I know a lot of guys are often thinking about their next brush and one of the things that frequently comes up are the various brushes' specs. The three brushes I'm highlighting here are all very close in size but each has very different characteristics. First, it's always important to remember that individual brushes can vary widely. I have several Chubbies and the differences are so great I sometimes can't believe they're from the same manufacturer let alone the same model. So my comments are about these specific brushes and may not pertain to others.
Left to right, there's a Rooney 1XL, Chubby 1 and a Duke 3. Both of the Simpson Brushes come is 3-Band "Super" and "Best" as well as the 2-band Super of these examples. The Rooney has a 40mm handle and a 26.2-46 knot. The Chubby is 39 and 24-47 and the Duke 47 and 24-50.5.
While the Rooney has a slightly larger knot, the more important difference is the fan shaped knot, which makes it feel much larger than the other two. Sometimes fan shaped knots can splay too much, but the Rooney's über-density give it plenty of backbone. The tips are extremely soft and it is an ideal face-lathering brush.
The Chubby feels the smallest of the trio, with a compact knot that has hardly any bloom. While not as dense as the Rooney, it has an almost Thater-like radical bulb shape which delivers great backbone and is like a precision instrument on your face. Chubbies are often (rightly) thought to be lather-hogs, this one isn't. I've had many Simpson 2-bands over the years and this has some of the sweetest hair I've encountered.
The Duke is the disappointment in this group. As you can see in the picture, it's the least packed and with the higher loft it splays significantly when you're face-lathering even with a very light hand. I should say that I have other Dukes that are much better. I would normally expect a Duke to be less packed than a Chubby, but this one has been relegated to bowl lathering creams as it just seems under-packed.
Left to right, there's a Rooney 1XL, Chubby 1 and a Duke 3. Both of the Simpson Brushes come is 3-Band "Super" and "Best" as well as the 2-band Super of these examples. The Rooney has a 40mm handle and a 26.2-46 knot. The Chubby is 39 and 24-47 and the Duke 47 and 24-50.5.
While the Rooney has a slightly larger knot, the more important difference is the fan shaped knot, which makes it feel much larger than the other two. Sometimes fan shaped knots can splay too much, but the Rooney's über-density give it plenty of backbone. The tips are extremely soft and it is an ideal face-lathering brush.
The Chubby feels the smallest of the trio, with a compact knot that has hardly any bloom. While not as dense as the Rooney, it has an almost Thater-like radical bulb shape which delivers great backbone and is like a precision instrument on your face. Chubbies are often (rightly) thought to be lather-hogs, this one isn't. I've had many Simpson 2-bands over the years and this has some of the sweetest hair I've encountered.
The Duke is the disappointment in this group. As you can see in the picture, it's the least packed and with the higher loft it splays significantly when you're face-lathering even with a very light hand. I should say that I have other Dukes that are much better. I would normally expect a Duke to be less packed than a Chubby, but this one has been relegated to bowl lathering creams as it just seems under-packed.
