Whipped Dog Silvertip or Simpson

[robochoche]

Guys I am looking for a new brush. I want something on the smaller side since I mostly face lather and dont have monster hands. I was looking at a Handle from Whippeddog with a 20mm silvertip knot. Will this work for facelathering? Is this a good brush? I know Larry can drill the knots deeper for a fee on his brushes. Or should I spend more and get a Simpson or Rooney? I mostly use soaps. Current soaps Proraso, RR XXX, RR MdB, MdC and have about 40 grams of Mystic Waters Bay Rum and MWF. I do want to keep cost down but if I get a much better Simpson for $40-$80 then I would not be opposed to spending the extra money. Again how does the whippeddog silvertip perform similar to a Simpson? On a side note I will probably order a Mighty Midget soon since it is not very expensive.

[SuperChris]

I've never used a Simpson or Rooney, but my brush from whipped dog is amazing, I have the 24mm, I doubt you can find a better brush for the price. Every one is different though, YMMV and all that. Simpsons and Rooneys get great reviews, I say if you have the money, get both, if you don't like one, put on the BST. Good luck with your choice.

[insomniac]

For face lathering, I think the silvertip from Whipped Dog is a bit soft. I'd go for a TGN Finest knot if you wanted to roll your own.

[Absolute Mustard]

I would save the $ and go TGN

Get a Whipped Dog handle and a finest 2 band nib

[robochoche]

Is there a big difference other than price between a Duke 2 and Berkley in Best?

[life2short1971]

WhippedDog Silvertips are as good as any in my opinion and a fraction of the cost.

[Krona Kruiser]

+1 agree on comments. However, if you want something small, soft, scrubby with a nice strong backbone, I'd say go for the Simpsons Case. I've been impressed with it's facelathering abilities, scrubbiness and denseness of knot. But if you just want a super soft brush for all duties, a silvertip from Larry won't disappoint. I just reknotted an old Ever-Ready handle and it's pretty darn nice. However, I'm a sucker for Simpsons but going for a TGN or Larry's silvertips is an inexpensive way to get a really nice brush.

[BrentS]

The silvertip from whipped dog when set to the added depth gives a nice bit of backbone to take out the floppiness while still keeping soft tips.

[insomniac]

The silvertip from whipped dog when set to the added depth gives a nice bit of backbone to take out the floppiness while still keeping soft tips.

I disagree. I find the brush still, while not really "floppy", certainly not with the backbone that many face latherers prefer.

[QuarkVI]

A whipped dog silver tip is a lovely soft knot. It would seem most face latherers prefer something stiffer e.g. a TGN finest but that doesn't mean you can't face lather with the whipped dog - just a matter of preference. Most are quite happy to lather in any way with any type of badger it is just about what you prefer.
So if you enjoy a pillowy softness when face lathering then the whipped dog is a good choice - if you prefer good backbone at the expense of the pillowy softness then the TGN finest is a good choice.

[muppet22]

I own a whipped dog silvertip and a simpson commodore and whilst the commodore has more backbone, the lather produced by the silvertip is second to none. unbeatable at the price i would suggest.

[Absolute Mustard]

Is there a big difference other than price between a Duke 2 and Berkley in Best?

The prices of Simpsons are base don the amount of hair that is used. The more expensive, the larger the knot (or denser the knot if they are the same size)

Most people will say the denser the better, but I have found that it just makes it a lather hog

[shave~extacy]

Simpson Classic or Berkley would be my top 2... A Rooney 1/1 silvertip would also be a great choice but your preference too knot size /loft/scritch will make that choice.

[California Cajun]

I used to say my favorite knot was a silvertip badger, but it is too soft for me. My favorite is finest badger because it is a little bit stiffer and has great absorbency. I get my knots at Golden Nib, and choose the XH (extra height) option. http://www.thegoldennib.com/index.ph...abf7e9efa4eeaa

[Gingerbread]

I enjoy my Whipped Dog Silvertip when face lathering. I think the extra depth is more than worth it. However, I do agree that a Whipped Dog handle with a TGN knot can't be beat.

[poppi]

I have a Whipped Dog brush and love it. A 20mm silvertip knot set at a 50mm loft works great for me. I face lather exclusively and this one works well with soaps and creams. Can't beat for the price and am thinking of getting another. Need a backup ya know.

[Marco]

Is there a big difference other than price between a Duke 2 and Berkley in Best?

The D2 is denser and has more backbone - excellent brush indeed.

[robochoche]

Thank you for all the information.

[robochoche]

Pulled the trigger on the Duke 2 in best from WCS. I have also emailed Larry about a handle and a silvertip in 20 mm did not like his 22mm handles in stock. I had forgot I had a bit of money in my paypal account. I ened up paying $21 and some change for the Duke 2 and $24 for my Whippeddog.com brush. I am justifying my purchase as only spending $45 out of pocket since I had forgot about the money I had in my paypal account. The $45 is even less than the price of a Simpson Berkley. On a side note, July has really brought out the ADs. Must be the Texas heat. Purchases this month 170g of MdC, a fatboy, a slim, 100 Bic Chrome Platniums, 50 Red pack personnas, bottle of Master Bay Rum and now two brushes.

[JaggerDragger]

Good thread as I was thinking the same thing myself, thanks robochoche!

Report back with the Duke 2 review eh!