Somerset Simpson Best Approximately

TRBeck · Post by **TRBeck** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:35 pm

I owned a couple of pre-Vulfix Duke 3s and a Polo 8 in Best. The hair was grand, sturdy but soft-tipped, with a hint of scritch that vanished over time and a scrubby firmness that never left. I loved them. I used a pre-Vulfix Commodore X2 this morning and was reminded that its scritch was more pronounced - a different grade of Best, if you will - but it lathered equally as well, scrubbed nicely, and was very close to the experience I recall from those other Bests.

So, what am I looking for now? I know that for a time the Duke 3s had gotten too long in the loft and lacked scrub, but I believe I've read that this has been largely fixed? How are the tips on current Best bushes from Simpson? 2-Band and 3-Band Super?

Another factor here is density of the knot: something less than the Rooney Heritage but greater than Vulfix, Kent, or even Savile Row is what I recall from the pre-fix Simpson Bests I owned. I get the sense that most 2-bands now, whether from Shavemac or Simpson, are more densely packed, much like the Heritage. So I'm thinking 3-band Super (which I will have the chance to try out soon) or a current Best from Simpson in, say, a 24-25mm knot might give me something like my lamented, long-sold Dukes. Am I on the right track?

Forgive the ignorance of my questions, but, well, it's been some time since I bothered reading about badgers...

Regards,

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:38 pm

The closest brush I have had recently to the old D3 Bests in feel is the Shavemac D01 - very dense and rubbery, and perhaps denser than I think I like for optimal feel. The current Simfix two bands are just a bit softer than the old Somerset Chubby Bests, and definitely softer than the old Somerset Super two bands. But they are as nice as you can get these days. I don't know about current production Bests at all.

Chris

drumana · Post by **drumana** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 5:37 pm

I've found the Simfix two band supers to have a little more attitude than the Best grade. Definitely more backbone, perhaps a little more scritchy at the tips on the face. If you are looking for dense and super soft, look no further than the Simfix Chubby range in three band super. Personally, I find the current Simfix Best grade to be hard to beat. It's the perfect amount of softness and feedback that I like.

I don't have much experience with Somerset Simpsons. The only one I've sampled was a T2 in three band super, which was a disappointment to me given the 'aura of amazing' these brushes have about them. It was a good looking brush, of course, but in use it was a floppy mop. I sold it off post haste.

gagarin · Post by **gagarin** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:29 pm

Tim, I have several two-banded Simpsons (Somerset PJ3, Simfix Polo 8, PJ2) which I very much enjoy. However, I prefer my other Simfix Polo 8, this one with three-banded Best hair, for it's soft tips, great backbone and plush face feel. At a 55 mm loft, it seems to have just the right balance of denseness, flow-through and lather-release for my tastes.

My two-banded Simpsons look great, but the Simfix Polo 8 Best is the one I enjoy using most. It sits in a place of honor on my shelf (right next to the Retaggio)

Regards,

paddy · Post by **paddy** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 3:06 am

The current Simfix two bands are just a bit softer than the old Somerset Chubby Bests

i find it surprising that you say this chris. i have around 8 of the old somerset best brushes and a couple of the new isle of man simpson two bands and i find that the two bands are in fact noticeably firmer and more scritchy at the tips than the old simpson bests.

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 4:51 am

My CH2 and 3 Bests are a few years old and well broken-in!

Chris

TRBeck · Post by **TRBeck** » Mon May 02, 2011 5:38 pm

Okay, well, I appreciate all the feedback. I'm sampling a 3-band Super from Simfix in the next couple of days. I also have plans to try an M&F blonde badger and, down the road, a Shavemac D01 if funds allow. I appreciate the help you guys have given me, and I anticipate that if none of these fit what I'm looking for, then based on Chuck's comment, a current D3 in best might wind up being the best match for my old Duke 3. Imagine that!

Regards,

TRBeck · Post by **TRBeck** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 7:23 pm

gagarin wrote:Tim, I have several two-banded Simpsons (Somerset PJ3, Simfix Polo 8, PJ2) which I very much enjoy. However, I prefer my other Simfix Polo 8, this one with three-banded Best hair, for it's soft tips, great backbone and plush face feel. At a 55 mm loft, it seems to have just the right balance of denseness, flow-through and lather-release for my tastes.

