Simpsons The Duke 3 in 2-Band Super - any fans ?

[CHSeifert]

Just ordered this special edition of The Duke 3 from a sponsor on B&B, shaving.ie for £120

I will use it for face lathering only, hope it retains water a bit better than the Duke 2 in Best I just sold to fellow wet shaver from Denmark.

Marco adviced me to go with Best hair for face lathering, since he felt the 2-Band Super was just too wire like and stiff, just not to his likings., so I knew I took a chance with this one.

Now you can't exactly test a brush, unless you are part of the 'Test a brush' here on B&B - but I prefer to use an out of the fabric new brush, so I have to take some chances once in while if I want to explore and find new brushes that I will enjoy.
Some I will have to let go of, others I might keep......

Are there any Simpsons 2-Band Super fans out there - and if so, what's your take on a Duke 3 in 2-band Super for face lathering only (I use my Kent BLK8 and Simpsons Polo 10 Super for bowl lathering) ?

Hope I won't regret this purchase. shaving.ie just wrote to me and told me my brush is on its way to me from Ireland

 

[djh]

I happen to love Simpson's 2-Band hair and have a few brushes with that type of knot. I am a face latherer and to me, it is almost perfect.

 

[taco8slo]

I have the Chubby 1 in 2-band and it feels real nice, feels soft when wet (scrubby with a tad of scritch, good face feel), plenty of backbone, great for face lathering.

 

[CHSeifert]

I happen to love Simpson's 2-Band hair and have a few brushes with that type of knot. I am a face latherer and to me, it is almost perfect.

How do you rate the 2-Band Super hair compared to Best hair from Simpssons and their Super 3-Band hair - regarding softness, backbone and break in time ?

I have the Chubby 1 in 2-band and it feels real nice, feels soft when wet (scrubby with a tad of scritch, good face feel), plenty of backbone, great for face lathering.

Have you compared this 2-Band type of hair to Simpssons Best hair ?
How was it in comparison ?

 

[Antique Hoosier]

I had a two band Chubby 1 once....wish I still had it... wonderful face feel....you will enjoy your Duke!

 

[CHSeifert]

I had a two band Chubby 1 once....wish I still had it... wonderful face feel....you will enjoy your Duke!

Thanks, hope the 2-Band Super hair is worth the extra £45 I had to pay for it.
Duke 3 in Best - £75
Duke 3 in 2-Band - £120

I really like my Duke 2 in best and still feel it's the best face lather brush I've tried, but have not tested a Duke 3 in 2-Band yet, so hope it will live up to the price tag

 

[taco8slo]

The 2-band has plenty more backbone, is more bulb shaped, and doesn't bloom much at all. To me it is more scrubby than the best hair, performance is similar in terms of lather but it is a stronger feel on your face, the tips are soft when wet.

 

[jepeck]

This is my favorite brush. Value is always subjective, but I like it quite a bit better than my Simpson Classic in Best. I think it is worth the extra money. It is more firm than the best hair but the tips are soft. Break in time was minimal and will be about 85% there after 3-4 shaves before fully breaking in in about 20.

Here it is next to my Duke 2 Two Band which is also a terrific brush.

 

[CHSeifert]

This is my favorite brush. Value is always subjective, but I like it quite a bit better than my Simpson Classic in Best. I think it is worth the extra money. It is more firm than the best hair but the tips are soft. Break in time was minimal and will be about 85% there after 3-4 shaves before fully breaking in in about 20.

Here it is next to my Duke 2 Two Band which is also a terrific brush.

WoW - they look really nice.

I need the brush to be able to rest in this stand - you see a Duke 2 Best in it in the photo.......

Hope it's not too thick to be there without squeezing the knot and deform it too much.....

 

[jepeck]

I haven't measured it but my guess is my duke 3 is about a 25mm knot. The two bands have a bit bigger knot than their Best hair grade counterparts but they feel about the same size on the face.

WoW - they look really nice.

I need the brush to be able to rest in this stand - you see a Duke 2 Best in it in the photo.......

Hope it's not too thick to be there without squeezing the knot and deform it too much.....

View attachment 247102

 

[Marco]

I love the Duke 3, but not the Super 2 band. I definitely prefer the Best and Super 3 band.

