Has anyone ever created a knot out of their own hair?

Discussion in 'The Brush' started by Tim Spencer, Oct 28, 2018.

  1. Tim Spencer

    Tim Spencer Well-Known Member

    Hey,

    We all know shave brush knots often use animal hair, but has anyone ever made a knot from their own hair? I suppose someone could grow their hair out and then when it's cut at the barber, save a huge clump of it and make a knot. Anyone ever do this?
     
  2. cliffb599

    cliffb599 Well-Known Member

    WHY.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  3. John Beeman

    John Beeman Little chicken in hot water

    Interesting idea but my hair is too fine to make a shaving brush. No matter how dense the knot or how short the loft I'm afraid there wouldn't be any backbone.
    Maybe if someone had very coarse hair it might work.
     
    RyX likes this.
  4. RyX

    RyX DoH!

    One of my shameful, forgotten projects. I have enough horse mane & tail hair to make half a dozen knots. I'm concerned about doing a proper Anthrax eradication procedure. Never have pinned down what kind of glue to secure the hair.

    After reading many reviews about horse hair brushes and their inherent floppiness, if/when I do get my act together I'll make a shorter loft & very dense knot.
     
  5. MntnMan62

    MntnMan62 Well-Known Member

    When my son was about 7 month sold, I would just pick him up, holding him upside down, and work up some lather. But after a while he got too heavy so I bought some other brushes to replace him. I will say that none of the new brushes can compete with him for backbone, density and super soft tips.
     
  6. richgem

    richgem suffering from chronic clicker hand cramps

    You Sir, have won this thread.
     
    Shadow Shaver, Terry, brit and 8 others like this.
  7. Jrdelgado

    Jrdelgado Well-Known Member

    Agreed!
     
  8. DesertTime

    DesertTime Well-Known Member

    It's been suggested I could use my hair to make brillo pads, but never a shaving brush.
     
    Shadow Shaver, Terry and gorgo2 like this.
  9. Mr Two Bits

    Mr Two Bits Well-Known Member

    I also have quite a stash of tail hair from my failed attempt to learn horsehair hitching (I may yet revive my mojo on that though...) and wondered if I could use it for a shave brush... I would imagine a two part epoxy would be plenty sufficient to secure the knot.
     
    RyX likes this.
  10. RyX

    RyX DoH!

    That's one possibility I've considered. After viewing several videos about knot making, I'm certain I can arrange the hairs in a tight bundle, and with horse hair - trim it to the desired finished shape. The type of glue to be used is not something knot makers share.
     
  11. Mr Two Bits

    Mr Two Bits Well-Known Member

    I use a lot of hot hide glue in my luthiery but since it’s heat/moisture sensitive I can’t imagine that’s what people use either now or in the past. I could be wrong though. HHG can be pretty strong and the temps used for shaving may not cause the higher gram strength glues to release.
     
    RyX likes this.
  12. woodworker

    woodworker Active Member

    Nope. Every single strand of my hair is precious.
     
    brit and RyX like this.
  13. RyX

    RyX DoH!

    I hear you. In my youth I tried to grow out my hair a '70's fashionably longer style. Too much natural curl that persists to this day for making a shaving brush knot. Mustache bristles might work since they are thicker and more straight. I did train up a bit of a handlebar but don't have the patience to collect enough for a decent brush. Also not sure if I could defunk the coffee scent that persists when I don't keep it trimmed off my lip.
    Stache 01012018.gif
     
    brit likes this.
  14. Enrico

    Enrico Popcorn

    The only way I could do that is if I gathered hair from my pits, back or other unmentionable areas.
     
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  15. gorgo2

    gorgo2 geezerhood

    Pics or--

    Wait, no, nevermind.
     
    brit, RyX and Enrico like this.
  16. brit

    brit in a box

    please, no pif s
     
  17. DanielB

    DanielB Member

    Tim Spencer, by any chance were you inspired to start this thread after watching Sacha Baron Cohen's "Who is America?"

    pube paintbrush.
     
    Terry likes this.
  18. Terry

    Terry Tool Admirer


    Yep, here too
    :(
     
  19. richgem

    richgem suffering from chronic clicker hand cramps

    This only counts if it is hair from your own tail. ;)
     
    RyX likes this.
  20. Vlasta

    Vlasta Well-Known Member

    Supporting Vendor
    Try

    "smoothcast onyx fast". resin instead of glue.
     
    RyX likes this.

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