Thread: 21 or 23 mm knots?

i did some digging regarding knot sizes, and most everyone says its subjective. Jim over at vintage blades has a shavemac 944 custom made with a 23 mm knot instead of the usual 21 mm knot. what i am interested in is one of the custom shavemacs. i love the double metal brush handle (a metal collar and base) but it comes with a 21 mm knot. all the other custom handled options are 23 mm.

is the difference between a 21 and 23 mm knot noticeable? shavemac's websites suggests that all the handmade brushes have denser packing as compared to their own machine made knots. would that make up for the knot size difference?

so you know, im going for pure badger, i enioy the scrubby-ness, i tihnk it'll help prevent ingrown hairs for me (a problem on my neck), and as i gather, shavemac's pure badger isnt really all that rough (as compared to boar or "other" pure badger).

thanks for the help
Cheers- Vivek

I think Shavmac can make exactly what you want. Have you emailed him?

Jordan

yea i emailed

[email protected]

and havent heard back yet. im guessing he can, i mean he makes the stuff right?

but really its an issue of cost vs. benefit for me. i need a brush, but do i need a 23 mm knot? well i dunno seems everyone goes for the bigger knot they can get, i mean otherwise why would jim request a custom 944 with a 23 mm knot right? why would 28mm knots exist if no one wanted em right?

but if it isnt noticeable, then i wont bother, and i can toss the extra money at express shipping, or a couple beers. i just started, i just turned down a that beautiful razor Izlat had up for $100 because it really was the smart thing to do. im a newb, im 24, i got a whole life time of $ to waste i dont need to overspend now... save that for when i can afford some of those bbeeeeaaauutiful RW's, Maestros, Chandlers, etc..

know what i mean?

I think it really depends on what you like and the brush. From what I've read, some brushes perform bigger than they are and some smaller. It also depends on the loft of the bristles. I prefer a "smaller" brush myself. My go-to brush is a 22mm Rooney small in Finest. Take a shot and see what you like. If its not to your liking, you can probably sell it for a minimal loss.

Good luck and enjoy.

Jordan

I love the 944. I have big and small and the 944 with the 23 mm knot is a favorite for sure. Jim made a good choice.

Bernd took nearly a week to answer a recent email from me, but he will answer questions and help you find the right brush for you.

Kyle- good to know thanks, i was wondering cause ive seen posts from people on here saying how helpful he was, so i was scratchin my head when he didnt get back to me...

Chris- i remember we talked about the 944, in fact you were the person who got me on the shavemac boat. then, i cant remember where on here, someone said they ordered a custom loft/knot/handle brush from the website so i popped over and found that brush customizer, and realized i could get a brush, customized in color and handle, w/ S&H for almost the exact same price as the 944 from Jim. of course the dillema became that the handle i REALLLY wanted, is a 21 mm knot, and you had raved about the 23 mm knot in the 944, so i was curious if there really was a difference. non the less, my hats off to you for gettin me on the path to the right brush

I've gotten few emails from Bernd within minutes, but it's usually within a day. He must be traveling or something, so give it few days and email again in case your first email is caught in spam. I am not sure how much he can advise you on what you want, but once you know what it is he'll make it.

I don't think people go for the largest brush they can afford - generally they figure out what its their preference and get that (reselling the rest). Seems like there is a current 'fashion swing' towards the smaller brushes, as there have been much more large brushes going for sale than small ones.
There are lot of factors that determine how a brush performs and the knot size is one of the less important. Density, hight of the bristles, shaping, quality of badger hair all can make the same knot size perform completely differently.
Shavemacs are great quality brushes quite dense and at a good price. And Bernd's shipping is a treat - I couldn't believe for what he charges it comes 2nd day fedex from germany.

Hi Vivek, I don't know if my experience with Bernd will help you, but here's some info he'd sent me when I ordered my brush. I was looking for a silvertip though, and have no idea if the same description applies to the 'pure' grade as well. I was interested in a brush with a smaller size knot. Here's part of the response I received about the different knot sizes: "The 23mm knot blooms more than the 22mm knot. It seems there is a border right at this size. All brushes up to 22mm blooms in a moderate way. From 23mm and larger the bloom makes a real step". Bernd also mentioned that the density of the 22mm will be a noticeable one, compared to the 21mm knot. Remember now.......this is the silvertip grade. You might ask Bernd if the same also holds true for the 'pure' grade. I'm very happy with my 22mm, and it IS a small size, which I like. Even though it didn't bloom out very large, the brush still holds plenty of lather (enough for my 4+ passes). It's soft, yet dense enough to provide excellent face lathering. You might think about spending a bit more cash and trying the silvertip, since I've heard this grade is a good bit nicer than the pure. I'm guessing you're planning on using whatever brush you purchase as your daily one, and the extra money may be worth it for a brush you will be using for a long time. Anyway, I don't know if this post helps or not, but it's something to consider. Bernd can take a little while to respond, but he will take care of you and will do his best to create exactly what you want. Martin

Vivek,
To answer your question. There is a very noticeable difference between a 21mm knot vs 23mm knot.

Generally speaking the 21mm is considered a smaller knot while the 23 mm knot is more middle of the road.

Since knots sizes are a matter of personal preference, I would recommend trying the 23 mm knot.

The shavemac is a good choice. Go for the handmade silvertip model it is a worthwhile investment.

You can also get Shavemacs from www.vintagebladesllc.com

- Amyn