Classic 2 or Chubby 2?

I'm probably overthinking things, but of course that's half the fun....right? I know the Chubby 2 is an extremely popular brush, but I also see them up for sale constantly...making me wonder if a lot of people are dissatisfied with it. I'm thinking the Classic 2 might be a more reasonably sized alternative, but I've only seen pictures...never held it in hand.

Thoughts on these two Simpsons?

Sir, the Chubby 2 is much bigger than the Classic 2 which, in terms of specs (knot size, knot density and handle height) is much more similar to the Chubby 1. The Chubbies and Dukes are Simpsons most popular lines and that's why you see them so often discussed about here on B&B. The Classics 1 and 2 are somehow unjustly underrated, but equally wonderful brushes.

What Marco said, he knows his Simpsons. The Chubby2 is a massive brush, almost, but not quite too big for my enjoyment. The Classic2 is an extremely nice brush. I'd suggest you consider the Duke3, which is probably my favorite brush.

captp said:

What Marco said, he knows his Simpsons. The Chubby2 is a massive brush, almost, but not quite too big for my enjoyment. The Classic2 is an extremely nice brush. I'd suggest you consider the Duke3, which is probably my favorite brush.

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Thanks. I thought about the Duke 3, but I was attracted to the idea of the Classic and Chubby being a denser brush.

Unless you've got a ton of soaps you need to "3017" go with the Classic. I sold my chubby because it was too much its namesake. I think it gets attention for the name/novelty, but really it just uses too much product and most goes down the drain. Flow through is not the best either. I've got the CL2 and the Duke 1 for when I want something a little smaller. I'm guessing you are wanting this for soap face-lathering?

If you can afford to spend close to $200 on a shaving brush are you really worried about it using a little more product? I like my Chubby 2 in Best Badger, as it really pampers my face when lathering. That being said, I have other brushes that I like just as much.

--Jerome

OldGrowth said:

I'm guessing you are wanting this for soap face-lathering?

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I exclusively face lather, I do have one croap and one hard soap, but I mostly use creams.

craniac24; Check BST for a Chubby 2...

mswofford said:

craniac24; Check BST for a Chubby 2...

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+1

Be prepared for a very dense knot, especially, in Super badger. It does take a few days of getting used to while face-lathering and making lather. It is such a lather-hog, especially, in Super, but such a joy to use and you definitely go through product more quickly!

I kept my CH1 over my CH2. Both dense brushes and the size of each was fine in my hand. No issues with product consumption, but the flow-thru on the CH2 just never happened. To say the least, it was a lather hog -

jsaliga said:

If you can afford to spend close to $200 on a shaving brush are you really worried about it using a little more product? I like my Chubby 2 in Best Badger, as it really pampers my face when lathering. That being said, I have other brushes that I like just as much.

--Jerome

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Fairly obvious. I made no assumptions that the OP was on a budget. My point was that the Chubby 2 needs a lot of product to produce a quality lather, and then most of that lather stays hidden in the brush (yes you can squeeze it out or whatever, but that sort of takes away from the whole "luxury" aspect, IMHO). I don't mind using a lot of product, but I do expect the brush to give up the lather with a reasonable amount of effort.

Let's just say that I don't have the same problem with my Chubby 2 as you do with yours. I do find that it holds on to more lather, but in my experience that simply makes it a little more difficult to clean after the shave. I can easily get through a 3 pass shave with one loading of my Chubby 2 with most soaps.

--Jerome

Just ordered the classic 2. Don't see too many bloom pics of these around the web so I'll post some in a week or 2.

craniac24 said:

Just ordered the classic 2. Don't see too many bloom pics of these around the web so I'll post some in a week or 2.

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You won't be disappointed boss. I can post a pic of mine if you'd like, but I've been using it for travel lately, so being kept in a well-fitting pill bottle compresses the "bloom" (if that makes sense).

jsaliga said:

Let's just say that I don't have the same problem with my Chubby 2 as you do with yours. I do find that it holds on to more lather, but in my experience that simply makes it a little more difficult to clean after the shave. I can easily get through a 3 pass shave with one loading of my Chubby 2 with most soaps.

--Jerome

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No worries -- different strokes brother. What's the most commonly used acronym around this place? lol

To the OP's point, it seems like you see more Chubs for sale on BST more than CL's. Maybe that's simply because there are proportionally more Chubs sold than CL's, but according to our buddy over at TSS:

"First and foremost; Simpsons' knots' norms of density & bore depth are the most extreme. Density/depth of setting does not automatically makes brushes "better", and they're not the only ones producing dense-to wit, an old "Heritage" RA Rooney brush is the densest brush I've personally seen among easily 500 different models seen in hand, and the top-tier 7000*0 VP Leonhardy brushes' density's equivalent to Simpsons' fabled specialists, albeit with more loft & three-dimensional, bulbous shapes to the knot heads. But Simpsons' knots have a familial character that makes them unique, and this remains true whether I (or you) like it or not. I'd describe Simpsons' "Classic" as the most unique knot I've used, in fact, and it would be the first brush I'd take to a deserted island, a declaration which by nature is wholly unobjective."

I don't necessarily have anything against the Chubby. I still have to use a good deal of product with the CL2 and some still gets rinsed down the drain (big deal), but I do have a personal mission to sing the praises of the Classic line. The Chubby gets plenty of press, and sometimes it is to the detriment of the Classic. There are probably some guys that would be happier with the Classic than the Chubby (and other way around), but since the chatter is a little more biased towards the Chubby, they might go that route without giving the Classic proper consideration. Ideally, we could all try every brush of interest to us and only keep the few that fit our preferences perfectly, but most don't have the time, patience, funds, and/or desire to do that, so they rely on knuckleheads like us that spend more time than we should reading about, researching, buying, testing, and selling brushes.

Also, thank you for your service Jerome. Coming from someone who wanted to serve but could not get medical clearance, I sincerely thank you. If you like cigars, PM me your address and a 5er will be on its way.

I've never used a Classic, but they look like good brushes to me, and given my preference to a Chub 1 over a Chub 2, I'd lean towards the CL2 purely based on size. As others have mentioned, there are probably ten times if not more Chubby 2's out there vs Classic 2's. Why? I'd say the Chubby is better were it not that I've never heard a bad word said about the Classics. Availability, perhaps? Maybe people just like the idea of owning a brush whose name references its density and so the Chubby line gained popularity based around that? Maybe extra dense brushes are kind of a niche market and people figured why go for the second densest brush in that short-handled style Simpson offered?

craniac24 said:

Just ordered the classic 2. Don't see too many bloom pics of these around the web so I'll post some in a week or 2.

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Congratulations and enjoy the brush!

OldGrowth said:

Also, thank you for your service Jerome. Coming from someone who wanted to serve but could not get medical clearance, I sincerely thank you. If you like cigars, PM me your address and a 5er will be on its way.

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I appreciate the kind sentiment and generous offer. I like the aroma of a fine cigar, but I gave up smoking over a decade ago. Now if only I could give up Scotch whisky

--Jerome

celestino said:

Congratulations and enjoy the brush!

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+1. Be sure to report back on your experience with the brush. Inquiring minds want to know!

--Jerome

Chubby 2. Own mine over 20 years