What Brush???

Hi there people

I have always used Harris No bristle loss brushes when painting my woodwork with good results (satin).

Yesterday i went to B&Q to get a new one and they were sold out, so i got a harris natural bristle brush.

When i painted a small section of skirting board with this brush i was amazed at how much better the finish was over the synthetic bristle harris brush!!

Is it me or is the general consensus that a natural bristle brush is better for gloss/satin????

If so could you recomend the best manufacure of brush?

Its more of a water based vs oil based situation.

Fist though, the brushes..dont be fooled by the pure bristle bit, there are many different grades of bristle all all most from the Chinese wild boar or hog...quality varies due the the age and locality of the animal.

Have you seen the 25 brushes for a fiver offers...they are pure bristle too, but it look like they have bene plucked from the boars eye brows (or worse!)

When your selecting a brush open it up, look between the bristles, if you can see a wooden strip dont bother with it..its there to save on bristles and the brush will be floppy and cause drips.

IMO bristle brushes are better for oil based paint, synthetic for water based including undercoat and gloss.

But again, not all synthetic fillaments are the same, they vary in shape.

The thing that lets a synthetic brush down is the ability of the bristle to return to its natural shape...try paint a wrought Iron gate with one or something that involves a lot of jabbing actions...it will end up looking like a toilet brush!

Brands..Hamilton make a good brush..although standards have dropped over the last few years..Brewers (if you live in the south east) do a brush called a 'super'..which is made by Hamiltion..

For synthetic...the main player is Purdy..very good brush..very expencive though.

Zampa said:

For synthetic...the main player is Purdy..very good brush..very expencive though.

Click to expand...

You changed your tune Zampa..what happend to the guy that said cutiing in with a Purdy was like trying to cut in with a wet cod!?

Im still not totally sold on them though