So, I'm going to make a brush......

I turn a lot, so the handle is the easy part. Hard part is picking a knot. My only reference is a Tweezerman that I got from Amazon, which is a HUGE step up from the boar bristle.

Problem #1: Dunno the size of the Tweezerman, but I do like the size. Is it a 22mm?

Problem #2: Picking a knot: Super, finest, best, silvertip, etc.

Of the knots on The Golden Nib, which one (21-23mm) is the best?

I'm sure this won't be the last one I make, but I would like to have a nice brush. I hate to be hampered by poor equipment................. And I plan to post pics as I go, if anyone's interested.

I apologize in advance if this has been covered before, but this is your chance to help a fellow shave freak out......

Thanks for the help.

Rich

There's a nice sticky on this forum about the differences between silvertip, finest, best, pure, etc. It has some nice pictures.

there is no "best," there are only personal preferences (for example, I happen to think that the Tweezerman is not only not a "huge step up" from boar, but inferior to any quality boar brush, but that's a topic for another day). What knot is best for you depends entirely upon what you want the brush to do. Do you want it to be extremely soft and luxurious, and are you going to use it mostly with creams? Then a silvertip is probably your brush. Do you want it to be slightly stiffer but not scritchy, and do you want to use it for both soaps and creams? Then may a finest is better for you. Do you prefer a stiffer brush and desire the exfoliation effect of the brush on your face, and do you prefer soaps to creams? Then perhaps a "best" will actually be best for you. And so forth, and so on.

Well Tony offers a pretty good selection. The knot I am most excited to try out is his 20mm two-band Finest. I have two of them awaiting handles.

I have found his Best knots to be quite nice, and his Grade A Silvertips to be very very nice. I set mine low (~42mm) so they make excellent face lather brushes.

In the 21-23 mm area I only have one knot of his....23mm UK supersilvertip. It made a very nice dense brush with excellent backbone.

I almost do not think it is wise to only order one...as long as you have the tools and the skills I think you ought to order 2-3 knots in various sizes and grades to see for yourself what works best for you.

If you are only committed to one knot, then I think I would go for one of his Chinese overstuffed Best knots...or the fan-shaped two-band Finest.

I have a 20mm Grade A Silvertip, it works beautifully.

Tony's prices are so good you ought to just buy an assortment of different sizes and grades of brush heads, keep some use the others as hand crafted gifts.

I like cooncatbob's suggestion. Because once you can make the handles it's probably going to be like potato chips... hard to have just one.

I don't know if this will be seen as helpfull or hurtfull.I have put together four brushes with a 5th knot on the way.3 of the brushheads are GNIB. Knots 26mm silvertip,20mmsilvertip,20mm super.All set at different lofts. All feel great.All shed.These are not the UK knots.The fourth brush head came from ikon razors.This one also feels great and hasn't shed any.The 5th knot that I will have soon is a UK knot from GNIB. I hope it does not shed like the lesser expensive ones cause I been eyeing his UK 24 silvertip trying to justify the price.

OK, well, I went ahead and bought three different knots. I really need another hobby..........

Kingfisher,

If only from my limited perspective and experience, I will politely disagree, based solely on my one boar brush that has been replaced with my one badger. The badger is so far ahead it's not funny. Maybe there are high quality boar brushes out there, but mine wasn't one of them. Given that, I'll probably never own another boar. If that's limiting myself, then so be it.

R