Simpson shave brushes..can anyone explain?

Discussion in 'The Brush' started by David09, Apr 23, 2019.

  1. David09

    David09 Active Member

    Why the heck they have to shed hair like a dog with mange? I love the handles but when you are paying upwards of 150.00-200.00 is it too much to ask for them to retain their bristles. I’ve returned almost every Simpson I have bought. Only the Wee Scott and old scruffy remain, and it’s not because they don’t lose bristles, it’s because I didn’t pay too much for them.
    Geez!!!


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  2. wristwatchb

    wristwatchb wristwatch "danger" b

    Welcome to The Shave Den!

    I'm sorry about your experience. Which Simpson brushes/knots have given you problems? Do you use soap or creams (or both)? Are you a face or bowl latherer? Do you soak the bristles before using and allow the brush to dry afterward?

    I have a Chubby 2 in Super Badger that doesn't shed. I soak the bristles thoroughly before using it to face lather. I call it my Soap Destroyer.
     
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  3. David09

    David09 Active Member

    Hi Wristwatchb.
    Seems like we probably collect a couple of the same things.
    So I bought the Commodore. Loved it but from day one it puked out bristles.
    Next I bought the Duke. Was great for two months and then a full on defoliation. Maybe a bit of a exaggeration but not much. I still have the two I mentioned, and the Simpson Special is fun to use. But why does it have to always shed 2-5 bristles per use?
    Yes, I soak for 10 minutes or so before shaving. I face lather for the most part. And being a Chef, my first impulses to figure 8 but I know the manufacturers say don’t do that so I paint.
    It’s not like I don’t have other brands to judge against. ( Vie long, Edwin Jagger, Omega, Semogue, Muhle, Paragon, etc.).
    The frigging common denominator is Simpson brushes behind the champion of bristle loss. Look at the shave forums and this is a common complaint, but never a resolution! Why not? Man it makes me mad.




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  4. David09

    David09 Active Member

    [​IMG]


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  5. Jorvaljr

    Jorvaljr Operation Daytona 8000

    take away the Simpson label and it’s just a run of the mill brush to me. But a yaqi and slap a Simpson label on it.
     
  6. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Simpson uses wheat paste for glue. It's what they have always used. I've never had issues with my Simpson's shedding, but I don't soak them and I dry them after use.

    Most other manufacturers use some sort of epoxy based glue.
     
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  7. brit

    brit in a box

    i have a commodore and a special both with best badger . odd hair here and there and had them 1 year +.i don't soak them for long periods,warm water only and bowl lather them.they get a wash with conditioner once in a while.i don't use them that much but so far so good.
     
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  8. kfbrady

    kfbrady Well-Known Member

    I wet mine before I use them but I certainly don't "soak" them for any length of time. I've never had a problem with them shedding.

    Great brushes - super dense bristles with great backbone.
     
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  9. Primotenore

    Primotenore missed opera tunity

    Article Team
    I have had at least 12 Simpson brushes, from the Wee Scot to a CH3 Manchurian. Quite the gamut. I have never had a brush that shed. I have had a Rooney shed. I have had a Semogue shed...two, in fact, but not one Simpson. @David09 you don't store your brushes in that plastic bin do you? That would not be recommended.
     
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  10. BigMark83

    BigMark83 [...........] this space intentionally left blank

    I wish I could help man. For that much you could buy a custom brush like Shavemac, or even something from Brad Sears. I don't know anything about these brands firsthand, but whoever owns a Shavemac loves them, from what I have read. Heck I may just buy one eventually. But I've been saying that for a few years :D.
     
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  11. Primotenore

    Primotenore missed opera tunity

    Article Team
    I agree that it is a complaint, but common? Come on. Simpson has an impeccable reputation and if you have a legitimate complaint, Mark will make it right.
     
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  12. kfbrady

    kfbrady Well-Known Member

    Just wondering, is that still true?

    Simpson's website currently says, "Always allow your shaving brush to dry completely between uses to avoid any mildew spores developing within the knot which will almost certainly attack the bristle epoxy bond."
     
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  13. Preacher

    Preacher Well-Known Member

    I have a Chubby 2 in Super Badger and have no shedding issues. I do a 2 min soak in warm water and face lather. When I'm done, I'm careful to make sure all of the soap is rinsed out of the brush (I can't remember where I read it, but a brush restorer said that not rinsing a brush of all of the soap will cause shedding). I also have a few synthetics that I rotate to make sure that my Simpson dries completely between uses.
     
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  14. Primotenore

    Primotenore missed opera tunity

    Article Team
    I would like to know what the old-timers, who used Simpson shave brushes, used to do? They had one brush, which they most-likely used daily.
     
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  15. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    I should have clarified. Simpsons uses wheat paste glue to form the knot. How they set the knot in the handle, I don't know. They may have changed glues, but the video I saw was fairly recent. 5 years old or so. I'll try to find the link.
    Edit: I didn't find the link, but i did find some more recent videos, and comparing those to what I remember, I'd have to say that they have changed their glue. Epoxy is also mentioned in the video. Welcome to the future, Simpsons.
     
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2019
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  16. kfbrady

    kfbrady Well-Known Member

    Ah, thank you for clarifying, and for looking further!
     
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  17. Keithmax

    Keithmax Breeds Pet Rocks

    I have 6 Simpson brushes, they oldiest I bought 7 years ago. I have not had any problems with my brushes. I had 3 Rooney brushes and one was a shedder.
     
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  18. MR41

    MR41 Well-Known Member

    @ OP-I had a Commodore and it shed maybe 2 hairs in as many years, but I didn’t soak it. I’d be put off too if I had a Simpson with a shedding knot.
     
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  19. David09

    David09 Active Member

    I’m glad so many of you folks have had a better experience than I with Simpson brushes. I really do want to have the same, but that unfortunately hasn’t been my experience.
    I do love the way they perform. I don’t have any complaints that way. But honestly, I have had 5 brushes and every one sheds more than any other brand I have purchased. (5 Simpson brushes.).
    So for a bit of background info. I live on the West Coast of B.C. Canada. I have to order most of my gear online and usually from Ontario. That’s basically a continent away except it’s still the same country. So if you follow what I’m getting at, it’s not like I can just pop down to the store to return a brush. It will probably cost me about 15.00 to return a defective product. When I’m already paying a premium in import charge, tax, etc, I don’t want that experience or cost until I get a brush that doesn’t shed.
    I also can’t seem to rap my head around the idea of any brush that expensive, needing to be used with a certain soap or cream, or in some sort of delicate manor. If it’s made for shaving, I want to use it for that purpose.
    Anyway I appreciate all the feedback. If anyone in my city ever offers a brick and mortar storefront, I’ll be happy to buy another Simpson. At this point I don’t want to pay to return another.


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  20. brit

    brit in a box

    west coast.,how far from new west?..
     
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