Simpsons...meh!

I have never liked dead animals on my face so there.

Do you like woollen socks or woollen items in general, badger hair is not a dead animal, it is only the hair, millions of chickens are bred in terrible conditions and slaughtered every year for food, the feathers get used too but no one complains about that....well a few do I suppose, but it won't stop.
 
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.
You could always sell the handle to someone here as a little re knot project
 
You could always sell the handle to someone here as a little re knot project
You know what?..I dumped it in anger a while before coming back to the forum. If I still had it, I wouldn't sell it, but I would PIF it. I feel guilty about that now...I just get too darned emotional when it comes to the things I loved once, so, so very much:(:(:cry::cry:.
 
So many BST listings for Simpson brushes on this and other shaving forums have to have the obligatory statement "not a shedder" you do not see this statement applied as often for other brush brands listed on BST. I think that is telling. It also makes it risky when buying a used Simpson brush.
 
3 years ago I bought a Simpsons Chubby 2 Synthetic & it was superb until one day, after only a month, the knot flew out of the handle in bits when I was shaking it over the sink. I returned it and the replacement has been faultless. Every manufacture has the odd lemon and the important thing is how they respond when you encounter a problem. Simpson certainly stand by their brushes.
 
Just popped in for old times sake and noticed this thread. Fact is, occasionally just about every brand of badger brush will produce a shedder - Simpsons included. In the years I produced my New Forest brushes the email I most dreaded was from a buyer who experienced shedding. Fortunately it rarely came. I always sent a replacement brush. I'm still using several of my brushes. The only outsider is a Trumpers brush I bought on what was probably the only TRS meet in London several years ago when we did a tour of the major West End barbers. That hasn't shed a hair I've noticed.
 
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 have to say I'm not a fan of moaning without giving somebody the chance to put it right if you don't chose to return it and give them the opportunity to put it right then don't moan

having said that I do agree my dad bought the duke with shedding issues but it was replaced with no issue and has had no issue since

my only brush is the chubby 2 manchurian and I've only ever noticed losing 1 hair from new
its not good hearing of issues but anything can have a fault no matter how superior you might believe something is. It's how it's put right that matters
 
I have to say I'm not a fan of moaning without giving somebody the chance to put it right if you don't chose to return it and give them the opportunity to put it right then don't moan

having said that I do agree my dad bought the duke with shedding issues but it was replaced with no issue and has had no issue since

my only brush is the chubby 2 manchurian and I've only ever noticed losing 1 hair from new
its not good hearing of issues but anything can have a fault no matter how superior you might believe something is. It's how it's put right that matters
What was the line from that song? Oh, yes..."It's my post and I can moan if I want to"...or something along those lines.

However, just a point of clarification, I wasn't 'moaning' about the brush so much as making a point about the perceived drop in quality as quantities increase, even though the prices go up.
 
I read an interview a few years back where Simpsons claimed to be selling over 20 000 brushes a year. And that was before their synthetic line was fully established. That's a lot of brushes.
 
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