TGN Knot comparative to Simpson Duke 2

As the title says, I'm wondering if TGN has a knot that is at least very similar to the Duke 2 by Simpson. I LOVE the size, loft, density, backbone... everything about the brush. The only problem is that it is a MAJOR shedder. It has been ever since it was gifted to me from a friend. When I use it, no matter how careful I am, I lose at least 5 hairs... EVERY TIME! It's quite frustrating, and I want to love this brush so much. It could easily be my only brush if it weren't for the shedding. If TGN had an equivalent knot, or maybe some other knot source (inexpensive though), I'd be willing to do the surgery necessary to make this brush shine.

Tips? Advice? Thoughts?

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I have been eyeing the Duke 2 for a long time but a similar alternative would be interesting.

What size is your TGN?

While the TGN knots are great value for the price, no doubts about that...they won't have the density or backbone of a Simpsons brush would be my initial thoughts.

I haven't measured the diameter of the brush, but I'm pretty sure it's somewhere in the 20-22 mm range.

Jinx, I don't have a TGN. It's the Simpson's knot I'm aiming to replace.

Atilla, are there any knots I could source that would be similar?

Atalk, I can't speak to the current Simpson's brushes that are available. This one was a gift, and I'm not sure when it was initially purchased. This thread isn't to say what Simpson's brushes are or aren't, or to bash them in any way. The only Simpson's brush I have any experience with is this one... and it's a shedder.

jzuzphreek said:

Atalk, I can't speak to the current Simpson's brushes that are available. This one was a gift, and I'm not sure when it was initially purchased. This thread isn't to say what Simpson's brushes are or aren't, or to bash them in any way. The only Simpson's brush I have any experience with is this one... and it's a shedder.

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No worries at all - I use to think that "bigger is better" when it comes to brushes but now I find myself gravitating toward knots around the 22mm range as it makes face-lathering much easier and cleaner. I am looking at the Duke 2 due to the universal love that line-up is receiving. I definitely do not see your comments as a knock at all

You could go the Shavemac route but they don't really have anything quite the same either. If you get a D01 silvertip it will be even denser than the simpsons. Perhaps too dense? I can't say how you would feel about it though. The regular silvertip would be a lot less dense than the Simpsons. You could try with one of the new non-D01 2 band knots that Shavemac is offering and set it at a lower loft. Depending on what type of knot you have though it may or may not be comparable. If you have a Simpsons "Best" it might be (sort of) close.

Or, (what I would suggest) you could talk to Simpsons directly and ask for help in getting a replacement knot of the same hair type. That would get you the most similar kind of replacement and then you would have some kind of a warranty for shedding on it, if they do the replacement for you. This would I think be the most preferable solution if you are trying to get something very similar to what you currently have but does not shed. While some Simpsons brushes have been known to shed (as has most manufacturers) in general they do not and are very good quality brushes.

TGN two band finest would fix your shedding Duke 2. I would go with a 22mm knot from TGN and open up the Duke handle to about 24mm when installing the TGN knot. TGN sells knots by the bottom glue puck size and the hole needed for that is usually 2mm-3mm larger. A 22mm TGN two band finest knot will give Simpson Best a run for its money in terms of density and softness at the tips, and will certainly prevail in backbone. I've used many TGN two band finest knots over the years and have not seen a single one shed. They are a spectacular value. I am talking about two band finest, now. Not TGN best or silvertip. Those I am not crazy about. TGN also carries High Mountain White knots that are top shelf, but they are pricey.

Good luck.

Whoops I accidently read the thread backwards. Anyway I would also recommend the 2 band finest from TGN. It gets the most consistent positive reviews. I have had many brushes with that knot and it is great.

I would love a Duke 2 with a TGN Finest, but the performance would be different.

Shavemac Finest in a fan-shape would be the most similar, I think. The bulb is too pronounced for a brush the size of the Duke 2. Shavemac Finest mixes silvertip with best badger and the result is going to be plenty of backbone yet soft tips.

There is so much variance in both Simpson Best knots and TGN knots. In general, the closest thing I have found to the good batches of Simpson Best is a TGN Silvertip A knot from a good batch. In fact I prefer the softness of my STA to any of my Simpson Best, but the hairs used in Simpson Best are a little thicker which gives them their characteristic backbone. The one TGN Best Badger knot I tried was scratchy and prickly, worse than any Simpson's Best knot that I have tried. The TGN 2-band knots are my favorite that they offer, and though they would offer a different experience from your stock Duke 2, they would give you a very nice combination of backbone and soft tips at the slight cost of density.

I've only tried one TGN Silvertip A and it was definitely softer than the Simpson Best Duke 2 I had, but it wasn't as dense either.

I have three knots from TGN as well as a Simpson H4 brush. The TGN knots I have are Premium Silvertip, High Mountain White and Finest Fan.

The Premium Silvertip is very densely packed it's about equal to the Simpson in density and face feel. An excellent high quality knot. I bought this one in the hard to find 28mm size for an Adoration brush and I'm glad I did. Due to it's size it's a complete beast in using up soaps. Outstanding feel. Excellent knot. Very similar feel and very comparable to the H4 other than this one being a bit larger at 28mm.

The High Mountain White knot is not quite as densely packed as the Premium I have but it's an excellent knot as well. It did shed for about two months before finally stopping so keep that in mind if you purchase one so that you don't give up on it early. This is the knot that I use most days and I love it in the Rubberset 400 handle that it's in. High marks for this one as well.

The Finest Fan is a very good knot but I don't like it nearly as well as the other two. I think I'm spoiled by the higher quality ones or I'd score this one higher. Then again it was a lot less costly as well. So it might be a nice knot for a nice restored handle. It hasn't shed a single hair and it performs flawlessly. Extremely nice but just not quite as soft as the other two. An outstanding price for a very good knot.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for the great input guys. As you might expect, 8 different responders, 12 different opinions. It's what makes this place so great.

I also suggest contacting Simpson directly. Through previous email correspondence, I have found them to be very friendly and helpful. I have a 3 week old Harvard H4, it hasn't shed a single hair in use. I get the feeling that they stand proudly behind their products and would likely do something to correct the situation, or at least possibly help you get the knot replaced.

I am a tad surprised no one has suggested just buying another Duke 2 or placing a WTB ad for one if you really like the brush, so much!