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

Originally Posted by SingingSteel

I'm on a very tight budget, starting up a new enterprise, so will probably have at best just one boar, badger, and hopefully horse brush for the next year or so, so I want the best badgery brush experience I can get for up to ~$30.

While everyone's definition of a budget differs, planning on three different types of brushes within a year of starting down this road is an interesting approach to saving money. Just sayin'...

That having been said, here are my $.02 for what it's worth...

My first brush was a no-name best badger that worked just fine for a couple of years (and still does of course) until I decided to check out a silvertip. I got a 24mm silvertip in a resin handle from whippeddog, and couldn't have been happier. Since then I have also bought a few knots from Larry to put in handles I turned/carved. They too have been great.

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.

As TBS said, recommending brushes is a tricky thing to do. What I think is terrific might not work for you, and vice-versa. I can however say that if you want to try a silvertip, for price alone it's tough to beat whippeddog's brushes, and I have been very happy with mine. But please be aware that his silvertip will be different from TGN's silvertip which will be different from Muhle's silvertip, etc., and so on.

And Pixelfixed's advice is excellent. If you're at all handy, make your own handle. There are few things more satisfying (for me at least) than shaving with a blade I restored that was stropped on a strop I made, after lathering with a brush whose handle I have carved/turned.

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.

Originally Posted by Cangooner

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.

You will get it worked out.What I would do is makeup a mock handle say out of 1.5 in dowel and go from there.Have fun

I am waiting for my two knots - a 22mm and a 24mm. They shipped 2-3 weeks ago. Hopefully I'll have them within the next 2 weeks. I'll report back. I will not order from him again. It's a good thing these are for a couple of random handles that I have sitting around. He wouldn't be a good business partner, from all appearances, and if someone were looking to build their first or second brush with his knots, for his timing alone I wouldn't recommend it. I ordered my knots on May 19th and June 3rd. I hear the quality is good, but that's not enough without decent service.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

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

Here ya go...

It took quite a while to get around to taking the time to figure out the loft and to get a handle turned, but it finally came together today. Handle is bocote (love the grain of that wood!) finished with CA. I finally decided to set the hole at 22mm, so I guess that gives this beastie a loft somewhere around 61mm. Here are a few pics. The last one is just for scale, set beside a 24mm silvertip. I like big handles (partly for ergonomics, but also I like the way they work for getting down into my scuttle), so without that 24mm I didn't think it looked as big as it is in the pics.







And the most important question: it lathers like CRAZY! It still has a serious case of badger funk, but wow, does it ever work well.