Toy or Serious Brush: A Consideration of the Wee Scot

[beginish]

The Simpson Wee Scot is a brush that is as likely to inspire snickers and jokes as it is respect and SBAD. This Simpson brush has a 14 mm knot and 31 mm loft, and at first glance, can be hard to take seriously. After all, it is barely as long as the ring finger of the average man.

Compared to the Chubby, arguably the king of Simpson brushes, the Wee Scot is positively tiny.

Even next to the diminutive Simpson Case, whose small, portable nature even merits its own travel tube, the Wee Scot struggles to measure up.

But are looks deceiving? If the Wee Scot is a toy, why would it merit a knot made out of Best grade hair? Why would the A.E. Simpson Company stamp every Wee Scot with the signature of its founder, Alexander Simpson? Why would the company originally not only offer the Wee Scot in the specifications offered today, but also in a smaller version, sometimes referred to here at B&B as the "Nano Scot"?

Moreover, why would the founder of the company and his family offer a "joke" brush that besmirched their Scottish heritage? Gary Young has kindly filled in some of the blanks about the Wee Scot, and it turns out that one of the final tests of any Simpson brush maker was the ability to make a Wee Scot. The big brushes that we know and love are easier to make, and the TRUE test of the brush maker's skill was being able to make this brush. If you could make a Wee Scot, you could be trusted to make any Simpson brush.

If you do a search of the Shaving Brush Forum for Wee Scot, something like 400 threads will be returned. The brush obviously gets mentioned a lot by fans and detractors alike. It even inspired a tongue-in-cheek boycott thread.

So let's stop talking about the Wee Scot as if it's not in the room. Let's give it its due. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, four intrepid B&Bers (dpflaum, zamanakhan, mdevine and jpdyson) have all agreed to share their experiences with the brush. In at least three cases, they know it and love it. The fourth just got one, and is putting it through its paces. Most important, all four know their way around shaving brushes and lathering. So let's see what this brush can do! Everyone is welcome to join in.

[Pjotr]

It's one of my favourite brushes. I don't use a bowl either for loading or lathering and yes, every time I reach for it I think I'm kidding myself to think this thing can hold enough lather for three passes. And it does. All the time. If you really appreciate brushes and how they're made and work you have to try a Wee Scot. I think you have to be at least a face latherer to really appreciate it. And if you use sticks there is simply no excuse for you not to have one. Bring on the boycotters. Out the back. Queensbury rules!

[Straight Arrow]

I've had mine for a couple of weeks and I can attest to the Wee Scot's serious lathering capabilities. Having waited a long time before finally purchasing one, I thought my desire was satisfied. And to now find out that there is a smaller version, I am right back to yearning.

[Pjotr]

I've had mine for a couple of weeks and I can attest to the Wee Scot's serious lathering capabilities. Having waited a long time before finally purchasing one, I thought my desire was satisfied. And to now find out that there is a smaller version, I am right back to yearning.

Same here, I want the Wee Scot 1 (nickname Nano).

[maxman]

Subscribed!
I'd love to hear how this goes.
Now that SBAD has firmly taken hold, I almost bought one the other day.
Let's see what the Wee Scot can do!

[JPDyson]

I'm honored to have been asked to share my thoughts on the Wee Scot as I get to know it. I've already given it a few spins, and plan to post a couple of pictures when I get home.

Spoiler: This brush ain't no joke. It's legit - but (like any other) not without its quirks.

[mdevine]

I used the Wee Scot over the weekend. I started with the Wee Scot and a Speick shave stick. Face lathering doesn't get much easier or better than this. I used shaving cream almost exclusively until picking up the Wee Scot early last year. I also picked up a Speick shaving stick and planned to use the pair whenever I traveled. The Wee Scot and Speick resulted in a total paradigm shift for me. The resulting lather was not only more dense than my usual cream, but slicker as well. I have eight tubs and tubes of shave cream in the cupboard and they are rarely used any more. Where I used to whip up a bowl of lather in my Robert Becker scuttle, I now face lather using an assortment of shave soaps. I find myself using the Wee Scot even when staying at home. I tend to use the little fellow when using one of my shave sticks and typically go with my Simpson Eagle G3 in Best or a SOC boar when face lathering off of a puck. I'll occasionally switch things up by using the Wee Scot with MWF or AoS or the Eagle with Arko. Sunday, I brought out a tub of TOBS lavender and set to work with the Wee Scot in the scuttle. I was surprised at the job the little brush did. I had plenty of lather for three passes and used far less cream than I ever did with one of my larger brushes. The only down side to this brush is how little product is actually required. Almost none is wasted. You will rarely have a good excuse to buy more soap or cream if you use it regularly.

[zamanakhan]

i saved the shave for the afternoon for today, i've been asked to report as well. I didnt want to be pressed for time in the morning while shaving and taking pictures. In the evening i can take my time and enjoy the shave. I have the next days all planned up, iam thnking of doin 3 soaps and 2 creams and one creaop
Soaps:
Dr Harris Arlington
Mama Bear
MWF
Creams:
Co Bigelo
TOBS ST jerym
Creamop:
CELLA (for Marco ;) )

[zamanakhan]

Alright here u go long awaited shave with my favorite creamop CELLA.

This one is for Marco, if it wasnt for ur constant professions of Cella love i dont think i would of tried this soap.

