I have a lot of respect for Simpson. Their history is rich, the handles are beautifully turned and knots well judged... I suspect they won't be too badly affected, or if they are it would be a case of streamlining the range to become more exclusive (kill the budget line) from what I've seen online they enjoy a certain cachet in the US at least that will take more than a $50 Chinese brush to topple. The gaudy coloured hilariously named "Limited Edition" models that never seem to run out priced at an average of £275 per brush is where they make the money, Maseto has demonstrated production costs can't be that different between a £50 brush and a £275 one but the profit margin is much larger.