My two-banded Simpsons look great, but the Simfix Polo 8 Best is the one I enjoy using most. It sits in a place of honor on my shelf (right next to the Retaggio)

Regards,

Chuck called it. I'd have done well to heed his wisdom six months ago. That's all for now.

Regards,

TRBeck · Post by **TRBeck** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 12:53 pm

To expand a bit on what I wrote last night, I have handled some current Vulfix-produced Simpsons recently, including two different Duke 3s. I am quite familiar with the D3, having owned two Somerset versions. I described their character in the OP of this thread. The recent Simpsons I have handled have been outstanding in terms of the grade of hair used. I saw some pictures on a vendor site that seemed to show very white-tipped Best hair in a few different models, including some Chubby and Duke brushes of various sizes. Indeed, it was tough to tell the pictures of 3-band Supers from some of these Bests. The lofts were classic fans, by and large; very nice and even.

The Duke 3s were too tall at 50-53mm (!) but I ordered one anyway, a 23mm knot and a 51mm loft and a fan shape. I was rewarded with a very handsome specimen. The tips were even brighter in person, the loft perfectly shaped.

Well, appearances are one thing, but feel and performance are the name of the game. This "too-tall" Duke (John Wayne?) is absolutely brilliant as a lathering tool, with more than ample water-holding capacity and outstanding flow-through. It is certainly dense, yet magically releases lather as it ought to, unlike many over-dense brushes. The backbone is excellent, the hair shafts firm, which allows for a dense and sturdy feel without an overstuffed knot (as I believe many three-band Supers are reported to have).

As regards facefeel, I have not had many better brushes. The tips are soft, but they still provide ample feedback. There's no gel-like or butter-soft vibe here, but instead a very nice balance of scrub and scritchless massage. I don't have a Somerset Best on hand to compare, but as best I can recall, well, the magic is back.

That said, I have also had access to a shorter-lofted D3 from current production this week. I wanted to try one with less loft that would be closer to what I remember from my old Duke(s), which have by combination of (faulty?) memory and scarcity attained almost mythical, grail-like status in my mind. The shorter-lofted Duke, in comparison to my John Wayne, has tips every bit as white, a loft just as dense, and a pronounced fan shape. It feels a bit less soft due to the shorter loft, but it is not scritchy at all. The flow-through is still excellent, though maybe a bit reduced from the John Wayne.

Either of these brushes is the equal of any Somerset Best I ever used, certainly, and I feel confident that I could buy a current Best version of most any Simpson model and get a very good brush. I may not be crazy about some of these getting a bit lofty or bulbous, but they are outstanding brushes, and the fan shape seems to be more and more common again, judging from pics on certain vendor sites.

And, as regards loft, well, I may prefer the long loft. I still want to acquire a short-lofted version that can take up long-term residence in my den, I think, but the John Wayne D3 is objectively among the two or three best-performing brushes I've ever used.

On that subject, these are handmade brushes, and I understand variation occurs, but I've long thought 5mm variances in a 50mm loft are too much - 10% of the total loft height is no small matter. On the other hand, a brushmaker who holds the bristle and feels its weight, the thickness of the shafts, and so on doubtless knows exactly what (s)he is doing, and in the end, at 51mm, the hair in my John Wayne performs exactly as it ought to.

I don't have the experience or knowledge base of some of the true brush mavens here, but IMO:

- Simpson brushes, particularly in Best, are still very good
- If you miss your old Somerset Best, talk to a vendor or three and track down a Vulfix-made version with similar shape and size
- Even if you wind up with a Simpson that's not the shape or size you think you want, you may be stunned by its performance
- Maybe, just maybe, people who make brushes by hand and have done so for years know more about the individual specimens they send out into the world than a bunch of cranky wetshavers with digital calipers*

*My $12 calipers are scheduled to be delivered today, per UPS

franz · Post by **franz** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:47 pm

Nice post Tim. I think we spec-nerds are too reductionist with our thinking. Something about judging a book by its cover...

