Thread: Simpson brush grade comparrison

I think I decided my next brush is going to be a Simpson chubby. Wanted some general feedback, but was also wondering if anyone had any experience with the best badger version vs super badger. Didn't think a best badger could run 175 so curious on the feedback.

when it comes to Simpsons you kinda pay for that handle too, but their best badger is not a standard black badger, everyones opinion may be different so its really hard to give you an idea, me I like their Manchurian and super , anything else I pass on. also if you like to bowl lather, the chubby is short and can get messy. but I love my Chubby @ Tc

I have three Simpsons, my Chubby 2 took some getting used to, its massive. It loads up an amazing amount of later.
It works best if used like a paint brush on the face.

My Simson "Case" best badger is very small and I use it when I travel. Because of its size it takes more time to apply lather.

My favorite is my "The Duke" 2 , medium size, does everything I need a brush to do.

I'm a face latherer which is one reason I think this will be good for me, softness about the same on the tips? Seems like most people say they all have good backbone. Interested in the duke, I could see the chubby being a little unwieldy.

Yes all three have about the same softness with enough back bone to exfoliate and apply lather.

The best is kind of an intermediate grade. It can represent a good value in a brush. It's not the floppy softness of a super but not the real coarseness of a pure. It's a workhorse of a brush as long as you like it's qualities.

I had it in my head I was gonna drop like $300 for one of the best brushes, am I foolish to think the duke 2 at 100 may fit the bill?

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.