August Acquisitions

[RussellR5555]

Lovely Handle

 

[Optometrist]

This is what Gary Young (Alexander Simpson's Great Nephew) had to say on the matter:
How the knot is formed and the density of the hair mostly determine the face feel of a badger knot, not the coloring of the hair.

Except that two identical specification knots(same diameter, loft and density) will perform and feel totally different depending on hair used. I've lost count of the n/o brushes I've bought and sold over the past nine years. Brushes from the well respected quality makers as well as some cheaper ones direct from China. None has provided my preference in face feel compared to my Chubby Manchurians from Simpson. Not even Shavemac D-01 2-Band.

 

[Will-J]

I tend to face lather a lot, but thought I would upgrade from the cereal bowl I had been using!

 

[Dr Watson]

Except that two identical specification knots(same diameter, loft and density) will perform and feel totally different depending on hair used. I've lost count of the n/o brushes I've bought and sold over the past nine years. Brushes from the well respected quality makers as well as some cheaper ones direct from China. None has provided my preference in face feel compared to my Chubby Manchurians from Simpson. Not even Shavemac D-01 2-Band.

I have no horse in this race, just quoting the founders Great Nephew who worked for the business for a number of years and was fully trained in all areas of production. I accept that just because he was an "insider" doesn't necessarily translate to his word being gospel... For all we know he's never even used a brush from another brand. I often find theory isn't borne out in practice, people can make up their own minds

 

[Petronius]

Except that two identical specification knots(same diameter, loft and density) will perform and feel totally different depending on hair used. I've lost count of the n/o brushes I've bought and sold over the past nine years. Brushes from the well respected quality makers as well as some cheaper ones direct from China. None has provided my preference in face feel compared to my Chubby Manchurians from Simpson. Not even Shavemac D-01 2-Band.

Btw. David, what´s your new Zenith brush with Manchurian knot? How do you compare it with Simpsons Manchurian? Thanks.

 

[p.b]

I tend to face lather a lot, but thought I would upgrade from the cereal bowl I had been using!

View attachment 53129 View attachment 53130

An excellent choice. I use mine everyday

 

[Optometrist]

Btw. David, what´s your new Zenith brush with Manchurian knot? How do you compare it with Simpsons Manchurian? Thanks.

Hi Petr. The 31mm Zenith doesn't have as much backbone as my lower lofted CH3's, and this despite it having a good 10mm glue bump and a loft of 51mm. Free loft is therefore only 41mm. First use had a noticeable amount of scritch which has reduced after 4 uses. I hate glue bumps. For me, a brush should provide its characteristics from a true loft, inducing it with a glue additive is cheating, IMO.
But, for €90 or so, it's a decent brush.

 

[Wayne]

Hi Petr. The 31mm Zenith doesn't have as much backbone as my lower lofted CH3's, and this despite it having a good 10mm glue bump and a loft of 51mm. Free loft is therefore only 41mm. First use had a noticeable amount of scritch which has reduced after 4 uses. I hate glue bumps. For me, a brush should provide its characteristics from a true loft, inducing it with a glue additive is cheating, IMO.
But, for €90 or so, it's a decent brush.

So at the tips is the hair comparable with simpsons David?

 

[Optometrist]

So at the tips is the hair comparable with simpsons David?

No, Wayne.
With the exception of a couple of brushes over the years, Simpson Manchurian typically has soft and pretty much scritch-free tips straight out the box. Set to the correct loft and density, a very pleasing scrub/massage.

 

[Wayne]

No, Wayne.
With the exception of a couple of brushes over the years, Simpson Manchurian typically has soft and pretty much scritch-free tips straight out the box. Set to the correct loft and density, a very pleasing scrub/massage.

Thanks David, so this has blurred the lines even more for me as expected. Manchurian Badger is Manchurian Badger if Simpsons sell special Manchurian Badger hair different to Zeniths Manchurian Badger hair then someone is fibbing somewhere. Manchurian is supposed to be the top of the tree, surely there cannot be such a difference in Badger hair from Badgers from the same region? Simpsons do not have access to magical Manchurian badger hair from a few spacial Badgers, so Simpsons must be doing something in the production room to theirs that we don't know about. It has to be chemically treated somehow to soften it.

 

[Optometrist]

Thanks David, so this has blurred the lines even more for me as expected. Manchurian Badger is Manchurian Badger if Simpsons sell special Manchurian Badger hair different to Zeniths Manchurian Badger hair then someone is fibbing somewhere. Manchurian is supposed to be the top of the tree, surely there cannot be such a difference in Badger hair from Badgers from the same region? Simpsons do not have access to magical Manchurian badger hair from a few spacial Badgers, so Simpsons must be doing something in the production room to theirs that we don't know about. It has to be chemically treated somehow to soften it.

Manchurian is certainly a name being banded around these days and at different price points, which begs the question what is actually being used. Zenith hair has darker tips which implies untreated. Simpson Manchurian is generally whiter which as you say suggests some treatment. Whatever, it works and works well.

 

[Will-J]

An excellent choice. I use mine everyday

I travel a lot for work, hence mostly face lathering but added bowl lathering back into my routine when I am at home.
First go with the Giles bowl this morning and it certainly helped whip up a fantastic lather in no time.

 

[Wayne]

Manchurian is certainly a name being banded around these days and at different price points, which begs the question what is actually being used. Zenith hair has darker tips which implies untreated. Simpson Manchurian is generally whiter which as you say suggests some treatment. Whatever, it works and works well.

Absolutely David, no argument from me there. It is no doubt a fine knot by anyones standards.

 

[p.b]

There’s no species of badger called Manchurian. However, that’s not to mean there’s no characteristic of badger hair that Simpsons like to call Manchurian. Whether other manufacturers similarly labelled hair reaches the same standard is the real question here.

 

[Wayne]

Manchurian Badger hair is made of the same stuff as Unicorn mane.