Brush brands

[Richard Bingham]

Originally Posted by Sharon Knettell

I wasn't aware that DaVinci was considered the Ferrari of paint brushes . . .

I just received three "experimental" series 5026 DaVinci's, (extra long 24" handles) and now I'm not only not aware, but unconvinced . . . unless Ferraris have slipped to the quality level of a used Chevrolet while my back was turned. (!)

Once again, as I've found European-made brushes, the bristle seems to be good quality, two of the three brushes I ordered show the hairs were cupped from curving bristle, and are interlocking. Then they trim off the flags, squaring up the end of the brush, ruining the hairs !!! (dammit!)

Although the handles are "raw", they are nicely shaped, and the ferrules and crimp are above reproach. Why don't the Euros seem to understand the value of flagged hairs ??

I may attempt to rectify this problem, experimenting on the near-unusable brushes from other sources . . . more anon.

[Marcus Lim]

Originally Posted by Richard Bingham

I just received three "experimental" series 5026 DaVinci's, (extra long 24" handles) and now I'm not only not aware, but unconvinced . . . unless Ferraris have slipped to the quality level of a used Chevrolet while my back was turned. (!)

*Faint*
Good god! So Da Vinci's aren't exactly what they're hyped up to be then!

[Richard Bingham]

Marcus, I feel rather circumspect about "trashing" a brand on the basis of examining only three brushes, and those from a specialty series at that. I don't know where the long-handled series fits in the DaVinci system, I can only appraise what I'm looking at.

My gripe is the lack of flags resulting from trimming off the bristles. Examination shows the hairs are very likely fully flagged when cupped in the round, but perhaps they don't conform to an ideally regular shape when the ferrules are flattened, so the brushmaker trims the hair at that point?

This would be either to satisfy customers more concerned with cosmetic symmetry than what constitutes a really good brush or because they are not truly skillfully well made to retain good form when the ferrules are flattened ??

I'm expressing a personal preference. I know quite a few painters who seem unperturbed by brushes I don't like. In every other regard, they seem very nice . . . although they are not better than the best of Trekell's, nor Silver's Grand Prix (which do have nicely flagged hairs) or the W&N Rathbones I just unpacked. (made in Japan)

Re-enforcing what I've said about European-made brushes, they seem quite at par with the "top tier" brushes I've tried, presented as hand-made (there's no other way) in England, France, and Spain - all of them well-enough made, but clipped to shape. (The DaVincis' handles are stamped "Germany".)