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Simpson 2 band vs 3 band

I have a Simpson Chubby #3 in Super Badger and it's a 2 band. I bought it before Simpson was sold. I just read an article that said some 3 band brushes are bleached to look like 2 bands. Is that true? Are there 2 band brushes that are natural and not bleached? I have been told that 2 band brushes work better with soaps so is that also true?
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
Two band brushes have a wider dark band than three band brushes. I do not see how bleaching could turn a three band into a two band. I think that many two and three band brushes are not bleached. That said there is a trend in recent years to bleach and otherwise chemically treat the tips to gel them. I dislike gel tips very much but I do not see how it could create a two band from a three band.
 
You've got a Somerset 2-band Super Chubby 3? That's one heck of a nice brush there.

I don't really see how bleach could turn a 3-band into a 2-band...maybe the other way around, but I've never heard of it. Like @EclipseRedRing said, there has been a recent trend towards "gel tipping" 2-band knots using chemicals & heat to break & curl the tips, but I don't think Simpson's does that, and if your brush is from before the sale to Vulfix then it's certainly from before gel tipping became a thing.

As for 2-bands working better for soap...a lot depends on the particular hair, the knot, and how it's set, but in general, I guess most 2-bands I can think of have a fair amount of backbone, so maybe you could say they work better for soaps, but I wouldn't rely on that as a general thing. I think it's less the 2-band being better for soaps than a lot of 3-band silvertip brushes being floppy and not good for soaps, but that's going to depend on the knot and how it's set. A sparse, high-lofted 2-band Finest will be floppy, and a dense, low-lofted 3-band Silvertip will be backbony, regardless of the hair. One way or another, any Chubby is going to be a soap monster, due to its density and backbone, so I wouldn't worry too much about that in regards to your current brush.
 
What is a "Somerset"? When I purchased my brush I just bought a Chubby 3 Super Badger and received a 2 band. At the time I didn't know the difference between a 2 and 3 band. Now I am hearing the term "Somerset" What does it mean?
 
Somerset is where Simpson’s was located before is was sold to vulfix.
To answer your questions:

No, a three band brush can’t be bleached to look like 2band.

Yes, there are natural and not bleached 2band brushes (I presume you are talking about the bleaching of the tips).

Yes, stiffness of the bristle is one contributing factor to effectiveness of lifting soap from a hard puck.

You have me curious about your Chubby 3. When did you buy it? Will you post a picture of it? I haven’t had a whole lot of experience with pre Isle of Mann brushes.
 
Thanks for the information! Is a Somerset Simpson better than a Vulfix Simpson? I purchased the Simpson Chubby 3, Super from Lee's Safety Razor in 2005. I have used it every day since then.

I will sent a picture soon.
 
Thanks for the information! Is a Somerset Simpson better than a Vulfix Simpson? I purchased the Simpson Chubby 3, Super from Lee's Safety Razor in 2005. I have used it every day since then.

I will sent a picture soon.
I don’t know about better but they are certainly more collectible. The simmerset era that is.
 
Thanks for the information! Is a Somerset Simpson better than a Vulfix Simpson?

Of course collectors like them, since collectors like anything that's rare, but I'm not aware of anything that makes Somersets distinctly better or worse than post-Vulfix Simpsons. I did hear at one point that, right before the sale to Vulfix, some of the last Somerset brushes had a problem with shedding, but obviously that'd be something you'd have noticed in the last 16 years if it were a problem with yours. Also, some people might value Somerset Chubby 2's, since Vulfix increased the size of the CH2, a change not everyone agreed with (hence the big difference between the CH1 and CH2 compared to the difference between CH2 and CH3), but that wouldn't affect your CH3.

Really, it's just a rare, interesting brush, and that's pretty cool.
 
Thanks! I lose an occasional hair now and then but shedding is not a problem. After 16 yeas of daily use it is still a full brush head!
 

Rudy Vey

Shaving baby skin and turkey necks
The old Simpson two-band Super hair is truly excellent.
Glad to own a polo 8 in his hair. In my opinion it is much better than the three band Super - but as I said, this is my opinion...
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
The old Simpsons 2 band hair was indeed special, apparently (I've never owned it). But from years of reading this forum and others like it I think that everything wasn't as perfect in the Somerset days as some would have us believe. Again, this is only based on reading posts here and elsewhere, but there were some QC issues at the end for Simpsons at Somerset, issues that it took Progress Vulfix a while to resolve.

Next time you find yourself locked down in a pandemic you should go back to shaving discussion boards from 2006 and start reading through 16 or 17 years of posts about Simpsons. A way to while away many the hour...
 
As with most hobbies, the narrative is typically “vintage is better”, sort of a nostalgic thing I believe. But objectively speaking, it’s hard to see how 2005 farmed badgers would provide better hair than 2021 farmed badgers.

I’m not saying a Somerset Chubby is not a special brush, I’m saying that I don’t believe the Vulfix Chubby is anything less special. I fell to the narrative in the past, buying vintage 2-band Super Simpsons and other razors, and have not realized the expected additional benefits.

Razors like Tradere or Weber come to mind. When in production, they were average products, but now people sell their cars to buy them in the aftermarket

In fact, my favorite Simpsons is a 2018 Chubby 1 in Super. Now, that’s a special brush. Maybe in 2030 people will rave about it
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
Excellent post, @macintoshBR. I've bought and used Simpsons' Best badger for about 11 years, and I think that the quality over the past 2 years is the "best" Best I've seen. I also can't imagine a brush any better than the Chubby 1 in Super that I have that was probably made in 2020.

I have a Rooney Pure from the 80s that is outstanding, and I have a few Rooney 3 bands from 2010-2015 that are pretty good quality brushes, but there is nothing extraordinary about them apart from the fact that you can't get them anymore. Whenever I post a photo of one of them here it garners more attention than one would expect for a photo of a typical silvertip.
 
As requested, attached is a photo of my Somerset Simpson Chubby 3, Super Badger that I purchased in 2005.
 

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Sorry, I will try again. I am not sure why it didn't work.
 

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I think this photo worked.
 

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As with most hobbies, the narrative is typically “vintage is better”, sort of a nostalgic thing I believe. But objectively speaking, it’s hard to see how 2005 farmed badgers would provide better hair than 2021 farmed badgers.

I’m not saying a Somerset Chubby is not a special brush, I’m saying that I don’t believe the Vulfix Chubby is anything less special. I fell to the narrative in the past, buying vintage 2-band Super Simpsons and other razors, and have not realized the expected additional benefits.

Razors like Tradere or Weber come to mind. When in production, they were average products, but now people sell their cars to buy them in the aftermarket

In fact, my favorite Simpsons is a 2018 Chubby 1 in Super. Now, that’s a special brush. Maybe in 2030 people will rave about it
Good post. Same thing happens with cars, toys, guitars and many other “antique items”.

I own very desirable “vintage“ guitars that are 50+ years old and worth a small fortune. My recently made models blow away the old ones (better tone, look, materials and fit and finish) and are worth much less $$$. Old doesn’t always mean better or even more rare.

All of my Simpsons are “Made in Great Britain” and the oldest might be 7-8 years old (all red box). I don’t have a single dud or shedder out of well over a dozen. I would love to try a vintage Simpson and would buy one if I saw one for a good price, but I am perfectly happy with my newer Vulfix Simpsons.
 
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