Emperor Super Badger Brush- Simpson Shaving Brushes - Faux Ivory Handle (1 Super)

I have four shaving brushes--the Emperor 3 super badger brush from Simpson, the Muhle Traditional silver tipped badger, a rather inexpensive Misuco, and a shaving brush made of synthetic hair from Pacific Shaving Company. The Simpson and the Muhle are the two outstanding brushes in my little collection. The Muhle splays more than the Simpson, the latter having a bit more backbone. They both work up a great lather in the bowl and apply ever so smoothly to my face. Comparing the best with the best, it is hard to make distinctions. I like the grip of the Simpson handle better than the Muhle which is a large, tubular stainless steel handle. Both brushes are hand made, one from England the other from Germany and neither have shed a single hair. The Muhle is less expensive than the Simpson but when you shave with a Simpson you know you are shaving with history. When my grandfather retired his commission as a serving officer in the British army early in the twentieth century, emigrating to America soon thereafter, he carried with him his Simpson brush. Because these two brushes are incomparable, I rotate them each week, one on Monday and the other on Friday. On Wednesday I use the synthetic from Pacific Shave Company which, to my surprise, is not far behind the the Simpson and the Muhle in softness and in its ability to work up a good lather. It is also a heck of a lot less expensive as is the Misuco which is made of pure badger.

The knot is a great size and the Super Badger hair is soft at the end but still has enough spring for my style of face lathering using tube cream (like Proraso and George F. Trumper’s). The handle is also a great size and shape. I was alternating between my Simpson’s Wee Scott with a 13 mm knot and a Shavemac brush with a 25ish mm knot. So, I think this one will be just the right size for me.

I've trimmed my beard with Philips Series 7200 Vacuum Beard Trimmer and generic drugstore tools, but I found that I really needed better products for improving beard trimming experience. So, I bought Simpson's Emperor 3 Super Badger Shaving Brush from Amazon.As soon as I lathered Stirling Sheep Shave Soap with this shaving brush, it loaded shave soap extraordinay well with ease. Also, since it was a small shaving brush, I could apply shave soap on unwanted areas without touching beard like lighting a Cuban cigar precisely with a single flame torch lighter. Besides, it had a adequate amount of backbone and yet smooth enough to not cause irritation on my face.I feel glad that I bought this wonderful classy shaving brush. Can't wait to use it again in the next beard trimming session!

First, the Simpson's Emperor 2 gets 5 stars by itself. It is a top notch brush with soft tips and great backbone, plus the most ergonomic handle of any manufacture. I took one star off because the brush was marketed as a 2 band. My Emperor 2 is clearly a 3 band brush. I didn't return it because any Emperor is a wonderful brush and there was no need to send it back. But if you're looking for a high end 2 band. Look elsewhere.

I'll be brief. Even after I bought this brush I second guessed myself as I'd never paid more than ten dollars for a shaving brush before. And at first, I wondered what caused me to do that now?But here's what I get that I never got with a 10 dollar special. First, a quick soak in hot water keeps the brush and resulting lather warm when you brush it on. My cheap brushes with their skimpy knots just don't do that. Second, this brush lovely on the skin. It took a few weeks for me to realize the differences, but they are definitely there. Of course I still have my old brushes but using them (as I sometimes did when I travel) has gone out the window.Take care of this brush, don't lose it and you have the best possible tool for a lifetime. Leave it to your son when the time comes. It's "a natural."

This is Simpson's legacy flagship. The Emperor goes back to basically the beginning of the company and was the brush to get.IMHO it still is. The different compact handle designs are great but the added length of the Emperor gives you speed when building a lather and a ton of control when applying.I have a very good (believe it or not) boar brush that is soft, holds a ton of water and has enough backbone to face lather. This brush has more of all of that plus a great handle for bowl lathering.Soft on the face, holds a lot of lather, great for multi-pass "date night shaves." Not a gigantic lather hog that wastes your soap, but enough to get the job done very well. My favorite Simpson is the old top model. You are buying tradition here.

I’m old, so I’ve seen my share of shaving brushes cheap, mid price and, now, on the high end. Was it worth it? you ask. Omigod, yes! I’ve never owned a brush so soft and that holds so much water, so great to use and so efficient. Worth every penny!

This is a fantastic brush. The hairs are densely packed which helps it retain both water and shave soap. The one complaint I have with synthetic alternatives is the fact they tend to drip water and shave soap when applying lather to the face. Of the six shave brushes I own, to include synthetic and boar hair, this is by far my favorite.