Review: Scramble "Shadows" rashguard

BJJHQ were kind enough to send me this rashguard. Prior to being contacted by them I didn't know they existed but ended up finding a completely new concept unknown to me. They sell one article a day at discount prices you'd not find in a regular online store and that's it. You check their daily deals... daily, and try to grab your stuff before it's sold out (which happens often, shocker right?). I myself have it on my RSS feed which I personally prefer but that's entirely up to you. Their customer service is pretty up there also so that's another plus.

So, on to the rashie!
I have some of Scramble stuff. I find most of their designs to be great and their Japanese influence is a breath of fresh air against the tough guy-like designs of most MMA brands.
I've had my eyes on their submission/no-gi gear for a while so when the opportunity presented itself to test this rashguard I could not let it pass.

. Design:
Shadows features a noir-like design of a Samurai under heavy rain (I'm both a Japanese culture and Sin City/Frank Miller fan so I don't have to tell you how kickass this is, aye?) with nicely done Japanese for the seven virtues of Bushido: Rectitude (義), Courage (勇氣), Benevolence (仁), Respect (禮), Honesty (誠), Honour (名誉), Loyalty (忠義) in the back.

. Comfort and Fit:
I have other rashguards, namely from Tatami and Masaru to which I can compare the Shadows.
Scramble's rashie feels a bit thicker but without being nowhere near as thick as, say, a surf rashguard. The cut is mostly fine, I'm 6ft tall (1.83m) at 75Kg (165lb) and the Medium is snug without being tight which is how I like it. Even being elasticy, I don't like rashguards being too tight as I don't find it comfortable after a while.
Something I also noticed is that the stitching sometimes felt a bit itchy, particularly under the arms. After wearing it I felt the stitching with my fingers and I could indeed feel it's somewhat itchy character. It's not that it's abrasive or anything, it just seems to be a harder thread compared to the softer cotton-like thread in my other rashguards.

. Details:
If this was a gi I'd be writing about triple stitching, reinforcements and the sort right about now, but with rashguards things are different. Usually besides the characteristic type of triple-zig-zagging stitching (whatever) one can find in about every rashie there's not much to go on about.
In this case though, when I went to feel the stitching on the inside I did notice something that I think is worth mentioning. Although I have a hard time imagining it giving me trouble, I noticed the finishing touches on the different panels were seriously lacking in attention to detail - something I wasn't expecting to find in a Scramble rashguard selling for £35 (€45/$60). Maybe it was just on the one I received, I don't know, but here are pictures of it and of a Tatami and a Masaru on the same area for you to compare.

Both the Tatami and the Masaru look much better than Scramble with impeccable finishing. This is also visible in the other panel transitions across much of the stitching.

My Shadows rashguard also came with a defect on the right arm which is an obvious one-off piece of defective panel. BJJHQ offered to exchange it if it rips apart, and as it hasn't yet (and doesn't seem like it will anytime soon I'm sure) and it was a gift for review that's more than fine on their part.

. In conclusion:
This is a very nicely designed rashguard, one that I guess people would primarily buy for that same aspect and the materials used are of good quality (although softer thread would be preferred for my taste).
I wish it came with better attention to detail because although £35 is the norm for rashguards these days, it's still a pretty amount of money and for that I feel a rashguard should be perfect in every aspect.

. P.S.:
A white version of this rashguard would be awesome. And I'd be allowed to wear it for Judo practice!

. Disclaimer:
I am not endorsed by BJJHQ or Scramble and, although I did not pay for this rashguard, these opinions are as always my own, unbiased, uncensored and they apply only to the product I tested.

. Também disponível em Português!