So I ordered the Short and Scrubby B17 from eBay. Store name is "The Gentle Shave".
It appears a lot of what they sell is custom made for them by Zenith, and is mostly standard brushes slightly modified (remove the ring) and lower lofted.
This brush is no exception. 24mm knot @ 48mm Loft.
I've wanted to try the Big and Scrubby for awhile, but the price (~$30 + shipping and tax makes it close to a $40 brush). This brush for several reasons, one being the price ($20 + shipping and tax), got the nod over it. It's my first Zenith, so we'll start with expectations.
Some listings and reviews said the handle was "like the Omega pro" line... so I was expecting that if you didn't get metal (they have aluminum, copper, and chromed handles), you'd get cheap hollow plastic, and was hoping I was wrong and would get a solid rubberized or plastic handle. I got none of that. It's wood, stained black. Doesn't seem like the hardest or fanciest wood, but a big step up from Omega's handles.
The size is good. Handle is a bit smaller than the pro 48, which is too big imho, making this a good sized handle... a bit too chubby for the size, but still comfortable. Knot is a TINY bit small in my book, but I expect it'll bloom to be about perfect size (I'd liken the size to what I remember the Semogue 620 feeling like, size-wise).
Knot didn't stink, and lost NO HAIRS during wash or first use. That's a really good sign. Already it's smacking Omega's around.
Backbone? Solid... top notch in fact. This brush has some backbone. Reminds me a lot of the VDH brushes in that respect (they're basically a wad of bristles jammed into a handle)... but without the prickliness of trimmed hair or the constant shedding. I'd say 9.5/10 for backbone... If you want more backbone in a boar brush, you're not going to find it without getting one of the stubby trimmed brushes that scratch your face.
Lathering? 1/10. This brush needs to break in. This is the old school boar brush that I remember... the kind that barely make enough lather for a pass. This is what I remember boars being when I was starting out wet shaving. Now that's a bad score... but I don't see it as a bad thing necessarily. With Semogue's you get great lather out of the box and you wait and see if break-in turns them floppy. With Omega's you get a break in, but it doesn't change the lathering all that much. This brush will evolve over the next few uses, and I'll get to see if it turns into a great latherer or disappoints. I'm suspecting the former, but we'll see.
Overall quality. I already mentioned the lack of shedding and handle. I would say it definitely feels a little less stylish than a Semogue with their more streamlined and classy handles, but a BIG step up from Omega's.
From the first shave perspective, it's a solid brush that could definitely turn into my favorite boar... but that's going to depend on how it changes with the break in. It could also be used for a few months, not improve in lathering, and get resold. Time will tell.
Here it is between a semo BC And an omega pro, to compare looks and size
It appears a lot of what they sell is custom made for them by Zenith, and is mostly standard brushes slightly modified (remove the ring) and lower lofted.
This brush is no exception. 24mm knot @ 48mm Loft.
I've wanted to try the Big and Scrubby for awhile, but the price (~$30 + shipping and tax makes it close to a $40 brush). This brush for several reasons, one being the price ($20 + shipping and tax), got the nod over it. It's my first Zenith, so we'll start with expectations.
Some listings and reviews said the handle was "like the Omega pro" line... so I was expecting that if you didn't get metal (they have aluminum, copper, and chromed handles), you'd get cheap hollow plastic, and was hoping I was wrong and would get a solid rubberized or plastic handle. I got none of that. It's wood, stained black. Doesn't seem like the hardest or fanciest wood, but a big step up from Omega's handles.
The size is good. Handle is a bit smaller than the pro 48, which is too big imho, making this a good sized handle... a bit too chubby for the size, but still comfortable. Knot is a TINY bit small in my book, but I expect it'll bloom to be about perfect size (I'd liken the size to what I remember the Semogue 620 feeling like, size-wise).
Knot didn't stink, and lost NO HAIRS during wash or first use. That's a really good sign. Already it's smacking Omega's around.
Backbone? Solid... top notch in fact. This brush has some backbone. Reminds me a lot of the VDH brushes in that respect (they're basically a wad of bristles jammed into a handle)... but without the prickliness of trimmed hair or the constant shedding. I'd say 9.5/10 for backbone... If you want more backbone in a boar brush, you're not going to find it without getting one of the stubby trimmed brushes that scratch your face.
Lathering? 1/10. This brush needs to break in. This is the old school boar brush that I remember... the kind that barely make enough lather for a pass. This is what I remember boars being when I was starting out wet shaving. Now that's a bad score... but I don't see it as a bad thing necessarily. With Semogue's you get great lather out of the box and you wait and see if break-in turns them floppy. With Omega's you get a break in, but it doesn't change the lathering all that much. This brush will evolve over the next few uses, and I'll get to see if it turns into a great latherer or disappoints. I'm suspecting the former, but we'll see.
Overall quality. I already mentioned the lack of shedding and handle. I would say it definitely feels a little less stylish than a Semogue with their more streamlined and classy handles, but a BIG step up from Omega's.
From the first shave perspective, it's a solid brush that could definitely turn into my favorite boar... but that's going to depend on how it changes with the break in. It could also be used for a few months, not improve in lathering, and get resold. Time will tell.
Here it is between a semo BC And an omega pro, to compare looks and size
