Simpson or Rooney?

**Jon** · 10-08-2007, 06:58 AM

Gentlemen,

I am considering a new brush. My main one is a Shavemac 177 which I love. I am looking at a chubby super or a rooney finest. My questions are which would you prefer and why, and more importantly, are they worth the price?

Thanks,
Jon

**blantyre** · 10-08-2007, 08:01 AM

You have condensed a very complex question into a few words. I have several Simpsons but not a chubby, I am very happy with them, I also like my Rooney style 3 small in finest. It's firm, resiliant, a bit scratcy and excellent for soaps. The bristles are quite thick at the base, so the density is not as high as some of the Simpson's designs. The rather stark black/white banding is very striking and attractive, whether or not is faked with dyes. As to value for money - only you can decide. It's worth it to me becuase I enjoy the qualities of the brush and I didn't have to starve my family to buy it. Functionally it's really not that much better than a $70 brush or even a $35 one. My view with brushes of this type is go ahead and buy one, then you can answer the question. If it doesn't work out for you, resell it. With this in mind, you might consider both a chubby and a finest and then weed out one of them later.

**Slant-Fan** · 10-08-2007, 08:50 AM

That is like asking if I should buy a Rolls or a Bentley. Both are as good as it gets IMHO. The question becomes one of whether you want a soap. cream or combination of the two type brush, That is determined by the knot diameter and the loft. You can't go wrong with either brand if you get the right size for your intended use.

**Suzuki** · 10-08-2007, 08:56 AM

As to the Rolls/Bently analogy - I have two things to add.

1) While a Rolls/Bently might be a great car, you wont' be happy with either if what you really want is a Land Rover - the same applies to brushes.

2) If you're happy with a Land Rover, why spend the extra money on the Rolls/Bently.

Again, it boils down to personal preference.

**Slant-Fan** · 10-08-2007, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by Suzuki

As to the Rolls/Bently analogy - I have two things to add.

1) While a Rolls/Bently might be a great car, you wont' be happy with either if what you really want is a Land Rover - the same applies to brushes.

2) If you're happy with a Land Rover, why spend the extra money on the Rolls/Bently.

Again, it boils down to personal preference.

+1

**Jon** · 10-08-2007, 09:15 AM

Thanks for the input guys. I suppose what I want is a combo brush. Im not really interested in a separate brush for soaps or creams. There are no dealers of either brand where I live (Los Angeles), so if Im gonna pull the trigger, it is going to be based on your advice. Any input as to preferences is much appreciated.

Thanks,
Jon

**yomuppet** · 10-08-2007, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by Suzuki

As to the Rolls/Bently analogy - I have two things to add.

1) While a Rolls/Bently might be a great car, you wont' be happy with either if what you really want is a Land Rover - the same applies to brushes.

2) If you're happy with a Land Rover, why spend the extra money on the Rolls/Bently.

Again, it boils down to personal preference.

Can't we all just settle on a prius, and be done with it?

J

**JCMH** · 10-08-2007, 09:35 AM

I do not own a Simpson but I do have a Rooney style 3 size 1 in super. It is very dense with soft tips...good with either soaps or creams...I use creams only and it does a great job. Great brush for the price.

Good luck.

Regards,

**Suzuki** · 10-08-2007, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by Jon

Gentlemen,

I am considering a new brush. My main one is a Shavemac 177 which I love. I am looking at a chubby super or a rooney finest. My questions are which would you prefer and why, and more importantly, are they worth the price?

Thanks,
Jon

In terms of what these brushes are "worth", this is a highly personal issue and, from a performance perspective, there is a real issue of diminishing returns once you enter this territory - a $200 brush is not likely to be twice as good as a $100 brush.

I personally don't see myself buying a brush in this price range - just not my thing.

I think the right question is what do YOU want/what are YOU looking for out of a brush that's going to cost south of $200. After all, your the one who has to decide if you think its worth it.

With that in mind, if you told us what you like/dislike, we'll be able to provide better comments.