Simpson Brushes Appreciation Thread

Razorboy

Forum GOD!
A Chubby 1 (CH1) in Best from the personal collection of David Carter.

The handle is definitely that old, pinkish rod stock, and you'll notice this more contrastingly in the second photo. The lathing is better than the above CH3, IMO, and I'm going to date this CH1 a bit earlier than that one too, let's say very early 1990. The lamp-black stamping is finer than the above CH3. Dimensions:

Knot: 24.5mm
Loft: 51mm
Handle Height: 40mm
Total Height: 91mm

Compare those measurements with today's "Vulfix" model:

Knot: 22mm
Loft: 46mm
Handle Height: 39mm
Total Height: 85mm

View attachment 160708
Sorry Sir,
I'm sure they come from the same seller. How do you know they are from Carter's personal collection?


C1D34067-A494-438B-A93A-1255FDA073B2.jpeg
 

Shaun2

Forum GOD!
Sorry Sir,
I'm sure they come from the same seller. How do you know they are from Carter's personal collection?


View attachment 162019
Because the man who sold them to me is the son-in-law of David Carter, and he wrote me a kind letter informing me that they were from David Carter's own, personal collection. Mine were ones the seller had kept aside.
 
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Razorboy

Forum GOD!
Because the man who sold them to me is the son-in-law of David Carter, and he wrote me a kind letter informing me that they were from David Carter's own, personal collection. Mine were ones the seller had kept aside.
I know the name of the seller (Carter's son-in-law) because he is the same who sold them to me, to you and others.
I have already heard this story and I believe it is true as it is true that Creed has been producing perfumes since 1760.
But it's a romantic story .
 

Shaun2

Forum GOD!
I know the name of the seller (Carter's son-in-law) because he is the same who sold them to me, to you and others.
I have already heard this story and I believe it is true as it is true that Creed has been producing perfumes since 1760.
But it's a romantic story .
I have the letter. In it is disclosed other private information, that is not for me to share.

If you don't believe it, that is entirely your prerogative, but I'd caution against your tone. This is a place where members extend cordial relations, not engage in unpleasant and uncalled-for behaviour.

Enjoy your brushes, please.
 

Razorboy

Forum GOD!
I have the letter. In it is disclosed other private information, that is not for me to share.

If you don't believe it, that is entirely your prerogative, but I'd caution against your tone. This is a place where members extend cordial relations, not engage in unpleasant and uncalled-for behaviour.

Enjoy your brushes, please.
Caution with my tone Sir ? Really ?
I have cordial relations with many guys here .
This is not my language and I thought you understood the humor but if you find it unpleasant to respond to what you write, you should open your own forum where you can delete comments like mine .
You have the letter ? Good for you.
I trust you 1000% I don't want to see and I don't care

I could add other useful information to you too but I'll stop so as not to hurt your feelings
Enjoy your brushes you too .
 

Shaun2

Forum GOD!
Please bear in mind that some members are overseas and posting in their second language or via Google Translate.
I am overseas, and I am not posting in my first language. There is no excuse for bad manners. This is not a matter of translation, but of approach, politeness and cordial interaction between members.

As a matter of record regarding the letter I received from David Carter's son-in-law about the brushes I purchased, please note that their having come from a personal collection was not a selling point for me, and could not have been. Why? This information was NOT provided to me pre-sale. It was, rather, given to me AFTER I had purchased the brushes, and came with the brushes in the same packaging. There was no advantage to the seller in informing me of their history and pre-ownership; rather, it was a pleasant afterword, a gesture of goodwill and a nice little footnote regarding the Carter/Woodhouse years.

It is entirely likely that brushes others purchased from the same seller came from the same private collection, but who knows? I am not saying that mine are better than anyone else's.

We all act in good faith, one would hope, and I do try to exchange the same goodwill to all members of the shaving community.
 
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Razorboy

Forum GOD!
Dear Sir
This is the second time you've offended me ( aggressive, churlish, bad manner, jealous kid) for no reason because I interrupted your monologues about brushes.

Already say to you I trust 1000% about the letter but if you answer to me
Mine were ones the seller had kept aside.
I ask to you : I remember badly that those two brushes ( ch3 / ch1) went on ebay ?
 

Rufusdog

Forum GOD!
Dear Sir
This is the second time you've offended me ( aggressive, churlish, bad manner, jealous kid) for no reason because I interrupted your monologues about brushes.

Already say to you I trust 1000% about the letter but if you answer to me

I ask to you : I remember badly that those two brushes ( ch3 / ch1) went on ebay ?
Drop it; this line of discussion is pointless.
 

Bauhaus

Forum GOD!
Never really dived deep into Simpson's history—just knew the company’s been around for a long time and makes some cool shaving brushes.

I’ve tried a few, and here’s what’s still in my rotation:
Chubby 1 SB, Synthetic Islington Faux Italian Marble Grey S, and the Wee Scot.

Those I sold:
Chubby 2 in platinum synthetic, Chubby 2 in sovereign, and the PJ2 SB.


What about David Carter? Any info? Is he alive?
 
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Shaun2

Forum GOD!
What about David Carter? Any info? Is he alive?
[/QUOTE]
Philip David Carter (b. June 1937) is sadly no longer with us. I think he passed away recently, in 2024; I am not sure about Francis Clayton Woodhouse (b. September 1935). I had found some information about them as registered business partners, but I can't recall the business name. I do remember it being some kind of portmanteau (FRANICAR?). I'll have a bit of a dig around if it helps.

But yes; some very nice brushes, especially early in the Carter/Woodhouse Simpson era. The later-era handles were a little prone to splitting, but this was more likely to do with the material itself (couldn't have been foreseen at the time) rather than the manufacturing process. Here is an example of a later-era Chubby 1 with a split in the handle stabilised with epoxy, but I've made no attempt to disguise it:

IMG_6143.jpg
 
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Bauhaus

Forum GOD!
What about David Carter? Any info? Is he alive?
Philip David Carter (b. June 1937) is sadly no longer with us. I think he passed away recently, in 2024; I am not sure about Francis Clayton Woodhouse (b. September 1935). I had found some information about them as registered business partners, but I can't recall the business name. I do remember it being some kind of portmanteau (FRANICAR?). I'll have a bit of a dig around if it helps.

But yes; some very nice brushes, especially early in the Carter/Woodhouse Simpson era. The later-era handles were a little prone to splitting, but this was more likely to do with the material itself (couldn't have been foreseen at the time) rather than the manufacturing process. Here is an example of a later-era Chubby 1 with a split in the handle stabilised with epoxy, but I've made no attempt to disguise it:

View attachment 162095
[/QUOTE]
Thank you for the information. It really gave me a “wow” moment—when people stay in business and dedicate their whole lives to one craft, that’s true passion. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really possible in my country, but stories like this always make me smile. Maybe one day I can try a Simpson brush from that era, really interesting.
 

Rufusdog

Forum GOD!
Whilst we’re on the topic of Simpson’s history, last year I contacted Progress Shaving Brushes (Vulfix), the current owner of Simpson, regarding the names of some of the Simpson brushes, eg, Duke, Major, Colonel, Wee Scot, etc, and other historical matters. They had no information at all and expressed no interest in acquiring any. I think I even sent Mark Watterson, the MD of Vulfix, an email about it as well. What a shame.

Edit: I found the response I received from Vulfix which was, ‘In all honesty, I really wouldn’t have a clue.’
 
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