Simpsons...meh!

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Maybe a little controversial, perhaps heresy, and possibly risky, but...Simpsons are no longer for me. Why?
I have used 'The Duke' for several years, but not for as long as I've had many other brushes, including every type of badger, several synthetic and custom Cadman brushes (here I get on my knees and bow). I have always looked after my brushes in exactly the same way... rinsed well after use, ensured they were as dry as possible and then aired in a brush stand to ensure no build up of scum at the knot. I have also used them in similar routines: same soaps, creams, water temperature etc; never too hot and never too much squeezing to damage the bristles or the knot glue. I have also rotated their use to ensure no brush ever stood unused or uncared for. BUT...
Of all my brushes, the only one which started to repeatedly shed hair was the Simpson's Duke (a genuine one purchased from a reputable shop). After a while, and after trying various 'cures' from recommended internet sites, I decided it was getting so bad that I just wasn't enjoying shaving with it any more. And yes, I did check multiple forums and found lots of threads where people had similar problems with their Simpsons brush shedding hairs, and most of the feedback seemed to be quite similar: Maybe you were just unlucky as they're usually very good but if you send it back Simpsons have really good customer care and they will replace it...etc...etc. Well, I have no doubt that they would replace it with no qualms, BUT I don't want to go to the trouble of sending it back, and I shouldn't have to because I have never had to do that with any brush before, many that I still have and have never ever shed a single hair. And anyway, how come it was so easy to find people asking about Simpsons brushes shedding hair?
I'm sure I'll get a lot of flack for this but my general perception is that Simpsons brand is now so embedded in peoples' minds that they might ( I say might) just feel they can get away with a few more quality issues than others. For me, the true quality of a brush isn't that the supplier will replace it quickly but that it is less likely to need replacing in the first place. I repeat: none of my other brushes had this problem and most were cheaper by far (other than the Cadman's...but hey, they are Cadmans) and I honestly don't want to spend on another Simpsons brush and risk disappointment. 'The Duke' I had was excellent for quite a while and you will find my praise heaped on it elsewhere in this forum, but for a brush that many say should last a lifetime...well it didn't. So Simpson's brushes for me...meh.
(Apologies to the many Simpsons brush fans out there; this is of course my own narrow-minded opinion and not intended to be a slur on Simpsons...perhaps a company that sells so many brushes with such a focus on quality is more likely to be held to a higher standard.)
 
Sorry to hear about your brush. About 24 years ago I had a Simpson PJ Best that had a serious shedding problem. It was replaced by Simpson with no hassles. Since then I've owned a dozen Simpson brushes from the pre-Vulfix and post-Vulfix eras and not had any issues with any one of them. More recently, about 9 years ago, I bought a Rooney 2/1 with the vaunted Finest knot. Unfortunately, after 2 or 3 years of periodic use the centre of the knot started to hollow out, but the brush was and is still useable. I contactEd Lee SabinI, who ran Rooney at the time, and learnt that the Finest badger knot I had was no longer available, but I was able to work a deal on a Rooney Heritage brush whilst still keeping the Finest. I also had a shedding issue with a VP Leonhardy brush, which was replace without delay by VPL without my having to return the faulty brush. It's annoying and frustrating to have a product, especially a premium product, go wrong, but it will happen regardless. When assessing whether or not to do business with a vendor I like to get a handle not just on the quality of their goods, but also on their after-sales support, especially on how hey handle product defect issues and customer complaints. Unfortunately, however, despite thorough due diligence, life is full of unpredictable events and bad things happen to people seemingly for no particular reason: c'est la vie. But you are right, you are under no compulsion to buy Simpson brushes and there are many, many other quality brush makers in the market to deal with.
 
I seem to remember Trumpers used to use Simpsons for their brushes. Around 8-10 years ago, the announce a new line they are making themselves. Naturally, many people called them out saying they were simpsons / vulfix, only for Trumpers to say they moved on as they were getting so many complaints about the brushes. My brush from them is still going well after 12 years of more than regular use.
 
