Virginia Sheng size and glue bump

I just ordered a Virginia Sheng synthetic knot via AliExpress and wondering if some of you guys that also have purchased their knots can tell me if I'm crazy or if this is normal.

Listed as:
Faux Badger silvertip color Synthetic Nylon Shaving Brush Knot 24/65mm

First, the plug measures 22mm. I haven't measured the diameter of the bulge that's above the plug so maybe that's what they're measuring now? It's smaller than I expected though.

Second, the glue bump seems massive to me. I can measure with my calipers later, but a quick ruler measurement and it seems like the effective loft on this knot is about 45mm. From what I've read synth needs a little more loft than badger, but this is well under the 1:2 often recommended for finest hairs.

Is this knot going to be terribly stiff? Is this normal for the Sheng synthetics? Has anyone ever contacted them about an issue like this and gotten any sort of resolution?

Sounds like they sent the wrong one. I have ordered a couple VS knots directly from her ebay store, and they were pretty close.

I ordered from VS and the glue plug was the exact size of the knot I ordered.
They did have a large glue bump and expanded quite a bit past the glue plug. I had to open up my handle to 24mm to fit a 20mm knot.

I ordered the 'New Synthetic' 20mm knot and the knot is 20mm in diameter, but there is a slight bump after the epoxy disk where it broadens out a bit, but I think that is common.

May need to ream out the hole just a bit as that is more like 54-55mm

I've used several VS synthetics for restores, and on the ones I have used, the plug (base) has been right on the rated diameter. But as labrax stated, the "glue bump" just above is typically a mm or two larger. Assuming your handle has enough material to allow, you'll need to enlarge the opening to accommodate this.

I opened a dispute through AliExpress and they responded just a few hours later that they're sending me another knot. No mention of returning the one I already have but we'll see. Hopefully they send the right one this time.

When I say glue bump I was referring to the epoxy or plug material migrating up the fibers in the center of the knot effectively limiting the actual loft of the brush. Nothing to do with diameter.

I'm wondering if that bump being really big is normal for these knots or not.

I understand now about glue bump. If you cut a brush lengthwise, you would see a "hill" of glue rise up under the hair, on bulb shaped knots.

From the knot making videos I have seen, they start with hair all the same length. Then it is put in a small cylinder with a the tips down so the the bottom of is a half sphere corresponding to the shape of the bulb. When all of the hair is settled into place there is a small depression in the center that corresponded to the shape of the bulb. The knot is then tied, removed from the cylinder and glued. The glue will fill in that depression and create a glue bump visible if you cut the knot lengthwise.

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Here is my poor drawing...

Yes Mike, that's exactly what I mean.

So to those who've used these knots is that bump being huge normal? The overall length is 65mm and I'm guessing the bump is 20mm tall in the center.

I always thought the bulb forming process would be followed by trimming the fibers flat on the bottom to be formed into the plug base. If they just fill that depression with plug material that would explain it.

redrider_99 said:

...I always thought the bulb forming process would be followed by trimming the fibers flat on the bottom to be formed into the plug base. If they just fill that depression with plug material that would explain it.

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This "trimming the fibers flat on the bottom" is what I've seen. The overall semi-finished unit was longer than needed and they cut off the end, this following the brass cup shaping process and tying.

To update this, I opened a dispute via aliexpress and VS sent me out the correct 24mm knot. It took another 10-12 days but they made it right as well as they could.

Back to the glue bump its strange, the bump itself is not the same material as the knot plug. It's somewhat flexible and kinda springy. Strangely, it smells just like carpet adhesive

redrider_99 said:

To update this, I opened a dispute via aliexpress and VS sent me out the correct 24mm knot. It took another 10-12 days but they made it right as well as they could.

Back to the glue bump its strange, the bump itself is not the same material as the knot plug. It's somewhat flexible and kinda springtime. Strangely, it smells just like carpet adhesive

Click to expand...

Did you cut the old knot in half? Can you post a picture?

Mike H said:

Did you cut the old knot in half? Can you post a picture?

Click to expand...

It's a good knot so I don't want to waste it, even if I did get it for just the hassle.