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Seeking Shaving Brush Advise - Simpsons

Hello all

This is my first post on the forum. I am based in Australia and I am looking to purchase a new Simpsons shaving brush from a local vendor (limited options here in Oz). I use shaving soap (Taylors of Bond Street Rose) and I am exclusively a face latherer. I just have not been able to get the hang of the bowl shaving, at least with the brush that I currently own. My current brush is massive, probably too big for its current face lathering duty. I recently gave my son a Frank Shaving Pure Badger brush and I have had a couple of goes with it and it seems to get the job done better than my brush. My brush, which I purchased on a trip to the US in 2009, is an Art Of Shaving Silvertip Handmade. It still sheds, but not badly but it appears as though it is thinning out in the middle. It is around 110mm high, with a knot around 27mm. My son's shaving brush has a knot of around 20mm and is about 95mm high.

I initially thought that the Frank brush would be too small, but it lathers up alot quicker than my bohemoth, albiet a little scratchier on the face and gives me enough lather for a two pass shave. I now want to upgrade my current brush to something more suited to face lathering and have come to the conclusion that I want a Simpsons brush. My local vendor has a couple of options available - Chubby 1 Best, Classic 1 Best, Emporer 1 Super or the Commodore X1 Best. Are any of these standouts for what I am looking for in a brush? Any advise would be appreciated.

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Chubby 1 is a good size for what you want.

This thread has some nice pictures you can see the size:

 
Thanks for the link. The Chubby 2 seems to be about the same height as my son's Frank Shaving brush. That gives me a comparison. Is it worth noting that I have massive hands? Is the Chubby 1 a good match for big meathooks?
 
I think it's fine, really. If you look, the handle is almost the same diameter, just shorter. The main thing is the size of the knot. Chubby 1 is about 23mm with 47mm loft, that is ideal for face lathering, IMHO. Chubby 2 is about 27mm and 50mm, still OK but a bit larger.
 
Given the size of your hands I Think the Classic 1 is a no go, sadly (it’s a terrific face lathering brush, my favorite actually)

both the Classic and the Chubby 1 have handle heights of about 39-40mm, but the Chubby is much fatter so it feels bigger on the hand

emperor is definitely a brush designed for larger hands, but I think it excels as a bowl lathering brush.

Given your options I would suggest either the Chubby 1 (smaller handle but denser knot) or the Commodore (larger handle but smaller and less dense knot). A Chubby 2 would be ideal for you, imho
 
Thanks chaps. So no bigger than the Chubby 1 for my needs. How about the Classic 1 - it is around $25 cheaper than the Chubby, seems to have a similar knot but a taller loft. Is this not as desirable for face lathering?
 
IMO, go even cheaper for a Simpson. If you're happy with it after about 12 months or so, then you can always buy a more expensive model. My first Simpson was a Colonel and it was a favorite for it's first 60-75 lathers over a 12 month period, but it had fallen from grace - it decided to start shedding hairs here and there to the point it became a little too frustrating. Unfortunately, I no longer use it as often, but I also consider myself fortune for not investing in a more expensive model. Just my 2 cents...

I'm guessing you're considering buying from Beard & Blade - Very good vendor. They're likely to look after you if anything goes wrong during the warranty period. Perhaps consider the Commodore X1 Best or Special 1 Best. If you buy a Simpson, I recommend you use it at least 80% of the time during its warranty period.
 
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EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
I almost always face lather and have tried many Simpson brushes of all grades. For me, the Chubby or Duke series is the best for face lathering with the Chubby 1 or Duke 3 being the best of the bunch in terms of size. The Chubby 2 and 3 were simply absurdly large and I sold them. The super grade is excellent and the best is every bit as good, if you get a good one, as the quality is a bit variable these days and too many shed for a brush of this price. I agree with the recommendation above to use it heavily during the warranty period. The Manchurian hair is my favourite but is only available directly from Simpson. Everyone feels differently so you will need to try for yourself but none of the Simpson brushes will disappoint. Good luck.
 
