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.

**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.

**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

**Slant-Fan** · 10-08-2007, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by Jon

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

Go to the Review section and check out the various descriptions. You may like a soft brush or should it be scrubby ? Large , medium, small ? All of these things effect the way the brush preforms and feels. Do some research before you 'pull the trigger'.

**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,

**sadowsky** · 10-08-2007, 09:37 AM

I have a Simpson PJ3 and two Rooneys in Super (Style 3, size 2 and Style 3, size 3. I use creams. I prefer the Rooneys and will get a Rooney Finest soon.

Roger

**Suzuki** · 10-08-2007, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by sadowsky

I have a Simpson PJ3 and two Rooneys in Super (Style 3, size 2 and Style 3, size 3. I use creams. I prefer the Rooneys and will get a Rooney Finest soon.

Roger

The funny thing with Rooney and Simpson is that the higher grade of hair (Rooney finest and Simpson super) is supposedly a little scrubbier, as opposed to softer than the next grade down.

I tend to think that the Rooney #3 in any size, but in super silvertip would do the trick.

**Stauff** · 10-08-2007, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by Suzuki

The funny thing with Rooney and Simpson is that the higher grade of hair (Rooney finest and Simpson super) is supposedly a little scrubbier, as opposed to softer than the next grade down.

Indeed so. For me, Simpsons super grade is actually less pleasant to use than the cheaper 'best'. The best is softer and doesn't seem to retain that less water. I wonder if B&B's official Simpson-Meister, Dr.P., will agree...

**scoopster** · 10-08-2007, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by Stauff

Indeed so. For me, Simpsons super grade is actually less pleasant to use than the cheaper 'best'. The best is softer and doesn't seem to retain that less water. I wonder if B&B's official Simpson-Meister, Dr.P., will agree...

When I bought my Chubby from Lee he said that the Super hair would hold more water but that would only be noticable in the larger brush sizes.

I went with Super based on many comments/reviews on B&B indicating that it was scrubbier than Best. That was what I was looking for. I wanted a dense, scrubby Chubby.

**drP** · 10-08-2007, 10:48 AM

There are apples and apples, and so there is Simpsons super and super; in the past years i've seen three different kinds of Simpsons super:

-barbed super: very thick and rough
-straight super: thick bristles yet relatively soft
-glossy super with thin, fine and very soft bristles.

Simpsons best badger is fairly consistent of quality: firm yet soft but since the lofts are generally densely packed they have enough water holding capacity and enough scrubbiness in them.

When price-quality/value ratio comes in mind i would choose a Simpsons best...

**yomuppet** · 10-08-2007, 10:58 AM

I have to weigh in with the Rooney camp, after experiencing a like number of Simpson best and Rooney super brushes. At $75 for a Rooney small super vs. $95 or $120 for a Simpson D2 or D3 best, I personally do not feel that I get an increase in performance for my money. But if you have a high level of curiosity, I would advise trying both -- if you do end up preferring one, the other will sell fairly easily on the forum. Best of luck.

J