Anyone NOT like two-band?

[jhclare]

What with all this two-band talk at the moment, I wondered if anyone actually prefers regular Super/Silvertip grades?

I'm testing a brush at the moment - a GT3. It says Best on the handle, but its appearance is definitely two-band, bulb-shape. It's a Duke 3 with Trumper's branding.

I have to say, so far, I'm not enjoying the brush. I like backbone, but I think it has too much.

And I really was expecting soft tips.... these aren't. In fact they're a bit prickly!

Finally, I'm not sure that bulb-shape knots work with this type of hair. Just seems difficult to swirl on your face in circular motions. Maybe because it doesn't want to splay?

Is this normal with Simpsons' two-band hair? Will it soften up?

And is Rooney Finest better?

John

 

[antoine1]

Seems odd that you're basically "testing" a mistake of a brush that is made by Simpson for Trumper's.

Top secret so no pictures? Sounds like a terrible brush, I'd return it.

 

[ambrose]

I love em

my shavemac D01 2 band, and my rooney heritage finest

 

[jhclare]

Here you go, sorry about crappy phone pic.

John

 

[Antique Hoosier]

John..... Your GT3 looks up to the task. Pricing differential from the Duke 3?

 

[jhclare]

It was £75 (I think). It's got a 50mm loft. My old Simfix Duke was 46mm.

Does anyone know why current Simpson two-bands are all bulb shaped with longer lofts than their Best/Super equivalents?

John

 

[thanks]

I'm having the same experience with the Ehsan I got right now...

 

[Thebigspendur]

I think to characterize the top badger variety as two band is unwise. Though many such brushes are two band there are also many other reasons many brushes could appear to be two band. maybe dying, maybe the way the hair was sorted and cut. It's the performance that really characterizes the top grade.

 

[moodymick]

Go on, I'll ask on behalf of silent others, 'what is two band?'

 

[SliceOfLife]

Hair that is mostly black except for white tips.

 

[jhclare]

I'm beginning to think my brush may not actually be two-band. It does say Best on the handle, but then, so did the Ehsan....

I was under the impression that two-band would be very stiff and resilient, tonnes of backbone, yet soft tips.

The closest I've had so far, having never tried Rooney's Finest, was my Stubby 2. Not a hint of scritch, even dry. I wish I hadn't sold it.

John

 

[huntmol]

Unfortunately, Simpsons Two-band has A LOT of variation. I plan on doing a post about this very soon.

As far as not liking Two-band however, I can't help you. I'm in the process of switching to an all Two-band lineup.

 

[blantyre]

What with all this two-band talk at the moment, I wondered if anyone actually prefers regular Super/Silvertip grades?

I'm testing a brush at the moment - a GT3. It says Best on the handle, but its appearance is definitely two-band, bulb-shape. It's a Duke 3 with Trumper's branding.

I have to say, so far, I'm not enjoying the brush. I like backbone, but I think it has too much.

And I really was expecting soft tips.... these aren't. In fact they're a bit prickly!

Finally, I'm not sure that bulb-shape knots work with this type of hair. Just seems difficult to swirl on your face in circular motions. Maybe because it doesn't want to splay?

Is this normal with Simpsons' two-band hair? Will it soften up?

And is Rooney Finest better?

John

If it is "real" 2- band - i.e. the high mountain winter coat as used in the Rooney finest and some Plissons and a few Simpsons, it will soften up a lot with use. I like 2-band in some brushes and not others - for example the Rooney heritage Victorian/Emillion is better in the softer, dense 3-band IMO as is the Simpson PJ3. In a Chubby or a Plisson 12 it is excellent.

There is so much 2-band around now I am beginning to wonder is someone is playing around with hair dye. There are always rumors about bleached tips, I would like to start one about dyed bottoms.

 

[Aaron622]

There is so much 2-band around now I am beginning to wonder is someone is playing around with hair dye. There are always rumors about bleached tips, I would like to start one about dyed bottoms.

I have virtually no experience with 2 band brushes, but I too am somewhat suspicious of the recent flood of them. I don't really have anything to base this on, but it seems strange to me that now you can get 2 band brushes for well under $150, whereas not too long ago, you'd probably have to spend at least $200 or so for a guaranteed 2 band (a small Rooney Finest). I don't see how Simpson can offer this supposedly extremely rare hair at such low prices and in such high quantities while Rooney and Plisson seem to have a harder and harder time obtaining 2 band hair.

 

[vitaman]

No

 

[RetroGrouch]

My two favourite brushes are my PL8 (Somerset) and CH2 (Simfix), both 2-band. But they're followed closely by my LE2008 and Shavemac brushes, all 3-band. Go figure.

I've only owned one Rooney Finest (2-band, of course) and it was too stiff and scratchy for me. Felt like a pencil eraser on my face.

So I don't think 2-band is inherently superior.

 

[SliceOfLife]

I can't pick a favorite. It's apples to oranges to pineapples to grapefruits to...


I like my 16mm Finest 2 band because I'm pretty sure it's actually best. It's got loads of backbone, very grey tips, and gives up lather easier than any other brush I own. Despite being travel brush size it is a 5+ pass brush.

I like my synth because it's like breast implants. It's so perfect that you're sure there's something about it you don't like, but you can't figure out what.

I like my UK Black because it's awesome in every way. Just a tiny little package of sweetness.

I like my China Black because it does unspeakable things to triple milled soaps that no other brush can do.

I like my Semo 2000 boar because I'm a sucker for investment. I love character building games like Diablo, RPG's, Killing Floor. If I can do something while at the same time benefiting myself long term, I see that as win-win. So a brush that improves with age? I like it.

I like my 24mm 2 band finest because it is to lathering what an auto-body paint gun is to painting. It's almost unfair how much backbone this thing has.

I like my Uk Super (3 band) because It's a big, ultrasoft paintbrush for applying glycerin soaps.

I like my Simpson 2 band because its a big middle of the road brush. It's real soft, got lots of back, whips up lather good and spreads lather good.

 

[xriley]

I really did not like my Emperor 2 - 2 band at first. I have very slowly come to love the brush. It took a long time to come around.

I now have an extremely soft dense brush that is a pleasure to use. I have a couple of cheaper pure brushes that lather a little better but don't feel anywhere near as luxurious.

 

[thanks]

Mine is just starting to show a slight change after a bunch of test lathers in between actual shaving times. I also cleaned my Ehsan with dish soap and gave it a quick soak in a diluted vinegar solution. This seemed to soften it up a bit as well. It also seems to be lathering better, while getting slightly softer. If this trend continues this brush will beat out my Duke 2 in best, which is hard to imagine.

 

[antoine1]

Is there any consensus on this brush?

Is it a two banded Best or a mistake?