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Simpson Brushes | Tell Me True | Is Mashing Bad?

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
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I'm looking at and considering whether I'm interested in saving up for a Simpson Chubby 2 in Best.

My question is about this, from Simpson...

When shaving try using paint brush back & forth strokes for lather building rather than circular 'mashing' motions which tend to put additional stress and pressure on the bristles. Excessive force can snap or dislodge bristles from their glue bond.

I always swirl and mash my brush into my face during my face lathering and have no plans to change what I do.

I'm aware that other manufacturers and vendors sometimes say much the same thing Simpson says. My question is whether what they say is something a potential buy who is also a masher, splayer, and face scrubber has to actually be concerned about?


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I'd just blow off what Simpson says, but these brushes cost well over a buck fifty. I'd hate to buy one and ruin it.

Also, do they sometimes make this Best with handles other than the ivory? Other colors I mean of course.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
View attachment 1091435

I'm looking at and considering whether I'm interested in saving up for a Simpson Chubby 2 in Best.

My question is about this, from Simpson...



I always swirl and mash my brush into my face during my face lathering and have no plans to change what I do.

I'm aware that other manufacturers and vendors sometimes say much the same thing Simpson says. My question is whether what they say is something a potential buy who is also a masher, splayer, and face scrubber has to actually be concerned about?


View attachment 1091433View attachment 1091434

I'd just blow off what Simpson says, but these brushes cost well over a buck fifty. I'd hate to buy one and ruin it.

Also, do they sometimes make this Best with handles other than the ivory? Other colors I mean of course.

Happy shaves,

Jim
I think Simpson is correct in that mashing will put additional stress on the bristles. However, I find it extremely hard to build lather without splaying the brush. Painting helps but splaying the brush is the meat of lathering.

Only painting the brush will probably make the brush last longer. However, what's the point of lathering then if you get sub-optimal lather by restricting yourself to painting? I know this is subjective but I will splay my brush no matter what. My brushes are doing fine so far and I enjoy building my lather through splaying.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
I think Simpson is correct in that mashing will put additional stress on the bristles. However, I find it extremely hard to build lather without splaying the brush. Painting helps but splaying the brush is the meat of lathering.

Only painting the brush will probably make the brush last longer. However, what's the point of lathering then if you get sub-optimal lather by restricting yourself to painting? I know this is subjective but I will splay my brush no matter what. My brushes are doing fine so far and I enjoy building my lather through splaying.

A gentleman of the same stripe. Thanks.

Do you mash Simpson's?
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
I mash all my brushes, but then I don’t have any that cost more than $60 or so. I do have a couple of Simpsons Best Badgers, and I mash ‘em.

I've received a PM agreeing with what seems to be an emerging consensus. Not that everyone likes to mash of course, but I don't really see how to face lather without splaying the brush.
 
With you Jim, as always! I splay, but I don’t mash. Regardless of the instructions, I’m not sure how to generate lather without splaying. But only about a quarter of the way down, nowhere near a full mash. And then, side to side, never circular. Haven’t lost even a hair on my Chubby 2 Best using that technique. And the Chubby 2 synthetic is also great that way.
 
As long as you don't go overboard you should be OK. I have a Duke 3 and Chubby 2 both in best. I use circular motions to load my brush and work the lather on my face. I also use a painting motion. However, I don't use excessive force when working lather.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
As long as you don't go overboard you should be OK. I have a Duke 3 and Chubby 2 both in best. I use circular motions to load my brush and work the lather on my face. I also use a painting motion. However, I don't use excessive force when working lather.

Thank you for sharing your experience, Jim, and thanks to everyone.

I've been offered a brand new, never used Chubby 2 in Best (offered since I started this thread today) and have purchased it. A very good deal as I saw it, too. I wasn't actually planning to buy a brush just yet, but grabbed the opportunity.

It will be my first Simpson and my first brush in Best.

Happy shaves to everyone,

Jim
 
You can splay without mashing. If you feel the glue bump on a Chinese knot, you’re mashing.

When I started out I swirled, once I heard that was what caused donutting, I stopped. Painting strokes are just as effective if you alternate the angle.

The reason I don’t like floppy brushes, and why I assume most people who face lather agree, Is that with those brushes mashing and splaying are the same thing. With a brush with back bone you can splay it with a fraction of the force it would take to mash it, because the Backbone of the knot resists it being mashed after it starts to splay.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
You can splay without mashing. If you feel the glue bump on a Chinese knot, you’re mashing.

When I started out I swirled, once I heard that was what caused donutting, I stopped. Painting strokes are just as effective if you alternate the angle.

The reason I don’t like floppy brushes, and why I assume most people who face lather agree, Is that with those brushes mashing and splaying are the same thing. With a brush with back bone you can splay it with a fraction of the force it would take to mash it, because the Backbone of the knot resists it being mashed after it starts to splay.

Yes, that's how I usually experience and think of it. I don't mash in an excessive manner with most of the brushes I like. The Omega Evo would be the exception; I've felt its glue bump. Now, with the Evo I stop short of the glue bump.

I've not seen any donut holes in any of my brushes. I'll admit to soon giving up on brushes which don't have backbone.

Thanks for the advice,

Jim
 
This link is explaining policy only for unusued products, and is entirely unrelated to warranty claims for [supposedly] defective products.
Thank you. Do you have a link to the warranty, dumb me couldn't find it on the website? I just checked all 6 of my Simpson boxes, 4 gray, 2 red including one Vulfix and no warranty's there either.
 
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Thank you for sharing your experience, Jim, and thanks to everyone.

I've been offered a brand new, never used Chubby 2 in Best (offered since I started this thread today) and have purchased it. A very good deal as I saw it, too. I wasn't actually planning to buy a brush just yet, but grabbed the opportunity.

It will be my first Simpson and my first brush in Best.

Happy shaves to everyone,

Jim
Slippery s(l)oap slope my friend. If you like splay but firm, the Chubby 3 is unparalleled. Oh well. And then there’s the Polo 10. But those cured my BAD for good.
 
As long as you don't go overboard you should be OK. I have a Duke 3 and Chubby 2 both in best. I use circular motions to load my brush and work the lather on my face. I also use a painting motion. However, I don't use excessive force when working lather.

+ 1

I have Duke 1 & 3 plus Commodore X3 all in Best, and I use the same method around my face as above with circular motion and splaying without excessive force.

Personally vendors state just painting motion to cover themselves, but if you just face lather you can’t build up a good enough lather by painting alone.


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if it's hardcore mashing the middle will give out prematurely. Several of those pics around here. All the magic takes place at the brush tips anyways.
 
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