- Thread starter
- #61
Thanks Bob!! Much appreciated.
Brush Chronicles #17: Zenith Manchurian Copper XXL
- Thread starter Guido75
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #62
Last shave with the Zenith. Well last shave in this Chronicle, because the brush is not going anywhere and is definitely part of my rotation.
I used Hampshire Wool Fat and loaded longer than I usually do. Also loaded with just swirling and little pressure.
Excellent lather and I took more time lathering up for the first pass. Not because the soap needed it or the brush didn’t perform. No, I didn’t want it to end! Wonderfully soft with a gentle splay generating large amounts of lather.
Still some hogging by the time I got to the third pass, but overall one of the best performances with the Zenith brush.
So two weeks of using the Zenith Manchurian has left me with a great experience. This is a fantastic brush capable of lathering a variety of soaps using bowl lathering or face lathering. I sense there is a slight preference for harder soaps and face lathering with this brush, but it is very capable of bowl lathering provided you have enough product loaded to begin with.
Drying time is relatively short especially for a badger brush. It is resting for a day on the counter now and the first signs of dry hairs are good.
I have read they are not easy to acquire in copper, but if you get the chance and you are looking for a badger brush this could be a great option on your wish list.
I used Hampshire Wool Fat and loaded longer than I usually do. Also loaded with just swirling and little pressure.
Excellent lather and I took more time lathering up for the first pass. Not because the soap needed it or the brush didn’t perform. No, I didn’t want it to end! Wonderfully soft with a gentle splay generating large amounts of lather.
Still some hogging by the time I got to the third pass, but overall one of the best performances with the Zenith brush.
So two weeks of using the Zenith Manchurian has left me with a great experience. This is a fantastic brush capable of lathering a variety of soaps using bowl lathering or face lathering. I sense there is a slight preference for harder soaps and face lathering with this brush, but it is very capable of bowl lathering provided you have enough product loaded to begin with.
Drying time is relatively short especially for a badger brush. It is resting for a day on the counter now and the first signs of dry hairs are good.
I have read they are not easy to acquire in copper, but if you get the chance and you are looking for a badger brush this could be a great option on your wish list.
That was a good ride, thank you for this thread! Danke schön! 
Fwiw, The Gentle Shave has stock: Copper Handle XXL Manchurian Two Band 28mm Brush by Zenith. Made in Sicily. M15 - https://www.thegentleshave.com/collections/badger-1/products/copper-handle-xxl-manchurian-two-band-28mm-brush-by-zenith-made-in-sicily-m15
With a different handle they also have a copper in 26 mm: Smaller Copper Manchurian Brush by Zenith. 26mm. Made in Italy M33 - https://www.thegentleshave.com/collections/badger-1/products/smaller-copper-manchurian-brush-by-zenith-26mm-made-in-italy-m33
Fwiw, The Gentle Shave has stock: Copper Handle XXL Manchurian Two Band 28mm Brush by Zenith. Made in Sicily. M15 - https://www.thegentleshave.com/collections/badger-1/products/copper-handle-xxl-manchurian-two-band-28mm-brush-by-zenith-made-in-sicily-m15
With a different handle they also have a copper in 26 mm: Smaller Copper Manchurian Brush by Zenith. 26mm. Made in Italy M33 - https://www.thegentleshave.com/collections/badger-1/products/smaller-copper-manchurian-brush-by-zenith-26mm-made-in-italy-m33
- Thread starter
- #64
I realised that I swapped brushed earlier this month, so the Zenith Manchurian actually had one shave left!
I used a dollop of Intesa Shave Cream and applied it directly to the brush. I distributed the soap across my head (did a head shave) and then dipped the tips into water. Almost instant lather! Very nice. Two rich passes were available from the brush. Small amount of hogging I think, but very manageable. Excellent results and the Zenith can definitely handle creams and croaps. I still believe there are other brushes more suited for bowl lathering. But this was very nice!
I used a dollop of Intesa Shave Cream and applied it directly to the brush. I distributed the soap across my head (did a head shave) and then dipped the tips into water. Almost instant lather! Very nice. Two rich passes were available from the brush. Small amount of hogging I think, but very manageable. Excellent results and the Zenith can definitely handle creams and croaps. I still believe there are other brushes more suited for bowl lathering. But this was very nice!
