Paladin gel

Does anyone know if the 2clsj5 knots gel? I read the knot codes which indicates they "might" but wondering if anyone that has one could give some input.
Also, what other knots gel? Knot necessarily paladin just any makers. Also, let's keep it to what is actually attainable. I haven't had a brad Sears or m&f so in curious about those as well as Simpson.
Thanks

I have a 2CLS E5 that exhibits all of the true gel signs. Greasy slippery slimy when wet and distinctly crispy when dry. Unsure of other knot codes.

Yup, I have that one as well.

I have two brushes with CLSE5 knots. One exhibits gel properties and the other does not. I think it is the luck of the draw when purchasing knots identified as potentially having gel qualities.

I have two brushes with CLSE5 knots.  One exhibits gel properties and the other does not. I think it is the luck of the draw when purchasing knots identified as potentially having gel qualities.

Agreed. Total luck. It’s a bummer since my face really tends to prefer gel tipped knots but the most you can do is try to make an educated guess. I even once had a famed Rooney Heritage 2XL that had both gel and non gel tips in the same knot. It was wild to see but you could see and feel the difference from a mile away when wet. I’ve also read a few times that knots can begin to exhibit gel qualities over time...My personal experience though has been that they either exhibited it from day one or that they never showed up at all.

I'm in the same boat. Prefer gel. There's a j5 knot dropping tomorrow that I'm on the fence about. If it gels,I want it. If it doesn't,I don't.

I have three E5s, all gel, but one REALLY gels (my 28mm). I had a J5 fan. It gelled a bit, but less than any of my E5s. It was a nice knot, but I liked the E5s more, despite coming from the same consignment of hair.

Word of caution - the degree of "gel" can also vary. Within my collection, the Declaration B6 and Paladin CLSD5/CLSE5 knots stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of gel-liness. If you can accept a lesser degree of gel, I have found that the B2/B5, Turn-N-Shave TIP and the Maggards SHD knots deliver a similar experience. As always, YMMV.

Word of caution - the degree of "gel" can also vary. Within my collection, the Declaration B6 and Paladin CLSD5/CLSE5 knots stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of gel-liness. If you can accept a lesser degree of gel, I have found that the B2/B5, Turn-N-Shave TIP and the Maggards SHD knots deliver a similar experience. As always, YMMV.

Was waiting for the maggards shd bulb to arrive. They said 2-3 weeks when I asked the other day. I really like my clse5 just the j5 has the handle I want.

I had three Paladin handles I really liked but with knots that I was not as pleased with as I developed my preferences. While Dark Holler will not replace the knots for you (trust me, I tried), I got JR Reyes (he's a brush restorer active on Instagram) to drill out the knots and replace them with Maggards knots. Now I am a happy camper. Yes sir, thats a Maggards knot sitting in a Vesuvius Chief.