Thread: Initial impression of the Simpsons Cubby 2 LE synthetis brush

Originally Posted by Phrank

Thanks Bob - appreciate the info. Looking forward to my Semogue 1305 boar brush, we'll see how that goes. For me, as far as stiffness, while I face lather, the harsher the brush the better for me...so it will be fun to explore until I find the right one. Which is a lot of the fun in this hobby anyhow...

You seem to imply that once you find the right one, you will stop? Haha, me too...

Originally Posted by badg3r

You seem to imply that once you find the right one, you will stop? Haha, me too...

How true that is...

Originally Posted by BobH

My cobalt blue one arrived today in this frozen wasteland called home.

I used MWF, cold water, the Chubby 2 to face lather for a 4 pass shave with a straight. Swished just the tips in cold water, a quick shake and loaded the MWF. Another quick dip of the tips and a little more loading then built the lather on my face. Used a combination of circular and painting strokes. The loading was enough for 4 passes and some to spare. It ate up the MWF with ease producing a fine lather.

The tips felt as soft as those on my QEII Jubilee Manchurian but it did not splay as easily for use with circular strokes. None the less was very useable with circular strokes. I would love to see this brush offered with a fan shaped knot similar to the Jubilee as I think with this short a loft in a synthetic it just might take the face lathering with circular strokes up a notch.

All in all, I am pleased with the brush and intend to keep it. As I get more familiar with the brush I think it will grow even further on me. The obligatory measurements are loft 49.9mm and size 28.4mm but I am no expert at measuring.

It took a lot of guts for Simpsons to introduce this short a loft in a synthetic but I think they have proved to me that it will work, at least for me.

Bob

Almost forgot the obligatory photo.

Does it hold any water?

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Does it hold any water?

Yea, she holds water but synthetics seem to be different from natural fibers in how they hold the water. Never found a need to soak a synthetic but then again I don't soak natural fiber knots either. I just barely swish the tips in cold water shake and start loading from the puck, go back for a quick tip dip and shake and load a wee bit more. Build lather on the face by adding water a tip dip at a time. If you dip the whole knot in and shake it you will eventually have water running out of the knot onto your hand. Basically I treat it like I do all my other brushes with a little fine tuning to suit.

The thing is a lather monster as you would expect from any fairly large and dense knot. It is an entirely different knot than the one in the Muhle V2 synthetic 25mm synthetic I have in feel and how you have to work it to face lather with circular strokes. There is a big difference in loft with the Simpson at 49 mm and the Muhle at 63mm, a fairly big difference in size with the Simpson at 28mm and the Muhle at 25mm plus the Simpson is more bulb shaped. Still think the Simpson with a fan shaped knot would be even better for face lathering.

Bob

Just a quick up date on the brush. It has bloomed a bit after half a dozen uses and is getting easier to face lather with using circular strokes. I really don't understand all the flack this brush has gotten on it's introduction.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Just a quick up date on the brush. It has bloomed a bit after half a dozen uses and is getting easier to face lather with using circular strokes. I really don't understand all the flack this brush has gotten on it's introduction.

Bob

Yes, been reading about it, and many seem to feel it's a dud. Yet I've read reviews about other synthetics and it seems those familiar with them no what to expect and are fine with them. Hence, it would seem a lot of the "bad press" around these Simpson synthetics seems to be around Simpson actually making and selling one...they're out of stock on the blue right now, emailed them to let me know when they're back...I know I'll try one...why not.

Love that blue by the way. Striking!

Originally Posted by Phrank

Yes, been reading about it, and many seem to feel it's a dud. Yet I've read reviews about other synthetics and it seems those familiar with them no what to expect and are fine with them. Hence, it would seem a lot of the "bad press" around these Simpson synthetics seems to be around Simpson actually making and selling one...they're out of stock on the blue right now, emailed them to let me know when they're back...I know I'll try one...why not.

Well there are a couple of things that get dragged out and they seem to be that the Simpsons brand is polarizing, the usual it is too expensive for what it is and people expect for some strange reason that synthetics should mimic badger knots.

To me Simpsons is just another brush maker, no more no less, and as far as being too expensive for what it is all I can say is that there may be a grain of truth to that. OTH nobody is being forced to buy one. I enjoy synthetics for what they are and if I am in the mood for something else I reach for a boar or badger brush.

I hope you will not be disappointed when you get one. They are an extreme brush for a synthetic with a much lower loft than usual for that sized knot and more densely packed. Very different experience from even other synthetics.

Bob

Originally Posted by RoyalCake

Love that blue by the way. Striking!

Thank you, I wasn't sure I would like it being a little over the top for me colour wise but it is sure growing on me.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Thanks for the comments guys. I know synthetics are not popular on this forum bur I can say for myself that I will likely not buy another badger knotted brush after having used several synthetics. Now to try and convince Simpsons to make me the same brush but with a fan shaped knot.

Bob

Nice Chubby Bob. In the past, when you got that first Simpson, I asked you if they were 'scritchy' and IIRC it was moderately so. I broke down and tried a Simpson/Vulfix chubby. It is the Manchurian variety and it is both stiff, dense and plenty scritchy. I've never had a Vulfix because of their reputation for being soft and floppy. Two things I hate in a brush. They have done a wonderful job with the Simpson line AFAIC. Every bit as good as the brushes made in Somerset.

As far as getting them to make something special for you ........ I emailed them a few times before I finally bought the chubby, asking for a Tulip 2, and never got a reply. Good luck with getting a fan but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Originally Posted by Phrank

Thanks for the post Bob...waiting myself for my first boar to arrive...a Semogue 1305....that Simpson's looks great....where did you get it?

I'm hoping the boar will be much stiffer than the two badger's I have...I've come to realize I want a shaving brush that is very stiff.

Cheers!

Andrew, IME with a few Semogue boars they are not stiff or scritchy. Nice brushes though that deliver the goods as far as lathering goes and you cannot beat the price. For stiff the aforementioned chubby Manchurian is hard to beat. As Bob said, a short and dense loft is more likely to give a stiff feel. I have a Shavemac pure with a 21mm knot and a 48mm loft that is wonderfully stiff and scritchy. Bought it second hand from a member in Japan for $50.00 USD shipped, and can't for the life of me figure out why he let it go. Guess he didn't like stiff and scritchy.