Simpson Polo 8?

[senatorxmg]

Okay....I've got the following brushes with my comments:

Vulfix 2235: My first brush...nice but not enough density and backbone. Too floppy for me.
Simpson Chubby 1: Love this brush but feel the handle is just a little too small for my comfort. As well, I prefer to bowl lather and therefore this is not a match made in Heaven.
Kent BK8: Very nice brush and the handle is a great size for me...not quite as dense as I'd like, though. It's not floppy...just not as much backbone as I prefer.

I guess what I'm looking for is a densely filled brush like the Chubby but with a longer handle...something easier to bowl lather with.

Question: Can anyone who owns the Simpson Polo 8 tell me if this will come close to my requirements?

 

[AABCDS]

I have a Polo 8 in Manchurian and a Polo 8 in 2-band Super; to me, the Manchurian is a lot more dense. The 2-band super is not as dense as my Chubby 2 in Super or my Chubby 3 in Best.

 

[Chuckaluck]

I have the Polo 8 best and Chubby 1 best. The Polo is not as dense as the Chubby, but it is a great brush! I bowl lather with the Polo and face lather with the Chubby.

 

[yellafella321]

What grade hair is your Chubby? As the others have hinted at, the density/feel of best/super vs 2band vs manchurian is very different.

For the hierarchy of simpson density is Chubby -> Classic -> Tulip -> Polo, so I'd recommend looking at the Tulip 3.

 

[senatorxmg]

What grade hair is your Chubby? As the others have hinted at, the density/feel of best/super vs 2band vs manchurian is very different.

For the hierarchy of simpson density is Chubby -> Classic -> Tulip -> Polo, so I'd recommend looking at the Tulip 3.

It's a Best.

The Classic and the Tulip don't seem to have the same size of handle that the Polo has...that's what had me considering that model.

I don't need the same density as the Chubby...just looking for a brush with quite a bit more backbone than the other two brushes I own. The Tulip 3 is more than I wanted to spend.

Thanks for the info!

 

[yellafella321]

I can hit 10 keys on a piano very easily, so I have pretty monster hands, and I think the tulip 3 is just fine.

There's a very significant drop in density from the Chubby to the Polo series.

 

[senatorxmg]

The specs of the Tulip 3 and the Polo 8 are below:

Tulip 3
Total Height: 108mm
Bristle Loft: 56mm
Knot Dia: 25mm
Hair: Simpson Super 2-Band Badger

Polo 8
Total Height: 120mm
Loft: 53mm
Knot Diameter: 25mm
Hair: Simpson Best Badger

With the Polo 8 having the same size knot yet a shorter loft, doesn't it defy logic that the Tulip 3 would have more backbone to it as you say? Perhaps they cram more hair into the Tulip's 25mm knot and that's where the difference is made?

I've put in an order for the Polo 8 in best badger. I'm hoping the best will make it a little stiffer. If it doesn't meet my needs, you will see it on the B/S/T and I'll give the Tulip a try. The Tulip 3 seems to meet my requirements other than it's higher price.

Thanks for the info, guys!

 

[Mick]

The Polo series are BIG... REALLY BIG....

You will need to get larger lathering bowls for them as the fill a "normal" sized bowl with little room left to whip up lather.

Polo 8 in a Georgetown G5 to show what I mean

 

[Gruder]

I have a Polo 10 made back before Simpson measurements and quality control became more, well, hit and miss. Today, it seems as though it'd be tough to determine whether the brush you order would meet your needs. The Polo loft seems longer than the chubby (not necessarily a bad thing at all - YMMV), but this means that the brush might come across to you as less dense.

The long handle part of your request seems to be the sticking point here -- I wonder if you'd be happiest working with a custom handle maker like Rudy Vey, who can design the handle you want and secure/set a shavemac knot with added density and a shorter loft. Another option would be to send him (or any other reputable handle-maker) the Chubby and have the knot itself set in a custom handle. I did that with my Kent B&B LE, and am very happy with the outcome. Best of luck in your quest!

 

[senatorxmg]

I have a Polo 10 made back before Simpson measurements and quality control became more, well, hit and miss. Today, it seems as though it'd be tough to determine whether the brush you order would meet your needs. The Polo loft seems longer than the chubby (not necessarily a bad thing at all - YMMV), but this means that the brush might come across to you as less dense.

The long handle part of your request seems to be the sticking point here -- I wonder if you'd be happiest working with a custom handle maker like Rudy Vey, who can design the handle you want and secure/set a shavemac knot with added density and a shorter loft. Another option would be to send him (or any other reputable handle-maker) the Chubby and have the knot itself set in a custom handle. I did that with my Kent B&B LE, and am very happy with the outcome. Best of luck in your quest!

Hmmm...that's an idea.

I said above that I was looking for a longer handled brush as densely filled as the Chubby. Perhaps I should have more correctly stated that I wanted a brush with more backbone than the Kent and Vulfix brushes I have. I was referring to the Chubby as that's my most densely packed one. Being as densely packed as it is, the Chubby is not great for bowl lathering...which is my preferred method. So, if it were less than the Chubby but noticeably more than my other two...that would be perfect!