Knot suggestions for Wolf Whiskers

Thundert65 · Jul 24, 2016

My name has come up for my Wolf Whiskers brush and of course i keep going back and forth about what knot i want to put in. First of all i want badger. I know YMMV, but i just want opinions, thats all. I know everyone is different. Im pretty flexible as far as characteristics of a knot, i just DO NOT WANT PRICKLY OR SCRATCHY. I like to face lather mostly but do like a good bowl lather occasionally.

Anyways, im really thinking about trying to secure a knot from Elite Razor. This is what im really leaning towards. His new Manchurian and HMW knots sound fantastic, but if i go this route, then which one. All my brushes are 2-band. I love 2-band but im thinking maybe a HMW 3-band might be nice also, you know, to change things up a bit. Actually the HMW is the frontrunner right now. If anyone has any experience with these please tell me about them.

I have wanted to try an Envy White but im afraid it might be too scratchy for me? What are yalls thoughts, are they scratchy and how much do they soften up?

For some reason im just not to keen on a TGN knot, but if i did consider one it would be the HMW so any comments on it would be appreciated.

So based on this info, do you guys have any more suggestions or info on these knots?

P.S. i have a shavemac so thats why im not considering one of those.

Thanks,
Todd

Rxdude · Jul 25, 2016

I got my Wolf Whiskers brush in and went with a 26mm Envy white knot in bulb shape. Used it twice. I would not say it is overly scratchy, but it has significant backbone. It reminds me a lot of my Simpsons m7 Manchurian. Now, that is what I had wanted to I'm very happy with my knot selection. I'll probably use it again with tonights shave so I'll pay special attention and get back to you. I almost exclusively face lather.

dfoulk · Jul 25, 2016

I have all of the TGN knots as well as a Shavemac and the Envy White. I really like the Shavemac knot but for a lower cost knot I'd go with the Envy Luxury knot all day long. It's extremely soft and luxurious. I like it a lot better that the TGN High Mountain knots I have but not as well as the Envy Luxury knots.

I have two TGN High Mountain White knots and they both have shed from day one (about 10 to 12 hairs a day) and continue to do so. Initial shedding with this one is supposed to be normal because it's so densely packed but after three months of everyday shaving I'm still losing between one and four hairs a day so I put it aside. A wonderful knot aside from the shedding issue I've encountered. They did replace the first shedding knot with another that sheds the same as the first one did. This is with both of the HMW knots I have. I like them a lot but at $60 for a knot that sheds I'll pass. If you got a non shedding one you'd like this knot quite a bit.

The TGN Finest is an inexpensive knot at around $20. Mine has a good deal of backbone and some scritch that hasn't gone away. Unlike the HMW it doesn't shed at all. Some have gotten this knot with no scritch. I have mine set high and still a slight scritch so maybe a batch to batch thing. I used it enough for it to be completely broken in as well so it's not that.

The Envy White is said to be similar to the TGN Finest and in comparing the knots I'd have to agree. I have mine being set into a brush right at the moment and I'm setting it higher to soften it up. These get good reviews but run about $53 for a very similar knot to the much lesser cost TGN Finest. I'll give it a try once I get the brush it's being installed in. I suspect it'll be a stronger backbone with hopefully little to no scritch.

The Envy Luxury Silvertip is very soft and luxurious. Perfect for face lathering. Not as much backbone as the Envy White/TGN Finest but enough to not be floppy at all. The feel is very luxurious and I think it's a very high quality knot. No problems with hard soaps or soft and plenty soft and luxurious to face lather. It's a much higher quality knot than the $44 price it's at and a much better value than the $120 I paid for the Shavemac knot. Both of these I have haven't shed a hair. The Envy Luxury Silvertip and the Shavemac 2 band Silvertip (not the d01) knot will be my go to knots for all of my future Wolf Whiskers brushes.

Jnatcat · Jul 25, 2016

Peter is great to deal with, I have dealt with him on several brushes and always and I mean always over think the knot so I just asked him what he recommended on my needs and have never been disappointed, my most recent brush is a 22MM TGN ST Premium and it's a very nice knot.

1Vader · Jul 25, 2016

I just went with TGN HMW. I'll save up and then request a custom shavemac from Rudy. Win-Win!

TheLegalRazor · Jul 25, 2016

I'll have a 24mm Envy White, and a 24 and 26mm Mountain White from Bob Quinn/Elite Razor. For me, the Elite Mountain White is clearly softer than the Envy White, while still having ample backbone. Although I like the scrub of the Envy White, that scrub can be characterized as scratch /scritch by someone else.

