Simpsons Classic 1 Synthetic has been released

[ShadowsDad]

Just what the subject says. Go to their site and it's at the bottom of "Limited editions". These are prototype brushes. Tonight they cost (rounded off) $66.

I'll have one in my hot little hands shortly.

Taken directly from the site:

Brush specs (approx):

Overall height: 81mm
Loft: 42mm
Knot diameter: 22mm

I expect it will be an excellent travel brush.

[Oscar11]

Congrats and good luck with the new brush. I have a Classic 2 in best, it's an excellent brush.

[ShadowsDad]

IT ARRIVED!

Just came in in fact...
Mailed from the Isle of Mann on the 4th. (that was fast delivery!)

Here it is next to it's big brother.


And to give a sense of scale.


Directly from my brush inventory sheet:
Simpsons Classic1 Synthetic, 22 x 42mm, faux ivory

Dry, the brush is quite soft, but with backbone.

I just face lathered with it and it's quite nice. IMO it could use 5mm more loft, but is that a deal breaker for me? Not at this time- I like variety and this brush feels like no other synthetic I have. But a bit more loft would give more fiber action and reduce the feel of the backbone. I'll break into my brush rotation to better evaluate it against the competition; that is, other synthetics.

I lathered with Dapper Dragon Lavender Lizard and it will definitely make a lush lather in a short time. More to follow after I shave tonight.

One little sticking point with me... The brush claims to have "synthetic badger" fiber. I think that sets it up to be compared to natural badger. Any comparison to badger, IMO, should be avoided. It isn't badger and won't feel like badger and to compare it to badger is just wrong. So in keeping with that I won't compare it to badger. But I did need to mention that. OK, Simpsons made it look like faux badger as well. I would have preferred natural fibers; again, so as not to confuse the issue. I have no doubt an attractive brush can be made with monocolor fiber. But again, I'm an adult and know that even though it's made to look like faux badger, and carries "badger" on the handle, that it isn't badger.

[Squire]

Catchy though, how durable is that sticker?

[ShadowsDad]

The old stickers came off fairly easily so I've been told. The new stickers don't have that problem.

[Squire]

I asked because they looked more firmly affixed than were the old ones.

[ShadowsDad]

It's a different type also. The old ones were decals, this has an adhesive back. I know because I bought a used Commodore1 sans decal and I requested and was sent 2 for replacements.

[Squire]

Mine routinely fell off after a shave or three.

[ShadowsDad]

Oh wow! No, completely different today. I haven't lost even one sticker in a bunch of years.

[Squire]

Well I am going back some years. I don't think the early ones were meant to stay on very long, rather they were there for inventory control or suchlike.

[ShadowsDad]

I shaved with it last night (morning) and I still think the brush could use a bit more loft. On another forum "Simpsons" came back and mentioned that they'll be using a different fiber; a softer one. That will, in essence, take care of my concern. Too, since it will fit in the Simpson travel tube it will solve my concern and remain inside the tube. Longer loft would have the brush sticking outside the end of the tube.

[Brutus]

Catchy though, how durable is that sticker?

Had a look at the link that ShadowsDad mentioned and found that Simpsons sell these stickers as a replacement part.

Good to know, although I have a feeling Simpsons wouldn't need to do that if these stickers were ever-lasting....

[Squire]

Perhaps a sticking sticker wouldn't be traditional. None of my other brand brushes had one either.

[ShadowsDad]

Shhh! Don't tell anyone! If you go over to TSN and post about your sticker coming off you'll be sent some for free. Or that was what would happen in the past.

[Squire]

Ah, I can live without 'em.

[ShadowsDad]

I've been testing this brush and I've thought exactly the same thought each time... it's a tiny synthetic. I would never want a WeeScot, or even a Special, in synthetic. This is as small as I would want.

I still plan to get a production brush with it's softer fiber.

Then that's it! No More! (until probably the next time!)

[jww]

My Duke 2, which I purchased about 18 months ago, still has the sticker firmly in place. No issues there at all.

[Rufus]

P

Then that's it! No More! (until probably the next time!)

[ShadowsDad]

As I suggested I would, I dropped the hammer on the production version of this brush. According to Mark, as promised, the production version has a different, softer fiber (I asked). I hope so, not that anything is wrong with the prototype, but I like variation. An identical brush to one I already own isn't required or desired in my cabinet.

FWIW, It's on the Simpsons site in the limited editions section at the bottom. It's about 50 GBP shipped to the USA.

[ShadowsDad]

The new production version of the Simpsons Classic 1 Synthetic came into my hot little hands today. Not bad. I ordered it on the 9th and here it is, delivered on the 15th.

Comparing the prototype to the new brush, true to Marks word, the production fiber is softer. I notice it mostly in the tips. More on that in a bit. Like the prototype brush, it shipped and fits in the travel tube. I plan to use mine in the shave den, but it's obvious use is as a travel brush. IMO, a synthetic brush is superb for travel; it simply is the best of all worlds for travel. Especially if one needs to put it in the tube while it's still wet.

The knot appears to be denser than the prototype, so while the tips are softer, and possibly the fiber itself is softer as well, the brush still has a good amount of backbone. With a synthetic I like to call it "pushback" because that's exactly what is felt on the face while the brush is in use. I have not lathered it on the face yet, only hand lathered it. I strongly suspect that it's going to take a bit of pressure to get the brush to splay and without that splaying it simply won't work.

I'll know more in a day or so though.

OK, pix... The new production brush is on the left and the prototype brush is on the right. The production brush also has the lighter toned tips. It has been hand lathered and typical for synthetic, has no bloom.