Simpsons Classic 1 - CL1 Synthetic Platinum High density Fibre Faux Handle Ivory Shaving Brush - Simpson Shaving Brushes - Wet Shave Deluxe Thick & Luxurious Lather Handle Dense & Extra Soft Bristles

Simpsons makes the best synthetic brushes I have used but reading the other reviews there seems to be some confusion, so pay attention to which brush you are buying since these reviews are for 4 or 5 models. These are the “platinum” synthetic bristle. Simpsons makes brushes with at least two different synthetic “grades:” Sovereign and the newer Platinum. I have the Trafalgar 3 with the sovereign bristles and it’s been my favorite synthetic brush of those I’ve tried. I have a small collection of shave brushes, mostly natural boar or badger bristle, but a few synthetics. Most of the brands I see seem to use the same few varieties of synthetic bristles. They must source them all from the same places. If you see two brands with synthetic bristles that appear to be the same, they probably are the same (though of course the know sizes and handles will differ). That is not the case with Simpsons (nor, I believe, with Mühle). they make or source their own synthetic bristle, and I don’t think anyone else sells brushes with the same synthetic that Simpsons does. I love my other Simpsons synthetic – the bristles have very soft tips, but with more backbone than any other synthetic I’ve tried, and that’s something I really appreciate and like using. Some of these synthetics are just so soft all the way through the bristles have no backbone to them even though the tips don’t seem to be as soft as the Simpsons sovereign. So with as much as I love my other Simpsons synthetic, I wanted to try their newer platinum grade synthetic which I had heard was at the same time softer but with more backbone. I think I’ve seen some reviews here where people say that these synthetic bristles aren’t soft enough for them, and I really don’t understand that, but it is of course personal preference. The tips are ultra soft, but the bristles are strong enough to allow me to apply soap from a tub just to the tips without it splaying too easily. I bought the Chubby 3. The thing is massive and almost certainly larger than most people would need for a daily use brush, but given the Chubby’s legendary status as a shave brush, the $10 price difference between the 2 and 3, and the fact that I will almost certainly never buy a Chubby 3 with badger hair (due to the price), I thought this was probably my chance to own a Chubby 3. Simpsons is a world renowned, name-brand brush company and the Chubby is their most famous brush, so I thought it would be fun to own the biggest Chubby one their best synthetic. It was worth it. The 31 mm knot is huge and I’d imagine would be great for lathering the whole head or arms or legs. It’s bigger than I need it to be, but I really enjoy using it. The tips are definitely softer than even the Simpsons “sovereign grade” synthetic bristles on my Trafalgar, but they seem to have about the same backbone if not more. It’s really an awesome synthetic bristle. It whips up a nice big frothy ladder very easily. I don’t think anyone could be disappointed with any of these Simpsons synthetic bristle brushes, as long as you know which one you’re getting and set your expectation accordingly. Simpsons makes the best synthetic brushes I have used and I can’t imagine anyone would be disappointed with any of these. There are a lot of great advantages to a synthetic brush. You don’t have to worry about soaking it before use to get the bristles to absorb water, they’re very durable with minimal care needed, they dry quickly and you don’t have to worry so much about drying them out thoroughly, and, of course, you can sleep a lot more easily at night knowing that no creature was hurt or abused for their fur. I do prefer a natural bristle over a synthetic, but not by much and I don’t think I’ll continue buying natural badger bristle brushes. I’ve learned that with the shaving brushes, bigger is not necessarily better. One of my Simpsons brushes is the Emperor 1 super badger with an 18 mm knot. It is tiny by comparison to this one, but that brush is actually a great size and shape to use for lathering in a bowl since I’m not banging it against the sides of the bowl. Simpsons does seem to focus on quality over quantity – many of their brushes are not the biggest, and are even small by modern industry standards where everyone seems to want to make a big brush, but functionally they are fantastic. That said, the Chubby 3 is a massive brush and a lot of fun to use.

Good quality

I have no problem with this brush. It is well made and works great. This is a stunningly gorgeous brush and is super soft. The brush lathers very nice. I use it mostly for bowl lathering with shaving cream. I highly recommend this brush to anyone. I will purchase others from Simpsons in the future

Too stiff, no give!

This is a very good brush. I have a couple of Parker Badger brushes and thought I would add a Simpson to my collection. The Duke 3 Synthetic has good backbone but somehow is still very soft as well as having a comfortable handle, and a good knot. It is a pleasure to use while shaving.

The Classic 1 synthetic gets only 3 stars, mostly due to the very small size of the knot. Overall the construction quality is excellent (as expected) and the "Platinum" synthetic fiber is very good as well, with less bounciness and higher density than any other synthetic knot I've used. The small diameter and short, but very densely packed loft, when combined with synthetic bristle that doesn't splay out with use, makes for a very focused tip to the knot, this feels odd if you're used to natural bristle shaving brushes and isn't as efficient or enjoyable as a comparably priced/sized natural bristle brush in my opinion. It does however make great lather, distribute lather effectively, have a very soft feel on the face and rinse out extremely easily. It also comes with a travel tube, which is appropriate, as it's very compact and dries much quicker than any natural bristle brush. As a face latherer, I don't enjoy the feel of this brush at all, but if you "paint" lather on your face, instead of swirling it around (to both create and distribute it), then the knot works admirably well for its size and feels much more conventional. As far as the knot goes, this shares only the knot base diameter and loft height with the "Best Badger" version of the Classic 1, the badger brush splays out with use and eventually arrives at roughly double the base diameter on top where the bristles meet your face, the synthetic on the other hand, doesn't spread much at all even with long use and the top of the knot is only slightly wider than it is at the base. It's also a less "synthetic" feeling knot, as it doesn't have the un-damped springiness that many synthetics display, though it certainly doesn't have a texture or face feel like any natural fiber either. The handle is identical to the badger variant, which is to say, it's stubby and hard to control when slippery if you have a larger hand... it's not the grippiest of Simpson handle designs, but it's also not the slipperiest. I like small brushes, but would say that the Classic 1 is too small to be a comfortable "daily driver" for most users. This is a brush for Simpson's completionists or those who feel the need for a high-end synthetic travel brush. Even at recent discounted prices, it's hard to claim that the Classic 1 synth is a good value, though it certainly *is* a functional and very well made brush. For reference, my favorite brush is the Simpson Emperor 1, followed closely by several 2-band brushes with 20-22mm knots and a Berkeley in Pure... I have yet to meet the synthetic brush that I would consider replacing my badger brushes with.

I am in simpson brushes lover, but this does not mean that I should explain any negativity about it! I do not get paid a penny from them, but on the contrary I pay dollars (many of them)! first I liked the idea of ​​this brush from this ancient name, why not put a synthetic with the badger brushes! After it arrived I noticed its small size (not suitable for big hands like truck drivers or axe holders), but it is well made , the design and handle are the same as other simpson brushes , and can easily create more lather than you create with a badger brush! very softer than other synthetic brushes which i used before, in fact I am very satisfied with it

I am extremely happy with this Simpson synthetic shaving brush. I use it for wet shaves with shaving cremes, alternating with four different brands. Works great with each one, and is easy to rinse and clean. Excellent quality product.