Simpsons CH2 2-band with longer loft

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chicken neck

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Well, after waiting a long time, I finally received my Chubby 2 2-band. It does look like a real beauty. I do have a couple of concerns though (of course :D )

1. The loft is 60mm instead of 50mm;

2. There is about 5-7mm of white hair showing below the middle black band. I don't think this is serious though as I understand that there is no such thing as genuine 2-band hair, and if the loft was set at 50mm you would not see the lower white band

So the real concern is the higher loft. I think I have read a few people say that a slightly longer loft on stiff 2-band hair is actually a good thing as it makes the brush a bit more forgiving. Can anyone comment on this?

By the way, the knot is also 28mm (versus 27mm published) but that is not significant.
 
This thread is useless without pictures!

Where did you get it from, as a matter of interest?

I'm waiting for my 2 band Persian Jar 2 to drop onto the doormat. I thought that the CH2 would be just too much brush for me.
 
These fella's are going to vary in loft from brush to brush, just depends on the hair at the time of manufacture. Is the knot a nice even shape?
As the knot is large, I found that I have to adjust my technique a little, less of the rotary scrubbing advocated by Mantic and a bit more painting but I'm sure it will lather like a champ whatever the loft.
 
A 10mm shift in length of loft is going to change the characteristics of a brush quite dramatically. I personally think that is unacceptable for a brush of that price.
 
fozz77 said:
A 10mm shift in length of loft is going to change the characteristics of a brush quite dramatically
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True Fozz, but they were never as short as 50mm, I asked for one and they wouldn't do it, it is the spec for softer Super hair.
 
Well I just had a lovely chat with Brett from Simpsons / Vulfix. Very nice guy and very honest. He said that every batch of hair they get in will be different. The particular batch they got in this time is less white than the last batch and is longer. But it is definitely 2-band. I am convinced it is indeed 2-band as the bands are obviously wider than my 3-band brushes and also the middle black band is darker.

The real issue is the length of the hair. They obviously don't want to trim the length from the top of the hair, and they don't even want to trim the hair from the bottom either as it can effect the way the brush is bundled (I didn't really understand this but I didn't go into any more detail). Anyway, they actually create the knot first and then grind away some of the knot to reduce the length. They cannot grind away too much though otherwise there will be no glue left to hold the thing together. This is the reason why the lofts may be turning out longer this time. It may also be why some people are complaining about knots that appear three band. They are not, its just that the overall length of the hair is longer.

Brett agreed to look for a 55mm loft for me and send me a photo. I can then decide if i want to exchange. Tony - I would interested to know what loft yours is and if you think it would benefit from being slightly longer. (Brett is also going to send me a photo of a Tulip 2!)

I feel very differently about Simpsons now. This is a real company run by people that are willing to talk to enthusiasts directly and openly. Rooney may be doing well in the US, but they are a joke in the UK.
 
I notice that Vintage blades quote CH2 2-band as 53mm loft ( actual )

We have been getting our nuts held to the fire at work recently for QA/QC issues. This obviously touched a twitchy nerve :lol:

Chicken neck, after reading this; If I get into a position to buy one of these master pieces I will call the seller to get the specific dimensions.

Good luck & hopefully it does what it says on the box ;)
 
Vintage blades may very well demand a specific loft height as they also seem to be able to demand Rooney's to their own specification.

As the loft on your brush is at least 5mm higher than mine I don't know if there would be any real benefit from having a slightly higher loft or if you could really tell the difference as the diameter of the knot is so large anyway.

What I can say is that it can whip up lather up from soap or cream effortlessly without being a hog and I think it helps the brush to have a high loft in that respect, it is stiff enough to take it. Does that mean it is less Chubby like? Yes I think so but that is not a bad thing, it does makes it more usable.
 
Tony - I agree a slightly longer loft may make it more useable.

Here's another example of Simpsons' great service. Brett had intended to send me photos of alternative brushes but his email failed to get through. So he fished me out from B&B and contacted me asking me to call him again.

Anyway, I did ask him about boring deeper holes in the handles to accomodate longer hair batches. He told me that this was not practical. The problem is that as you bore a deeper hole, you also need to widen the hole otherwise you change the effective shape of the brush. Furthermore, a 5mm deeper hole normally needs something like a 10mm wider hole.

All interesting stuff ...
 
Well I received the 55mm loft CH2 2-band and have held it side by side with the 60mm. Wow - what a difference! Just a 5mm difference in loft height makes a very significant difference in the 'facial' area of the brush, ie the bloom of the brush on the face. I am sure the characteristics would have been very different. I will return the 60mm ... although it does seem such a shame cos it is a real beauty!!!

PS Sorry no photos - but no camera handy
 
I would say broadly yes. The stamp on the handle is not as nice on the shorter loft one - it is a bit fuzzy and darker. But I am not going to get too hung up about that. They certainly are gorgeous brushes.

As a little aside, I have been shaving with the Vulfix 404 badger boar mix the last couple of times and it really is very good. It is a bit scritchy, but the lather is excellent and the handle is as good as any top end brush. Fine recommendation from Antdad and Hando. Thank you.
 
chicken neck said:
As a little aside, I have been shaving with the Vulfix 404 badger boar mix the last couple of times and it really is very good. It is a bit scritchy, but the lather is excellent and the handle is as good as any top end brush. Fine recommendation from Antdad and Hando. Thank you.
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In time it'll soften up. I thought it was supposed to be a gift?
 
chicken neck said:
Well I received the 55mm loft CH2 2-band and have held it side by side with the 60mm. Wow - what a difference! Just a 5mm difference in loft height makes a very significant difference in the 'facial' area of the brush, ie the bloom of the brush on the face. I am sure the characteristics would have been very different. I will return the 60mm ... although it does seem such a shame cos it is a real beauty!!!

PS Sorry no photos - but no camera handy
Click to expand...

Keep both of them :shave :lol:
 
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