Is it normal for my Simpsons etching and stickers to slightly different. I just received my second Simpson and just wondering because my Dukes dont look like identical twins with different hair styles.
Simpson Experts Need Your Help!
- Thread starter robochoche
- Start date
I don't know which brush is the first and which is the second on the photo but to me the left one has Best hair grade knot, and the one on the right looks 2-band.
I am no expert, but I have all 3 Dukes. The etching on mine are all slightly different as are the handles, but the knots look very similar aside from the differences in size. Is the Duke 2 on the right in Pure or Best?
The left one is the standard fan shaped variant in Best while the right one is the bulb shaped two band version. The two bands aren't labelled as two band.
- Thread starter
- #5
The one on the left is a Duke 2 best and the one on the right is a Duke 2 2 band. I was expecting the engraving to be identical which does not always happens with handmade goods.
I like the variance in the brushes, it gives the brushes character. However, if the lofts vary too much, then there's an issue.
- Thread starter
- #8
Thanks for all the info guys.
Aren't these bad boys hand made? That would make for the discrepencies
There may be some slight differences from brush to brush regarding the engraving and the tonality of the handles. Also the knots may vary. But this is the nature of all handmade pieces and does not have to be considered as a defect but as a value IMHO.
Yes, there are possible differences in each brush because of the handmade nature of each.
Look at the sample of Simpson Brushes for Jarrod's website below. These are all Persian Jar (PJ3) in best.
Look at the sample of Simpson Brushes for Jarrod's website below. These are all Persian Jar (PJ3) in best.
The "etchings" are done by hand, so slight variations are possible.
- Thread starter
- #13
Guys is it safe to asume that my duke in best is more dense than my duke 2 band?
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As has been mentioned; hand-done work does vary.
I'm gonna get banned for saying this but maybe the brush makers at Simpson should watch the recently posted video from Da Vinci...
That lady looks like she is hand making her knots but the interesting thing she does is when she gets one done she looks at another one in comparison...I can hear her thoughts now, "Ok got another one done, let's see if it looks like the last one I did...yep it does, good to go." At Simpson it goes like this..."Ok got another one done, I don't care if it looks like the last few I did or the next few I do, those stupid Americans think that since it is "Handmade" there will be variances so why should I try to make them the same."
I mean seriously!!! Shavemac, Da Vinci, Rooney, M&F, Semogue, etc...all hand make their knots and for the most part they are pretty uniform.
Keep in mind I own a few Simpson brushes and actually have bought a couple of the new Manchurian brushes, but I wonder this...Why do we always seem to stick up for Simpson? If a new brush manufacturer came into the sceen, we would rip them apart if they didn't provide us with some sort of uniformity. But when it comes to Simpson we just say..."oh it is ok because they are hand made"...
I only said what everyone was thinking...I will continue using my Simpsons I just think that for the money we could get a little more consistency.
No Disrespect meant,
Justin
That lady looks like she is hand making her knots but the interesting thing she does is when she gets one done she looks at another one in comparison...I can hear her thoughts now, "Ok got another one done, let's see if it looks like the last one I did...yep it does, good to go." At Simpson it goes like this..."Ok got another one done, I don't care if it looks like the last few I did or the next few I do, those stupid Americans think that since it is "Handmade" there will be variances so why should I try to make them the same."
I mean seriously!!! Shavemac, Da Vinci, Rooney, M&F, Semogue, etc...all hand make their knots and for the most part they are pretty uniform.
Keep in mind I own a few Simpson brushes and actually have bought a couple of the new Manchurian brushes, but I wonder this...Why do we always seem to stick up for Simpson? If a new brush manufacturer came into the sceen, we would rip them apart if they didn't provide us with some sort of uniformity. But when it comes to Simpson we just say..."oh it is ok because they are hand made"...
I only said what everyone was thinking...I will continue using my Simpsons I just think that for the money we could get a little more consistency.
No Disrespect meant,
Justin
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Actually I just bought another Simpsons off the BST...obviously I like the brand just wish they were held accountable to the same standards as everyone else was...
Justin
Justin
The best way to find out is gently balling all of the hairs up in your fingers and seeing what clump of hairs is bigger. Its not quite scientific, but it works. That said, density between 2 and 3 bands is tricky to compare as two band hair tappers much more than three band. So even with an identical volume of hair at the knot, the two band will look less dense at the tips. Its part of why two band has more backbone, and can have good flow threw even at higher density.
For once I could not have said it better myself
As always well put!
+1...
can you even quote someone to answerer that same persons own question?
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Brilliant post! Completely agree, and it is why I buy German brushes now!
I agree entirely.
Ah, how the industrial revolution has influenced our thinking, including my own. Many of us have the tendency to be exacting when it comes to certain things, myself included. However, hand-made means just that and not machine-made. Honestly, I've had to remind myself of this several times over the past few years.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with insisting upon mathematical precision. It's just that we cannot rely on a firm such as Simpsons for that sort of thing.
Justin, well said and true! Other makers can make identical knots all the time. When I received the 50+ knots for the B&B 2012 LE brush from Shavemac, all the knots looked like a true image of the others. All hand made, and all have the same shape, knot size and loft!! You are also right with the statement that they can get away with all kind of bad quality. However, when one of the other makers makes a booboo - like we had a big Shavemac discussion just a few days ago because the loft was not as expected - then it is piled on and on, even when it was just one bad apple. When you see the pictures of the Simpson brushes at The Superior Shave (Jarrod's site) one must wonder what the quality control of Simpson is!! I have a few Simpsons myself and use them, but I am more satisfied with my Thaeter, Shavemac and DaVinci brushes as I think they are a much higher quality.
For your viewing pleasure a few pictures of truly handmade Shavemac knots here:
