When we read about Simpson brushes, we see a lot of talk about Chubbies and Dukes, but we seldom hear anything about the Classics. I bought one a couple of months ago, and it is rapidly becoming one of my favorite brushes, so I thought I'd post a few thoughts. With a knot listed at 23x44, it is very similar to the Chubby 1 at 24x45. The handles are similar, with the Chubby being a little more pronounced in its grip. The Classic 2, the Duke 1 (20mm knot) and the Chubby 1 handles are almost the exact same size, within a millimeter or two in WxH of each other. The prices are within $10-15 of each other. So what made me pick the Classic? I have purchased several Simpson brushes from The Superior Shave, because I appreciate the time he takes to measure and post the knot dimensions of each individual brush. The variations in loft can be substantial, as much as 5mm in what is listed as spec.. So while the Chubbies were running 46-59, the Classics were 42-46. I decided to go with the stubbier Classic and chose one lofted at 41.5. At first I thought I had made a big mistake. This knot was so short, so dense, that I felt like I was trying to lather with one of those giant felt tip markers. It would hardly pull soap in, and what it did, it wouldn't give up. I was ready to cut my losses and put it on a BST. It just needed a little time, and a dozen lathers or so. It took forever to open up and get some bloom to it, but now that it has, it is an amazing little face latherer. It has pretty good backbone for three band, but easy enough splay, and is the perfect size to scrub your face without getting soap in your ears and up your nose. The face feel is typical of Simpson Best, moderate backbone, and a little scrub, but not as silky as Super. I used it last night, and got my three pass plus some cleanup, and still milked enough lather out for another pass. I am starting to love this brush. So if your tastes tend to prefer mid sized brushes, and you are looking for a little fireplug of a brush, I wholeheartedly recommend the Classic 2. What a cute little thing... Pictured between a Duke 1 and 3 for some scale: Even with the Classic having more than twice as many lathers on it, you can see the difference in density over the little Duke.
