Sorry, but I just don't like big badger knots!

[gmgaj]

There, I said it. There is a big following of the large badger knots, with 24mm and larger being touted as optimum. After trying many different grades and sizes, I can honestly say that my preferences are in the 22mm and smaller range for my badger knots. I do like the Omega pro knots, and I'm speaking specificallly to the dense oversized badger knots. The YMMV mantra has been worked to death, so I don't really need to add that in the fine print, do I?

Why do I feel the big ones are not for me? Several reasons, actually. First, those large, dense badger knots turn into a giant lump after building a bowl of lather. Face feel is hideous, and they don't really spread the lather very well, IMO. Also, they hold a lot of lather, and don't release it very well, so you have to load a lot more soap to build your lather. I don't care for the waste, however small it may be. Finally, they fill my lather bowls, so you don't get as much movement while building lather, and I think I need a larger lather bowl to make them work optimally.

Personally, after my testing, I think my sweet spot is around 22mm for silvertips, 20mm for TGN finest knots, and 27 for the Omega boar knots. Anyone else finding similar taste, or am I completely in the minority here?

 

[Luc]

It depends. I used to dislike big knots also until I got a larger knot with a shorter loft. I exclusively face lather and having a brush like that made it x2 more efficent when building the lather.

 

[Haggises]

I really like my 18mm TGN finest - probably more so than my 24mm silvertip.

But I really want a 24mm+ finest

 

[Acmemfg]

My Vulfix 2235 in Super is big, fluffy and hopelessly decadent when used with any one of a number of quality creams (Bigelow was today's). I will always have at least one brush of this variety in the quiver.

 

[NSmalls]

I find that my sweet spot is between 24-26mm diameter with about 48-52mm loft. I had some brushes that were bigger than 26mm and they were just too much for me. Even 26 is just almost too big but they still work out well for me. Two out of my four brushes have 26mm knots so they better be OK otherwise I will be having some SBAD again. I have an 18x40 travel brush and I don't think I could use it as my everyday brush. It is just too small for me.

 

[oldtrout]

It took me a long time to appreciate my Chubby 2, but now I do. For me, I'd say the sweet spot is about 24mm +/-, the Thater 4125/1 being about perfect.

 

[Snargle]

I'm fond of badger brushes between 18mm and 22mm. That being said, I've got an Omega Pro 49 boar brush with a 27mm knot that I just love! Go figure...

 

[coolbus18]

Well my TGN 22 mm ff is my workhorse. I have 24's in Finest and Silvertip which I use with different soaps but a 22 mm Finest fan shape knot is my cup of coffee.I I were 6' 8" and had more surface area to lather I would want a brush in scale to my size. Sometimes things can get frenetic on the forums but bottom line is that it's a personal thing. Ah, the mail carrier approaches with a Boar brush, and that's a whole different thing. Enjoy!

 

[djh]

I have knot sizes between 14 and 28mm. Somehow, I seem to love them all...

 

[dpmtherrien]

Not at all in the minority, at least I don't feel that way. Not counting my travel brush, which is 19mm, my 5 brush rotation is all in the range of 21mm to 23mm. I don't care at all for a larger brush. I've tried them and didn't care at all for them. I sold the larger ones on B/S/T, and now am very content with my rotation.

 

[gmgaj]

I'm thinking I may end up selling mine, too, but I'll give it another fair shot. I've only face lathered with it a couple of times, so that might help my opinion. Honestly, my only 24 at the moment is an Ace 24+ that is oversized, so that could be the problem, too. I'm getting ready to build another as a gift for a friend of my dad, so I'll see how it looks when I'm done. I want to like the fuller, bigger knots, but it isn't really happening yet.

 

[Big Jim]

When I'm in a hurry I grab my 20 mm WD restored Erskine. When I have the time to really enjoy a more leisurely shave, I grab my WD 30 mm. Most of the time I use one of my 24 mm brushes.

I understand why you may prefer a smaller brush. It is fast and precise and doesn't waste a lot of soap. But for me, there are times I enjoy a bit more indulgence.

 

[Danricgro]

I like em all. Variety is a big part of the fun this hobby offers.

 

[NCJack]

I have one "big knot", a Lijun silvertip that I rather like from time to time, but I wouldn't get another one. 24x48 finest is my favorite badger knot

 

[ChiefBroom]

I'm not sure there's a consensus opinion regarding what constitutes "big", and "big" and "dense" don't necessarily go together.

I think of "big" and "large" as applying to brushes from about 26mm and up. I'd call any knot under 22mm "small."

I mostly face lather, and the sweet-spot for me has turned out to be in the 22-25mm range, and I have a strong preference for medium density brushes with good flow-through.

It's hard for me to think of my 24mm x 50mm M&F L7 as a "big" or "large" brush, but I guess it's all relative.

I'd probably say 16-18mm = XS, 19-21mm = S, 22-24 = M, 25-28mm = L, 29-31 = XL. That said 16mm strikes me as being a little more X at the small end than 31mm is at the large end. And I probably tend to think of a 22mm as being more small than I do a 25mm being large.

It's also worth noting that there's more to the feel and performance of a brush that contributes to an impression of smallness or largeness than knot diameter. I have a 23mm Simpson that feels bigger to me than my 24mm L7.

 

[u2u]

Never understood the draw to big knots till I gambled and got a Chubby 2. Then I had to get a 3. They are amazing for soaps and face lathering. I have generally been a cream user but now my supplies are taking a sharp turn. Decadence is found in a big brush and good soap.

My experience does not allow me to relate to the OPs criticisms but for needing more product. Unfortunate that he hasn't shared which larger brushes or brush/soap combinations he tried.

For creams and bowl lathering I do drop to the 20-22 mm range but this is no longer my preference.

 

[Raven312]

I just traded a 24mm custom with silvertip for a 22mm, which seems to make the world of difference to me somehow. I PIF'd my other 24mm to my brother, who loves it. I don't consider that very large but I definitely hesitate to try something larger. I have from 18mm to 23mm and though the 23mm shouldn't make much difference, it seems to be my sweet spot.

 

[Treynman]

I love my 24mm best badger brush! Now I want to go silvertip...

 

[Fidem Scit]

I can honestly say that my preferences are in the 22mm and smaller range for my badger knots.

I agree. The 20-22mm are my preference as well.

 

[lt114]

I like a nice variety. Measuring the size of the brush is also somewhat relative. I have "larger" bulb shaped brushes, like my CH2, that don't feel particularly large on my face.
On the other hand, my fan shaped Rooney 3/1, which is a 22 mm knot, feels rather large.