Zenith B25 Olive Wood Long Handle Big Boar Brush 27.5x62mm Knot

[Clay S]

Happy Birthday to me!

So far I am pleased with my choice of this brush. It is very close to the Omega Pro, but I will need time for it to break in to evaluate fully. Its splay, and scrub is similar, it's scritch very much higher. And upon soaking, you knew it was a boar, I then gave it a wash with Dawn to help cut the aroma. Much less noticeable afterward, but will take a several to subside completely. I was expecting the wooden handle to weigh substantially more. It weighed slightly less in fact. I love the grain on this handle.

The Zenith B25 and the Omega Pro 10098 are very similar:

Their knots are close to the same size, blooming ???.
The handles are shaped ever so close, the Zenith is slightly more petite.
A thinner waist and a razor blade tuck worth of height.
The Weights are 73.7g for the Zenith and 79.8g for the Omega.
The biggest difference is that the Zenith comes in Olive Wood,
and the Omega in utilitarian plastic.

The Zenith is the better styled and finished brush,
The Omega is the better workhorse. Able to withstand too deep of a soaking, at a little less than half the price.

After the one lathering and one dawn bath, followed by strop-drying on soft cloth (running shorts) several bristles have the smallest of splits. That is looking promising.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Happy Birthday! Olive wood is one of my favorites. Great looking brush.

Sent from my DROID Turbo using Tapatalk

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

It should break in pretty quickly, Clay. All my Zenith boars have, and they continue to improve for a long time in my experience with them.

Happy Birthday,

Jim

 

[Twelvefret]

Happy Birthday, Clay and congrats on the new brush.

 

[Cal]

And congratulations on your very nice present, Clay. Olive wood rocks!

 

[CJB3]

Happy birthday, Clay, from a fellow Texan now in Northern VA! Nice brush!

 

[ajkel64]

Happy Birthday Clay, congratulations on the new brush. It looks like a great brush.

 

[Boar Fighter]

Happy birthday dear Clay and congratulations for the really magnificent handle! Zenith at least here in Italy, gives excellent "bang for buck". Think of big manchurian brushes at €63 and they recently started "waking up", marketing wise and now you can find their brushes easier.

 

[Clay S]

Happy Birthday! Olive wood is one of my favorites. Great looking brush.

Happy Birthday,

Happy Birthday, Clay

And congratulations on your very nice present, Clay. Olive wood rocks!

Happy birthday, Clay, from a fellow Texan now in Northern VA!

Happy Birthday Clay, congratulations on the new brush.

Thanks Everyone for the birthday wishes and for the comments on my brush.

Happy birthday dear Clay and congratulations for the really magnificent handle! Zenith at least here in Italy, gives excellent "bang for buck". Think of big manchurian brushes at €63 and they recently started "waking up", marketing wise and now you can find their brushes easier.

Their marketing here is just one guy (only place I found with new brushes), who discovered Zenith and wanted others to have access to them. So from his spinal office he moonlights Zenith orders from both a web site and E-Bay. Discovered him via @Chan Eil Whiskers quest to spread the word about them

 

[BigJ]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Enjoy the great looking brush!!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Happy birthday dear Clay and congratulations for the really magnificent handle! Zenith at least here in Italy, gives excellent "bang for buck". Think of big manchurian brushes at €63 and they recently started "waking up", marketing wise and now you can find their brushes easier.

Nice to get an insider's look at the Zenith. Insider meaning inside Italy. Thanks. Yes, excellent bang for the buck...

The Zenith copper handled Manchurian is my very favorite brush. I say that even though it might not have my very favorite handle. The knot is just unbelievably great. I can not imagine a better knot. There are several quite expensive brushes I used to occasional want to put on my wish list. This knot has cured me of that.

Of course, it's not cured me of the desire to have more Zenith Manchurian brushes with different handles.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Boar Fighter]

Thanks Everyone for the birthday wishes and for the comments on my brush.

Their marketing here is just one guy (only place I found with new brushes), who discovered Zenith and wanted others to have access to them. So from his spinal office he moonlights Zenith orders from both a web site and E-Bay. Discovered him via @Chan Eil Whiskers quest to spread the word about them

I am not surprised. Up until about 1 year ago, aside from some stray boar found in ebay, the only way to reliably find a Zenith was either from shops of other countries or by phoning directly the factory... I don't know why this sort of lack of interest in promoting their brushes in shops. Maybe they were looking at them as secondary actvivity? I don't know.

Nice to get an insider's look at the Zenith. Insider meaning inside Italy. Thanks. Yes, excellent bang for the buck...

