Oh, you guys. I heart a beautiful, wood paintbrush but I have found out from years of painting that I sadly cannot rely on them. I so wish I could tell you that they pretty ones are the best, but won’t lie to you.
Have you all experience what I have?
This is a regular wood brush that you can find at the shops where you buy you Milk Paint and Chalk Paint and such. Mine lost its head after about 2 months worth of painting. It also did a bit of shedding and eventually, literally the inside bristles came out in one big chunk. So not good.
I hate to continue to be a bit critical sounding, but I also find that that more that I use these brushes the stiffer they get. Without flexibility in the bristles, painting becomes more labored and inconsistent.
I realize that if you are starting out and you want to buy the paint with the brush together in one shop it can be less daunting. Go ahead and do it (of course the brushes are not cheap, however). But, if you plan to do many projects, jump on Amazon or go to your hardware store and pick on one of these. My fav brush ever.
The Wooster shortcut with nylon bristles. They are about 5 bucks and it will give you years of happy painting. Eventually all brushes will ware, but this is the best I’ve found.
I want to help eliminate your frustration if painting does not come naturally so get what works. xo.
Very samething happened to my big brush! It so happens I replaced it with the exact brush shown! I love this brush . .the slant of the brush makes it easy to get in those tight corners!
I have this brush and LOVE it! With the short handle, you are able to get in places that you couldn’t before with the longer one. Love the tapered bristles, too.
I had the same thing happen with my brush. I ended up glueing it back together. I let a friend borrow it, they must not have been able to clean it very well, so they cut it down! Now I use it as my wax brush. It really works great!
Thanks for the heads up. I have a few of the round brushes that are too stiff. I thought it was me. I also have about three of the Wooster short brushes, they are my favourite too.
I have to go out on a limb here and say i love my ascp brush. It’s given me years of service but i think it depends on what kind of finish you are after. The flat brushes leave you with a flatter, smoother finish whereas the ascp brush gives a richer patina which i love but i do find synthetic brushes last longer.
I love these brushes. They make painting inside tight areas Easy as pie!
Do you recommend the Annie Sloan wax brush or have you found a better alternative?
Thank you Christen – my ASCP brush is limping along on its last legs. They’re pretty “spendy” so I was putting off replacing it. I’ll def try this one. Happy painting…..!
Put the handle back on the brush and soak it in a pail of water over night. It should be good as new.
I also use Purdy brushes and happy with them
I like them both and use both depending on what I am doing. Mine also broke but my talented husband was able to repair it.
I am also fanatical in taking care of my brushes. Another thing to thank my husband for teaching me.
I love the Annie Sloan brushes! After I clean them I rinse with either Murphy’s Oil soap or hair conditioner to keep them soft and pliable…or clean with Murphy’s.
I sooooo agree!! Those Wooster brushes have been my favorite brushes for years!
I tried my first Wooster short handled brush several months ago thanks to your recommendation. Since then, that’s my go to brush and want to get more! I paint for a job and my brushes get a lot of use. I still use certain brushes if I’m trying to achieve a specific look, but the Woosters are easy to clean and give the lovely smooth finish that’s becoming more and more popular. You can’t beat the price! Thanks again for your info…
Love…love…love the Wooster brush. My favorite… 🙂
I bought one of those little Wooster shortcut brushes a few years ago. It’s one of my favorites! I also find I can use it easier for some jobs than other brushes.
I love Wooster, but also love the “boutique” brush as well. When the head came off of mine, I used wood glue and so far it’s held up. As far as the bristle’s getting hard, I’ve had that happen as well. When it does I soak mine in Murphy’s oil soap and it softens them up. Just pour the soap into a jar, enough to cove rthe bristles, add the brush and let it sit over night. Softens them up every time. Have you tried using Murphy’s oil soap?