Thread: Help me pick a new brush/knot

I am looking for another brush/knot.

Something a little denser and less fluffy than the 20mm golden knib $20 knot. Don't get me wrong I love it. Soft and a lather machine. Just something a little different.

Get the 22mm knot and set it deeper into your handle.

Less loft=more dense.

You might want to look at Shavemac - and keep in mind, they can do custom work for you. If you don't mind dropping more $$, the Rooney 1/1 in finest grade hair is a unique and wonderful brush, especially for soaps. Just my $.02

Jordan

I ordered two 20mm Golden Nib silvertip knots. One was mounted in an aluminum handle, one in cocobolo. The only other difference is the depth I set the knot into the handle. By setting the knot deep into the handle, it gives a shorter loft and greatly increases the density.

The aluminum brush has about 55mm of loft, the coco, about 45mm (Pic #1). The new cocobolo brush has bloomed into a cool little tight lightbulb shape.

As you can clearly see the density of the low loft coco brush is outstanding. It actually looks to be about as dense as my Alibaba! (Pic #2-Alibaba, cocobolo, aluminum).

The new cocobolo brush is now a soap lathering machine that shares some of the characteristics of the Alibaba. It really scrubs at the Tabac puck, but with the increased density, it also sucks up and holds onto the lather like an Alibab too! I found that interesting, as the longer loft aluminum brush lathers in a rather "standard" fashion. Increased density alone can greatly affect the whole lathering process.

Now then, I won't be selling off my Alibaba, because this new brush is not of the same absolute quality as that. The Alibaba has a lot more backbone and spring to the bristles, and the tips of the Alibaba are extremely soft with no scritch whatsoever. The cocobolo brush has a short loft, but the bristles do not have the same springyness, and they do have a bit of pricklyness at the very tips.

Pic #3 shows a comparrison of shmooshing the brushes down on a surface to show the difference in tip splay, and face contact size caused by the difference in loft. The angle doesn't really show it so well maybe from this perspective. The brushes aren't just sitting on the tips, but are pressed down onto the towel quite firmly. 10mm difference in loft for the same 20mm knot makes a big difference.

As said, I won't be throwing out my Shavemac 21mm, nor my Rooney Alibaba. Those two are still the reigning champs of the shave den! However, the aluminum handled brush has been usurped, and is now going to make a nice Christmas present for my brother!
Attached Images


On a side note: I have since replaced the standard GN silvertip knot on the cocobolo brush with one of his new UK super silvertip knots, which I find to have zero scritch, and is very, very nice.

I agree with Seraphim... setting the knots deep gives a great density, it's very nice.

If you are looking for something "different" you may look into getting an omega boar brush and pulling the knot out. I was really impressed by the results. I made one for a friend using omega boar because he loved them, and before I shipped it out I gave it a go with his permission and it was very nice. Just a thought.

I have loved my Simpson Duke 3, and always will till the end of its days. Its an excellent mid sized brush. Highly recommend it.

Seraphim is dead right. I've experimented with over a dozen knots, brushes and settings and thus far a deeply set 26mm (becomes more of a 24mm type) feels just perfect.