Simpsons Manchurian

[Kendoll]

Hmmm...what have we here? FedEx Intl shipment. What might this be?

 

[Kendoll]

A Chubby 1 in two band silver tip:

 

[Kendoll]

Last purchase for a while, should be here next week:

Do not have it yet, but waiting on one:

PROGRESS SHAVING
THE BRUSHWORKS BALLAFLETCHER ROAD
ISLE OF MAN, IM GB IM44QJ
1624721900

 

[Boti2634]

I just realized I got a few brushes for Christmas I never posted.



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Merry Christmas to you, Kendoll! Enjoy, sir!

 

[Kendoll]

This should be my last Manchurian Brush post in a bit. Got here pretty fast after shipping, but this one is definitely one of a kind. It's the Coronation rod turned in a Keyhole KH 4 with a Manchurian knot. Custom job from the good folks on the Isle of Man:

 

[Kendoll]

So used it for the first time this morning. Completely different than my other Manchurian brushes. Not as prickly a face feel, not the ridiculous backbone of a Colonel 2XL, Chubby 1 or 2, but still noticeable backbone. If the others are "High" backbone, this would be "Medium". Here are some comparison diameters and lofts based on the ones in the stable. Overall it is a more luxurious Manchurian experience. Killed the tabac and lathered effortlessly.

 

[Barbarian80]

Nice! Did you ask for a slightly higher loft than usual?

 

[Balin]

So used it for the first time this morning. Completely different than my other Manchurian brushes. Not as prickly a face feel, not the ridiculous backbone of a Colonel 2XL, Chubby 1 or 2, but still noticeable backbone. If the others are "High" backbone, this would be "Medium". Here are some comparison diameters and lofts based on the ones in the stable. Overall it is a more luxurious Manchurian experience. Killed the tabac and lathered effortlessly.

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I think you may need 1 more Simpsons brush at least! You have a great stable of 13 brushes!!

 

[Kendoll]

Nice! Did you ask for a slightly higher loft than usual?

No, I actually recorded that wrong in the excel, it’s a KH4, standard loft. It really does pile on the lather and has some splay. Hard to describe. Just enough backbone, still prickly face feel like Manchurian, but not as harsh? I like it. And the handles pretty groovy.

 

[BigJ]

This should be my last Manchurian Brush post in a bit. Got here pretty fast after shipping, but this one is definitely one of a kind. It's the Coronation rod turned in a Keyhole KH 4 with a Manchurian knot. Custom job from the good folks on the Isle of Man:

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Congratulations!! That brush is a looker!!

 

[Kendoll]

Congratulations!! That brush is a looker!!

Thanks!

 

[TLV Wetshaver]

No one presented a strong enough argument to dissuade my tendency to be what my wife calls "burro", so I pulled the trigger on the Jade Colonel 2XL. Oh the shame of it.

I got one of those too (in Briar) and found the hair to be extremely scritchy and rough.
Is that my own experience, or is it the batch of hair?

 

[TLV Wetshaver]

Nailed it.

I like some scrub and find the Manchurian to be right up my alley. Solid backbone, springy shafts and soft tips with some scrub. I’ve not had the chance to have a Simpson “Silvertip” yet but it’s on the list when one with the right handle comes along.


If you find the Colonel 2XL has too much scrub for you, I know a guy who would be interested..

A great choice in my opinion! Let us know what you think when it arrives!

I have a briar Colonel 2XL has too much scrub for me.

 

[TLV Wetshaver]

I have a theory that Best/Super and Manchurian/SiLVERTiP are different grades of the same hair batches. I have no evidence of this. Just a hunch.

Super is the choice pick of the Best/Super hair. It’s generally thinner and softer although you can get best that just as soft. Super is a safe bet with less face feel and zero scritch guaranteed. In a blind test you wouldn’t always pick the difference.

The difference between Manchurian and SiLVERTiP is similar but even more distinct. It hard to mistake these two. Both have more back bone than the three band but Manchurian takes this to the extreme. SiLVERTiP is guaranteed to be soft and springy. Manchurian is always robust and can have a hint of scritch sometimes.

Manchurian if you like scrub and tend to mash your brush. Manchurian is tough and fights back. Usually firm with soft tips. Varies a little batch to batch.

SiLVERTiP for the perfect balance of softness, flow through, springy backbone and splay. Reasonably consistent.

Super if you want three band and don’t want to gamble on Best batch variance.

