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Simpsons "Super" and the Emperor 1

I recently dove back in to the search for an ideal Simpson brush, having given up for a while after being both disappointed by a Classic 1 and generally pleased with my Commodore X1.

This came in the form of an Emperor 1; I've always liked the look of the handle and the size seemed to be in the general neighborhood that I favor (small knot, low loft, more fan than bulb... though published Simpson knot dimensions are *ahem* inexact at best), so a sale price was all it took to push me over the edge into ordering one.

The result (for me at least) was that I have finally found a brush that equals or exceeds my other favorites (a TGN 20mm Finest fan I set in a hand turned dymondwood handle for my late father years ago and a custom Shavemac with 20mm fan shaped Silvertip 2-band knot).

I'm interested to know if the very dense and resilient character of the knot in my Emperor is typical of all Simpson Super bristle, or if Super is as variable as "Best", which in my experience runs the gamut from prickly to plush and nicely springy, to borderline floppy, with all shadings in between.

Either way, I think my search has ended with this knot/handle combo, hopefully it'll be many years before I go shopping for brushes again!
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
My experience of Super is that it is a fine hair with mid to low backbone, soft tips and a plush, luxurious face feel. The examples I tried were all very consistent in their properties and performance. I feel they need to be densely packed or low lofted to avoid being floppy. This is in contrast to Best which I found to be thicker shafted hair with greater backbone and more scrub. The Best brushes I have tried have been variable, some with very soft tips and some with a little prickle. For my taste a good example of Simpson Best is far superior to the Super grade but that is just personal preference.
 
hmm... I must have won the knot lottery then, since my Emperor almost feels like Finest/2-band. The Best in my Classic 1 matches your description of Super; bordering on floppy, despite being lofted very low and having exceptional density, which is why it was such a disappointment for a habitual face latherer.

I find it very interesting that the TGN knots I've bought over multiple years have been so much more consistent than my assorted Simpson Best brushes which have varied wildly.
 

IMightBeWrong

Loves a smelly brush
When it comes to hand tied natural hair knots, especially badger knots, there is always some variation. That said, Simpson weighs out the hair to use for each knot so that every brush has the same amount tied and set into the handles, so the variance is generally not crazy.

I have not tried Simpson’s Best, but I have both a Chubby 1 and 2 in Super, a Chubby 2 in SiLVERTiP, and an M7 Manchurian in my collection currently. I have a Chubby 2 Manchurian on the way, plus in the past I have sold another Chubby 1 Super and Chubby 2 Manchurian as well (should have kept them).

The case can absolutely be made that Simpson’s Super performs better than SiLVERTiP and Manchurian for less money. I love them all, but I wouldn’t argue with anyone that makes that case.

One of these day’s I’ll round out the collection with a Best, but I want a special run in another color besides Faux Ivory. Might need to ask Mark if he can help me order one in butterscotch.
 
I like my Emperor 2. It's soft and makes loads of lather easy. The bests I've tried have been okay, but not luxurious.
 
Congratulations! Looks like you found a big winner!! :a29:

I don’t have an Emperor, so take this with a grain of salt. My experience with Simpsons is that there is a fair bit of variability with their hair, especially their best badger. My favorite examples of Simpsons best are indistinguishable (by me at least) from my Tulip 2 in super. My least favorite overlaps their pure badger, which is not a favorite.

Variability is part of Simpsons charm.
 
If the E1 gets old, just get an E2. Of the three Emperors that turned out to be my sweet spot. Although... if you don't mind using even more soap the E3 is just plain rich!
:barbershop_quartet_
 
If the E1 gets old, just get an E2. Of the three Emperors that turned out to be my sweet spot. Although... if you don't mind using even more soap the E3 is just plain rich!
:barbershop_quartet_

In my case bigger isn't better... the Colonel is borderline too large for my face and lather technique.
 
