Hello,
I have been curious about a few knots lately Oumo, TurnNshave and Maggards SHD. I did some purchasing and experimenting with the Maggards SHD knot.
Here it goes, my comparison with the SHD knot will be with Thater, Shavemac, Brad Sears, El Druida soft tips moderate backbone brushes (I will not use the term Gel tip or Hooked tip. Many knots will display Hooked tips though their softness/tip feel varies from knot to knot). Also I will not compare this knot with Paladin, Elite, Simpson, Romera, Declaration, etc for they have different personalities. Though Romera, Elite as well as other vendors you can buy their knots individually and create your own brush based on your own preferences.
I have a number of handles that I want to put knots into, and I'm in no hurry to do it. So when Maggard came out with its next-gen knot the SHD I wanted to know about it's characteristics. I looked for and read some pretty thin threads at the times, I didn't get the much info so what the heck I purchased a 26 fan knot and a WW 24 fan set at 50.
I will start with the knot in the WW 24 x 50. This knot had a nice spread, great soft tips but very soft backbone I wasn't happy, for myself I wanted more backbone, the 24 set at 50 was the next step up from a 3 band, that was not what I wanted. Which meant lets put the 26 into one of my Elite handles (wooden and resin) and set the loft at 49-50. When set it came out to 49 ½ the backbone much improved did not lose any of the tip softness, but I still wanted a little more backbone.
I had Leo Frilot make a handle for me out of one of his Ebonite rods and put in a 2nd batch SHD 28 fan (this 2nd batch has a wider dia at the base hairline above the glue plug) this knot set at 51 came out to 30 ½ at the opening. This brush presented great soft tips but the V spread at the head was way too big for me, it is a big brush, the backbone was the same as the Elite 26.
Ok so now I took another Elite wooden handle and set in a 26 bulb (which is a hybrid) that came out to 26 ½ and set the loft at 50 which condensed the hairs of the knot. The tips were not quite as soft as the fan at first (as a bulb the tips of these knots are not always as soft as a fan, so now by condensing the knot the hairs were packed in tighter) but it still had a very soft tip presence and the backbone now was excellent. After 7 shavings the bulb softens up a bit (very nice feel) with a nice bloom.
But still on my quest, I had Leo Frilot make me another Ebonite handle which he put in a 28 SHD fan which came out to 29 and set the loft at 48. This brush had a good strong backbone for a fan and initially, there was not much of a spread (lower loft increased density) the soft tip presence was good but could still be better. It was around the 6th lathering the knot bloomed and the tips now have a soft presence to almost none existence. I feel over the next half dozen lathering's the knot will open up a drop more the tips will get a drops softer and the backbone will stay the same.
Conclusion (this is my opinion through my experience) if you like med-strong backbone with beautiful soft tips or very soft tip presence the 26 or 28 fan set at 48 or if you want a drop less backbone with very soft tips then set the loft at 49 ½ – 50. As far as a bulb with backbone and soft tip presence a 26 set at 50 I would recommend, I believe you will be very happy. If you want moderate to soft backbone extremely soft tips then increase the loft, this knot is very versatile.
The Maggard knots (hopefully they will continue to have almost the same quality consistency batch after batch) needed some playing around with and now that I understand them, they are as good a knot as you will find anywhere today. The beauty of this knot for many people is that you can create your own individual brush based on your brush preferences.
To repeat myself, I understand that these knots are a natural material and that there going to be variances in batch hairs which means the next time I or you order a SHD it might not be the same softness/quality as the previous knot.
WW Yellow 24 x 50 (handle height 58)
Elite resin and wood 26 fan set at 49 ½ (handle height 63) - R
Elite teck 28 bulb set at 50 (handle height 59) - C
Frilot Ebonite Camouflage 28 fan set at 48 (handle height 61) - L
Frilot Ebonite New York 28 fan (30 ½) set at 51 (handle height 60)
I have been curious about a few knots lately Oumo, TurnNshave and Maggards SHD. I did some purchasing and experimenting with the Maggards SHD knot.
