Thread: Badger virgin seeks to get badgerized -- need advice on handles

Originally Posted by Thisisclog

I as well have ordered knots from Mr. Chen, and the waiting is accurate. I came close to canceling the order, but he shipped it 2 days before the order expired. And shipping took awhile, too. As far as quality, I am in the middle of testing one of his knots against its TGN counterpart. As of now I am leaning towards the TGN knot.

Very useful reporting. Thanks!

Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

The Golden Nib knot is the option I have direct experience with and I have never been disappointed. If they have an affordable handle, there's your fastest answer. I use Devcon glue to attach my knots.

Larry at Whipped Dog is very reputable, but I prefer finest badger to silvertip. Last time I looked, he had silvertip and black badger, and I find black badger more scritchy than finest.

What I have done for my last few brush purchases is purchase an attractive old brush from ebay with the intention of drilling out the knot and replacing it with a Golden Nib knot. The economics depend on how cheap you can get the handle. Look closely at the ebay handle to make sure it is in pristine condition and not cracked or defaced. Another option is a Burma Shave brush which used to cost $5-$10. The knot I had shed hair but you can drill it out and get a good one.

Yeah, this is the approach which seems increasingly attractive and feasible. The wait from Chen is long, and his business practices get mixed reviews, and the price isn't so much less than TGN. Thisisclog reports TGN knots seem at least a bit superior. I'm also leaning a bit more toward backbone, for which the double band finest seems superior to the silvertips, from what I read. That was also the appeal of the manchurian.

I like the idea of a vintage handle, but also find myself increasingly motivated by my exchange with PixelFixed, and his exhortation to go do it myself. I'll put out the word and see if perhaps any neighbors or friends have lathes.

Escaping from price control was part of what started me down this road, and being able to do ever more myself is part of the appeal of SR shaving. Don't need cartridges anymore. Nor any disposable razor blades. I suspect within a year, I'll be honing my own. And, of course, honing others', and teaching them, just as I now teach others about wet-shaving, out of love. So why not make my own handles, and not have to buy those anymore, either? Cangooner's got that right, too.

Anyone have any recommendations on which of the knots on TGN's finest page to go with?

Thanks!

I have a seven day rotation, but sometimes I break the rules and may go with the same brush twice, out of the 7 brushes the Semogue 2012 special Boar & Badger mix is quickly becoming one of my all time favourite brushes, it's now probably broken in and as a fairly soft tips but boy does this brush know how to handle hard soaps. PS the two Le tuft brushes have TGN knots and I cannot speak more highly of these brushes you can't fail with these knots, the knot size and the loft height is where the expertise comes into how a brush will ultimately perform.

SIMPSONS Chubby 1 in super
Rooney Heritage stubby 2 in super
Bill Jack Le Tuft Chubby 1.5 two band in Lignum vitae
Bill Jack Le Tuft 59 Buckeyed burl in super
Morris & Forndran Blonde Badger faux Tortoiseshell in heritage super
Semogue OC cherry in Boar
Semogue Special 2012 in Boar & Badger mix


Jamie.

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

...out of the 7 brushes the Semogue 2012 special Boar & Badger mix is quickly becoming one of my all time favourite brushes... the two Le tuft brushes have TGN knots and I cannot speak more highly of these brushes you can't fail with these knots, the knot size and the loft height is where the expertise comes into how a brush will ultimately perform.

Thanks, CelticCrusader, for this news I can use. I've been curious about mixed hair brushes -- badger+boar, badger+horse, ardvark+moose -- (ok, that last one is more for literary purposes), but this is one of the only first-hand experience raves I've read about badger+boar. Fascinating.

At this point I'm pretty decided on TGN two band finest, now it's down to which?

Thanks!

PM out to you

Originally Posted by Cangooner

I also ordered some knots from Mr. Chen via Ali Baba after a former member here posted a positive review. I can echo the comments others have made here: be prepared a) to wait and b) not to receive the knot. In the case of b), no harm was done apart from the wait as my purchase was fully refunded when the order was not fulfilled within a certain time. I have since placed another order. The new order was placed on May 12, I was notified on Thursday (June 13) that the order had shipped and of course have not yet received it.

A quick update for anyone interested in the Ali Baba knots. Mine arrived while I was on vacation the last couple of weeks. It arrived a little under a month after the delivery notification on June 13th, so just under two months from the date of my order.

The knots look great to me. Please bear in mind that I am *not* a knot expert my any means, so take this for what it's worth. I'd really like to see one of our resident brush gurus get a couple of these to test out (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, Pixel... )

That having been said, their size looks bang on. They were described as 30mm x 80mm, the knot base is a little under 30mm which for me is perfect as it will allow for some epoxy between knot and handle using my 30mm forstner bit) and if anything it may be a little closer to 85mm rather than 80mm. They look nicely packed and I haven't noticed any stray/loose hairs.



So if you're looking for a knot and are not in a rush, I think these are worth checking out especially for anyone on a budget.

They look like decent knots,85mm is a REALLY tall knot,Never seen them that tall.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

They look like decent knots,85mm is a REALLY tall knot,Never seen them that tall.

I'll measure them again tonight - it's probably more like 82 or 83 mm. But they are BIG. I have never used a brush that size, so I'm looking forward to trying one. But first, I neet to get a stabilization setup built for some spalted maple blanks I have. I may be eating a lot of pickles for a while...

Originally Posted by Cangooner

I'll measure them again tonight - it's probably more like 82 or 83 mm. But they are BIG. I have never used a brush that size, so I'm looking forward to trying one. But first, I neet to get a stabilization setup built for some spalted maple blanks I have. I may be eating a lot of pickles for a while...

Is going to be interesting finding a proper loft for a knot that tall,keep us posted

I was thinking of experimenting by just hot gluing one of them in at different depths to determine what works best. I'm a relative newby to the world of brush making, so I see quite a bit of trial and plenty of error in my future. Should be fun though.