I love my Stirling Badger as well...its one of my frequent flyers.I'm a big fan of the handle, too, but finally gave up on the knot.
It went through spells where it got a lot better, but they were intermittent. For a time I thought it would become a favorite. Eventually I decided it was stuck in a place I didn't like so I got rid of it or put it in a box or something. Hopefully I kept it somewhere to maybe use the handle down the road.
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My other Stirling brushes (badgers) have been far more satisfactory. I particularly like this one (photo).
Happy shaves,
Jim
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