Thread: Approximately how many hairs in a good badger knot, do you think?

I was having a conversation with a good friend, who recently bought a few brushes. One of which he said lost a couple of hairs on first use.
Now, it is my opinion that this is quite normal. Given the number of hairs that must be in a well packed knot, there are bound to be several loose ones in that bunch, and even if the maker has a habit of combing that knot before sending it out, they are not going to get them all. MHO. I would think it might take several shaves to shake them all out.
But this got me thinking. I wonder roughly how many thousands of hairs make up an average, say 22mm badger knot. Anyone know?

I doubt it's thousands. Most high end knots I've owned did not shed a single hair. Thater and morris & forndran to be specific

Originally Posted by SRNewb

I wonder roughly how many thousands of hairs make up an average, say 22mm badger knot. Anyone know?

I'm counting mine....will get back to you when I'm done

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I hope you get a serious (and knowledgeable) answer.

Is anyone else thinking Tootsie Pop?

Couldn't help myself. Sabotaged my own thread.

Jared at TSS told me my VP Leonhardy 700030 (23mm knot) has about 25000 hairs. It is dense but well lofted. I've been using it for about 10 months now. I lose one hair most shaves. I will get plenty of shaves with that brush before it thins out enough to notice.

Thanks. i've been doing a little searching. there are a couple of threads on another forum that intimates there are literally tens of thousands of hairs in a badger knot. One in particular has Rudy Vey stating the weights of different sizes of badger knots in his possession. His info is that there are about a thousand hairs per gram of weight, and that on average a 22mm knot weighs 19 grams. Taking into account the weight of the plug, there is still room in that equation for several thousand hairs.

Check here Manufacturing of Shavemac shaving brushes - Shavemac a few paragraphs down.

Bob

Thanks for the link, Bob. That lines up with what i found.

Originally Posted by BobH

Check here Manufacturing of Shavemac shaving brushes - Shavemac a few paragraphs down.

Bob

Thanks Bob, That Shavemac article confirms what I was told years ago, that a 23mm knot would have 15,000 or more individual hairs.