Yup
Brush Knot Depth?
- Thread starter TheBlakeBishop
- Start date
Classic!
However, you forgot the reason for the farms... It's so they can RUN and PLAYYYY!!!
GaylyClassic!
However, you forgot the reason for the farms... It's so they can RUN and PLAYYYY!!!
I definitely learn something new everyday on B&B!
After some longterm use of many brushes I’ve made, I’m going with the standard formula of twice the diameter. I’ve set many 24mm at 50mm and 52mm loft and after a year or two of use (which might only be a few months for somebody using the same brush daily) I’ve found that my finest badgers have lost much of the backbone I like so much and splay far more than I’d like, especially the fans which splay on par with my silvertips. Those at 48mm still have mucho backbone and are much better for face lathering with Speick, which has become my favorite soap. You would think 2-4mm would matter much, but after some time the difference is huge.
Nice information. Experience is what I was after. Since I wrote this post I have redesigned the ferrules and the loft setting aid on my brush to give 5mm more knot hole depth so people can have a whole range of option. The knot hole is a lengthy 17mm now which allows for the full 2:1 range if required on a standard 24mm knot - usually fully lofted at 57mm.
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I mean fully lofted at 67mm.
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I was drilling 15-17mm for the somewhat standard 67mm brush, at 17mm it would be a 50mm loft. I now drill a full 20mm, knowing I’ll lose 1mm when shaping the top of the cup, which allows for a 48mm loft or higher if I use a plastic washer or other spacer. The diameter of the hole has a big influence on splay as well, I generally keep with 1.5mm of the knot size or I find it will splay too much after use. This is where a better knot (I personally think TGN knots are great) that doesn’t have a glue bump really shows why they’re worth a few extra bucks. The cheaper knots I’ve bought direct from China through ebay almost always have a glue bump, some have been 4.5mm over the size of the plug. They always splay too much because I have to drill a stupid large hole to get the knot to fit.
Nicely explained everyone. I've been looking to gain some knowledge on this subject for a while.
It'll definitely help towards decision making for any future custom brushes that are ordered.
I've got one particular brush that I was really looking forward to, but the knot is so floppy that I don't even use it.
It'll definitely help towards decision making for any future custom brushes that are ordered.
I've got one particular brush that I was really looking forward to, but the knot is so floppy that I don't even use it.
Very good thread. I think I may have set my knots a bit high in the past. This will help me make better quality brushes in the future.
I enjoy good scrubby, exfoliating brushes. Through some experimenting I've come to the conclusion that 2:1 or 2.25:1 is my ideal ratio for brushes - regardless of the type of bristle.
This morning I unboxed my first Zenith boar, the 24/48 "Short and Scubby." No pics yet, today's a busy day. So far I've done my normal Dawn cleaning and initial test lather, took my wife to a doctor's appointment, then came back home to shave. After cleaning and 2 lathers it's thrown 10 bristles, not altogether terrible provided it sheds less in the future.
My initial overall impression is favorable but I'll have to see how it breaks in. Lathering performance is good, face feel is nice and I'd say it feels closer to the bristle quality of my SOC boar than my Omega '98. The closest brush I have to it is a 15 year old, well broken in and well loved boar from The Body Shop measuring 20/50. Have to give a note of thanks to @Chan Eil Whiskers for his recommendation of both this and the Mondial Pro style boars, I'm enjoying the satin finished Mondial so much I'm currently waiting on my order for the same brush in ivory colored plastic. It's so nice I wanted a spare!
This morning I unboxed my first Zenith boar, the 24/48 "Short and Scubby." No pics yet, today's a busy day. So far I've done my normal Dawn cleaning and initial test lather, took my wife to a doctor's appointment, then came back home to shave. After cleaning and 2 lathers it's thrown 10 bristles, not altogether terrible provided it sheds less in the future.
My initial overall impression is favorable but I'll have to see how it breaks in. Lathering performance is good, face feel is nice and I'd say it feels closer to the bristle quality of my SOC boar than my Omega '98. The closest brush I have to it is a 15 year old, well broken in and well loved boar from The Body Shop measuring 20/50. Have to give a note of thanks to @Chan Eil Whiskers for his recommendation of both this and the Mondial Pro style boars, I'm enjoying the satin finished Mondial so much I'm currently waiting on my order for the same brush in ivory colored plastic. It's so nice I wanted a spare!
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
You're welcome.
I'm waiting on the ivory colored plastic Mondial boar, too. I actually have ordered it a couple of times in the past only to find out it was out of stock (worldwide I think) even though it showed up on the eBay website for sale. This time I'm 99% sure the brush is in transit.
The photo is of my current favorite of my Zenith boars. Not that I don't like all my Zeniths (boars and Manchurians).
The Mondial is my favorite boar overall. I think I have every boar I want, or will when the new Mondial arrives.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Love those copper handles, they're gorgeous.
When my ivory Mondial arrives I'll have 6 boars - way more than what's practical for my needs but I would like to have a custom. I'm really drawn to smaller knots lately so I'm thinking about a 20/44 boar, probably a Rudy Very beehive. I really like his take on that style.
When my ivory Mondial arrives I'll have 6 boars - way more than what's practical for my needs but I would like to have a custom. I'm really drawn to smaller knots lately so I'm thinking about a 20/44 boar, probably a Rudy Very beehive. I really like his take on that style.
It's good to read that some people prefer more loft. I definitely like the looks of the higher loft.
I guess I'll have to make myself another brush with less loft and figure out what I prefer the feel and performance of.
And the more I read about boar brushes the more I want to try them.
That's really the only way to discover your ideal brush specs. I own boars, badgers, horses and one synthetic (I tried two others but didn't care for them). Each type has their pros and cons as do different knot sizes. I still enjoy my SOC boar but wish it had a stiffer spine and smaller bloom, I think seating that same knot 2 to 4mm deeper in the same handle would make it closer to my preferred size and feel.
One of my favorite boars is a Shavemac Finest I bought here on BST. I believe I'm the third owner but it's still a great brush and I got it for a great price. My point is, if you end up with a brush that doesn't suit you, there's always someone here who's likely looking for that exact brush. It lessens the sting of buying high priced gear a little.
I like @dfoulk and @BigJim s suggestion of drilling a bit deep and setting the knot with silicone, so you can easily remove reset the loft and adjust a few times to find the best loft for that knot.
I may have to give this a try with a badger hair and a boar hair brush. And just leave the final set with silicone that way as it ages and wears in it would be easy to readjust if you wanted to.
I may have to give this a try with a badger hair and a boar hair brush. And just leave the final set with silicone that way as it ages and wears in it would be easy to readjust if you wanted to.
That's just what I did when I replaced the shedding boar knot in my Stirling with a Timberwolf from Maggard. I used way less than I thought it would take for a secure bond but so far it's holding:
That's a nice looking brush. Good work.
