So like., I hear so much about brushes not being like they used to. Has any one ever been to a brush making factory? I mean, with all the people here, someone has to be close to a brush making facility. What's the problem? Is it the time it takes, the fur,the quills, or are there no apprentices interested? Except for the old veteranos, sometimes I think that people just don't take care of their brushes, but... I may be wrong. Ahhh, bring on the snap, the twist, the pull back and the push down, I can't get enough of it!
Posted by mike meyer (Member # 542) on :
I have been to Mack Brushes in Michigan...looks like a pretty good set-up, I have to wonder Alicia, why people say those things. I think brushes are just as good today. If you take care of them, they last a long time.
Posted by Doug Fielder (Member # 803) on :
I have been told by many of the "Jersey" vets that the hair isn't of the same quality anymore. We had a secret stash in NJ of 25+ yr old French Masters that has been whored out recently and dumped into the NYC market. I cannot really speak from experience because I have only been at it since 1997, and know people who have brushes the same age as I am. My last whack at the 'secret stash' was $400+ and the most expensive brush was $5.50 for a #18 Brown quill. This is all thanks to Glen Weisgerber who assembled the collection and priced it long ago. Thanks Glen, I should be set for many years now.
Posted by John Lennig (Member # 2455) on :
Alicia!!! you be talkin' Brush!! Being lefthanded, I can't forget the Kickback!
This being the West Coast, would'nt it be great to gather Brushbox of handletters for some paint manipulation!!!
In the Fall??
John
Posted by Jon Harl (Member # 4427) on :
I've been slingin' with some red sable quills I got from Rick Glawson. These brushes are killer as good as any brush I've painted with. I don't know if Rick's brothers are still open for business, but that's where I'd look. I know the greys aren't as soft as they used to be. Browns paint like greys used to. Lane Walker uses brushes from Dick Blick, they're really cheap, but he likes them.
Posted by Kurt Silva (Member # 257) on :
In my opinion, it IS the quality of the hair, or lack of quality. This has been a big frustration for me in recent years. Don't do vinyl so quality quills are pretty important to me. The Luco and French Masters that are available to me are junk. They used to be the best. A nice brown quill should be nice and soft with fine brown hairs. What I've been getting are quills with coarse wirey white hairs mixed in with some browns. They don't last as long either because I wind up chucking them in the garbage. Have recently tried Scharff outliners and feel they are pretty good brushes. Macks are good but sometimes inconsistent, which I guess they all are, just can't pick the best of the lot when ordering over the phone. I am waiting on some Scharff browns to be delivered, I'll let you know.
Posted by Boyd Merriman (Member # 5514) on :
I've been stuck on Lucos for years, but I too have been frustrated with hair all over my palette or jumping on my board as I'm lettering!
It may be the oils I am using to keep them. I have been using "used" motor oil since the new oil does eat it up faster with the detergents in them. I could try using non-detergent oil.
Is Brush Oil any better than what we come up with?
I do want to look into other brushes though.
Boyd
Posted by Michael Boone (Member # 308) on :
Ever since Joey Madden and Frank Magoo introduced me to the ultrasonic cleaner....my brushes seem to shed less...no more heels of paint.. I clean them well and use no oil..no need to
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
If you want to use oil to store your brushes and quills....go to your nearest Drug Store and buy a bottle of Mineral Oil!
[ August 02, 2005, 07:07 PM: Message edited by: Si Allen ]
Posted by Catharine C. Kennedy (Member # 4459) on :
Mineral oil is for "regular" brushes!!!
Posted by John Lennig (Member # 2455) on :
That'll be when you're Consti'Paintin" (as in,real busy)
bad, i know, short notice!
John
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
So, some of you think that it is the quailty of the hairs. Don't they still make them out of squirel hair. I haven't heard about squirels going bald or anything. And do they have to kill the whole squirel for it's tail hair? Do they not put in enough hair? And what about the bird quills? What kind of bird quills are used? Can they be made out of a chicken quill? I know we eat alot of chicken. And yes, I'd eat a squirel if it was cooked right. Maybe in a taco! It may sound all so silly, but our brushes mean so much to us. A clean stroke with perfect coverage is like,,,,,ahhh, it's just real nice.
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
It seems that the poor quality brushes are/were caused by the Chernoble Neuclear Plant when it exploded! The radioactive cloud spread over the area in Russia where the best squirrel and sable hair was gathered! many of the animals died, and those that survived wound up with curly and/or coarse fur!
After all these years, finally good useable fur is finally comming from that area. BUT not enough! Sooner or later, we will be getting good quills and brushes!
Have patience!
Posted by Doug Fielder (Member # 803) on :
There is still that stock in NYC.....
Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
I think the advent of synthetic hair has some to do w/hair today(gone tomorrow-sorry john-couldn't resist-also short notice). Most of the manufactors are at least expermenting w/sythetic hair. It's cost factor is lower than real hair and I expect to see more blends coming out then the return of good hi-quality squirrel hair. Kafka's new brushes are very successful so far and their blends, the technology is there and it seems to work good in some cases...
Posted by Bill Preston (Member # 1314) on :
I think Si is right on the Chernobyl item, although I also think that the squirrel hair in question was getting scarce even before that happened. (I think they were called Taleky squirrels, and spelling may not be right.)
Only brushes I use these days are Raphael quills, and I have no idea whether they are squirrel hair, or a blend. Have found them to be an excellent brush, rarely lose hair, and they have a nice snap to them.
As far as cleaning---not too careful---just rinse out in reducer a time or two, then drop them flat in a covered tupperware type pan that has a snap-on lid, cover them with One-Shot brush cleaner and conditioner, and leave them 'til the next time. Messy, but it works.
FWIW
bill preston
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
Well, why don't we just raise our own imported Russian squirels. What breed are they,,,Kazaan or something. One male and three females. A little chop chop and we've got brushes. Shoot, I'd do it. Alicia's Fried Squirel chimichangas and natural hair brush shop.
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Alicia, You could rent a large warehouse, insulate it thick and turn it into a walk in freezer to raise squirrels in the right climate! Restaurant up front. We'd travel up ther to pick our own squirrel and you'd ask "How would you like it cooked?"
Posted by Kurt Silva (Member # 257) on :
Ok, got my Scharff series 2100 brown quills from Lazerlines yesterday. Unlike the French Masters and Lucos that I've been getting recently, these brushes are very nice. No coarse wirey hairs, just nice soft brown ones. I think I'm going to order a few more before another nuclear fallout wipes out another generation of Siberian Quill squirrels.
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