Knot resizing
- Thread starter Sideburns
- Start date
Sideburns
Über Member
The handle you’ve made looks like something I’d be very happy with. You clearly have a way of holding the piece and boring very accurate holes - pillar drill / lathe/ jig?
I can relate entirely to your experience. I made the mistake of assuming that the knot diameter figures published on seller sites were actually useful. In reality, they can be rather misleading.
The type of donor I chose was one where the knot is glued into a black plastic cup, which is then glued into a hole in the handle. What I hadn’t appreciated was that the knot wasn’t set to the bottom of the cup. The resin base was 2mm smaller in diameter than the stated knot size and was glued part way down inside the cup. So, in my case, the “24mm” knot I chose actually had a 22mm resin base.
This was all new ground for me, and if I’m faced with the same situation again, I certainly won’t be tempted to gently prise the plastic cup out at the shoulder of the handle with a blunt metal spatula! I tried that after my attempt to pull the knot out of the handle at an angle had failed, thinking it might help break the adhesion of the glue holding the cup in place. It didn’t quite go to plan.
Like you, I’d also got the impression from researching the process online that knot harvesting was reasonably straightforward. Actually doing it myself gave me a rather different perspective. That said, I now wouldn’t hesitate to tackle another knot replacement — although I’m sure the next one will present an entirely new problem!
I haven’t made anything new, so I can’t claim the creative satisfaction you rightly describe. But I did get a real sense of satisfaction from discovering that I’d retained some useful problem-solving skills, overcoming the unexpected obstacles, and ultimately breathing a little more life into an iconic bit of shaving history.
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TobyC
Patriot
Every reknot is a new adventure, that's why there are no set instructions to follow. Even when you buy replacement knots you have to measure the base and then measure the hair above the base to see what the required hole size is. Some knots get much larger than the base just a couple of mm above the base, and it won't compress because there's epoxy in there.
Sideburns
Über Member
That makes a lot of sense—I’ve learned that lesson the hard way. I assumed the advertised knot size was the key measurement, but the knot’s actual geometry matters much more. My “24 mm” donor knot measured only 22 mm where it needed to fit the handle, meaning the advertised size referred to the nominal knot diameter rather than the section that determined the required hole size. Once I removed it from its original mounting cup, I discovered that the usable diameter was smaller than expected, which completely changed the project and left me working with a smaller knot than planned.
It has also changed how I’ll choose donor knots in future, since selecting the right one is clearly crucial to a successful outcome.
I assume buying loose knots from websites in the Far East helps avoid this problem, as they may provide more detailed measurements. Or are there other issues to consider?
I have no real desire to send my personal details to companies overseas, hence my donor-brush approach.
TRS
Veteran
I took a slightly different approach. To make the handle, I used sheet material - napkin made of thin bamboo straws sewn together and applied to a mesh base.
Already having the knot in hand, I marked the napkin and cut it out, forming inner and outer "rolls". After placing this blank into the mold, I used the vacuum saturation method with epoxy resin. Next was a procedure: pouring, saturation, crystallization. After 36 hours, the workpiece was taken out, evaluated, slightly polished and glazed with resin. The result was completely satisfactory.
The last photo shows the resin glazing process
The knot itself is fixed in the handle without a single drop of glue - it holds due to a very precise fit.
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UKRob
Forum GOD!
Regarding knot suppliers I bought many from The Golden Nib in the USA. They have a great selection and their postage to the UK was always reasonable - it was six or seven years ago since I last used them so things may have changed but delivery was always surprisingly fast. I’ve just looked at their website and Boar knots are less than $10. Their premium knots are, to my mind, reasonably priced and excellent quality.
Of the top European suppliers, Thater no longer exists and Shavemac knots cannot be bought directly - you have to use a retail outlet. If you’re not prepared to use someone like Aliexpress there’s always Amazon but they appear to be mostly nylon.
Of the top European suppliers, Thater no longer exists and Shavemac knots cannot be bought directly - you have to use a retail outlet. If you’re not prepared to use someone like Aliexpress there’s always Amazon but they appear to be mostly nylon.
Sideburns
Über Member
Yes - Amazon didn’t offer Boar/Bristle as a choice when I was searching. The same on Ebay - Except Maggard Razors; but at about £28 delivered I figured it was too much to pay.
I’m looking at other donor candidates to see if I could have chosen better to start with.
So far I’ve come across the Omega 10098 Pro and the 10049 Pro, both have the kind of loft the Rubberset should have.
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TobyC
Patriot
When you buy a premade knot, the size is the base diameter, you usually need a hole that is 2mm larger than that glue base. Looking at it the other way, if the hole is 24mm, you order a knot that is 22mm. You never want to cram a knot tightly into the hole, it should fall in freely. I think you ended up with the right knot for that brush.
TobyC
Patriot
The Golden Nib boars are excellent, and they look much better than the pictures on their website.
These are from Golden Nib.
Sideburns
Über Member
That makes much more sense — thank you. I think I was looking at it from the wrong end!
I’d assumed a 24 mm hole meant I needed a 24 mm knot, whereas your explanation makes it clear that a 22 mm knot is actually the correct sort of fit.
Before choosing the donor I’d also searched the web for examples of people doing similar knot replacements, looking for actual restoration examples that supported my choice. That’s what gave me some confidence in the 24 mm/24 mm assumption.
Another lesson learned!