Simpsons Classic 1 Synthetic has been released

[M6Classic]

They're only available in three band?!?! Fuggedaboudit.

Buzz

[ShadowsDad]

M6, you're free to spray paint it any color you wish. The nylon fibers won't care.

I used the prototype and production brushes side by side for todays shave. The short story is that they are definitely different knots.

Of the 2 the production brush (PB from now on) is clearly softer. Using it with lather is like using a wall of velvet. There is push back from the brush, but there is no sensation of anything actually being against the skin. It also requires slightly less "force" to get it to splay than the proto'. If someone wants the utmost in soft velvety feel this brush will not disappoint. Yet it still does have backbone. If someone wants a smaller brush and wants to use force on the brush this brush will also work there. I can't imagine the force it would take to mash either of these brushes. A natural fiber brush can be easily mashed, as just a few seconds on YouTube will demonstrate, but not these. The more force is used the more these brushes push back.

The proto' isn't scratchy by any means, it's quite soft actually. But compared to the PB it feels almost scritchy. Where the PB was just a wall of velvet with no sensation of feeling anything actually against the face, it seemed that I could almost feel each individual fiber of the proto' brush. It also has a bit more push back, and typically as more force is used it gets progressively harder to go further. As with the PB this brush is a brush mashers dream. It should give the face feel a masher wants without destroying the brush.

Did either brush "win"? No. They are both excellent brushes and both are quite different. I couldn't be happier about that. I wanted 2 different feeling Classic 1s and I have them. The PB actually reminded of a small version of the Chubby 2 high lofted synthetic that I have. That's the only comparison to the Chubby2 that I'll make. Since mine is high lofted and has little in common with what Simpsons made there for a time with the Chubby 2 syn'.

I would like the PB to take on a bit of splay through repeated use. Maybe in time it will.

That's it! I'm done buying brushes now! Until the next one anyway.

[ShadowsDad]

I plan to use this brush for the next few days, and in doing so today I noticed something with it that the Chubby2 syn' also displays.

After working up a protolather there is no longer a need to press to splay the fibers. The lather itself is strong enough to make that happen. It's still an incredibly soft tipped brush.

I seem to remember Mark mentioning that the production brush was going to use the same fibers as the Chubby2 . I suspect that's the case.

[Sam]

I've decided its a Simpsons for my first synthetic. I'd love a blue handle. I have to decide what size brush. The chubby 2 will be about 120 shipped. If this one is 66 that may be a killer deal. I'm used to 24 mm as my small brush. Synthetic may let me get smaller and have same face feel as 24mm silvertip?

[ShadowsDad]

Sam, none of todays synthetics will have the same face feel of a badger. It's a totally different experience and feel. If you think of it as replicating badger you're going to be very disappointed. If you want a badger feel, then you must buy a badger.

The Classic1 syn' will be a smaller brush even when splayed than the 24mm badger you're trying to replace. Possibly the Chubby2 syn' would do it, but never having used any of the brushes you told me about I just don't know. Don't think of splay with a synthetic as being the same as when a badger splays. They don't work that way.

I would contact TGN and buy a knot and handle from them and have them assemble it. Start there and see what happens. A TGN knot isn't shabby despite the low price; I have as many TGN synthetics as I do Simpsons now. It won't have the same feel as the Simpsons. But I mean that only to say it will be somewhat different, not better or worse, just different. If you don't like it sell it and try again. Simpsons isn't going anywhere any time soon.

Edit: Sam I have an idea. PM sent.