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Brush Acquisition Thread

Got a Simpson Berkeley 46 B yesterday.
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Just won this. Looks to me like a vintage Commodore in immaculate shape.

Based on comparing it to the Omega 10066 it was pictured with, knots look the same diameter, so I'm guessing X3.
 

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My first custom brush in almost 2 years is on its way to me. Also, thus endeth my year+ run of being pretty much synth-only. Really happy with the results here. The brush-maker (Viking Soap Co.) and I had a detailed back and forth via email to set the groundwork for what I wanted. Looking forward to receiving this.

I asked for him to send it without the knot being set. I want to glue it myself after playing with loft a bit; bore is drilled to 20mm.

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Nice looking brush Joe :thumbup1:
 
It's been awhile. Almost 2 years and 5 months since I purchased a new shaving brush. However, getting drawn into the rabbit hole investigating the merits of the Supply and One Blade razor, google sent me to Phoenix Shaving to check their single edge razors and then, like Magic!, it happened. There it was, the One Brush, calling my name. Beckoning me. Promising me endless BBS Shaves and an explosion of lather unheard of since antediluvian times.

Of course, I caved. Ladies & Gentlemen of the forum Behold The Pilgrim!

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I have its brethren, the Atomic Rocket. That was the last brush before this one. One Shave in with it, and it lathers even better than the rocket. I'll post a full review after more shaves.
 
Very nice, I am interested to hear how you think it compares to the Chubby 1 synth and the Trafalgar. I have the CH2 and also the Colonel synth and I like them a lot but they can be difficult to splay. I think the CH2 is the best synth I have tried.

I can try. They are all dense and difficult to splay. I find they all work best by swirling with the tips, so circular motion is still possible which is important for me as a face latherer.

The Chubby 1 is denser with much more backbone/stiffness than the T1 Trafalgar but the T1 still has plenty of both.
The T1 can be 'pushed' past the tips more than the chubby as it's softer overall. The Chubby 1 is a helluva stiff brush and the stiffest of them all by far.

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The Chubby 2 although dense, feels softer on the face than the Chubby 1 and can be 'pushed' past the tips easier like the Trafalgar. The lesser stiffness is probably because of the higher loft. Not that it could be described as floppy, as you know.

I also have the Duke 3 synthetic. Smaller knot size, less dense, so it feels like it has a higher loft than it actually has. It is the floppiest of them all. Of course it isn't floppy at all but I find it's the best way to compare them. It feels the softest with less stiffness of them all.

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The Chubby 1 synthetic is the stiffest by a large margin, but has the same soft tips as the rest. I think it would be a marmite brush if they sold them in large numbers, as the stiffness/backbone might suggest a scrubbier brush, but it is not scrubbier due to the usual soft tips. I'd say it is the outlier among them all. The Chubby 1 made with Muhle STF fibres would probably make for an outstanding scrubby wee brush due to the slightly scritchier STF fibres.

I could live with either one of them if I had to. If I had to keep only one? Dunno. They all have their charm and being Simpsons that charm comes in spades. For me that's what I get for my money, as well as a great brush of course.
 
Stop making me want a Chubby 1 synth. Stop it.

And what's this Muhle you talk about with scrub?

I merely comment that a Knot exactly like a Chubby 1 synth knot, in a Chubby 1 handle, but made from Muhle STF fibre would be a bit scrubbier than the Simpsons Platinum Grade Synthetic fibre.

The Muhle/EJ STF fibre isn't as soft at the tip. That's not to say it isn't soft. It is. The Simpsons fibre is mega soft though.

If you want a Chubby 1 synthetic, email Simpsons and ask if they can make you one. Their recent response to my last custom request started with ''This is your lucky day''. :thumbup:
 
The "Commodore x3" Arrived. It's a Simpson "W4L", whatever that is. Knot appears used but well cared for. Still in great shape. The Omega it came with appears NOS, so I'll probably just resell that.

The Hygex arrived as well. Beautiful handle... Knot is a really nice blond dyed boar knot with a veeeeeeeery slight badger hair casing. Cased, not a mixed knot... too bad. Still the handle is impressive. Same quality as the premium Houses, Simpson, Rooney, etc. And the knot is... just immaculate. Could have rolled out of the factory yesterday. If it wasn't a cased knot (which I doubt has been made in 40 yrs), I'd suspect the brush was a new repro or fake vintage. The brush is that perfect.
 

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