Scotch and Green Restore in 20mm TGN Best

[SliceOfLife]

I got the green top from a brush I got from Jack in the green. The Scotch bottom came from ebay, with a cracked top. A little drillpress, bandsaw, dremel and cement work later and I have a new brush in TGN Best.


The best is nice. The brush still needs the seam cleaned up and the green polished a little, but it's already seeing some use because I'm lazy.

 

[fidjit]

Nice, something a little bit different

How's the Best scritchiness wise ???

 

[SliceOfLife]

I find it a little less scritchy than the finest, but it's quite a bit less dense.

 

[fidjit]

I find it a little less scritchy than the finest, but it's quite a bit less dense.

Just confirming....LESS scritchy than the Finest !?!
Compared with the Silvertip ( Standard ) ?!?

 

[SliceOfLife]

More scritchy than the silvertip. I suspect the prickly and scritchiness of the hairs (In Best and Finest) are pretty similar, but the finests are a lot more stuffed, so they are much stiffer. Until I tried the TGN best I didn't quite understand why the Finest were on the same page as the best, but I kind of understand now. They're pretty similar hairs. I think the Finests are a little better knot at the cost of being a little more lather hungry (they are denser).

 

[fidjit]

Thanks mate

Just trying to work out what to put in my next brush when it arrives. Tossing up boar but not sure and don't want to revisit what I've already got badgerwise. , though that'll depend on the hole size and loft in the end I'm guessing.

 

[SliceOfLife]

I've got one of the 20mm UK boars Im breaking in with my semogues. It's very small, decently dense, but not enough to really bloom like the semo's do. Good bowl/palm latherer, but real stiff, quite short lofted and points straight up, so probably not the best face latherer. Breaking in pretty slowly, so maybe trimmed? I don't have any experience with the Omega Boar knots they sell, but I probably wouldn't recommend this UK at this point (it may break in very well though, so who knows in the future). Once you figure the cost of handle and the work involved, the Semo's are a better deal for a boar brush. If you haven't tried the short loft Silvertip (new and only in 24mm) you may want to give it a try. It's a good price (Only $18 if I recall), and I'm quite fond of it. Not quite up there with the UK, but for 1/3 the price. The best are nice knots, but since the price is so close to the finest, they're hard to recommend unless you find the finests too much of a lather hog, or else just prefer the look of a kind of retro and grey looking 3 band.

 

[fidjit]

Hokay,

I'm not trying to hijack your restoration thread here but.....

This is the vintage bone brush I'm waiting on:

I'm waiting to size it up. Because of the "Pure Bristle" Lamp Lighting on it I was thinking I might keep it boar. No one seems to know much about the boar knots. Even Tony hasn't used them. I'm after a good end splitting boar, but doesn't seem anyone can guarantee it for a knot. Have even thought of buying an Omega or Semogue and cannablising it just for the knot.

If I go badger was thinking a Finest might be the way to go even though I've already got 2 ( 20mm Fan and Bulb ), and thought the two band would look good with the handle. Maybe set it at a lower or higher loft than I'm used to just to get something "different".

Of course all this depends on what fits into the handle....

Thanks for all your assistance.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Very nice handle. TGN stocks Omega knots don't they? So cannibalizing one seems unnecessary.

 

[fidjit]

Very nice handle. TGN stocks Omega knots don't they? So cannibalizing one seems unnecessary.

Yeah but I don't know if they're "cheap" omega knots or "expensive" ones.....

I'd rather get a known "quality" one from a known "good" brush.

As I say a lot's gonna depend on what size and loft knot I can get in it when it arrives.

Enough stealing of your thread.

Nice handle, the "muted" colours are very different

 

[jwcarlson]

Very nice brush...

For you veterans what would you suggest for me...
I like scritchy, very dense knots, and good backbone.
I'm a soap user and a bowl latherer.

I'm thinking a (regular) silvertip w/ extra stuffing based on what I've read on here and a couple other TGN comparison threads. Then I will probably try to set it at about 50 mm loft if at all possible.

 

[SliceOfLife]

The densest knots TGN has are the short loft silvertip and the UK silvertip, but they aren't scritchy. The next densest they have are the Bulb Finest (extra stuffed), they are scritchy. So I'd recommend them for you.

The Black badger (standard, not UK) is very scritchy and has backbone, but it's not unusually dense, the hairs are just very stiff.

I'd go with a 20+mm bulb Finest for you. 50mm is about as shallow as you can set a 20mm, so you may want to go for the 22 or 24.

 

[Schwert]

Nicely done. That old green and butterscotch bottom work well together.

I would rate my Best knots as softer than the Finest or Grade A also. I prefer the Finest knots all around but the Best are not a bad choice if a bit softer brush is desired. Set low enough they seem to have all the necessary backbone to work a good soap. However, I don't think I will ever be using them again after using the Finest knots.