Sorry to hear about your brush. ... despite thorough due diligence, life is full of unpredictable events and bad things happen to people seemingly for no particular reason: c'est la vie. But you are right, you are under no compulsion to buy Simpson brushes and there are many, many other quality brush makers in the market to deal with.
Rufus, and NatJag... I just knew that Shaving room members were far more balanced and sensible and not likely to go off half-cocked on a rampage just because one says something based on a single brush...after all it is only a brush:)
If I'm being really honest, part of me was just really disappointed because I liked the brush so much. Another reason for not wanting to go down the returning it route was because I wanted to use some of my other brushes too and I was getting to that stage where I had accumulated so much shaving kit that I was spoiled for choice and not enjoying anything thoroughly...you know, finding the perfect setup but then going off and using different stuff just because it was there. Not sending the Duke back made me focus more on my Cadman 'bell' brush and it's the one I enjoy most...so, yeh, I suppose I was just looking for an excuse to not feel so bad about the Simpson!
Good to see the philosophical edge of the forum still going strong(y)(y):)
 
Maybe a little controversial, perhaps heresy, and possibly risky, but...Simpsons are no longer for me. Why?
I have used 'The Duke' for several years, but not for as long as I've had many other brushes, including every type of badger, several synthetic and custom Cadman brushes (here I get on my knees and bow). I have always looked after my brushes in exactly the same way... rinsed well after use, ensured they were as dry as possible and then aired in a brush stand to ensure no build up of scum at the knot. I have also used them in similar routines: same soaps, creams, water temperature etc; never too hot and never too much squeezing to damage the bristles or the knot glue. I have also rotated their use to ensure no brush ever stood unused or uncared for. BUT...
Of all my brushes, the only one which started to repeatedly shed hair was the Simpson's Duke (a genuine one purchased from a reputable shop). After a while, and after trying various 'cures' from recommended internet sites, I decided it was getting so bad that I just wasn't enjoying shaving with it any more. And yes, I did check multiple forums and found lots of threads where people had similar problems with their Simpsons brush shedding hairs, and most of the feedback seemed to be quite similar: Maybe you were just unlucky as they're usually very good but if you send it back Simpsons have really good customer care and they will replace it...etc...etc. Well, I have no doubt that they would replace it with no qualms, BUT I don't want to go to the trouble of sending it back, and I shouldn't have to because I have never had to do that with any brush before, many that I still have and have never ever shed a single hair. And anyway, how come it was so easy to find people asking about Simpsons brushes shedding hair?
I'm sure I'll get a lot of flack for this but my general perception is that Simpsons brand is now so embedded in peoples' minds that they might ( I say might) just feel they can get away with a few more quality issues than others. For me, the true quality of a brush isn't that the supplier will replace it quickly but that it is less likely to need replacing in the first place. I repeat: none of my other brushes had this problem and most were cheaper by far (other than the Cadman's...but hey, they are Cadmans) and I honestly don't want to spend on another Simpsons brush and risk disappointment. 'The Duke' I had was excellent for quite a while and you will find my praise heaped on it elsewhere in this forum, but for a brush that many say should last a lifetime...well it didn't. So Simpson's brushes for me...meh.
(Apologies to the many Simpsons brush fans out there; this is of course my own narrow-minded opinion and not intended to be a slur on Simpsons...perhaps a company that sells so many brushes with such a focus on quality is more likely to be held to a higher standard.)

I had a similar shedding experience with my Simpson Duke. The shedding was unacceptable to me and I binned the brush. After subsequently reading many posts on various forums over the years from other shavers who's Simpson brush turned out to be a shedder and Simpson's sacharine responses on one forum in particular, it is my view that they are in denial that they have an issue. Further, after viewing a Simpson video of how their brushes are made, I am not persuaded they have a manufacturing and QC process that is robust enough to minimise the shedding issue.
 
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My Vulfix brush has started shedding hairs after 3 years use, also my badger chubby 3, sometimes bits of hair, or full strands, up to ten a day. This after 2 years .

Yes, like the original post, I am careful about looking after them.

My SV badger, has shed none in the past year. A really nice brush.
 
I've had a Duke 2 in pure and 2 Duke 3's in best. I was a replacement. They all started shedding significantly within 6 months. I have to thank Anthony at Shave lounge as he replaced the first Duke 3 & fully refunded the replacement when the issue reoccured. It's a shame as I really like the knot of 3, but I would definitely not consider a Simpson's again as my experience of the brand mirrors many others.
 
You could always remove the knot and replace it with a synthetic or badger knot depending on your preference.
Personally, if I decided to replace the badger hair knot on a Simpson's brush, I'd want to replace the handle too. Then I'd get into that old joke about the brush that lasted 30 years...I only replaced the handle twice and the knot three times!:giggle: I've decided to go animal-friendly and never buy another real hair knot again. I'm far too impressed with the latest generation of synthetics and at under £20 for some truly excellent brushes it seems like a no brainer.
 
Personally, if I decided to replace the badger hair knot on a Simpson's brush, I'd want to replace the handle too. Then I'd get into that old joke about the brush that lasted 30 years...I only replaced the handle twice and the knot three times!:giggle: I've decided to go animal-friendly and never buy another real hair knot again. I'm far too impressed with the latest generation of synthetics and at under £20 for some truly excellent brushes it seems like a no brainer.

Is that you Trigger?
 
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