Thread: Knot Sources Pros Cons

The Simpsons vid of knot making in an earlier post does show staff trimming the knots in the final stage just before gluing and assembly with the handle. The trimming was done on the butt/glue plug end of the knot and not a time consuming reshaping of the knot tips.

Never have seen a vid or photos of a Chinese badger knot being made in one of their factories. Seeing a vid of that would really help clear up a few things.

Bob

Just checked the tips of 5 badger silvertip brushes, 3 from the EU and 2 from China. I used the hand loupe I had for honing and to my untrained eye I had a hard time seeing much of a difference in how the tips looked. On all 5 brushes some appeared fine tipped and others appeared cut all in the same knot. It might be worthwhile to check a few out as I am puzzled by what I thought I was seeing.

Bob

Bob I would assume that you would have to look at "New Knots" since wear and tear occurs even from the beard

I could be wrong but that was my thought

Of course Magnification is sometimes not even proof for some, I have seen people argue "Factory Shave Readiness" even when the magnified edge is right there in front of them to see ...

I have a New TGN knot at home but I do not have a New premium brush that I haven't used


I will see if I can't get a USB shot

Originally Posted by BobH

Just checked the tips of 5 badger silvertip brushes, 3 from the EU and 2 from China. I used the hand loupe I had for honing and to my untrained eye I had a hard time seeing much of a difference in how the tips looked. On all 5 brushes some appeared fine tipped and others appeared cut all in the same knot. It might be worthwhile to check a few out as I am puzzled by what I thought I was seeing.

Bob

Just did a quick look with loupe at my TGN & WSP HMWs of same size, same usage, same age and it is easy to see the difference. WSP had way more tapered tips and is denser vs. quite a few looser cut tips of TGN. For me the WSP is softer on my face.

Originally Posted by jmercer

Just did a quick look with loupe at my TGN & WSP HMWs of same size, same usage, same age and it is easy to see the difference. WSP had way more tapered tips and is denser vs. quite a few looser cut tips of TGN. For me the WSP is softer on my face.

I was just looking at the tips not how dense they appeared to be. Like I said my untrained eye and what I thought I was seeing. So it appears that I just might be mistaken about the tips.

Just to be sure, you are saying the WSP knot had no cut tips or just more uncut tips than the TGN? I am guessing neither should have any cut tips if they were not forming the shape of the knot by cutting.

Bob

Years ago there was a rumor going around that Rooney bleached their FInest knots. Couldn't have been 'that' white otherwise. Rooney of course, denied it, and I doubt that they were bothering with such a practice. Like the other high end volume makers, they had a source for the highest quality badger bristle.

Looking at the Simpson video it seems quite simple, how they form their knots into a consistent shape, bulb or fan. Could you imagine trying to cut/trim a knot into a bulb shape ? Seems to me it would be a fool's errand. How difficult it would be to do it consistently knot to knot. Add to that, the ease with which the knots were formed using the template before tying.

Trimming the bottom makes perfect sense, and will not effect the performance of the knot, the feel on the skin, in any way. I've felt TGN knots on my face, and I've felt the aforementioned high end knots. You get what you pay for, but the TGN ain't bad at all IME. Nice for the price. IMHO.

So where does two band hair fit in? Is it still considered Silvertip badger hair, just from a different part of the badger? At the same time, does this make hairs such as "high mountain white" and "manchurian" nothing more than a marketing ploy? Very interesting information, good detective work.

Originally Posted by prodigy

So where does two band hair fit in? Is it still considered Silvertip badger hair, just from a different part of the badger? At the same time, does this make hairs such as "high mountain white" and "manchurian" nothing more than a marketing ploy? Very interesting information, good detective work.

Tell you from my experience with a heck of a lot of brushes ...... I've had the Somerset made Simpson Manchurians and was leery about the Manchurians the Vulfix/Simpsons were selling. I went for one, and was so pleasantly surprised I got another. They are as good, if not better, at least my two are.

The old Rooney Finest and the Plisson HMW are equally good, though the Finest is somewhat different. Those brushes were the best feeling (on my face) brushes I've ever used. Someone else might not like that particular feel on their face, but for me they are the best.

Originally Posted by BobH

I was just looking at the tips not how dense they appeared to be. Like I said my untrained eye and what I thought I was seeing. So it appears that I just might be mistaken about the tips.

Just to be sure, you are saying the WSP knot had no cut tips or just more uncut tips than the TGN? I am guessing neither should have any cut tips if they were not forming the shape of the knot by cutting.

Bob

After you look I'll tell which is which if needed. One is TGN HMW and the other is WSP HMW which cost almost double the TGN.

Originally Posted by jmercer

After you look I'll tell which is which if needed. One is TGN HMW and the other is WSP HMW which cost almost double the TGN.

my guess the one on the left is WSP HMW