Simpsons Chubby 2 Synthetic badger

Sm304 said:
I collected my brush from the post office this morning and my first impressions are that this this is a very pretty brush. The knot looks like it is a little on the smaller side of what I was expecting, but that's probably due to the bloom on my badger Chubby's.
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Is it just me, or is the handle on the Chubby synthetic smaller (narrower)?
 
jb74 said:
Is it just me, or is the handle on the Chubby synthetic smaller (narrower)?
Click to expand...

It's pretty much the same size as the other two, according to my cheap Maplin callipers, it's marginally wider than the best and the same as the Manchurian, also the Manchurian is slightly taller than the other two, but the differences aren't noticeable by the eye and the probable human measurement errors.
I think the appearance is down to the rubbish photographer, also that the knot is set lower and the knot looks narrower due to the badger's bloom. The knot is 28mm at the top of the handle as are the others.

Scott.
 
So mine arrived today and I've just used it.

I'll post a few thoughts but please bear in mind I am total and utter synthetic brush virgin, so I may be stating things that seem quite obvious to seasoned synthetic veterans.

- I got the Coral version and to the eye the handle looks smaller than a standard faux ivory handle, but they measure up the same

- There's practically zero scritch to the synthetic hair tips, I think they have that gel like feeling to them

- It's an out and out painting brush, the synthetic hairs are very uniform about how the move across your face, they all follow the same direction with literally no deviation

- I lathered up with some 3P. Now 3P is the sort of soap that will lather richly with a dead mouse on a lollipop stick, but it didn't go wild with the synthetic brush. Instead the lather was just tipping the border of acceptable

- There's no splay to the hairs after use, the knot is practically identical now to what it was before I used it

- Because the knot doesn't splay, it certainly gives the impression that it's a smaller brush to say a standard Chubby in Best

These are just my thoughts after one use. I'll have to give it a few more runs to really make up my mind. I'm not sure if synthetics take to 'breaking in' at all, my guess is they don't. Will give her another try on Sunday and see how it pans out.
 
jb74 said:
So mine arrived today and I've just used it.

I'll post a few thoughts but please bear in mind I am total and utter synthetic brush virgin, so I may be stating things that seem quite obvious to seasoned synthetic veterans.

- I got the Coral version and to the eye the handle looks smaller than a standard faux ivory handle, but they measure up the same

- There's practically zero scritch to the synthetic hair tips, I think they have that gel like feeling to them

- It's an out and out painting brush, the synthetic hairs are very uniform about how the move across your face, they all follow the same direction with literally no deviation

- I lathered up with some 3P. Now 3P is the sort of soap that will lather richly with a dead mouse on a lollipop stick, but it didn't go wild with the synthetic brush. Instead the lather was just tipping the border of acceptable

- There's no splay to the hairs after use, the knot is practically identical now to what it was before I used it

- Because the knot doesn't splay, it certainly gives the impression that it's a smaller brush to say a standard Chubby in Best

These are just my thoughts after one use. I'll have to give it a few more runs to really make up my mind. I'm not sure if synthetics take to 'breaking in' at all, my guess is they don't. Will give her another try on Sunday and see how it pans out.
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Most "break in" you find from synthetic brushes is the point at where the fibers are at the knot base and it expands and contracts which provides a very, very slight change but not much more than that under regular use.
 
The few feedback I have read on this brush tends to show somewhat deceiving lather performance compared to other synth and badger brush plus a certain lack of flow through.

Considering the picture above, shouldn't the synthetic chubby have the same knot shape as the Manchurian one ?
Given the fact it does not bloom it would have give the approx shape of a "bloomed" three band badger one.

This plus a slight longer loft would improve its performance and feel.
 
That is a very good review JB, and is very similar as to how I found mine to work, too. I lathered it up with MWF, which on the east coast of Scotland usually lathers without a hitch. Again like you my lather wasn't great but ok; this was also my first go with a synthetic. It makes me wonder if the problem lies with me and my technique or if the loft could do with being a little higher?

Scott.
 
My initial thinking is that this synthetic knot lacks character, everything seems very uniform and wants to work in a very set and ridged manner.
 
48 mm is a very, very short loft for synthetics which impedes overall performance both in terms of springiness and flow through. It is coming closer to making a nylon cord instead of a brush knot with the shorter and tighter specification. The prototype I tested was a 54 mm loft and that makes a major difference in handling and flow through compared to what is in production now.
 
That's quite a big variance in loft. It would make the brush totally different.

One thing I hate about synthetics is the springy feeling, loft is a asset for synthetic brush IMO and is sounds such a short loft would be it quite difficult to use. Almost stick like or if you press hard, face rash.
 
In spite of the Fifth Generation that Wasn't and The Mystery of the Missing Millimeters, I received my Cobalt and really like it: palm-lathered gobs of lather from Castle Forbes cream, lovely feel on the face, this brush is a keeper and on par with the Muhle XL synthetic which I also have. The 48mm loft works fine - perhaps the Muhle with its greater loft generates a tad more foam when palm-lathered but the Simpson makes more than enough anyway and is easier to guide on my face....Both brushes are equally well-made and I will enjoy them both.
 
A chappy from Shavenook posted a couple of vids on Simpsons FB page demonstrating the success he was having with the brush. The key to his success is to basically force it to splay by adding extra pressure.

I tried this and have had great success with the brush. Tonight I used my Wickham Soap Club Cola sampler and face lathered. Instead of being gentle with the hairs, like you would a badger brush, you get rigorous with the brush and force it to splay. The results were really great.

Last night I bowl lathered Mike's Barbershop, and again forced it to splay and got great results.

I'm not sure what the long term effect of adding so much pressure on the brush will be, but for now so far so good.

Simpsons have indicated on their FB page that they may change the loft on the Chubby, or move to a different handle.
 
Synthetics aren't my bag, for the time being, but it is intriguing that Simpson have launched in with a Chubby: it must be for the cachet of the model rather than for the practicality of its performance. A Duke or Classic might have been my natural inclinations. But then, it's not really my place to comment given that I've never owned a Simpson.
 
jb74 said:
The key to his success is to basically force it to splay by adding extra pressure.

I tried this and have had great success with the brush.
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Exactly, I mash these like I would never have dared with a badger. All those years of pent-up frustration begin told to push the tips only with soft painting strokes.... :)
 
I have acquired one and unfortunately that's true - it is not a brush for face lather unless you are are happy with painting... Most people have been very disappointed with this brush including me
 
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