Now here is the down low. I use Marco's method for lathering up cella it seems to work GREAT for lathering cella not so much my other soaps. I usually dry pick up soaps but for some reason this doesn't seem to work AT ALL with cella. The wee scott is no different. First soak the brush for 30 sec in hot tap water, dont shake out any water hold it upside down, give it one LIGHT tap on the base to squirt out a few drops of water. Get that brush on the soap and start swirling (with no pressure), alot of water will leak out but eventually the water will start to froth up. Once the lather looks a bit thick (it will still be runny over the puck) make sure to lift it all up with the brush and get to face lathering!!!!!!!! it will produce a thin crappy layer of lather, keep goin fill the brush entirely again with a small stream of water keep going and BAAAMMM (like emril) spiced up a notch with crap load of lather. Add even more water and now u'll have more lather than ur wee scott can hold enjoy the mountanious lather on ur face save some on the brush for the next go and next go and next go... after the 4th pass the wee scott would start to die down but it still preforms great.

My experience with this brush today is just like it was the very first day this thing surprised me yet again, i have never used marco's technique with this brush and cella ( i have used it tons of times with my omega 48) till today so i was going in a little blind as well and man it knocked me off my feet. To be honest this brush really shines when u bowl lather or when u lather a shaving stick or take ur soap directly to ur face and apply it to a wet face and then lather. This is because this brush is not a lather hog (one of the reasons i love it and my boars) it would rather put the lather all over ur face VS keeping it for itself. I often take a chunk of cella out o the bowl and then apply it all over my face and then go to town this is the first time i did it directly on the puck. Also i say its a great bowl latherer because it can whip up the lather that u have in the bowl and just keep it there instead of eating it all up again and would apply it well since its not a lather hog. So the only downside to this brush is doing more than 4 passes it will start to give a thin lather after the 4th pass as it doesnt hold as much lather, but to be honest so will my chubby because it want to keep all the lather (unless i squeeze it out.)
needless to say i had a great shave, nothing beats the combo of razor/ blade/ soap/ and brush i used today, i used the lather that was on my palm and applied it to my face and had more than enough lather for my full WTG XTG and ATG shave, with some to spare

Tune in tomorrow for WeeScott and TOBS

[zamanakhan]

here are the rest of the pictures finishing up the story

[beginish]

Wow!

[Pjotr]

Where are all the boycotters! We need a bit of biffo to liven this thing up. It's turning in to an appreciation rather than a discussion thread.

[Greg1911]

Where are all the boycotters! We need a bit of biffo to liven this thing up. It's turning in to an appreciation rather than a discussion thread.

Cella? PUHLEASE

You could scrub a dead rat's head on a tub of Cella and get good lather.

Who amongst you will test this with Caswell Massey 1752?

[Rudy Vey]

Its a great little brush, and my travel companion. Amazing what this bugger whips up from a Palmolive or Arko stick.
Just made a little brush, an "Eaglet" as a travel brush......

[JPDyson]

A couple of layups, admittedly, for the first two shaves.

1. La Toja shave stick - This is where I expected the brush to be most at home. I was able to get a great first pass of lather, but had to re-apply soap between passes. And it was a tad sloppy. Good shave, good lather - but not the most tidy experience. The handle took some getting used to, but the knot never felt too small (though definitely small). No hand cramping, but it's not exactly comfortable. Here it is after the reload and 2nd pass, before milking the knot for touch-up.

Click for gallery page:


2. Tabac - Not what anybody would call a difficult soap to lather, but I wanted to see how it would do picking up a milled tallow soap. I was actually able to pull two passes out of it and keep my fingers out of the lather. Tried a couple more grips, but none were just right. Most other brushes I can just "grip it an rip it" but I find myself having to think about holding it. This is post-shave.

Click for gallery page:


Thoughts so far: I'm sold on the performance - it's not a novelty to sit on the shelf, it's a work horse. Er, pony. It's definitely proof that a tiny brush can really get the job done, but I have two main concerns: grip and capacity. As a face latherer with large hands (much akin to the paws of a polar bear), both are critical for me and neither are strong suits of this brush.

[Pjotr]

A couple of layups, admittedly, for the first two shaves.

1. La Toja shave stick - This is where I expected the brush to be most at home................. As a face latherer with large hands (much akin to the paws of a polar bear), both are critical for me and neither are strong suits of this brush.

Did you defunk it properly? The same as with any new brush, I couldn't get more than one or two passes out of it to start with. Unless you've also got a face the size of a polar bear it'll hold enough lather for three passes. This thing's made for face lathering. I've never loaded or lathered using a bowl but with a stick it creates and holds more than enough. Big hands don't help with this little brush.

[Drubbing]

This brush shouldn't be underestimated because of its size, it can work up more than enough lather for a 4 pass or more shave.

I'd say any bowl latherer is wasting their time with this one though. I had trouble holding it comfortably, it's so small you can only really hold it with 2 fingers or the bits of 3 fingers, so it that sense it felt like a toy.

[zamanakhan]

Cella? PUHLEASE

You could scrub a dead rat's head on a tub of Cella and get good lather.

Who amongst you will test this with Caswell Massey 1752?

how about MWF next? i think my list of soaps and creams is pretty diverse, i dont really have anything too hard to lather then again i have yet to find a (shaving) soap i couldn't get to lather.
Lathering technique for this brush is no different than any other brush, its when ppl try to treat it like a small brush thats when the wee scott craps out.
With the wee scott u gotta remember: Just as much product, just as much water!

u wanna pif me a puck of caswell Massey 1752 for the chronicles? i can show u what this brush can do :P

[djh]

Great stuff guys! I love the Wee one, but I am out of town at the moment and don't have her with me. I will try to join in the fun at the end of the week.

[franz]

Excellent reviews so far, I'm really enjoying this.

Who amongst you will test this with Caswell Massey 1752?

Caswell-Massey 1752? I actually have a half-used puck of that around here somewhere. Quick, somebody send me a Wee Scot so we can do this important test!