Best if you want a solid all-arounder with some face feel. Some batch variance. Sometimes as soft as Super. Sometimes but rarely a hint of scritch.

I would very much agree with that assessment!

 

[Kendoll]

I got one of those too (in Briar) and found the hair to be extremely scritchy and rough.
Is that my own experience, or is it the batch of hair?

I don’t think either of my Colonel’s are Uber scritchy. They are not like the 2 Band silver tip though.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I have a theory that Best/Super and Manchurian/SiLVERTiP are different grades of the same hair batches. I have no evidence of this. Just a hunch.

Super is the choice pick of the Best/Super hair. It’s generally thinner and softer although you can get best that just as soft. Super is a safe bet with less face feel and zero scritch guaranteed. In a blind test you wouldn’t always pick the difference.

The difference between Manchurian and SiLVERTiP is similar but even more distinct. It hard to mistake these two. Both have more back bone than the three band but Manchurian takes this to the extreme. SiLVERTiP is guaranteed to be soft and springy. Manchurian is always robust and can have a hint of scritch sometimes.

Manchurian if you like scrub and tend to mash your brush. Manchurian is tough and fights back. Usually firm with soft tips. Varies a little batch to batch.

SiLVERTiP for the perfect balance of softness, flow through, springy backbone and splay. Reasonably consistent.

Super if you want three band and don’t want to gamble on Best batch variance.

Best if you want a solid all-arounder with some face feel. Some batch variance. Sometimes as soft as Super. Sometimes but rarely a hint of scritch.

I not exactly used a Simpson Super, but I've used their other brand's equivalent knot. I tend to agree with you for the most part.

I'm a huge Manchurian fan, but my Simpson Manchurian is my least favorite of the Manchurians I own. I don't dislike it though.

My two Simpsons in Best are widely divergent. Not the same knot at all.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Rudy Vey]

I not exactly used a Simpson Super, but I've used their other brand's equivalent knot. I tend to agree with you for the most part.

I'm a huge Manchurian fan, but my Simpson Manchurian is my least favorite of the Manchurians I own. I don't dislike it though.

My two Simpsons in Best are widely divergent. Not the same knot at all.

Happy shaves,

Jim

That's my experience with Best as well, always a hit and miss thing. My Manchurians are both great, and I like them a lot. And so is the two-band silvertip, but it is likely a Chinese produced knot as we have seen here a few months back when someone had the knot come out of the handle. I do not recall the guy got ever an answer when he asked the company.

 

[Barbarian80]

That's my experience with Best as well, always a hit and miss thing. My Manchurians are both great, and I like them a lot. And so is the two-band silvertip, but it is likely a Chinese produced knot as we have seen here a few months back when someone had the knot come out of the handle. I do not recall the guy got ever an answer when he asked the company.

That was me and they made it right by replacing the brush with an upgrade. I got a Manchurian. It's really great hair and I enjoy the brush. If I ever get another Simpson it would be in Manchurian only. I have a pair of brushes in Best grade and they are OK but not my favorite. The hairs always seem to break and the knots shed a hair or two each time I use. Not much value there for what they cost- Manchurian is the way to go although the price goes way up.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Perhaps my favorite of my four Simpsons is the Silvertip Badger which is two band. Generally I like Manchurian better than two band (and I like both), but this is probably my least favorite Manchurian. No, I don't dislike it, but I have plenty of other Manchurians I prefer including two Rudy Vey Manchurians, several SV brushes, several Mozingos, and two Zeniths.

My two Zenith Manchurians are both great, but they are also rather dissimilar knots. SV, RV, and Mozingo are far more consistent. I don't actually know that Rudy still offers Manchurian knots; my RV Manchurians came from the BST.

That's my experience with Best as well, always a hit and miss thing. My Manchurians are both great, and I like them a lot. And so is the two-band silvertip, but it is likely a Chinese produced knot as we have seen here a few months back when someone had the knot come out of the handle. I do not recall the guy got ever an answer when he asked the company.

I thought Simpson has said all their knots are hand-tied in England. Is this no longer the case, or did I just misremember what I thought I knew?

Perhaps all knots are actually hand-tied as opposed to being made by machines. I really don't know, but I know the difference in appearance from what I think of as a hand-tied not and what I think of as not-hand-tied knots.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Gunky]

Just ordered a Rover in Manchurian on sale. Been using an Eagle G3 in super.