Shaving Brush Knot Size and Loft: How to Choose the Right Brush
Two brushes with the same bristle can feel completely different — and the reason is usually knot size and loft. These two numbers shape how a brush lathers, how it feels, and whether it suits the way you actually shave. Here's how to read them.
The Quick Answer
"Knot size" is the diameter of the bundle of hair where it meets the handle, in millimetres. "Loft" is how far the hair sticks out above the handle. A bigger knot holds more water and lather and feels softer; a lower loft feels firmer and gives more control. Most people are happiest with a knot around 22–24mm and a medium loft — enough lather for several passes, enough backbone to work the soap. If you mainly face-lather, lean firmer; if you bowl-lather, a bigger, softer knot shines.
Knot Size: What the Millimetres Mean
Knot size is measured at the base of the bundle. As a rough guide:
- 18–20mm — small, precise, quick to dry. Good for travel and tight control.
- 22–24mm — the all-rounder. Plenty of lather, still manageable. Where most quality brushes land.
- 26mm+ — big. Huge lather capacity and a plush, enveloping feel, but it can feel unwieldy for face-lathering.
Bigger isn't better — it's different. A 26mm silvertip is a glorious thing in a bowl and overkill for a quick face-lather. Match the knot to how you shave, not to the spec sheet.
Loft: The Number Nobody Talks About
Loft is how far the hair extends above the handle. It does more for feel than people realise:
- Lower loft = stiffer, more backbone, more control. Great for face-lathering and painting lather precisely.
- Higher loft = floppier, softer, more "flow-through." Feels luxurious, especially in soft grades like silvertip, but gives less scrub.
The ratio of loft to knot size is what makes a brush feel firm or floppy. A dense knot with a moderate loft — the way we build ours — gives you softness and backbone, which is the combination most shavers actually want.
How we build ours: we balance knot density and loft so the brush has enough backbone to load a hard artisan soap puck quickly, then releases a rich lather over several passes. The goal is one brush that works for both face and bowl, rather than a spec chased for its own sake.
Face Lathering vs Bowl Lathering
How you build lather should steer your choice:
- Face lathering (straight onto your skin): a slightly firmer brush with more backbone gives better control and a pleasant scrub. Mid-size knot, moderate loft.
- Bowl lathering (whipping lather in a bowl first): a bigger, softer, higher-loft knot makes a beautiful lather and feels plush. Pair it with a timber shaving bowl.
Not sure which method is for you? Read bowl vs face lathering.
What This Means for Choosing a Stuga Brush
Our brushes are built around that balanced, do-everything knot geometry — dense enough for backbone, soft enough to feel great. The choice you're really making is bristle and handle, not chasing a millimetre:
- Essentials Badger ($69) or Synthetic ($69) — start here.
- Premium Badger ($139) — denser, plusher super-badger knot.
- Luxury Silvertip ($249+) — the softest, highest-capacity knot we make.
Every brush is hand-turned in the Southern Highlands with a colour-matched stand included. From $69, free shipping over $99.
Once your brush arrives, break it in and keep it right with our badger brush care guide, and see the whole range in our pillar guide to the best shaving brushes in Australia.