I recently dove back in to the search for an ideal Simpson brush, having given up for a while after being both disappointed by a Classic 1 and generally pleased with my Commodore X1.

......

Either way, I think my search has ended with this knot/handle combo, hopefully it'll be many years before I go shopping for brushes again!


LOLOLOL!!!

So much for the end to my brush quest... instead it was an opening of the flood gates (aided by cut-rate pricing from the 'rossa).

The good news is that I still think the Emperor 1 is my grail Simpson (pending of course trying a Tulip 1 and Tulip 2), but since this thread was started, I've purchased *way* too many brushes. At least I haven't started naming them and talking to them while I shave (though I do occasionally pet their fuzzy little heads). 🤪

BAD is real, tell your kids: Don't do Brushes!
 
LOLOLOL!!!

So much for the end to my brush quest... instead it was an opening of the flood gates (aided by cut-rate pricing from the 'rossa).

The good news is that I still think the Emperor 1 is my grail Simpson (pending of course trying a Tulip 1 and Tulip 2), but since this thread was started, I've purchased *way* too many brushes. At least I haven't started naming them and talking to them while I shave (though I do occasionally pet their fuzzy little heads). 🤪

BAD is real, tell your kids: Don't do Brushes!
Watch Amazon (Alrossa). They have blown out a few different brushes. I bought my Tulip 3 from them and I love it. One of my “never sell” brushes.

My Emperor 3 is also killer. it is dense, but has a small knot with a high loft. Very different than my other brushes.
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
Watch Amazon (Alrossa). They have blown out a few different brushes. I bought my Tulip 3 from them and I love it. One of my “never sell” brushes.

My Emperor 3 is also killer. it is dense, but has a small knot with a high loft. Very different than my other brushes.

If they hadn't cut those prices at Christmas, I might have never tried a "real" Simpsons. Now I'm hooked and rarely use anything else! 😅


AA
 
I own both the Emperor 3 and the Tulip 3 in super. Also the Chubby 2 in super and a Duke 2 and 3 in best.

To the poster above that stated the best grade is not luxurious, I believe you to be in the wrong.

Best is luxurious. Super is made for Royalty. I'm hesitant to try the Manchurian and SiLvErtiP due to possibly falling in love even more. (This is what I tell myself because SWMBO won't let me ruin our finances)

To answer a question in the OPs post, I do believe the hair is very similar across my 3 super brushes, but the density and loft is what is going to make the brush feel different. I will say that the emperor is "floppy" and "loose" compared to the Tulip (which is my favorite brush and it's not close). The Chubby is kind of it's own category in density and stiffness even in super. It's my newest brush and I think 7 or so lathers hasn't been enough to break it in. My experiences with best were similar, My duke 2 and 3 along with a special that I sold all had the same soft hair feel, but the brushes felt different due to size/loft settings.

If I were to rank my face feel preferences right now:

1. Tulip 3 super
2. Emperor 3 super
3. Duke 2 best
4. Duke 3 best
5. Chubby 2 super (will probably move up when broken in more)
6. I've sold off ALL of my other brushes because they didn't compare to these 5. Paladin Pirate 26mm incoming and we'll see where we stand after I give it a whirl.

They ALL bring a big smile to my face when I lather.
 
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They ALL bring a big smile to my face when I lather.

+1! That’s the WHOLE POINT!!

Whether you like them short and dense, like a Chubby, or tall and elegant, like an Emperor is just part of the fun! Plus, you ‘need’ one of the lovely Fifty Series, IMHO one of the underrated Simpsons!!
:a29: :a29::a29:
 
Brush Deficiency Disorder. Curable. Ask your Dr if a Tulip is right for you. AARP has got you covered for the 50s.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
Brush Deficiency Disorder. Curable. Ask your Dr if a Tulip is right for you. AARP has got you covered for the 50s.
I figure the Tulip knot can't be all that different from my M7 in Super, and my LE Astor in Best is probably at least as good as the knot in a 57.
 
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