Here it goes, my comparison with the SHD knot will be with Thater, Shavemac, Brad Sears, El Druida soft tips moderate backbone brushes (I will not use the term Gel tip or Hooked tip. Many knots will display Hooked tips though their softness/tip feel varies from knot to knot). Also I will not compare this knot with Paladin, Elite, Simpson, Romera, Declaration, etc for they have different personalities. Though Romera, Elite as well as other vendors you can buy their knots individually and create your own brush based on your own preferences.
I have a number of handles that I want to put knots into, and I'm in no hurry to do it. So when Maggard came out with its next-gen knot the SHD I wanted to know about it's characteristics. I looked for and read some pretty thin threads at the times, I didn't get the much info so what the heck I purchased a 26 fan knot and a WW 24 fan set at 50.
I will start with the knot in the WW 24 x 50. This knot had a nice spread, great soft tips but very soft backbone I wasn't happy, for myself I wanted more backbone, the 24 set at 50 was the next step up from a 3 band, that was not what I wanted. Which meant lets put the 26 into one of my Elite handles (wooden and resin) and set the loft at 49-50. When set it came out to 49 ½ the backbone much improved did not lose any of the tip softness, but I still wanted a little more backbone.
I had Leo Frilot make a handle for me out of one of his Ebonite rods and put in a 2nd batch SHD 28 fan (this 2nd batch has a wider dia at the base hairline above the glue plug) this knot set at 51 came out to 30 ½ at the opening. This brush presented great soft tips but the V spread at the head was way too big for me, it is a big brush, the backbone was the same as the Elite 26.
Ok so now I took another Elite wooden handle and set in a 26 bulb (which is a hybrid) that came out to 26 ½ and set the loft at 50 which condensed the hairs of the knot. The tips were not quite as soft as the fan at first (as a bulb the tips of these knots are not always as soft as a fan, so now by condensing the knot the hairs were packed in tighter) but it still had a very soft tip presence and the backbone now was excellent. After 7 shavings the bulb softens up a bit (very nice feel) with a nice bloom.
But still on my quest, I had Leo Frilot make me another Ebonite handle which he put in a 28 SHD fan which came out to 29 and set the loft at 48. This brush had a good strong backbone for a fan and initially, there was not much of a spread (lower loft increased density) the soft tip presence was good but could still be better. It was around the 6th lathering the knot bloomed and the tips now have a soft presence to almost none existence. I feel over the next half dozen lathering's the knot will open up a drop more the tips will get a drops softer and the backbone will stay the same.
Conclusion (this is my opinion through my experience) if you like med-strong backbone with beautiful soft tips or very soft tip presence the 26 or 28 fan set at 48 or if you want a drop less backbone with very soft tips then set the loft at 49 ½ – 50. As far as a bulb with backbone and soft tip presence a 26 set at 50 I would recommend, I believe you will be very happy. If you want moderate to soft backbone extremely soft tips then increase the loft, this knot is very versatile.
The Maggard knots (hopefully they will continue to have almost the same quality consistency batch after batch) needed some playing around with and now that I understand them, they are as good a knot as you will find anywhere today. The beauty of this knot for many people is that you can create your own individual brush based on your brush preferences.
To repeat myself, I understand that these knots are a natural material and that there going to be variances in batch hairs which means the next time I or you order a SHD it might not be the same softness/quality as the previous knot.
WW Yellow 24 x 50 (handle height 58)
Elite resin and wood 26 fan set at 49 ½ (handle height 63) - R
Elite teck 28 bulb set at 50 (handle height 59) - C
Frilot Ebonite Camouflage 28 fan set at 48 (handle height 61) - L
Frilot Ebonite New York 28 fan (30 ½) set at 51 (handle height 60)
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