Don't say, "Buy both. PLEASE.

Need some advice on a travel brush (that might make the daily rotation.)

My current home rotation is: Simpson's Duke 2-best, Simpson's 57-best, and an old blond badger that I seldom use but cannot part with. LOTH is reluctant to give much more space to my (continually expanding) shaving stuff.

I travel a fair bit and am looking to upgrade my kit, which is Pacific shave oil and old M3 (no option as I take a lot of planes and have become a serious 1 bag (carry on) traveler.)

Considering adding a travel brush that could be used for weeks at a time, if needed. Currently thinking of a Simpson's Classic 1 or Wee Scott.

Appreciate your our thoughts or other suggestions. Does anyone own both?

Muhle synthetic 23 mm brush. Feels like a badger brush and dries remarkably fast.

Plisson synthetic.

I also love my 18mm TGN finest. Small, dries fast, lathers like a champ.

Of the two you mentioned, I'd go for the Classic over the Wee One, but I'd pick the Simpson Special over either. I had a Wee One and it does work very well, but it's just too damn small for me. The Special is one of my 2 or 3 favorites out of 7 Simpsons, and holds the same spot out of 20 total brushesI I own. It is a brush that, IMO, is truely world class

Definitely the Classic over the Wee Scot! The Wee Scot is a fun little brush, and does a fine job, but it is ridiculously small.

Synthetics are great for travel because they dry fast, but they behave differently than badger.

Classic. I sold mine, but it's a fab little brush. It feels just as high quality as any Simpsons brush. The wee scot is kind of comical to me. Yeah it's cool in it's own way, but it feels like a novelty rather than a real brush, and I didn't enjoy it.

Simpson Classic 1 Synthetic. A great small synthetic which comes with its own travel tube.

You cannot go wrong with a Plisson Synthetic, and one could argue you cannot choose better either.

Tim

Thanks for TERRIFIC SUGGESTIONS! Need to look at the synthetics and also Simpson's Special. I especially appreciate having the consensus confirm my suspicion that the Wee Scott would be too small.

I personally do not enjoy synthetics so I'd go with the Simpson that catches your eye.

Classic, the wee is fun but the classic to me is a great brush day in day out.

Omega Silvertip Mighty Midget. 18mm knot. Really soft tips! Surprisingly soft!

BigJ said:

Thanks for TERRIFIC SUGGESTIONS! Need to look at the synthetics and also Simpson's Special. I especially appreciate having the consensus confirm my suspicion that the Wee Scott would be too small.

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But really you should buy both (please). Plus a special in best and a couple of synthetics.

Just to throw another wrench into the works, I am also a one bag traveler and my travel brush is usually an Omega 10066. Sometimes I will substitute a worn-out vintage badger with a cheap handle, or for familiar trips almost any of my brushes. But for trips where I might lose a brush, the 10066 is ideal: a perfectly good brush, and easy to replace.

For travel, go for a synth. Considering you can get a high quality one for under $30, I think this is an easy decision. And it will give you a chance to try a synth brush - you might just fall in love

Plisson is excellent, but you might consider the Fine Synthetic (sold at Fine or Maggards). It's said to perform very similar but at half the price. It's got a cool retro C-40 handle too. I was considering a 2nd Plisson as a backup but now I'm leaning toward the Fine or maybe the Whipped Dog (although he's mostly sold out right now)

TheLegalRazor said:

Simpson Classic 1 Synthetic. A great small synthetic which comes with its own travel tube.

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+1 ... this is a new Limited Edition brush that is only available direct from Simpson, AFAIK.

http://www.simpsonshavingbrushes.com/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_CL1SYNTHETIC

At today's exchange rate, you're looking at $73.62 shipped for this brush.

When I travel, I just leave my brushes at home. There isn't any soap or cream that can't be lathered up by hand, and neither your razor nor your whiskers will know the difference.

tclobaugh said:

For travel, go for a synth. Considering you can get a high quality one for under $30, I think this is an easy decision. And it will give you a chance to try a synth brush - you might just fall in love

Plisson is excellent, but you might consider the Fine Synthetic (sold at Fine or Maggards). It's said to perform very similar but at half the price. It's got a cool retro C-40 handle too. I was considering a 2nd Plisson as a backup but now I'm leaning toward the Fine or maybe the Whipped Dog (although he's mostly sold out right now)

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I've been looking at that Fine Synthetic. At $20, it looks like quite a bargain, and I like that when they cloned the old ER C-40 handle they made it out of solid resin instead of the original's hollow, injection molded plastic.

Does Fine Accoutrements offer free shipping at any given dollar level? If I'm going to get one of those brushes, I might as well snag a couple ASLs from them at the same time, especially if it will help save on shipping.

Am travelling right now. So glad I switched to a synthetic. The small boar never dried quickly enough.

BigJ said:

...and old M3 (no option as I take a lot of planes and have become a serious 1 bag (carry on)...

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Well, I don't have any input on brushes, but since you asked for other suggestions, let me comment on your razor (maybe that's not what you meant, but here's my $.02 anyway).

For travel, when I don't take a DE or an injector, I take an old Gillette Trac II (usually a generic non-Gillette handle). They were the first cart razor, non-pivoting head, and only two blades. Still much cheaper than M3 refills and the non-pivoting head makes it feel like you are still using a DE. In my opinion, it's the best TSA approved razor for the traditional wet shaver.

I use a Wee Scot as my normal brush. Will be great next time I go anywhere.

esswun said:

I use a Wee Scot as my normal brush. Will be great next time I go anywhere.

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I'm so glad to hear this ... I keep a WeeScot in my regular brush rotation at home, and it is my go-to choice when I'm testing a new soap or cream that I haven't used before. The WeeScot is so much more than just a "Travel Brush" and it can hold its own against anything else in my brush collection (23 and counting.)