View attachment 939294

The Zenith copper handled Manchurian is my very favorite brush. I say that even though it might not have my very favorite handle. The knot is just unbelievably great. I can not imagine a better knot. There are several quite expensive brushes I used to occasional want to put on my wish list. This knot has cured me of that.

Of course, it's not cured me of the desire to have more Zenith Manchurian brushes with different handles.

Happy shaves,

Jim

My main issue with Zeniths, is the handle too. It seems that they are still stuck to the idea of the "big bowl lathering, barber type" handles. I might get a silvertip, not a manchurian, because i have too many backbone strong brushes and i would prefer to try another silvertip knot, for comparison of the hair with the ones i got now. I have read several people with the manchurian though and they are all happy. I have put a Zenith silvertip as my exception for the 2019 Sabbatical. I hope some more face lathering friendly handles appear in the shops.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I am not surprised. Up until about 1 year ago, aside from some stray boar found in ebay, the only way to reliably find a Zenith was either from shops of other countries or by phoning directly the factory... I don't know why this sort of lack of interest in promoting their brushes in shops. Maybe they were looking at them as secondary actvivity? I don't know.



My main issue with Zeniths, is the handle too. It seems that they are still stuck to the idea of the "big bowl lathering, barber type" handles. I might get a silvertip, not a manchurian, because i have too many backbone strong brushes and i would prefer to try another silvertip knot, for comparison of the hair with the ones i got now. I have read several people with the manchurian though and they are all happy. I have put a Zenith silvertip as my exception for the 2019 Sabbatical. I hope some more face lathering friendly handles appear in the shops.

The eBay vendor is my source, but there are others online. I guess you're saying they show up in Italian retail shops. Lucky you.

 

[Clay S]

The eBay vendor is my source, but there are others online.

He has a website by the same name.

 

[Boar Fighter]

The eBay vendor is my source, but there are others online. I guess you're saying they show up in Italian retail shops. Lucky you.

Yes, i was talking about local online shops. In the last 1 year i think, there has been an abrupt appearance of boars, horse, synthetics and badgers from Zenith. Almost all with big handles, like the ones @Clay S loves.

 

[Clay S]

Yes, i was talking about local online shops. In the last 1 year i think, there has been an abrupt appearance of boars, horse, synthetics and badgers from Zenith. Almost all with big handles, like the ones @Clay S loves.

All of your base brushes are belong to us

I only like big face latherers, not big bowl latherers. I do like thicker "modernize" barber style brushes though. They have such a multitude of options of grips. I generally like a slightly greater than 2:1 loft to knot ratio, and because of the size of barber handles, knots below a certain size would look comical.

This grip I use on most of my brushes:

​

It works well with the Omega Pro, the Omega S-Brush, and ok with the Vie-Long and vintage boar..

A grip I like when the handle has a "finger groove" running around it.

The Pro and the Stag B4565 work well holding it at the indentation, the Vie-Long doesn't.


Slight finger movements can change the attitude of barber style brushes by about 90 degrees.
There are several size and types of knots that I enjoy. And several handles.

Squat, barrel shaped handles don't look comfortable though.

And Barber Style is the best

 

[lancre]

Happy Birthday, Clay and congrats on the new brush.

 

[Boar Fighter]

All of your base brushes are belong to us

I only like big face latherers, not big bowl latherers. I do like thicker "modernize" barber style brushes though. They have such a multitude of options of grips. I generally like a slightly greater than 2:1 loft to knot ratio, and because of the size of barber handles, knots below a certain size would look comical.

This grip I use on most of my brushes:
View attachment 939362 View attachment 939363 View attachment 939366

View attachment 939375​

It works well with the Omega Pro, the Omega S-Brush, and ok with the Vie-Long and vintage boar..

A grip I like when the handle has a "finger groove" running around it.
View attachment 939371 View attachment 939364 View attachment 939365
The Pro and the Stag B4565 work well holding it at the indentation, the Vie-Long doesn't.

View attachment 939367 View attachment 939368 View attachment 939369
Slight finger movements can change the attitude of barber style brushes by about 90 degrees.
There are several size and types of knots that I enjoy. And several handles.

Squat, barrel shaped handles don't look comfortable though.

And Barber Style is the best

Yes, i see. It is just that for me, when i face lather and my hand is far away from the face, due to long handle, i don't feel comfortable. The Omega 80266 handle is the most ergonomic omega for me. To each his own.

 

[Ad Astra]

The olive tree is a gift from Athena; no wood is as beautiful.

It will serve you well, and with style!


AS

 

[Cino]

Athena was a piece.