I received a Kent BK12 as a gift and thought that I'd use it once and retire it to the shelf. I was certain a 31mm knot would be overkill. I have a 26mm Rooney that I was using prior to that, and thought *that* was a bit large. To my surprise I was hooked on the BK12 after the first go. I can't defend the practicality of the size other than to say it's luxurious. The only downside is it uses a bit more cream than my Rooney or my other smaller brushes.