What's new

Simpson by Vulfix - A Report Card

johnniegold

"Got Shoes?"
It appears that there has been alot of Simpson threads going on. Custom Simpsons, Anniversary Simpsons, Threads about the Wee Scot, the Keyhole and I think I did one about the Eagle. :)rolleyes:)

Some time has elapsed since Vulfix obtained Simpson and moved the shop from Somerset to the Isle of Man. I must admit that I met the change with some trepidation and early on wouldn't buy a Vulfix-made Simpson, being such an ardent fan of the original brushes.

My first foray was a Tulip 3 which I thought did not resemble the characteristics of the original Simpson hair. Good brush but not what I had signed on for so I sold it.

Then the two-band wave hit and I picked up a two-banded Tulip 2. Hey, now this is a good brush, I thought. I like it. Then, I picked up a 90th Anniversary Astor Brush which I am still reserving on since I only used it twice but so far, so good.

I am impressed with the job that Vulfix has done with the Simpson line. I think initially the quality was somewhat lacking since they may have been anxious to recoup on their initial investment but then it appeared they exercised a little more care in the production of this once proud line of legendary brushes.

I think Vulfix is returning the Simpson line to its rightful place in the shaving brush pantheon as one of the top brushes in the wet-shaving world.

Kudos to Vulfix on a job well-done. :thumbup1:

What do you think?
 
I have a Chubby 1 in Best. Can't imagine it being any nicer. It's soft (very soft for a Best), very dense, no shedding, nice weight. No complaints here. It performs GREAT.
 

Antique Hoosier

“Aircooled”
If I ever buy another shave brush, it will be a Simpson. Vulfix IS doing a fantastic job from what I can tell. This is a 180 degree change in my opinion when the firm made it's move.
 
To be honest, I never understood the brouhaha over Vulfix acquiring Simpsons. I have owned brushes from both companies and they were excellent. Vulfix is a fine brush maker. I never expected less.
 
Well I never had any experience with pre-Vulfix brushes, but the Simpson brushes have been growing more and more on me in the past few months and have been quite impressed with their regular Super and Best grades funny enough more than their two-band. I do have 2 two-bands from them so it hasn't been I haven't experienced it, but for me Rooney Finest is above them there. Just a distinct difference there. It's like day and knight.

Not that I don't like the two-bands from Simpson though. You really need to give them time and they get much better with use. I still need to give them more time, but that's only because I've been getting other brushes as well and I don't shave everyday usually. But I think that Vulfix has been doing a great job with the brushes. I got 4 Simpsons now and very little hair loss from any of them, and still have an itch for a few more Simpsons! :drool:
 

Isaac

B&B Tease-in-Residence
I have to say that I truly believe everything is superb. They have had some quality control issues, but the company/vendors are quick to rectify the situations. Its nice that they were able to obtain so much 2 band hair as well.
 
I recently picked up a "57" and a Keyhole 2, both with Best hair, and I have been extremely pleased with them. The quality has been great, with the Keyhole only losing a couple of hairs, and the 57 hasn't dropped one. I don't have a Somerset to compare to, but I have absolutely no problem with them.
 
I have never used a Pre-Vulfix Simpson, but I had an Ehsan and have currently a Duke 1 in Best and a Wee Scot and I couldn't be happier.
 
I think quality and customer service are better. The only gripe I might have is that there are more bulb-shaped knots and I prefer fan-shaped. I have a Chubby 1 in best that is a great performing brush but just doesn't look quite right to my eye because the loft is a little too high and it's bulb-shaped. It's purely visual though. It's never lost a single hair and probably works better than any other brush I own.
 
Although their Two-band brushes (at least in my experience) can be a bit hit-or-miss, I think that the new Simpsons Best is FAR superior to their old Best. Haven't tried the new Super, though.
 
i agree with the quality developments with the Vulfix Simpsons, I do prefer Super and Best to 2 bands on the Simpson line.
 
I only have Simpson's 2-band. Someday I'll check out 3-band Best or Super (sigh, probably both). One of mine is Pre Vulfix and two are Post Vulfix. They are all awesome brushes. I had a Vulfix Simpsons 2-band that shed like crazy and returned it for a problem-free Tulip 2. This kind of thing used to happen with Simpson's before Vulfix acquired them as well. The shedding was a bit of a drag but I happily look past it to the quality, feel and performance of my current stable of Simpsons brushes.

Personally I feel there is something magic about Simpson's brushes and I would recommend them without hesitation. However, do buy from a reputable vendor who will allow you to exchange the brush if there is a problem. I guess really though that's how I handle all my purchases.
 
You can pick up the phone or email them directly and you are more than likely to get a personal response from management...can't say that about Rooney.
 
I agree whole-heartedly. I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for information on how to contact Rooney...let alone contact them directly.

My last two Simpson purchases have been the a chubby and an emperor...both in super grade. I can happily report that I have lost ONE measly hair on my emperor after using it daily over the past few days. I've used the chubby 4 times with no loss of hair. I face lather and do enjoy scrubbing the brush around a fair bit...either I'm extremely fortunate or else their quality control is pretty darn decent. To be honest, I haven't had any hair loss with my Rooney Stubby either...I think both manufacturers are doing a top-notch job with their products...it all comes down to personal preference...
 
I have several older Simpsons that I like a lot, no direct experience with the new ones. I was sorry to see the lampblack go in favor of engraving - even though the latter works fine. The customer service from Vulfix is outstanding - an area where Simpsons failed miserably toward the end of the Carter years IMO. As a practical matter, If Vulfix had not "come to the rescue" Simpsons may well have disappeared completely which would have been a pity.

Overall, I give Vulfix very high marks for doing a good job.
 
Top Bottom