AFG · Post by **AFG** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 6:54 pm

I too owned a Somerset D3 that was an excellent brush but in a fit of madness I let it go. I stayed away from the Vulfix versions when a vendor told me it was no where near the brush it had once been as the long lofts had ruined the brush. Sounds like things have improved and it would be worth a look.

TRBeck · Post by **TRBeck** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 6:58 pm

Al, I have talked to multiple vendors who have had stock recently in the 47-49mm loft range. Many were/are bulb-shaped (decidedly NOT my preference), and one vendor with whom I am working is going to notify me when the next shipment of Dukes arrives so that I can have a shot - maybe - at a short-lofted fan shape. Worth a look, for sure.

MaxP · Post by **MaxP** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:12 pm

TRBeck wrote:

- Maybe, just maybe, people who make brushes by hand and have done so for years know more about the individual specimens they send out into the world than a bunch of cranky wetshavers with digital calipers*

*My $12 calipers are scheduled to be delivered today, per UPS

Everyone who has, or may get, SBAD, ought to have calipers. Digital, preferably!

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 8:58 pm

From examples I've seen recently, I'd run -- not walk -- past an SR3120/22, Emperor 3 or Colonel, just to get a D3B with a fan-shaped 47mm loft. Maybe, finally, Simpsons has turned the corner.

Vulfix Old Original · Post by **Vulfix Old Original** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:42 am

Could I politely ask which vendor recommended that you avoid the Vulfix versions? You can PM me if you wish?

Thanks,

Mark

AFG wrote:I too owned a Somerset D3 that was an excellent brush but in a fit of madness I let it go. I stayed away from the Vulfix versions when a vendor told me it was no where near the brush it had once been as the long lofts had ruined the brush. Sounds like things have improved and it would be worth a look.

Sodapopjones · Post by **Sodapopjones** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 3:45 am

Haters gonna hate, can't please everyone; I will note I have seen quite a huge improvement towards the end of this year as far as Simpsons putting out quality product.

Whatever you're doing Mark, keep it up!

AFG · Post by **AFG** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 7:54 am

Vulfix Old Original wrote:Could I politely ask which vendor recommended that you avoid the Vulfix versions? You can PM me if you wish?
I think I will make a few calls to see if I can find a sub 50mm knot in a Duke 3.

Thanks,

Mark

Mark, that conversation was several years ago and no good would come of discussing it with him now. I ended up buying another Simpson that he felt would fit my needs as the Duke at that time was not going to replicate the original.

AFG wrote:I too owned a Somerset D3 that was an excellent brush but in a fit of madness I let it go. I stayed away from the Vulfix versions when a vendor told me it was no where near the brush it had once been as the long lofts had ruined the brush. Sounds like things have improved and it would be worth a look.

TRBeck · Post by **TRBeck** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 7:57 am

MaxP wrote:
TRBeck wrote:

- Maybe, just maybe, people who make brushes by hand and have done so for years know more about the individual specimens they send out into the world than a bunch of cranky wetshavers with digital calipers*

*My $12 calipers are scheduled to be delivered today, per UPS
Everyone who has, or may get, SBAD, ought to have calipers. Digital, preferably!

Used mine to check specs on all my brushes last night. Fun. And somewhat revealing regarding my SR 3122, which is 2mm bigger at the knot and 1mm shorter loftwise than its official specs. Before, I'd thought of my 22mm knot as an outlier in context of my brush preferences; I know now that it's perfectly in line with my other favorites.

Of course, either way, it would fit into that category of "it just works." But seeing how closely all of my favorites hew to a 25/50 loft, well, it certainly gives me some direction when considering future purchases.

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:29 am

Tim, the memory of my older 3122 was of a much larger brush than your newer version, at 24/51. Interesting that even German/Savile Row precision is that "variable." I'm all for this kind of corporate downsizing.

paddy · Post by **paddy** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:51 am

Could I politely ask which vendor recommended that you avoid the Vulfix versions? You can PM me if you wish?

Thanks,

Mark

is anyone going to benefit from you going down this road? everyone, including vendors, are entitled to their own opinion and to provide discretionary advice to their customers surely.