Thread: Simpson brush grade comparrison

I think you wont ever get a conclusive answer to your question, because the badger can vary so greatly between the batches. Thats the thing about them, unfortunately.

I have a LE Chubby2 in Manchurian and I couldnt be happier. Costs an arm and a leg, but worth it, definitely. It's a beautiful brush and half of the cost is accounted to the handle and that sticker, I'm sure. Has the right amount of backbone, density and hardness. The perfect brush, for me.

Used to own the Colonel X2L in best and I liked it, but that knot was scritchier than the manchurian and had less backbone.

On the days I feel like having something softer on my face, I use 2-band finest knots. These hairs were surely chemicaly treated somehow, because when dry, they are hard and feel very brittle. Wet them, and they become smooth like silicone. Almost no scritch to them, good backbone.. dont think Simpsons makes them, but you can get them from custom makers. IMO better price point than high-grade Simpsons, equal performance, density pretty much the same (those guys will hand tie them, mostly), you get to pick the handle, etc. Don't want to stray much from the topic, just food for thought.

@Srdjan is pretty much right about not getting consensus, but maybe becuse the Simpson's Best Badger characteristics vary so wildly over the range. While the Super Badger and Manchurian may vary, not IMO like the Best.

It's a safe bet that the Best will have less backbone, IOW it will splay more easily than Super amd may feel softer on the face. It's also a pretty sure thing that it will be a 3-band.

As far as the tips go, I have dark Best brushes with some scritch all the way up to a super soft white-tipped Keyhole 4 and 58. And there was a batch of hair Jarrod Connerty called 'brunette badger' IIRC that was every bit as good if not better than most Simpsons two-band brushes, but was sold as the Best grade. I have a Chubby 1 in this grade and would love to find a 57, 58 or 59 with this hair. I also suspect but do not know, that the cheaper models of Best have less dense knots than say the Duke or 50 series. The Duke and 50 series Best Badgers have very well balanced knot and work well with anything.

Super hair will be stiffer, tips should be softer but depends on which Best brush you compare it to. The tips will be whiter. I like the Super Badger for harder soaps and the Best Badger for soft soaps and creams - in general.

Cheers, Steve

I don't own a Chubby but I have a few Simpsons brushes. I have a Persian Jar in best badger and a Polo 10 in super badger. If I were to do it again, I would buy the Polo in best badger. I find there to be little difference between the two grades in these brushes but there was a lot of difference in price. But, that being said, the Polo is my brush of choice.

Ok.....wow...this is harder then I thought. How about if I frame it this way, best Simpson brush for face lather, enough backbone for hard puck loaded, as soft tips as I can get, price not an issue?

Name that Simpson.

A good quality badger brush of ANY make will do fine for all the purposes you mention. I bowl/face lather, I use soaps and creams and I use any of my brushes to do so... there are differences between them, but nothing earthshattering and nothing that prevents you from doing any of the things you normally do with a shaving brush. In other words, there is NO BEST of anything, only DIFFERENT. You must decide what YOU like and go with your gut.

For example, if I were to buy a new Simpson brush, I'd be buying a Tulip 2 or 3... I'm still on the fence size wise.... but probably the 2. Why? Just because I LIKE that handle and I know Simpson usually makes good knots (And yes, even Simpson has the occasional dud).

The correct answer I'm afraid, is to follow in drP's footsteps over on SMF. This is his photo of his "Simpsons" cabinet, for when you want to make sure you have the Best Brush.

I'm not religious but that picture makes me believe in God.

Well I think I'm down to two, duke 3 best badger which is 23 mm knot 46mm loft which is the big side for duke. The other side of the coin is the chubby 1 super badger which is 23 and 47 but I see in reviews people calling it a midget. Not sure how the duke 3 would be similar in size but chubby 1 is considered small. Is the handle just that much bigger on the chubby to make it feel small?

Would kill to have a local store to actually look at shaving gear!

Question, do you have a shavemac d01 two band yet? If yes, then continue on your search for a simpson. If no, you must get a shavemac first. They are far superior to the current simpson brushes. Just my humble opinion, but I'm sure others feel this way as well.

Nope, don't know much about them, I can be swayed, feedback? Looks nice with those wood inlays.

You can buy them as complete brushes or you can buy just the knots and have a custom brush maker make you one. I have two knots that I made handles for myself. A 30mm bulb in cocobolo and a 30mm fan in buckeye burl. They are the best, hands down. I've tried Thater, simpson, Morris and forndran etc. They have 2 two band options, I have only tried d01.

Simpsons do make an excellent brush. At least the 3 I have, 2 synthetics and a Manchurian, are. I enjoyed the Manchurian enough that I wanted more of the same in a larger knot and taller larger diameter handle. Unfortunately a Polo 10 in Manchurian was priced at more than I was willing to pay.

I had heard good things about Shavemac so contacted then to see if they had a badger grade that would give me the characteristics I was getting from my Simpsons Manchurian. They recommended their silvertip 2 band, NOT the DO1 silvertip 2 band, and I had them make a custom brush for me. As a bonus it was more affordable too.

I had Shavemac scale up the handle design of an old Canadian Simms brush and set a 26mm knot in it. Very well satisfied with the result and no regrets going that route.

Bob