How loose should the knot sit in the handle?

[stlmoguy]

I bought a 24mm knot from tgn and a handle from Whipped Dog, and when I got the two I dry fitted them the knot seems a liitle loose in the handle is this normal?

 

[mblakele]

That seems to be the usual way. The knot will swell a bit when it first gets damp, and then there is the glue.

I have a knot that fits quite tight in the handle. So far I have been using it without glue, because it take a lot of drying out and some concerted effort to remove it. That worries me a little: I might need to drill out the handle so it has more breathing room.

 

[FL shaver]

I like my knot to be pretty snug when i have it set at the loft I'd like. The glue plug may not be wedged in, but the knot should be pretty tight to the perimeter of the opening at the top of the handle.

 

[stlmoguy]

Here are a couple of pics that I took. I measured the knot it was at 23.5 and the handle was at 27 just doest look right to me.

 

[FL shaver]

Yeah, when you set the plug down in the handle, the hair will fill the opening.

 

[mftoms59]

I think it's partly a personal preference, I prefer a bit of room around the sides of my knot, I set a Best Badger 24mm knot into my handle @ 49mm after boring the opening to ~26mm. I didn't want the knot too tight and restrict my flow-through, allow the Bloom to splay a bit more, relax some of the backbone and reduce scritch. For the Boar & Finest Badger knots I've set, the opening was left a bit tighter.

 

[DukeNDuke]

I'd agree that the fit is all personal preference. My preference is for the hair to be snug to the opening. Looking at your pictures, it appears as if the opening is larger than what you ordered, or the knot is smaller than ordered. If they're both 24mm, I think they should fit a bit more snug that what is visible from your pics. Have you verified the sizes are accurate with a caliper?

 

[stlmoguy]

The knot is at 23.5mm and the opening in the handle is 27mm seems more like that would be for a 26mm knot. I think I'm going to call whipped dog tomorrow.

 

[FL shaver]

After hearing measurements and seeing more photos, it looks like a mismatch to me, too...

 

[Redstickjohn]

If you fit the knot too snugly into the handle, you run the risk of actually splitting the handle when you soak the brush because of expansion of the knot. I learned that lesson the hard way on some early restores. A bit of play room is a good idea in my thinking, and I almost always ream out the handle a bit to fit a larger knot anyway. A dremel with a sanding disc is a wonderful thing.

 

[Big Jim]

That looks too sloppy to me.

Pretty handle though. I hope Larry provides that handle or the white marbleized one like it for the 30 mm brush soon.

 

[eyesofgrey]

I fit all my knots snug. That hole is much too big for that knot IMO.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Depends how deep you will set the knot. If you just set the glue plug in, then the knot hole is way too big. A knot normally "swells" above the plug, about 1-2 mm, but in larger knots this can be even more. You need to determine the diameter of the knot at the required loft, then drill the handle to this hole size.

 

[stlmoguy]

I want the knot set at 10mm where it came because I'm really wanting a nice bloom I emailed Larry yesterday morning I have not heard anything yet. this is a beautiful handle just want it to look right. I'll make sure to post pics when its all done hopefully soon.

 

[skipnord]

I drill the hole so the knot fits snug at the bottom of the hole. Then, I taper the hole 1-2 mm to allow for bloom. This is what works for me. IMO a 4.5mm difference is way too much. Larry should make this right. Good luck, and post pictures.

 

[stlmoguy]

So after a few emails back and forth from Larry I drilled it out a couple of mm and set it today. I think it turned it well I will post some bloom pics tomorrow.

 

[stlmoguy]

And an after bloom

 

[FL shaver]

Looks great!