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Shavemac: Knot Questions

Hello everyone. I want to dive in to get my first Shavemac, and was hoping to get some guidance from the experts who’ve done lots of trial and error(!)

First off, I am a dedicated face-lathering guy who loves shave sticks. I love the simplicity of this method so it’s very important that the knot has the following characteristics:

A) Provide 2 passes of lather without having to squeeze the knot out for the second

B) Be soft and mildly scrubby, as little prickle as possible

After reading as many posts as I could, I think the 2-band Silvertip is the right knot for me. @Rudy Vey calls it the “bees knees” of Shavemac knots and I have yet to see any contradiction to this statement, so am therefore gravitating towards this one, in a fan shape.

I am not sure about the size however. After recently having had an amazing shave with my little Simpson Berkeley 46 in Best, I am rethinking the whole bigger is better logic. That brush is tiny, yet it satisfied my first criteria above with ease. It just had a little bit more scrub and prickle than I would have liked where the prickle was the more negative of the two. It’s a newer brush, and for all I know it will smooth out, but I don’t know. I’m going to keep using it but I want to see what these Shavemac’s are all about. Please feel free to tell me to shut up and use my Simpson and stop spending money, I will not be offended.

So based on everything above, what would you pick? 20mm? 22mm? Less, more, in between? How about the loft ratio? Would you keep it the same despite the knot width or adjust accordingly? Any and all advice, brain dumps and aimless wanderings are all greatly appreciated!
 
I would send an email to Bernd, let him know what you are looking for, and he will make recommendations for knot size and loft, and shape. That is what he did for me. Sometimes it takes a little time for him to respond, but he will.
 
It really is a matter of personal preference. I happen to like larger brushes. I have a number of brushes with Shavemac knots in them and the smallest I have is 23mm.
 
I have had and loved every knot Shavemac sells except the D01 2-band.

2-band silvertip is amazing. It is soft-tipped and has ample backbone. Mine is a 24mm knot set to 50mm loft. I like it a great deal and don't find it overly large. That said, 22mm would be plenty big for 2-3 passes and then some. A lot of guys swear by a 2:1 loft:knot ratio. I like to go just over that, because I don't want lather hogging and don't find it interferes with backbone. This 24/50 is perfect.

One thing to note is that if you get a Shavemac handle, the size will be determined by the size of the knot. I ordered the same handle shape in a Finest set at 23/48 as in my 2-band silvertip, and the handle is a size smaller, the size Bernd uses for 22-23mm brushes. With that in mind, I recommend not bumping down to 21mm, as the handle size would be commensurately smaller, in line with what would be used for a 20mm knot.

I think you would have a hard time not liking a 2-band silvertip (I prefer fan shapes, but that's mostly aesthetic). A 22/44-46 would be a fantastic brush IMO, and should be fine in terms of holding enough lather for you.

I agree that an email to Bernd would elicit suggestions. Also consider contacting Rudy Vey. He gets knots direct from Bernd and can make any handle you like. That allows you more options for material, size and shape with a given Shavemac knot.

Shavemac is a fun rabbit hole, although it's one I'm finally done with, as I'm settling on my SOC Mistura and a Muehle synthetic and selling the rest of my brushes.
 
According to your criteria the standard 2band should be right on the money.
The standard silvertip might also be an option but I feel that they are best in bulb form and that can be a bit tight with the lather.

Go for the fan. Between that shape and the tapered 2band hair it’ll give back the lather pretty easy.

The configurator on the site will offer loft recommendations according to the knot diameter you select, this is a good place to start. Personally I don’t like to go taller than the configurator recommends.

FYI IME Shavemac knots run wide and short. That is to say the width dimension is the measure of the knot not the socket.
 
I am not a Shavemac expert by any means; I have only one. But it's a 23mm two-band silvertip fan in a custom handle. I am amazed with how soft it is, with the right amount of scritch, and how it lathers soap (and releases it). An all-around perfect performer for me. As for size, I don't know if anyone can tell you what's right. 23 is neither too small nor too large for me. My guide was my other brushes and what I liked on my face, paying attention between natural hair and synthetic (I like larger synths vs. smaller badgers).

Classic ratio of knot I think is 2:1, loft to diameter (standard depth might be 15 mm??).
 
