Simpson Trafalgar T3 Sovereign Synthetic Brush Review
Simpson Trafalgar T3 Sovereign Synthetic Shaving Brush
The Simpson Trafalgar T3 Sovereign Synthetic Shaving Brush has some good backbone, and a soft fiber knot that’s dense, but not overly dense. While the handle is not too stubby, I did find myself wanting something slimmer, longer, or both!
Pros
Very good quality lathed handle and design that is easy to hold
It has a kind softness while maintaining its backbone
It lathers up pretty quickly in a bowl
Good value for money, based on quality
It holds lather very well when loaded
Cons
Holding water is difficult when face-lathering
Any wet shaver that’s been lathering up in a traditional fashion will be well acquainted with Simpson brushes. Their line of shaving brushes covers just about every type (including some of the best synthetics), and you would be hard-pushed not to find one that would suit your needs.
The brush up for review today is the Simpson Trafalgar T3 Sovereign Synthetic Shaving brush. The Trafalgar Synthetic comes in the T1, T2, and T3 (small to large) and different handle designs (i.e., faux ivory, faux tortoiseshell, blue cyclone, ebony, and Italian marble).
The last synthetic brush I used and reviewed was the Mühle Silvertip Synthetic Shaving Brush, so I was looking forward to seeing the differences between the Mühle and Simpson.
In this review, we will take a look at the design and specs, let you know how it performed (with various lathering options), and finish up with who will get the most out of having one of these in their shaving routine.
Description and Features
I chose to purchase the T3 as this is a minimum-sized brush I can get along with. I got the faux ivory color to keep it very traditional. However, I really like the look of the faux tortoiseshell.
The three approximate sizes of the Trafalgar include:
T1
- Overall brush height – 82mm
- Handle height – 40mm
- Knot loft – 42mm
- Knot diameter – 23mm
T2
- Overall brush height – 90mm
- Handle height – 46mm
- Knot loft – 44mm
- Knot diameter – 24mm
T3
- Overall brush height – 100mm
- Handle height – 50mm
- Knot loft – 50mm
- Knot diameter – 26mm
Handle
The lathed handle on the Trafalgar is what I would call a standard design and size. While it’s the largest of the Trafalgar, it is still relatively stubby.
The handle is nice and weighty, which I like, and it fits well in the hand with the lathed bottom section and double mid-section protruding lines.
This style and size of the handle will make it difficult to lather inside a mug-type bowl, and a wider lathering dish or bowl is required–if you bowl lather.
Knot and Backbone
This brush has lots of backbone and springiness to it. There is no floppiness scenario happening with the Trafalgar.
The knot bristles, as expected with a Simpson, make a dense and tight full knot of hair.
When considering this brush, I would say you need to have a preference for springiness.
Despite it being a tight knot with backbone, it still offers some splay. It could easily not offer enough splay, but that’s not the case, fortunately.
Softness
For a synthetic shaving brush, the Simpson Trafalgar provides a soft feeling that gives some badger-type brushes a run for their money.
While it’s as soft as needed, I do get some scritch, which is always good for getting the lather into the beard stubble. It’s not a bristle type of scratch but something gentle–if that makes sense. It is more of a painting type of brush though (think of painting the lather on) than offering a lot of splay.
Water and Lather Retention
As with all synthetic brushes I have used so far, they do not retain water very well, and the Trafalgar is not different, although better than the others I have used.
Too much water on the bristles will cause it to leak out all down your chest, and this is why I prefer bowl lathering with this brush.
Now, lather retention is very good. When I have the right ratio of soap/cream and water, it holds lather well.
Lathering and Applying
It took me about a month to try out the bowl and face lathering with soap and then cream. I needed time to try to get the right method with the Trafalgar as I seem to have had a struggle with synthetic brushes.
Face lathering with cream was not great, as I got the usual water leaking out. This might be down to my skill set, but I would rather it be a little simpler. The issue I have when not using enough water is the speed at which the cream lather dries up and then gets water applied again.
When I bowl lathered with a new tub of Taylor of Old Bond Street Oud Shaving Cream (what a beautiful scent), I got good results, and building up a lather was pretty quick.
I also used a tube of Proraso Red cream, and it lathered up fast with a nice full brush created in no time.
When bowl lathering, it was best to use a wider and shallower bowl because the handle type is quite stubby. I did try out a new Muhle Porcelain Shaving Bowl, but it was a bit too deep and had me getting too much lather over the brush handle. I know not to try a mug like the Edwin Jagger Shaving Bowl; however, a bowl like the Fine Accoutrements Lather Bowl (which is shallow and wide) is ideal.
The application of lather was very good, and as mentioned while the bristles are nice and soft–some kind of scritch does help rough up the stubble somewhat. However, I am going through a longer handle phase–and found this a little short–but my preferences are always open to change in my wet shaving world (I might love this size in 6 months).
As I had mentioned, the brush, despite being springy and dense with a lot of backbone, it does splay somewhat, which helps with application and the whole lathering-up process.
Value for Money
The Simpson Trafalgar Sovereign T3 costs around $44 USD, £40 GBP, or €35 EU.
That’s a good price point for me. It’s not a cheaply made brush, so I would expect to pay a little more than some others, but I know it’s near (as expected) compared to a quality badger brush.
Final Thoughts: Should You Buy a Simpson Trafalgar T3 Sovereign Synthetic Brush?
Without a doubt, the Trafalgar T3 is one of the better synthetic brushes I have used. It whips up a nice bowl lather and is pretty good on application. However, I am going through a handle size issue phase and found I wanted something slimmer, longer, or both.
The brush could be a good option for someone new to wet shaving with shaving brushes because it’s not a major investment; it is high quality, and some of the cheap brushes will likely need replacing, so a newbie could save in the long run.
I could see gents that prefer more splay than spring, finding the T3 maybe too springy.
For wet shaving gents who know their shaving stuff, that’s my experience with the T3. I hope it gives you an experience-based review to help you decide if anything about the brush is right for you.
