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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!
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3820 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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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.
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
posted
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.
-------------------- Doug Fielder Fallout Grafix Port St. Lucie, FL
16 years with a brush in my hand... Posts: 273 | From: Port St. Lucie, FL | Registered: May 1999
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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
-------------------- John Lennig / Big Top Sign Arts 5668 Ewart Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada bigtopya@hotmail.com 604.451.0006 Posts: 2184 | From: Burnaby, British Columbia,Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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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.
-------------------- Jon Harl 5731 Meridian Ave. San Jose,CA 95118
jonharl@comcast.net Posts: 99 | From: San Jose, California | Registered: Jan 2004
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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.
-------------------- Kurt Silva Bend,Oregon ksilva@bendbroadband.com Posts: 46 | From: Bend, Oregon | Registered: Nov 1998
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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?
posted
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
-------------------- Catharine C. Kennedy CCK Graphics 1511 Route 28 Chatham Center, NY 12184 cck1620@taconic.net "Look at me, Look at me, Look at me now! I't's fun to have fun, But you have to know how!" Posts: 2173 | From: downtown Chatham Center, NY | Registered: Feb 2004
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That'll be when you're Consti'Paintin" (as in,real busy)
bad, i know, short notice!
John
-------------------- John Lennig / Big Top Sign Arts 5668 Ewart Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada bigtopya@hotmail.com 604.451.0006 Posts: 2184 | From: Burnaby, British Columbia,Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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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.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3820 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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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!
-------------------- Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA
(714) 521-4810
si.allen on Skype
siallen@dslextreme.com
"SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
Never mess with your profile while in a drunken stupor!!!
Brushasaurus on Chat Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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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...
-------------------- Frank Magoo, Magoo's-Las Vegas; fmagoo@netzero.com "the only easy day was yesterday" Posts: 2365 | From: Las Vegas, Nv. | Registered: Jun 2003
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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
-------------------- Bill Preston Fly Creek, N.Y. USA Posts: 943 | From: Fly Creek, N.Y. USA | Registered: Jan 2000
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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.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3820 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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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?"
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6720 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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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.
-------------------- Kurt Silva Bend,Oregon ksilva@bendbroadband.com Posts: 46 | From: Bend, Oregon | Registered: Nov 1998
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