what is a Manchurian knot?

[Wayne]

I see the word Manchurian used left right and center these days. Could anyone please tell me what exactly a Manchurian Badger hair knot is please?
Cheers
Wayne.

 

[halvor]

It is exactly as you say, Wayne, used left, right and centre - without clear demarcations or definition. In most cases it will be the most expensive among a knot or brush makers' offerings, so a marketing thing, indicating premium quality - and price. Usually it comes with more backbone than "regular". Sort of a two band backbone with three band soft tips, marrying the best qualities of both kinds. But since there is no clear rule (and the obvious one I doubt is correct in most cases; that it's from Manchuria), it's more complicated.

Some (Simpson notably) have thicker hair shafts than the other knots. Some only offer two bands as Manchurian; Brad Sears had/s both two- and three bands. The hairs on both of these are finer than Simpson's. Bob Quinn (Elite) calls his premium two bands Manchurian and three bands High Mountain White. I also think that Lee Sabini's Blonde/Heritage/Finest (again, take a pick, it varies depending on when one ordered them...) and Paladin's current knots well could have been sold/marketed as Manchurians.

 

[Wayne]

Thank you @halvor. I knew it was just marketing as I believe is High Mountain White. I suppose we are all well aware of how a fancy dandy name boosts sales as people clamber to own the best, Hey! include me in that statement, I'm as bad as anyone else. I'm a 2 band finest kinda guy and that description suits me down to the ground.

 

[Nick_S]

I'll tell you what a Manchurian is not, a Liverpudlian

I'll get my coat.

 

[bandito]

I'll tell you what a Manchurian is not, a Liverpudlian

I'll get my coat.

Beat me to it

 

[Rowlers]

It is a marketing ploy to get you to spend more £££!
IMO of course

 

[R181]

The problem with buying badger brushes is that there is no standardization on naming the different grades of badger hair knots. The makers are pretty much free to call the different grades whatever they want. IMO it is just marketing BS on the higher grades to make them sound better and command a higher price.

Bob

 

[Shaverrific666]

I'm frigged if I know what a Manchurian Knot is..classifications are strange things..I saw one vendor on ebay sell a BOAR knot as "White Badger"...so I think there's a clue there....

 

[Lann]

Thanks for the explanation @halvor. I have always found badger hair categorization very confusing.

 

[KAV]

The first time I read 'White Mountain' this vision of hyper rare badgers from Shangri-La being packed for shipment under Chang's supervision entered my mind; what delightful rot. Fur pelt
quality can be influenced by local gene pools, the animal's diet and health, the local weather
and HOW the pelt was processed by people.
Slip in behind Hyacinth Bucket as she intimidates PETA protestors outside a store selling women's furs. The clerk can pick out two equally lovely mink coats and show you subtle differences only a trained eye and years of experience can see.

 

[Holyzeus]

They are supposed to relate to where the badger pelt came from. Think all the Manchurians I've had have been exceptional, the only HMW I had was s***e

 

[R181]

They are supposed to relate to where the badger pelt came from. Think all the Manchurians I've had have been exceptional, the only HMW I had was s***e

I have yet to see anyone post on the net an industry standard ISO chart of how badger hair is be classified/graded.

They seem to be able to do it with mink.

http://furcommission.com/grading-mink/

Bob

 

[Dule083]

High Mountain White & Manchurian.Sometimes called other names as well- Genuine White, Upland White, etc. These are generally limited edition brushes with magical powers and inflated price tags. In actuality, these are mostly two band brushes with different coloration than the other brushes that particular manufacturer sells. Marketing and hype are these brush's main features. How the knot is formed and the density of the hair mostly determine the face feel of a badger knot, not the coloring of the hair.

A "true" High Mountain White or Manchurian badger brush will be made from a small section of hairs on the neck of the European Badger (Meles Meles). However many brushes marketed as "High Mountain brushes" come from the pelt of a hog badger, rather than the more common European badger. Hog badger hairs are about 1.5 times thicker than European badger hairs, giving them a bit more backbone. Does it make a difference in the quality? Nope. It shouldn't make a difference in price either, as the knots are sourced from China, and the cost is about the same as their silvertip counterparts. True High Mountain White hair is more expensive, due to the small area of pelt it can be collected from.

The Origin of the "Manchurian" name.

When Charles Roberts first offered these brushes, that were made exclusively for Enchante ( as they were, at the time, one of the highest volume Simpson retail outlets in N. America ) they were labeled 'Extra Super'. However, Charles was trumpeting that this was extra special rare badger bristle ( which it may well have been ) that came out of the colder climate of Manchuria. On the original forum some of us started to refer to them as 'Manchurians' and CR quickly took the nudge and told David Carter he wanted subsequent specimens to be actually labeled that way; 'Manchurian badger'.

 

[BlacknTan]

I don't know what it is, marketing is my guess also, but I've liked every Manchurian I've had, so, I'll keep the mystique alive..

 

[Conservator]

Pure, Best, Silveretip, Super, Select, Finest, DO1 Silvertip, DO1 two band silvertip, High Mountain White, European White, Europen Grey, Black Quality, Super Silvertip, Manchurian, Silvertip standard, Mixed badger, etc. are all terms used by brush makers. There is zip standardization!