Thanks chaps. So no bigger than the Chubby 1 for my needs. How about the Classic 1 - it is around $25 cheaper than the Chubby, seems to have a similar knot but a taller loft. Is this not as desirable for face lathering?
from personal experience the classic 1 knot is great for face lathering. Has lots of backbone but the handle is on the small side. You might want to check out a 56, 57, KH2, or KH3 which have similar sized knots and ergonomic handle shapes. If you are sticking with the choices at the local vendor, I would go E1, X3, then Chubby based on handles.
 
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Rudy Vey

Shaving baby skin and turkey necks
Stupid question: is the one on the right the AOS silvertip?? From the color it looks like a boar to me, but from the hair texture, it looks like a badger - the color is truly odd, can you put another shot here, a side view.
Most silvertips, at least all the ones I have seen from AOS have three distinct band.
 
Levue, I simply don't know enough to make an informed decision but thanks for the tip. Maybe, as Volare has suggested, I can look at something like that in a year or two. Richard it sounds as though Simpson may have some quality issues from what you have said and perhaps it would be prudent for me to get the the Commodore X1, and yes it would be from Beard & Blade.

Rudy the colour that you see on the right brush (AoS) is a true indication. My memory may be playing tricks but I don't think that it was always that colour and texture. The softness of the brush, when dry feels similar rougher than my son's pure badger brush but it doesn't give me any scratchiness like his when lathering up.
 
Levue, I simply don't know enough to make an informed decision but thanks for the tip. Maybe, as Volare has suggested, I can look at something like that in a year or two. Richard it sounds as though Simpson may have some quality issues from what you have said and perhaps it would be prudent for me to get the the Commodore X1, and yes it would be from Beard & Blade.

Rudy the colour that you see on the right brush (AoS) is a true indication. My memory may be playing tricks but I don't think that it was always that colour and texture. The softness of the brush, when dry feels similar rougher than my son's pure badger brush but it doesn't give me any scratchiness like his when lathering up.

I have the X2 and it's my favorite Simpson brush from the dozen or so I've had.

I'd say go for the X1 and don't look back :)
 
I think the Tulip 3 is what you need.
The handle is nice to hold and the knot size is just right. Simpson Tulip 3 is a great daily workhorse.
 
Of the brushes available at your vendor, I would choose the chubby 1. I have one in super, and it is my favorite brush.

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Id go with the Chubby 1 or Classic 1. The Classic is going to be a bit smaller than the Chubby but its really mostly handle size.
Im a face latherer and I use a Simpson Special S1 (Ive got 2, 1 in pure badger and the other in best badger) and even though theyre a very small brush by most's standards, they still hold plenty of lather for multiple passes.
I actually looked at a Chubby 1 but felt that it was a little overpriced and didnt think that it would fit on my razor/brush stand. I just couldnt see spending $90 on a Chubby 1 when I could get a Special for $25-$35.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
For face-lathering, I wouldn’t go larger than 24mm. Good luck!

For face-lathering I use badger brushes with knots up to 33 mm all the time. It's really about what you like and what works with your whiskers, skin, soap, and water.

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My current brush is massive, probably too big for its current face lathering duty. I recently gave my son a Frank Shaving Pure Badger brush and I have had a couple of goes with it and it seems to get the job done better than my brush. My brush, which I purchased on a trip to the US in 2009, is an Art Of Shaving Silvertip Handmade. It still sheds, but not badly but it appears as though it is thinning out in the middle. It is around 110mm high, with a knot around 27mm. My son's shaving brush has a knot of around 20mm and is about 95mm high.

What are you showing here?

The brush on the right is unlike any badger I've ever seen. It looks like a boar to me.

Generally I measure the knot's height - handle's top edge to knot's tip top - when comparing brushes and knots.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
I think the Tulip 3 is what you need.
The handle is nice to hold and the knot size is just right. Simpson Tulip 3 is a great daily workhorse.

I agree. Tulip is slightly less dense than the chubby and has a longer handle. I love the tulip. Or, a Duke 3 in best if you want less expensive would be a good choice.


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