Need a handle for a small knot (I’m in the U.K.)

[Yamato]

Hey gents,

I have a cheapo pure badger brush which has sentimental value. I quite like the knot but hate the handle, so I spent several hours yesterday getting the knot out of the thing by all sorts of means. I discarded the handle, and now I have a knot (looks to be about 19mm) that still has a little bit of adhesive on the bottom? But it seems like no one in the U.K. sells shave brush handles? I’ve checked eBay and Etsy and all sellers are US based. I don’t have much money to spend on a custom handle and I don’t own a lathe so don’t think I’ll be able to make my own. What should I do?

 

[EclipseRedRing]

Perhaps purchase a complete small brush with a handle you like, remove the knot, then insert your knot. Just be sure not to damage the new handle when you remove the knot.

 

[Yamato]

Perhaps purchase a comete small brush with a handle you like, remove the knot, then insert your knot. Just be sure not to damage the new handle when you remove the knot.

Not a bad shout really. I might get a used brush on eBay with knackered knot and remove it. And replace. Any idea what epoxy to use? Would hot glue work?

 

[Ivo4u2]

Check on Etsy there are several manufacturers there
OTOH a small doorknob

 

[EclipseRedRing]

Not a bad shout really. I might get a used brush on eBay with knackered knot and remove it. And replace. Any idea what epoxy to use? Would hot glue work?

I have no experience of this but from what I understand it is usual to have the hole in the handle one or two mm larger than the knot diameter to allow for the splay. I am not sure how much difference it would make on a knot of that small size. The deeper you set the knot the more backbone and less splay it will have. I would look back through the brush threads for advice on this and on the glue. It might be nice to make a handle yourself, perhaps using the great idea from @Ivo4u2 of using a door knob as a starting point then drilling it out. Hardware stores would have a huge choice. Let us see the results

 

[Yamato]

I have no experience of this but from what I understand it is usual to have the hole in the handle one or two mm larger than the knot diameter to allow for the splay. I am not sure how much difference it would make on a knot of that small size. The deeper you set the knot the more backbone and less splay it will have. I would look back through the brush threads for advice on this and on the glue. It might be nice to make a handle yourself, perhaps using the great idea from @Ivo4u2 of using a door knob as a starting point then drilling it out. Hardware stores would have a huge choice. Let us see the results

Here I was thinking “small doorknob” was a UK brush handle seller

 

[Srdjan]

Heya mate, you need to remove the excess glue from the knot (that bottom bit). Shave it as close to the bristles as possible. To set into a new handle, you need to use something waterproof - some use silicone, which will hold up for a few dozen shaves, or use 2-part epoxy if you want to do it properly. I'm using Devcon 2 Ton, personally. Depending on what's available, you may need to find something else (e.g. Bison).

You don't need a larger socket there, but you do need to be accurate. Measure your knot with calipers and find the widest spot. Add 0.5mm to that, and that's your socket size.

As for the handle, you have Mervyn Cadman in the UK who seems to do lovely work, but may be pricey. I'll message you another contact you could try.

Meanwhile, there is a ton of vintage brushes on ebay all the time, just make sure you do the research, as they come in a variety of sizes. Sellers rarely ever state the size of the socket/knot.

 

[Invicta]

Not a bad shout really. I might get a used brush on eBay with knackered knot and remove it. And replace. Any idea what epoxy to use? Would hot glue work?

Two pack epoxy will do the job but I would not use any hot melt glue near the knot.
There are plenty of cheap brushes on *bay, you just need to choose a handle you like as the knot will be scrapped. Also on the cheap brushes, most of those vendors are clueless on shaving brush dimensions so knot size will often not be in the description. You have to go up in price to get a reasonable description.

 

[Big Jim]

Instead of a door knob you might want to check out drawer pull handles. Probably a longer one than most.

 

[Ivo4u2]

Stupid enough if it must be done cheap and a real handle
Get a cheap free shipped brush from Ali express and pry the knot out

 

[Yamato]

The reason I pulled the knot out of the brush was because they used a cheap lightweight wood for it. I was hoping to put the knot into a cheap faux ivory acrylic or resin handle. To match the rest of my brushes (all of them are faux ivory).

 

[Ivo4u2]

That will be more challenging I have seen acrylic brushes on Ali also