Acmemfg · Jul 26, 2016

"I have two TGN High Mountain White knots and they both have shed from day one (about 10 to 12 hairs a day) and continue to do so. Initial shedding with this one is supposed to be normal because it's so densely packed but after three months of everyday shaving I'm still losing between one and four hairs a day"

Of all the brushes I own or have owned, TGN is the only knot which ever really shed. Most doubtful I would buy another

dfoulk · Jul 26, 2016

Acmemfg said:
"I have two TGN High Mountain White knots and they both have shed from day one (about 10 to 12 hairs a day) and continue to do so. Initial shedding with this one is supposed to be normal because it's so densely packed but after three months of everyday shaving I'm still losing between one and four hairs a day"

Of all the brushes I own or have owned, TGN is the only knot which ever really shed. Most doubtful I would buy another

I have a Finest knot from them, a Premium Silvertip and the two HMW knots. The rest are fine but the HMW knots are both shedders. These two are my only brushes that shed in the dozen or so brushes I own. I like the feel of the HMW knots but I won't take a chance on another from them since both I've tried continue to shed with every use.

1Vader · Jul 26, 2016

dfoulk said:
I have a Finest knot from them, a Premium Silvertip and the two HMW knots. The rest are fine but the HMW knots are both shedders. These two are my only brushes that shed in the dozen or so brushes I own. I like the feel of the HMW knots but I won't take a chance on another from them since both I've tried continue to shed with every use.

Shucks this had me concerned..

dfoulk · Jul 27, 2016

doc47 said:
First use, mine lost 1 hair. More to follow.

Dan, I think you might have gotten a good one. Both of mine first shave I lost about 10 hairs. I have no complaints about that knot at all aside from mine shedding. If you get a non shedder then it's going to be a great knot for you.

Kaidoh · Jul 27, 2016

dfoulk said:
Dan, I think you might have gotten a good one. Both of mine first shave I lost about 10 hairs. I have no complaints about that knot at all aside from mine shedding. If you get a non shedder then it's going to be a great knot for you.

doc47 said:
First use, mine lost 1 hair. More to follow.

I just got my WW in today. Did my Dawn soak 3 times now, to help with the smell. The smell doesn't bother me, but I figured it would need a good wash. I have to I've already lost about 10-15 hairs. I hope it stops I really like how the handle was made. And the knot is really soft.

I think I have the knot set a bit to low. It's a 24mm set around 48-50mm loft. A lot of backbone, but am going to do a test lather after this post. To really understand this backbone.

dfoulk · Jul 28, 2016

Kaidoh said:
I just got my WW in today. Did my Dawn soak 3 times now, to help with the smell. The smell doesn't bother me, but I figured it would need a good wash. I have to I've already lost about 10-15 hairs. I hope it stops I really like how the handle was made. And the knot is really soft.

I think I have the knot set a bit to low. It's a 24mm set around 48-50mm loft. A lot of backbone, but am going to do a test lather after this post. To really understand this backbone.

Which knot did you get again? The double the knot size is a guideline but it doesn't apply to all knots. Telling someone like Peter what you're looking to get out of the knot would likely get you a better loft recommendation.

Most of my 24mm knots I have set from 53 to 56mm depending on the knot. But that's just my preference and I think I usually set my knots higher than many others here do. The latest Shavemac knot I bought is a 24mm and I ordered it with a loft of 52 when 50 was the standard because I prefer a little more loft. The Envy White knot in 24mm I just set to 56mm because that knot has a lot of backbone and it was a taller knot to start with. If it's a knot with more backbone I set it higher to reduce the backbone and lower the possibility of scritch.

Do use the brush for a while and see if you end up liking it. The knot will likely soften up a bit once it breaks in as well.

If it keeps shedding contact the manufacturer for a potential replacement. This may be the best case scenario since you may want to set the next knot higher. You may have to send pics or the original knot back. Maybe even a pic of the original knot that's been destroyed by the removal process would suffice. Either way if it continues to shed then check with the knot manufacturer before you do anything. They will tell you what to do and what they need before replacing it. They may have you brush it out with a comb or something like that. Even the best knot makers will run into a shedder from time to time. It's not very common but it can happen. I suspect you'd have to be losing 3 to 4 hairs a day consistently for the knot to be proven faulty. A couple hairs on occasion won't do it. I would even give them a heads up and start a daily log of the hairs you've lost. I even saved all of the hairs that one particular knot shed and put them in a ziploc bag to mail to the manufacturer if they wanted them as proof. Know that it might well stop shedding entirely after a few days as these are sometimes just stray hairs that didn't get glued in all the way.

If it does stop shedding and you still absolutely hate it you can:
1) send it back to Peter at Wolf Whiskers and he can drill out the old knot and install a new one. Unfortunately the knot will not survive. You could do this yourself if you have the right tools and are comfortable with them. If you've never done this before then you're risking a really nice handle for a learning experience. This isn't a good brush to try this yourself for the first time.
2) sell it to someone who likes a brush with a bit more backbone and get on the next Wolf Whiskers list for a do over.
3) put it aside and try it again later on when your preferences may have changed a bit.

