Simpsons shaving brushes, are they really worth it.?? (2024)

Alpa man said:

They are really tiny and nothing special about the hair grade.

Click to expand...

What are you talking about? I’m not sure you have looked into simpsons brushes much by that statement.

What model brush or brushes are you referring to?

Value price etc are all relative and an individual thing. Simpsons makes some fine brushes in my opinion and I also think they have quality hair and typically properly dense brushes that are set well. Nice classic handle styles and they make them in various materials and seem to always have customs. They make from small to massive brushes contrary to what you said above. I personally have not had a simpsons that was a shedder. What you personally can afford and what is expensive is all relative - they seem to sell a lot of brushes if that tells you anything.

In all fairness, my experience is limited to the Chubby 2 in Super that I own, but I would say “no.”

The brush I own is quite scritchy, and sheds like crazy. It does have excellent backbone (too much for me, in truth) and superb density. Bottom line is my Saponificio Varesino Artisinal 2.0 was similarly priced and was my daily driver before purchasing the Chubby 2... After several shaves with the Simpson, the SV still remained my go to, with the Simpson gathering dust.

I‘m only 4 brushes into the Simpson rabbit hole so the data points are really insignificant:

Trafalgar T3 - nice Synth, good price but so are many others —> useable but not earthshaking

Captain 2 Best - very nice handle to look at but for me not super comfy, undecided about the knot - according to the Board, Best is the most variable grade of Simpsons

Eagle G3 Pure - great handle and I like the scrubbiness of the Pure, perfect density for facelathering if you like the feel - my favorite so thanks to @Owen Bawn

Special S1 Pure - the cheapest natural knot from Simpsons, works nicely and is at my limit of scrub/scritch tolerance. This brush gave me my first brush burn so now I know when to take it easy....

Currently a M7 Manchurian and a PJ1 Two Band Silvertip are calling my name to round things out but I try to resist.

If I would start again I would skip the T3 and the Captain for an entry level Best brush like the Berkeley 46.

Alpa man said:

First thing that comes to my mind when I hear the name Simpsons is "Shedding issues" Are Simpsons brushes worth the big price tag.?? Why they are so expensive.?? They are really tiny and nothing special about the hair grade.

Click to expand...

I have 13 Simpson brushes and not one of them has shed a single bristle since the first use. Guess I got lucky 13x.

Not sure what you mean by them being “really tiny”. My Wee Scott and Specials are small I guess, but most of my other brushes have 20-27mm knots and are over 100mm in overall height.

Simpson is by far my favourite brand, and you can still buy a 46 or Special in best badger for under $40. If you find them too expensive, there are lots of other good brands out there. You don’t need to buy a $350 Manchurian Simpson to get a good Simpson brush.

Oh, and their hair grades cover the entire spectrum from Pure to Manchurian and two band Silvertip and two variations of synthetic. More choice than any other manufacturer. Not sure why you would dis their hair grades, but you do you.

Simpson uses "real" badger hair, as opposed to gelled or heavily adulterated hair in their brushes. I have and have had many over the years in their Best and Super category and overall have been pleased with their products. I do not have any of their very expensive offerings and prefer medium sized brushes, nor have I had any terrible shedders. My Simpson Eagle 3 in Best, bought many years ago, is simply wonderful.

I also have two Rudy Vey brushes, the 2011 and 2012 B&B LE brushes- one with a TGN knot and one with a Shavemac D-01 knot, that are great and are likely the most expensive brushes I splurged on.

Recently, I purchased a Duke 2 for <$40 from Alrossa via Amazon, and a Commodore X2 to replace one I gave away; I believe it was about $45. I bought a number of Vulfix (owned by the same folks as Simpson) from The Superior Shave- still on closeout sale.

In all, I'm far happier with my Simpson purchases, and the recent ones, than the Kent Infinity synthetic I got last week, and any Yaqi brush I have or have tried. I prefer medium-sized brushes, so that may be a factor, but overall the performance of the Simpson brushes that can be had for ~$50 nowadays has been great. Of course, YMMV.

Alpa man said:

First thing that comes to my mind when I hear the name Simpsons is "Shedding issues" Are Simpsons brushes worth the big price tag.?? Why they are so expensive.?? They are really tiny and nothing special about the hair grade.

Click to expand...

I've only been wet shaving for 8 years so my opinion may not be a fair indicator.
I own 3 Simpson brushes whose sizes cover the range from smallest to fairly large:
Wee Scot
Case 1
Persian Jar
IMHO, the hair grade is extremely nice.
IMHO, Simpson brushes are worth the "big price tag"
In my experience, no shedding but then again its only been 8 years.

Price is fixed by the merchants. If you are looking to save $, then go for a synthetic or boar brush in a mass-produced handle. NO PROBLEMS!

Value is up to you! For me, a hand made item with 100-plus years of tradition can provide good value. Especially as I can enjoy these brushes on a daily basis! My Simpsons offer far better value than other ‘hobbies’ I have had over the years (fly fishing, high-end stereo, sail boats, etc., etc.)

But I cannot argue if you decide otherwise!

I only have a Chubby 2 and it has not had shedding issues. It has shed a few hairs for sure, one just this week. But it's been reasonable.

I don't think it performs any better, really, than my other (cheaper) badger brush and certainly not as well as my better boar brushes. But it's interesting, so I'll keep it in my rotation.

I wouldn't say it has a good price/performance ratio, for sure. But that's not my first consideration. It's a hobby and Simpsons is a top name in the category.

You are way off base about Simpson and maybe just trying to stir the pot. Anyway, I will play. I sort of view Simpson as THE iconic brush maker to have in your den.. Here is my Simpson progression of 5 brushes, one of which I still own.

Colonial Best - really nice all arounder and not to expensive. It was my first "good" brush.
58 Manchurian - another great all arounder. I didn't like the color of the resin so I sold it.
Wee Scott Best - a silly toy. Maybe okay for travel.
Chubby 2 Silver Tip - very nice but sold it to fund something else.
Chubby 2 Manchurian - very nice and still have it. Thd hair is thicker shafted than many of my other brushes which makes this different.

I'm relatively new to Simpsons; jumped onboard with the Christmas time sales. Wish I'd tried them years before, they're true game changers.

There are of course large ones, but even the small ones perform and feel large.

All these have lost no more than three hairs in three months, and all (except T3 at right) are in Best Badger - truly soft compared to the Muhle Pure I have (and should toss. Thought it would get softer with use. No.)

AA

I haven't found a brush that equals the Chubby 2 or 3. I have them in Best, Super and Manchurian; I think they are the best brushes I own. None are shredders and none have a glue bump; their backbone is the result of density. Also, their softness and presence are the result of hair selection and knot construction, not chemical treatments.

As a final note, you can be assured that their brushes are not made by slave labor. That might be worth consideration.