 

[CHSeifert]

I love the Duke 3, but not the Super 2 band. I definitely prefer the Best and Super 3 band.

I knew that Marco
Took a chance, Can't say you havnet already warned me against 2-Band Super, Marco

Let's see if I regret it.....

 

[Face&Head]

Claus, I agree with Marco about Simpsons' 2-band. I have this sort of love/hate thing with Simpson mostly having to do with their inconsistency. My 2-band PJ3 and T3 are great but other 2-bands I've tried are a bad dream, especially the Chubbies. I like a bit of backbone but can't stand scrubby scritchy brushes, and many of their 2-bands deliver exactly that experience. I also like bigger brushes, so the Duke's 25mm X 50mm knot is at the small end of any brush I own. With all this in mind it is simply inexplicable that I went ahead and ordered the Duke3 Butterscotch 2-band LE which arrived today.

The good news is that if your brush has the same hair I think you'll be very pleased indeed. I didn't do a full shave, just a test lather in my scuttle with a one-pass shave and the feel was more than acceptable. I'll be doing a full face-lather tomorrow, but so far it appears to be a keeper. It is not as dense as the Chubby which may help and the tips are unusually soft (both wet & dry). I think guys who love the traditional 2-band feel would be disappointed with this brush.

.

 

[CHSeifert]

Claus, I agree with Marco about Simpsons' 2-band. I have this sort of love/hate thing with Simpson mostly having to do with their inconsistency. My 2-band PJ3 and T3 are great but other 2-bands I've tried are a bad dream, especially the Chubbies. I like a bit of backbone but can't stand scrubby scritchy brushes, and many of their 2-bands deliver exactly that experience. I also like bigger brushes, so the Duke's 25mm X 50mm knot is at the small end of any brush I own. With all this in mind it is simply inexplicable that I went ahead and ordered the Duke3 Butterscotch 2-band LE which arrived today.

The good news is that if your brush has the same hair I think you'll be very pleased indeed. I didn't do a full shave, just a test lather in my scuttle with a one-pass shave and the feel was more than acceptable. I'll be doing a full face-lather tomorrow, but so far it appears to be a keeper. It is not as dense as the Chubby which may help and the tips are unusually soft (both wet & dry). I think guys who love the traditional 2-band feel would be disappointed with this brush.

View attachment 247254View attachment 247255.

Interesting post indeed, please return here as soon as you have done a more thorough testing with several passes with your new Duke 3 ButterScotch 2-Band brush, which by the way looks STUNNING

 

[alabamalawyer]

After having tried many, many brushes, my personal preference is the Simpson 2-bands. I have 6 and think they are the perfect combination for face latherers -- soft tips, firm bristles and just the right amount of scrub.

 

[joelh86]

what kind of brush is that on the left?

WoW - they look really nice.

I need the brush to be able to rest in this stand - you see a Duke 2 Best in it in the photo.......

Hope it's not too thick to be there without squeezing the knot and deform it too much.....

View attachment 247102

 

[CHSeifert]

what kind of brush is that on the left?

It's a black resin Sophist Silvertip 23 mm knot brush. My best softest all around brush.
not suited for croaps & soaps because it has little backbone but love the way it massages my face with its super doper soft tip and silky soft overall feel.

Not enough backbone for a scratchy face lather, but I enjoy and love it for softer creams and it does a fine job of bowl lathering all creams not to mention that it just looks very nice too together with the Mühle Sophist Black Resin R106 DE razor (R89 head) you see next to it

 

[Absolute Mustard]

View attachment 247254.

WOW, the butterscotch makes a beautiful brush...I now have a new dream Duke

 

[Bravado13]

The good news is that if your brush has the same hair I think you'll be very pleased indeed. I didn't do a full shave, just a test lather in my scuttle with a one-pass shave and the feel was more than acceptable. I'll be doing a full face-lather tomorrow, but so far it appears to be a keeper. It is not as dense as the Chubby which may help and the tips are unusually soft (both wet & dry). I think guys who love the traditional 2-band feel would be disappointed with this brush.

View attachment 247254View attachment 247255.

This beauty sounds very promising Mark. I look forward to any added thoughts you have once you put it through its paces. But I look even more forward to finally receiving mine!...uggghhh.. The wait is killing me! Stay tuned...

 

[Marco]

Those butterscotch handles look truly gorgeous!