I've decided to restore a couple vintage brushes and would like to know where is the best place to purchase knots .
My review of the NC Envy White Knot DamnitGoose So I have had roughly 10 shaves with the Envy White knot. I will review it below and compare it to my other favorite knot, the Brad Sears Shave Works Finest. SO..... Stiffness This brush has the most backbone of any knot I have ever tried...Ever.. Badger, boar, and synthetic alike. If you are a face latherer, this is the holy grail of backbone. Face Feel This brush does NOT have gel tips. It is soft-ish. It is nowhere near prickly, but it is VERY scrubby, and maybe a tad bit of scritch. I like to think that this is close to the feel of a Morris and Forndran knot, from the reviews I have seen online. At the end of the day, you will feel exfoliated, but not raw. It seems like the knot is beginning to soften at the tips a bit, but I dont know if it ill ever be a hooked tip knot. Density / Flow-Through The Envy White is dense as all get-out. I had to bore the brush out to 24mm in order to pack the knot in without restricting it. THESE BRUSHES WILL NEED TO SIT IN A HOLE 2MM LARGER THAN THE KNOT AT LEAST. Also, one side note, this is a decently stout knot. The loft on my brush sits at 48mm, but I think it can be raised to 52mm tops. anyhow, even though this knot is dense, it will not eat your lather. It has excellent flow through and does not kill the soap. Makes the knot good to use both in the bowl or on the face. Now with that being said, I have some new brushes now that are a tad better knot... These brushes cost me several hundred dollars a piece. For the money, the NC Envy white is one of the best two-band brushes on the market that isnt in that "Elite" tier that I would place simpsons manchurian, M&F, and Paladin, (and now the Varlet which this brush is closest to). It is very similar to the Shavemack D01 I highly suggest the fan shaped knot over the bulb, but both are great.
The Golden Nib usually has the best variety of knot size and types. Virginia Sheng knots are nice quality and value also, but ship from China and can take a bit longer in transit.
I'm not really sure what type of knot I will buy just looking to restore and use a vintage brush without spending an arm and a leg . The brushes I use now are an Omega boar and a new old stock Made Rite pure badger. Maybe another boar not really sure . Ken P.
I got to thinking that I might like to put a boar knot in my #49 handle. I had this Omega Midget Boar sitting around that I had received in a trade. I used a hack saw and my Dremel to remove the knot from its handle.
Ok. I would go with these. Badger- The Golden Nib aka TGN- Finest around $30 depending on size Whipped Dog - HMW or Silvertip around $30 depending on size Boar- As Jim (Jayarah) stated, I would pull the knot from an Omega. Its very easy to do. Around $10 Here is a link to a restoration I did where I used an Omega knot. I used hand tools and documented the knot removal step by step with pictures. http://theshaveden.com/forums/threa...boar-and-a-made-rite-synthetic-i-think.49891/ Synthetic- Maggards razors. Around $8 Their synthetics are Plisson like and very affordable. Very soft tips
You're welcome Ken. There are other suppliers with very good knots (especially badgers). But the cost would at least double. $60 range . Id be interested to see the finished product. I love restoring vintage brushes.
