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Paint Brushes?

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Beemer

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Looking or recommendations on premium paint brushes for oil based Alkyd Enamel.
One manufacturer notes White (softer than black) China Bristle and another noted Black (stiffer than white) China Bristle.
The big brain in the sky is saying Black.
Any thoughts?
 
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ScepterToad

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I don’t use any brush that’s not a Purdy. They have a white bristle version for oil based paints.

If you take care of them, I find that they last forever. I was just using one the other day helping one of the kids paint their first house. Brush is about 15 years old and while the ferrule (that’s what I call it anyway) is a little loose, it still lays down the paint real nice.
 
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cgrutt

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I just finished a painting/staining project used the Purdy white China for oil based stain and primer (same brush different projects) and Purdy White Chinex with epoxy modified acrylic enamel. I used one of the Purdy nylon or polyester brushes with latex trim paint. The white China brushes worked great with the oil.
 
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Spareparts

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Back i the early 70's I worked for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and they had brushes made of Russian Hog hair
they used them once and in the trash they went. They had Federal Stock Numbers printed on them. At that time they
were $25 for a 3" brush. I got several of them and cleaned them up. Still have several of them and they are still great brushes.
 
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Sumboodie

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Spareparts said:
Back i the early 70's I worked for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and they had brushes made of Russian Hog hair
they used them once and in the trash they went. They had Federal Stock Numbers printed on them. At that time they
were $25 for a 3" brush. I got several of them and cleaned them up. Still have several of them and they are still great brushes.
Click to expand...
Holy cow. I wouldn't pay $25 for a brush now even.

I tried expensive brushes, I don't find them to work much better than cheap ones. I usually toss them vs spending an hour and 3 gallons if solvent trying to get it 100% clean and it still ends up stiffer than an old man on ******.
 
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Lassen Forge

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$25 for a 3" brush sounds like a government contract - I'm sorry, I also need a $175 putty knife and a $550 hammer... (Yeah, I remember those "mandatory state contract" prices, available from ONE vendor, and they own you.) Of COURSE they have a NSN on them... it's in the spec on the contract!

:soapbox:

I match the brush to the paint and the surface. I'd go with a softer bristle as for me it gives a smoother result.

I also spend a lot of time cleaning the brush out when I'm done using it. And they keep coming back for my own abuse.
 
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Beemer

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Notgrownup said:
Nothing like a good quality brush. I love Purdy white . Wooster makes a good one as well . I still have brushes that are great and old.
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That's about the only brand names I find around here. I'm deciding between the China Bristle white or black. I like Sherwin Williams so it looks like Purdy BUT they seem mostly stock angled tip brushes that just don't seem right to me for painting the metal items I have.
 
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Beemer

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Lassen Forge said:
$25 for a 3" brush sounds like a government contract - I'm sorry, I also need a $175 putty knife and a $550 hammer... (Yeah, I remember those "mandatory state contract" prices, available from ONE vendor, and they own you.) Of COURSE they have a NSN on them... it's in the spec on the contract!

:soapbox:

I match the brush to the paint and the surface. I'd go with a softer bristle as for me it gives a smoother result.

I also spend a lot of time cleaning the brush out when I'm done using it. And they keep coming back for my own abuse.
Click to expand...
The company I worked for got a few State jobs and it wasn't worth the effort; more paperwork (etc) than actual design time.
 
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cgrutt

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I posted in another thread a few weeks ago that I tried an Arroworthy Red Frost brush on a project and was very impressed with it. Not sure if they make brushes for oil or not but would have no problem using one if they do. Excellent brush held a ton of paint no drips cut a clean line etc. Got it at Home Depot.

20260429_152613.jpg

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Shiftless

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I’ve been a Purdy user for about 50 years. Like Hondas, the quality has lately been declining. 😎

I have an account at a local Benjamin Moore paint store and buy paint and tools there. The difference between a professional paint store and a big box store in terms of service and product is night and day.
 
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PugetDude

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Notgrownup said:
What no love for the Harbor Freight ones…
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Used one today. 1-1/2" angled sash brush.
It worked fine, touching up a garage wall with Latex satin enamel.
Tossed it in the trash when I was done, since this was probably the third time I used it. These generally clean up fairly well with a brush comb, but I let this one sit out a bit too long after I used it.
I think it was $1.29.
YMMV
 
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Gmonkee

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Notgrownup said:
What no love for the Harbor Freight ones…
Click to expand...

I had a 3 pack of dollar store brushes I used over ten years, washed after every use and dried carefully. I just wanted to see how long they would hold up.
I just tossed off the last one after it wore too short.
I have more costly and much better brushes I would only bring out on outside jobs where precise edges really mattered.

The one Purdy I have is sweet.
 
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Beemer

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Used a Purdy black china from the paint store for the job.
It did ok but my fault being out of practice and not the brush's for not being better.
It's been too long not using oil based enamel so the skill is apparently waning.

I should have remembered my last Rustoleum experience.

Being worried about brush marks the result was runs to be dealt with on the next coat. I should have trusted the paint to level without over applying. The work was in the garage, out of the sun and mid to high 70 degree weather.

This was the second recent time not liking Rustoleum brush on enamel though. In both it seemed to flash too fast to back brush a few minutes later.

The brush did clean up nicely though with mineral spirits. Dunk, change and repeat two more times and the brush is nicely recovered, even the next day without residual hard spots
.
So, brush good, artist not so much.

I would have sprayed it but that would have to be outside and with wind has been relentless for some time and the oak tree pollen looks like snow.

Thanks for all the answers.
 
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Sumboodie

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Lassen Forge said:
$25 for a 3" brush sounds like a government contract - I'm sorry, I also need a $175 putty knife and a $550 hammer... (Yeah, I remember those "mandatory state contract" prices, available from ONE vendor, and they own you.) Of COURSE they have a NSN on them... it's in the spec on the contract!

:soapbox:

I match the brush to the paint and the surface. I'd go with a softer bristle as for me it gives a smoother result.

I also spend a lot of time cleaning the brush out when I'm done using it. And they keep coming back for my own abuse.
Click to expand...

We had Light House for the Blind and Skilcraft.
The spray paint was so terrible and a can was like $12... (in 2005 dollars)
It was like watercolors in a spray can. Anything more than a hint of a coat would run, and it took about 17 coats to actually color something

We often bought hardware paint and kept the Lighthouse out for any inspectors as the Krylon or whatever wasn't approved for use.

Oh, got a case once that has yellow caps but was red paint, and a case with the labels all upside down.
Had a chuckle at that. Figured someone working there to GC would have had vision.

The duct tape wasn't any better. It was so ****, it would barely even stick to itself.
During a bomb build the crew had to tape down the lanyards (it's what hook to the aircraft to pull the arming wire)
So they're out there with heat guns trying to warm up -10* bombs to get the tape to stick 🤣

That **** wouldn't have even stuck on a 70* day and the bombs coated in carpet glue
 
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Lassen Forge

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Location
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Sumboodie said:
That **** wouldn't have even stuck on a 70* day and the bombs coated in carpet glue
Click to expand...

That only works for Carpet Bombs...

But look at all the EEOC credits you got for using those "approved" vendors. I can imagine the guy writing the contract specs - "Of course you don't have to specify it sticks, it's TAPE"...

I've read several (and even written one or two) goverment specs for purchasing, and it is about as inane as writing a description for a patent. Honestly (and this is gospel), if it's not in the specs, it doesn't exist. Something as stupid as a bolt in U body truck bed... "Oh, you want latches on the doors? Wait, you want DOORS? Do they have to fit?" :ROFLMAO:
 
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