- Thread starter
- #66
Good point! I think the larger version is very dense - as least compared to my other brushes which together with the loft height translates into more backbone presence. I am currently sporting a 30mm Timberwolf synthetic knot. Very dense as well, but because of the softness of the knot feels like it has less backbone compared to the Zenith.
Cheers,
Guido
I only use brushes starting at 26 mm and all dense though with varying degrees, here are some of them:
#42
I recently added 2 of the 506 Zenith with the barber pole handle, which you can also see there and which I had described.
Though I don't have the Manchurian Zenith @Guido75 's chronicle is about, from all I have seen and read and this especially in relation to what I experience with my two Zenith, I totally bet that these are less dense and have less backbone than the brush discussed here - though the knot specs are very close and depending on the source of information sometimes identical.
These are my 'softest' brushes when it comes to backbone, they are also also less dense packed than the Semogue in the picture.
I recommend to do a bit of research about these 506. You could also ask Badger - https://www.thegentleshave.com/collections/badger-1 ,what he thinks about the difference between the knots.
Last edited:
The barber pole 506 ones splay very lovely. But - unless the 24 mm M30 is not packed much tighter - it should splay even more given the higher 'effective loft' according to 'The Gentle Shave':
Your 24 mm M30:
„The loft is set at 51mm. The effective loft is 46-48 mm from the glue bump.“
Smaller Chromed Copper Handle w/Manchurian Badger by Zenith M30
Manchurian badger brush with a chromed copper Euro handle by Zenith. Made in Italy. Chromed copper Euro handle with a 24 mm Manchurian two-band badger knot. The loft is set at 51mm. The effective loft is 46-48 mm from the glue bump. The total weight is 107 grams for the brush. The handle is 51mm...
www.thegentleshave.com
My 27.5 mm 506:
Loft is set at 51mm. Effective loft is 42-45 mm from glue bump.
Black Resin Manchurian Badger Shave Brush by Zenith M4
This has a solid black resin handle with a 27.5mm Manchurian two band badger knot. Loft is set at 51mm. Effective loft is 42-45mm from glue bump. Total weight is a 71 grams for the brush.
www.thegentleshave.com
And you know that 24 mm is a good size for you, so ... yeah!
After all the praise I've seen for the Zenith Manchurian brushes, I decided to get one. I got the 24 mm M30 since it's the right size for me, and it also lists the highest free loft of any of their Manchurian brushes. After reading about how much backbone these have, I thought I would go that route. The website states the loft as 51 mm and the free loft as 46 to 48 mm, which is right in the range of several other Manchurian type knots that I have that I like quite a bit. The loft is close, at 52 mm, however, the free loft is only about 38 mm. This brush has a very prominent glue bump. The result is a very stiff brush that I doubt very much will work for me since I exclusively face lather.
So talk to me. Do any of you have these Manchurian brushes with such a short free loft? Do they soften up over time enough that it'll be worth me keeping it? Or will it be a very long, laborious process only hoping to get it to be usable?
As a side note, this brush has quite noticeably fewer hairs than any other 24 mm badger brush that I have.
So talk to me. Do any of you have these Manchurian brushes with such a short free loft? Do they soften up over time enough that it'll be worth me keeping it? Or will it be a very long, laborious process only hoping to get it to be usable?
As a side note, this brush has quite noticeably fewer hairs than any other 24 mm badger brush that I have.
Attachments
- Thread starter
- #71
Lovely brush and sorry to hear it isn’t working out just yet. In my experience having used one for two weeks I brought it softened up and so quicker that long and laborious unless you find two weeks laborious of course. For me this particular brush I have was similar to boar brushes requiring breaking in. I also learned it needed more soap than I was used to with my other badgers. So much so that OmI believe I need to do the same with my SOC Finest, because that is currently behaving like your Zenith.
Cheers,
Guido
@Chumango , I have no experience with these brushes, but have been in similar scenarios- what works well in one size does not always work in another, even if scaled appropriately in paper.
It will certainly break in a bit, but probably not become what you're looking for...depends if you want to enjoy the experiment or flip it now. Follow your instincts.
It will certainly break in a bit, but probably not become what you're looking for...depends if you want to enjoy the experiment or flip it now. Follow your instincts.