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The Shavemac 2-band silvertip in fan shape will be the top choice for face lathering.
You can't go wrong. 24mm set at 48 for a firmer or at 50 for slightly looser backbone is a good starting point for the rabbit hole that has your personal name on it.
Enjoy... :biggrin1:
 

Rudy Vey

Shaving baby skin and turkey necks
The Shavemac 2-band silvertip in fan shape will be the top choice for face lathering.
You can't go wrong. 24mm set at 48 for a firmer or at 50 for slightly looser backbone is a good starting point for the rabbit hole that has your personal name on it.
Enjoy... :biggrin1:
This exactly would be my recommendation as well.
 
I


+2! I have two Shavemac 2-band fans from Rudy that are simply terrific!! :a29:
+3! I prefer the 26mm knot..
IMG_2172.jpg
 
Not sure if anyone has checked but the configurator won't alllow 2:1 in 25mm and down 2 band. I inquired months ago about making a shorter lofted pure than allowed by the configurator and got no reply. Probably not worth the extra time and fitting for low grade low cost brush. That would have been my 6th shavemac.
 

Rudy Vey

Shaving baby skin and turkey necks
Not sure if anyone has checked but the configurator won't alllow 2:1 in 25mm and down 2 band. I inquired months ago about making a shorter lofted pure than allowed by the configurator and got no reply. Probably not worth the extra time and fitting for low grade low cost brush. That would have been my 6th shavemac.
Do not forget that the size (25 mm) is the nominal size of the knot, so the final brush would be somewhere in the 26-26.5 mm size at exit from the handle. If you choose the 50 mm loft, you are under 1:2 ratio. Or if you wanted a lower loft, you might want to contact a custom brush maker to make the brush to your ideas about size/loft ratio.
 
The 2-band silvertip is the “bee’s knees”. I would go for it in 24 mm for it’s versatility - it does everything you are asking for.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Do not forget that the size (25 mm) is the nominal size of the knot, so the final brush would be somewhere in the 26-26.5 mm size at exit from the handle. If you choose the 50 mm loft, you are under 1:2 ratio. Or if you wanted a lower loft, you might want to contact a custom brush maker to make the brush to your ideas about size/loft ratio.
Thank you for pointing that out! A mm or two in diameter would make a difference especially for a smaller knot.
 
After months of Semogue boars, I used my 2-band Shavemac today.

It's fantastic. A face latherer's dream. A lovely change of pace from my boars, and objectively as good as any brush I've ever used. No prickle, plenty of backbone, and gobs of easily-released lather.

I know this is an old thread, but if you haven't already decided...go for it. 22/44-46 sounds great.
 
I have had and loved every knot Shavemac sells except the D01 2-band.

2-band silvertip is amazing. It is soft-tipped and has ample backbone. Mine is a 24mm knot set to 50mm loft. I like it a great deal and don't find it overly large. That said, 22mm would be plenty big for 2-3 passes and then some. A lot of guys swear by a 2:1 loft:knot ratio. I like to go just over that, because I don't want lather hogging and don't find it interferes with backbone. This 24/50 is perfect.

One thing to note is that if you get a Shavemac handle, the size will be determined by the size of the knot. I ordered the same handle shape in a Finest set at 23/48 as in my 2-band silvertip, and the handle is a size smaller, the size Bernd uses for 22-23mm brushes. With that in mind, I recommend not bumping down to 21mm, as the handle size would be commensurately smaller, in line with what would be used for a 20mm knot.

I think you would have a hard time not liking a 2-band silvertip (I prefer fan shapes, but that's mostly aesthetic). A 22/44-46 would be a fantastic brush IMO, and should be fine in terms of holding enough lather for you.

I agree that an email to Bernd would elicit suggestions. Also consider contacting Rudy Vey. He gets knots direct from Bernd and can make any handle you like. That allows you more options for material, size and shape with a given Shavemac knot.

Shavemac is a fun rabbit hole, although it's one I'm finally done with, as I'm settling on my SOC Mistura and a Muehle synthetic and selling the rest of my brushes.

Thank you for the great information.
I have been racking my brain around these knots for a long time, and this post has helped to clarify which type to go for, that will suit my preferences.
 
According to your criteria the standard 2band should be right on the money.
The standard silvertip might also be an option but I feel that they are best in bulb form and that can be a bit tight with the lather.

Go for the fan. Between that shape and the tapered 2band hair it’ll give back the lather pretty easy.

The configurator on the site will offer loft recommendations according to the knot diameter you select, this is a good place to start. Personally I don’t like to go taller than the configurator recommends.

FYI IME Shavemac knots run wide and short. That is to say the width dimension is the measure of the knot not the socket.
+1. This is pretty much exactly the advice I would have typed out.
 
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