In the world of badger knots is seems like finest and silvertip (and their variations) knots get all the love while the lowly pure and best badger knots get overlooked. Why is this ? Is it actually due to inferior qualities of the hair itself or is it due to poor brush designs and improper settings ? Does anyone have a pure/best badger brush that they love ? Care to show some pics ?
I bought several knots if best badger and they were not dense nor had the backbone. They simply were too flimsy and floppy. Setting them deeper didn’t do anything .
Daleski / @PanChango refurbished a handle that I lovingly call Chubbz 1 with a TGN knot in Best Badger. Chubbz 1 is a great brush! Perfect for any lather method.
So it seems like there is a bit of a split in opinions. Which make me think that my question about handle design and appropriate setting is relevant Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
And I guys also knot construction as I imagine not all ate created equally Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Sure it wasn't a 2 band finest? It's been a minute and I am not remembering correctly. Great brush though. Used Chubbz3 last week.
Remember that names applied to types of badger hair are and always have been pretty much meaningless beyond aesthetics and marketing. Black or white or grey may have some pretty easy to identify meanings but pure or best or silvertip or two band or three band or super or finest tell us nothing beyond what we already get from the pricetag. Here is the reality. This picture contains "Pure Badger", "Best Badger", "Silvertip", "High Mountain White" and "Manchurian" knots. Look at the working parts... Anyone want to explain how different they will feel? Honestly, many of my best working most comfortable shaving brushes are just labeled "Pure Badger". What I can say is that over time my Simpson brushes have generally been the densest, the Thaters the floppiest, the Kents the softest and the Vulfix the most consistent and the vintage Rooneys the most variable. In US made brushes the Peerless have been the densest, the MadeRites the softest, the EverReady the floppiest and the Rubberset the most consistent.
http://www.whyiwetshave.com/making-sense-of-shaving-brush-knots/ "We start with “Pure Badger” knots. While this seems to denote quality, it is in reality most often the cheapest grade of badger shaving knot. These bristles do not come from any specific part of the badgers body and often these knots are machine made and cut to shape. These are very cheap knots. Coloring of “Pure” badger bristle is usually a light tan but can lean toward black bristles as well."
The only Best Badger knot that I like is in a Simpson 1 Chubby. I find that 2 Band have been my most consistent knots. The Envy White is one of the best knots on the market. IMHO.
Very kind of you say Andrew. Both @clint64 and @Boojum1 have been very helpful with their knowledge and experience.
Another Two Band Knot fan here. IMO Doug is right! Simpson Best Badger knots are great, as in my Commodore X-3. I agree that the Envy Supreme White Two Band knots are among the best on the market.
I have pure and best badger straight from China, it is a matter of giving the bristle some support while loading, and making more of a painting motion rather than circles, but they work fine!