5C set at 50mm like mine! :devil:
 
Or just PM Andrew and roll the dice on a G5C set at 50mm like mine! :devil:
Well that's the thing, whether the Boti is a keeper or not, I've already decided that 22mm is about my sweet spot. So do I go for a 22mm G5A or a 24mm G5C (since AP doesn't have any 22mm, nor does anybody else AFAIK)? G5's are great according to, well, pretty much everybody who's tried one, but it's more to spend if it's still not quite what I'm shooting for either.
 
Well that's the thing, whether the Boti is a keeper or not, I've already decided that 22mm is about my sweet spot. So do I go for a 22mm G5A or a 24mm G5C (since AP doesn't have any 22mm, nor does anybody else AFAIK)? G5's are great according to, well, pretty much everybody who's tried one, but it's more to spend if it's still not quite what I'm shooting for either.
Yeah, I forgot about your uncertainty about the 24mm leading to buying from Boti. I was too, but I am more concerned about loft now. I want all my brushes at 50mm and will choose knot size to tune the feel. But it is a risk that you will get it wrong and it will be too firm... at least it won't flop! One other thing to consider is knot hole diameter, my 24mm is in a 27mm and it's filled in fully. In a 25mm, it would behave different no doubt. What I want to do is buy at least 3 in 1mm increments and either 3 cheap handles or pull the knot each time.
 
Uomo has 22mm knots, but they go in 2mm increments generally their knots look identical minus having a few more options colored tuxedos and others. Get a forstner drill bit that is 1-2mm bigger than the knot you want. It makes it pretty easy to make the hole deeper if needed. I always set in silicone and haven't found a reason to switch even after finding an ideal loft. If you want very scrubby try the boti all white knot some of the scrubbiest synthetic knots I have found, but with very soft tips so can be used to paint as well.
 
Get a forstner drill bit that is 1-2mm bigger than the knot you want. It makes it pretty easy to make the hole deeper if needed.
See, now this is starting to sound like a lot of trouble! 😛

If you want very scrubby try the boti all white knot some of the scrubbiest synthetic knots I have found, but with very soft tips so can be used to paint as well.
The Boti may well be scrubby enough for me if set at the proper depth, that’s the only thing that was disappointing.

But for $25-30, I got a pretty good quality brush with very specific shape and sizes. Loft size just didn't turn out to be one of them.
 
Besides of putting it in the order I messaged them.

They always responded and messaged me with pictures of the brush they made for me before sending it.
I did the same.

They also said they’d send a picture before sending it, but I didn’t have a chance to see the picture until after they’d already shipped it. The chat with the picture is timestamped 2:45 AM, and I got the notification that it had shipped at 2:47 AM. And the picture (below) didn’t show the loft like yours did.

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They have pretty good customer service. My wood mixed resin handle started splitting along the wood. They said it rarely happens and are sending me another handle free.
 
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