Thread: Simpson 1 "Chubby" Best Badger Break-In

Hello Gents,
I've just ordered a Simpson Chubby Best Badger. It seemed like a medium price/quality brush when I was shopping around, (although it still wasn't that cheap). Upon reading reviews later on it, a lot of people are saying it's a great latherer after the initial "break-in", although it does tend to shed hair. I find it hard to trust reviews so I ordered it anyway. I own a Vulfix Super Badger brush, which I think is a grade above Best hair, but it worked fine right from the beginning, and has yet to lose a single hair. It was also a lot less money. Question: Did I make a wise purchase (will this brush last a long time), and what's the break-in procedure, if any?
Thanks in advance for any input.

Simpson is a well regarded outfit and they make a quality product that lasts. I have a few and some are well over 10 years old with no issues. Some new brushes will shed a few hairs at first and one or two now and then but it should not be a constant occurrance.

Unless it stinks when new and you want to wash it in mild soap there should be no real break-in or at least that is what I have found. With any new brush a rinse is always a good idea. Shampoo or borax are good media to use.

Thank you. I thought Simpson was reputable, which is why I was caught by surprise by the reviews. To clarify, some fellas are saying that it doesn't seem to make good lather at first, I thought maybe it needed to get softened up a bit?

I have a chubby 2 and it's a few years old , no problems , and it's been a good brush. Tc

Most natural hair brushes will change in characteristics from when new with some use. As mentioned above, just use it. Something I have found to greatly help any "break in" period after use is to rub the brush vigorously on a dry towel in circular and painting motions for a while. Of course before doing that I will give the brush a few flicks to get rid of the water deep within the knot. After a few uses the knot should open up a bit more and the tips should soften up somewhat.

Simpson makes good quality brushes and although any manufacturer can make a defective brush, Simpson is no more prone to that than any of the other top manufacturers. Their Best grade of hair is a very good value hair for the money. Just give it a little time and some uses to show its true potential.

Thanks Attila, just the answer I was looking for.

I bought a Simpson Polo 8....no problems at all....but it seemed to really come alive after a dozen uses. I bit the bullet and laid my 192.00 on the table for it ..after buying (3) count them 3... Artisan brushes with fantastic handles and turd ball knots ..that all shed so bad...they were rendered useless. So money well spent by you getting a Simpson !!!

I have a Chubby 1 in Best as well, and I dont remember it ever loosing a hair. And It's my second most used brush.

I also dont remember much of a break in period. Just a couple of soaks in water and vinegar, and a couple of lathering sessions with La Toja to soften it up and make it smell even better before using it the first time.

It's an excellent brush!

The brush showed up today, so it's maiden voyage was a 3 pass shave with a puck of Tabac. I took my time & managed to whip up some pretty good lather. It did shed some initial hairs, but hopefully the loose ones are out now. The photo below is post shave:

I can see that it will take a few more lathers to open up the knot & fluff it out, but the hair is very soft, and actually much more dense than my other brushes. I like the handle too, as it's easy to hold. The only problem is that it's too "chubby" to fit in my brush stand (pardon the pun!)
I think the brush will bring many great lathers, I'm now glad I made the choice. Thanks guys, for sharing your opinions & knowledge of the Simpson brush.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Chubby 1. I have never used a chubby but if I ever get one it would be Chubby 1 as I lean towards smaller brushes.