Thundert65 · Jul 28, 2016

I put my order in last night and i am going with the HMW knot from Elite Razor in the Tyrion handle. Like i said, all my other brushes are 2-banders so this will give me something different. Its a 24mm knot but has to be set in a 26mm socket so does that mean that its a dense brush? I went with a 50mm loft and i feel comfortable that will be a good loft for me.

Kaidoh · Jul 28, 2016

dfoulk said:
Which knot did you get again? The double the knot size is a guideline but it doesn't apply to all knots. Telling someone like Peter what you're looking to get out of the knot would likely get you a better loft recommendation.

Most of my 24mm knots I have set from 53 to 56mm depending on the knot. But that's just my preference and I think I usually set my knots higher than many others here do. The latest Shavemac knot I bought is a 24mm and I ordered it with a loft of 52 when 50 was the standard because I prefer a little more loft. The Envy White knot in 24mm I just set to 56mm because that knot has a lot of backbone and it was a taller knot to start with. If it's a knot with more backbone I set it higher to reduce the backbone and lower the possibility of scritch.

Do use the brush for a while and see if you end up liking it. The knot will likely soften up a bit once it breaks in as well.

If it keeps shedding contact the manufacturer for a potential replacement. This may be the best case scenario since you may want to set the next knot higher. You may have to send pics or the original knot back. Maybe even a pic of the original knot that's been destroyed by the removal process would suffice. Either way if it continues to shed then check with the knot manufacturer before you do anything. They will tell you what to do and what they need before replacing it. They may have you brush it out with a comb or something like that. Even the best knot makers will run into a shedder from time to time. It's not very common but it can happen. I suspect you'd have to be losing 3 to 4 hairs a day consistently for the knot to be proven faulty. A couple hairs on occasion won't do it. I would even give them a heads up and start a daily log of the hairs you've lost. I even saved all of the hairs that one particular knot shed and put them in a ziploc bag to mail to the manufacturer if they wanted them as proof. Know that it might well stop shedding entirely after a few days as these are sometimes just stray hairs that didn't get glued in all the way.

If it does stop shedding and you still absolutely hate it you can:
1) send it back to Peter at Wolf Whiskers and he can drill out the old knot and install a new one. Unfortunately the knot will not survive. You could do this yourself if you have the right tools and are comfortable with them. If you've never done this before then you're risking a really nice handle for a learning experience. This isn't a good brush to try this yourself for the first time.
2) sell it to someone who likes a brush with a bit more backbone and get on the next Wolf Whiskers list for a do over.
3) put it aside and try it again later on when your preferences may have changed a bit.

I got the Luxury (Bulb) knot that you suggested and I had thought about asking you about what I should do about the loft. From all the other posts I figured the loft should be about 48 mm. So. I went with the 48-50mm. As of now I've lost about 30 hairs but I didn't think about saving the hairs. After my Dawn washing, I whipped up some Arko and left the brush alone over night. I had just washed it off about an hr or 2 ago.
Am not a 100% sure but I don't think Peter said he can drill out old knots. Or I could be thinking of Whipped Dog. I do not hate the brush as it is super soft and yet to save with it (only did a test bowl lather.) Am going to try a face lather tomorrow.
There is no way am going to sale this handle. As I've said I wanted something to pop each time I look at it. In the Mini Beehive its the silver and the bottom its the red/silver, as you turn the handle the colors fade in and out like some hidden gem. Which is the best part of the handle. And as Peter and you have said the pictures do not do the handle justice. He really does some great work.

Kaidoh · Jul 28, 2016

Thundert65 said:
I put my order in last night and i am going with the HMW knot from Elite Razor in the Tyrion handle. Like i said, all my other brushes are 2-banders so this will give me something different. Its a 24mm knot but has to be set in a 26mm socket so does that mean that its a dense brush? I went with a 50mm loft and i feel comfortable that will be a good loft for me.

This a great looking knot and handle. When you do get the handle please post it on the WW thread. As for everything else, I would leave it up to the others to commit about.

dfoulk · Jul 28, 2016

I'd let Peter know what you're looking to get from your knot and ask for a suggestion on the loft. I'm sure he's set enough of these to know exactly where it should be set to get you the properties you desire. Some knots do run large (sounds like yours does) and should be set a little higher to offset this.

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Knot suggestions for Wolf Whiskers

Thundert65

Rxdude

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Jnatcat

1Vader

TheLegalRazor

Acmemfg

dfoulk

1Vader

dfoulk

Kaidoh

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Thundert65

Kaidoh

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