Simpson Best is going bald..... what to do?

[Blood donor]

My 2 year old Simpson Best Duke seems to be going prematurely bald.... It shed a little but consistently about a year ago (also about a year after getting/using) which stopped after a few months of use in rotation, but now it seems clear that the middle of the brush is thin and the performance has suffered - much more lather coming out and down the handle as less to cling to inside the brush I expect. Should I contact Simpson/Amazon - I used the brush about 3 times a week, letting it dry fully between uses. None of my others have had this issue and I don't mash the bristles - I face lather.

 

[HiPowerRon]

I would contact Simpsons (Vulfix). BTW, how do you clean your brush?

 

[211bma]

I would contact Simpsons (Vulfix). BTW, how do you clean your brush?

This^

If nothing else I imagine they would re-knot it for you.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[Blood donor]

Thanks. I clean it with a couple of latherings with dishwashing soap every so often

 

[Shiloh]

That middle-brush wear pattern can come from too much pressure whilst loading, and "screwdrivering" the brush...I know because I was guilty of that on an early badger brush...a definite no-no. Is it possible you did/do that?

 

[bakerbarber]

That's not good. Sorry to see a good brush go down before its time. I would normally think something like this is from use if I saw it in a second hand store or something. I'm surprised it's only a couple of years old.

It's a tough situation. If it was a few weeks in, it would be different. Two years is a long time. Even at only three times a week.

It very well could be an issue with how it was made, but I think it's something that some could rightfully say should have been addressed earlier. I realize you probably weren't alarmed until seeing it how it is now though. I probably wouldn't be too concerned about a hair or two once in a while, but if it dropped a lot of them for an extended period of time after a year of use, it's a little more complicated. It's best to rule out something else like rough use or harsh treatment. It could be a combo of lots of variables. Even something like not getting it sufficiently wet before using it could have contributed to the damage.

If you have hard water, that could significantly compound other problems over time. Hard water makes rinsing the brush clean extra difficult. Over time a little bit of soap and lather and hard water deposits will build up in the knot. It will eventually attack the hairs and the adhesive making individual hairs susceptible to breaking.

On Shavemac's website there's an explanation of this phenomenon and a video of what to look for. Basically with a dry brush you run your hand over the knot and see if a puff of dust comes off. If so, you need to step up your game in the future and rinse your brushes better. A water softener would help. That or using distilled water. Neither of which is an easy answer.

I'm not saying it's strictly your fault. The middle is usually where a well worn brush shows its age first. Yours isn't exactly long in the tooth though. So, I wouldn't expect that kind of thing to happen in two years even with really abusive use. I would have a hard time faulting Simpsons if they weren't going to repair or replace it after two years. It's a tough one.

I would be pretty disappointed too if this happened to me. Hopefully they will work with you. If it were me I'd definitely reach out to them. I'd be happy with a discount if they offered. I'd be ecstatic if they were willing to do more.

I hope they help you out.

 

[Terp61]

I tried three Simpson Colonels, sent them back one after the next due to sheddding, really bad shedding. No Simpson brush for me.

 

[Blood donor]

Thanks all. I don't think I'm at fault given the above possibly diagnosis options but hard to know of course and it may Ben something else. I load fairly lightly and face not bowl lather so go easy on myself and the brush. I clean it regularly and have normal water. I soak it for 5 mins before loading and dry fully between uses. None of my other badgers with similar usage have this problem.