Finding a 26mm handle.

**mr. s** · 12-09-2010, 03:11 PM

I think I am going to order a TGN 26mm 2 band knot in finest.

I was thinking about getting a vintage handle for it, but I never know how large they are! Nobody lists the sizes of their handles. So, short of emailing every ebay or BST seller I come across, I am never sure. Are there some that are always larger or can I safely make a handle larger?

Or should I cave and order a new handle as well?

**weenerdog3443** · 12-09-2010, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by mr. s

I think I am going to order a TGN 26mm 2 band knot in finest.

I was thinking about getting a vintage handle for it, but I never know how large they are! Nobody lists the sizes of their handles. So, short of emailing every ebay or BST seller I come across, I am never sure. Are there some that are always larger or can I safely make a handle larger?

Or should I cave and order a new handle as well?

ill have to check when i get home I might have a 26 laying around. or a 24 that would be a good candidate to sand out and make into a 26. That might be the best bet if you can find a 24 that has enough room to sand it out.

**mr. s** · 12-09-2010, 05:20 PM

I'd be worried about breaking it if I sanded down the edges. I guess you just gotta pick the right handle and be careful?

**weenerdog3443** · 12-09-2010, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by mr. s

I'd be worried about breaking it if I sanded down the edges. I guess you just gotta pick the right handle and be careful?

I've sanded a couple of mine out from 20 to 22 and 18 to 20 without a problem. This one I did was originally a 20mm size hole and I sanded it out to 22. If it is a handle thats kinda wide at the top like it it shouldn't be a problem and dont force it. now if it is something where around the top its only like 5mm of plastic wraped around the knot I wouldn't

**JeffE** · 12-10-2010, 09:09 AM

If you're looking at any "long" handle vintage brushes, the kind that are usually referred to a professional or "barber's" brushes, then for a 26 mm knot, you absolutely want to find one that is labeled as "#4" or "#5", preferrably a 5.

It seems like the old, long handle brushes used numbers 1 through 5 as a kind of rough size system. I have all of the different sizes from a number of manufacturers, and the numbering system is pretty much the same across the board. A #1 Rubberset is about the same size as a #1 Certifyd is about the same size as a #1 Ever Ready, and so forth.

For a 26 mm knot, you really, really need a #5 handle, although the collar of a #4 could be sanded out and made to fit the knot.

**Gamma** · 12-10-2010, 06:20 PM

Here's a #3 with a 26mm TGN silvertip in it. I used a drum-sanding bit on my dremel to open the hole a bit. I have a bunch of brushes - this one ranks in the top 3.