The Chronicle of my new Zenith Boar

Discussion in 'The Brush' started by PickledNorthern, May 27, 2016.

  1. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    Sorry, I didnt post the photo of it, after I received it. Its the same one as above, But this is after I lathered with it a few times. Its still damp from last night.
    I put it between a Semogue 1800 and a Semogue 1305, for reference.

    P6050067.JPG
     
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  2. RyX

    RyX DoH!

  3. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    Glad you are liking it. I am growing more fond of mine by the day. I have only shaved with it a couple of times, but I have lathered it every other day since I got it. It is starting to gnarl up a bit and get that used boar look to it, so the unevenness of the knot isn't nearly so noticeable. It is already has pretty soft tips, so it is only going to get better when they split. it may be partly due to the short loft, but the density is over the top compared to my other boars. I am optimistic that it is going to have awesome scrub and super soft tips. It is going to be a keeper, I am now sure.

    Shown between my 830 and my 10066.

    [​IMG]


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  4. RyX

    RyX DoH!

    Ahh! A Zenith next to an Omega 10066. Thank you @PickledNorthern for that comparison photo. I may be sacrificing a 10066 handle to use the knot in my recently acquired Rubberset 400. That knot is as close to the original as I've seen, & affordable, too.
    I've heard Semogue boars start closer to broken in than Omegas. Seems the Zenith arrives presoftened?
     
  5. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    What is the knot diameter of the 400 opening?
     
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  6. RyX

    RyX DoH!

    24mm if it's not altered. @clint64 removed a bit of lip and squeezed in a 27mm, I think.

    @Boojum1 selected to use the knot from an Omega 10066. Specs - 24x56mm boar. This gives very true to the original look.
     
  7. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    Perfect! I think it would look great in a vintage! Plus, where else can you get a knot that nice, for ten bucks? I didn't remove the little black cup from mine, but it took less than a minute to get it out of mine. That is going to be sweet.


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  8. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    Still loving my Zenith brush. No more hair loss, and soft, getting softer every day.
     
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  9. Straight razor dandy

    Straight razor dandy Stuck cleaning the house himself PERMANENTLY

    Ive never had a semogue or zenith boar. Maybe it's time i give them a shot. You sure can't beat the price.

    How do they compare to an omega?
     
  10. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    I find my Zenith knot to be similar an omega in backbone, but with softer tips, even after just a few shaves. The semogues I have had took forever to break in, but were softer than omega, with a lot less backbone.

    It is all just preference, I had to keep just one, I would start with the Zenith, then the Semogue, then the Omega.


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  11. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers


    Yep, what you said.
     
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  12. lloydrm

    lloydrm Well-Known Member

    I might be wrong but the loft of yours looks shorter than mine.
    This is a really bad pic from when I got it in February.

    2016-02-09 18.37.22-copy.jpg
    Am guessing we both got it from the same ebay vendor so am curious about the loft. Mine is close to 54mm measured with a ruler, and the vendor sold it as a 50mm loft.
    I used mine today and I like it a lot. Mine has been shedding more hair recently than eve before. Don't know why but I hope it will stop very soon.
     
  13. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    Yours does look taller. Break out a ruler and see if it's the correct loft. As for the shedding, how often do you use yours, and how many hairs have been coming out per shave?
     
  14. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    Mine is the 28x50, and definitely looks shorter than yours.


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  15. lloydrm

    lloydrm Well-Known Member

    Interesting. I wonder why that is but am sure 4mm make a difference.
    This one gets used an average of 1.4 times a week on a 5 brush rotation and always left to air dry on a open space. Last time it shed 4-5 hairs.
     
  16. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    I am just curious: They sell Aluminum, and Chrome over Brass? I ordered aluminum, and was quite surprised at how heavy it was; well over 100 grams. (I think 116, I would have to re check.) It is easily the heaviest brush I own. Did I maybe get it in brass? Not that I am complaining, just wondering.


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  17. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    The ones I see for sale, that are stubby(like yours), are all chromed.
    My aluminum one is fairly light, and hollow sounding.
     
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  18. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    Thanks. He must have sent me the wrong one, or been out of the aluminum, because I remember I ordered the cheaper one being it was kind of a test.
     
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  19. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    @clint64 mentioned this thread, and I thought I should update. After maybe 30 lathers or so, the Zenith went into a drawer and eventually will end up with a new knot in the handle. While soft enough, the more I used it, the more it continued to look clipped (absolutly atrocious), and not a single hair would split. I swear it looked like they were out of stock on that stubby loft, so someone took a scissors to it and made one. I could even live with that if it was enjoyable to use, but the short loft wouldn't allow the knot to open up at all, keeping it from pulling in soap. I give it a D- for a grade.

    That said I did buy a taller lofted one, and am quite happy with it so far It is very similar to an Omega Pro, but with a much nicer handle.
     
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  20. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    I will also add, I still love the way my Zenith feels and lathers. It does have a lot of hairs that have split , but it did not matter. It's a soft brush, from the start.
    The only negative would be shedding. It still regularly sheds, sometimes once per shave, sometimes 8-10. It has a mind of its own. I expect one day it might just give up too much and piss me off. This would force me to replace the knot. That would be a sad day, because the Zenith feels sooooo right, with each lather.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2017

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