# favorite paint brush



## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

I treated myself to a new 3" Purdy stiff, blue bristle brush. Awful. Doesn't hold enough paint, and I don't even like the sound/feel of the brush as it cuts. I was doing a repaint with C2, mat finish, so it wasn't the paint.

What are you guys using these days? I like Corona brushes, so maybe I'll stick with them. What else is worth a try? 

Thoughts on "ProVal"?


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## Philament (Dec 9, 2014)

I recently picked up a Proform Picasso oval sash brush. I like it a lot.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Depends on what paint I'm using, and the surface. My recommendation also may vary depending on your painting / cutting technique. I'd pick the Picasso over the Corona Vega for most cases, but I use them both. I'll also use a Wooster Silvertip when I want a brush that isn't as stiff.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

My favorites are the ones I don't have to use. But if I have to use one Wooster FTP is what I use mostly but I use different brushes for different applications I have about 30 brushes.


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

I like the Proforma contractor brushes to be honest. The 3 and 4 inch flats are my daily drivers. Haven't used an angled brush in a long time, but same ones if I do. The Picasso are nice as well.

I've gotten away from the Purdy, just not the same. Used to love the Nylox-dales, but they changed them. I do prefer the skinny handles though. 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## Ohio painter (Dec 4, 2011)

For years I used Corona brushes. Local supplier now gone and so I had to mail order them which was ok. In the mean time I started using Purdy and specifically their Chinex brushes. My guys really like them and I do too, not sure if I will switch back.
Besides holding a good shape and holding paint at the end of the day they clean up a bit easier, especially dried up duration which can be tough to remove. Very happy with the Purdy Chinex.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

VinylHanger said:


> I like the Proforma contractor brushes to be honest. The 3 and 4 inch flats are my daily drivers. Haven't used an angled brush in a long time, but same ones if I do. The Picasso are nice as well.
> 
> I've gotten away from the Purdy, just not the same. Used to love the Nylox-dales, but they changed them. I do prefer the skinny handles though.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


Purdy has gone to crap since SW bought them out, it's a shame because it was the very best line of brushes. Only those that used them before SW bought them would notice the big difference in quality.


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

Something's got to change on my end. The Purdy and Woosters I have aren't worth poo with the low VOC paints.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

SmallTownGuy said:


> Something's got to change on my end. The Purdy and Woosters I have aren't worth poo with the low VOC paints.


That's why I switched to the Wooster FTP stands for "For Todays Paints" they are a Chinex brush. They are stiff and clean out very easily.


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## EricBrancard (Jun 8, 2012)

I like the Wooster brushes for most stuff. The Picasso is awesome for the amount of paint it can hold, but seems to wear out real fast.


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Ohio painter said:


> For years I used Corona brushes. Local supplier now gone and so I had to mail order them which was ok. In the mean time I started using Purdy and specifically their Chinex brushes. My guys really like them and I do too, not sure if I will switch back.
> Besides holding a good shape and holding paint at the end of the day they clean up a bit easier, especially dried up duration which can be tough to remove. Very happy with the Purdy Chinex.


Interesting. This Purdy blue thing is nylon/poly/chinex, but I'm not a fan so far.


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## Knight-Builder (Feb 19, 2015)

Don't care for Purdy's. Go to's are corona Vegas, corona excalibers, Hamilton perfections (best bristle brush for oil, imo, nice fat ferrule). Don't mind the proforma picassos, but find bristles sometimes flick a bit too much.


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## Ohio painter (Dec 4, 2011)

Not familiar with the Purdy blue thing.


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Ohio painter said:


> Not familiar with the Purdy blue thing.


It was the most expensive Purdy at HD at $20.

Anyway, reading the claims of the manufacturer: "holds more paint for production, smooth release...", I feel like a victim of b.s.

Either that, or maybe C2 changed their formula. Maybe it's like razor companies who seem to switch to lousier quality blades for a razor every time they're angling to upsell or do a new release. Ever notice that about razors? (It's not my skin got used to the razor, or I have a tough beard.....more b.s. they would have you believe.)


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

MarkJames said:


> It was the most expensive Purdy at HD at $20.
> 
> Anyway, reading the claims of the manufacturer: "holds more paint for production, smooth release...", I feel like a victim of b.s.
> 
> Either that, or maybe C2 changed their formula. Maybe it's like razor companies who seem to switch to lousier quality blades for a razor every time they're angling to upsell or do a new release. Ever notice that about razors? (It's not my skin got used to the razor, or I have a tough beard.....more b.s. they would have you believe.)


In my area HD seems to only carry the lower lines in Purdy. Are you meaning this one? http://www.purdy.com/products/brushes/proextra/proextra-elasco/

If so I use to love those until SW. I still have a few but threw away the last one I bought.


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

avenge said:


> In my area HD seems to only carry the lower lines in Purdy. Are you meaning this one? http://www.purdy.com/products/brushes/proextra/proextra-elasco/
> 
> If so I use to love those until SW. I still have a few but threw away the last one I bought.


That looks like the one, yes, but I got the 3".


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## john5mt (Jan 21, 2007)

Right now my favorites are the Woosters. (Not the Wooster pros from home cheapo)

For the low voc paints like bm aura use the chinex bushes. 

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## jstor04 (Feb 7, 2014)

I like Purdy Clearcuts. The Purdy blue bristles are the Purdy Pro Extras....They SUCK.

Corona and Wooster are good too but I use Purdy Clearcuts 90% of the time.


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## smoothe80 (Apr 7, 2016)

Different paints suggest different brushes. Sherwin Williams among other paint stores has a chart pairing brushes with paints. That being said, I like Purdy ClearCut Elite as an all around brush, Purdy ProExtra for trim when I'm running ProClassic, and Purdy Chinex for other trim paints and latex industrial coatings...


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## instock (Nov 17, 2012)

I like the cheap little 2" Wooster Shortcut brushes with the soft rubber handle. Sometimes, I feel like it is not professional and I should use something bigger. But I keep coming back to it! Not ideal for painting a door, but it holds plenty of paint for cutting. 

I often wait too long to wash out my brush. With a $20 Picasso, I kick myself and spend half an hour picking paint out of it and it is never as good as it was. With the Shortcut I just pitch it like a roller cover.


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

The best paint brush is the one I'm not on the end of!


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## Philament (Dec 9, 2014)

instock said:


> I like the cheap little 2" Wooster Shortcut brushes with the soft rubber handle. Sometimes, I feel like it is not professional and I should use something bigger. But I keep coming back to it! Not ideal for painting a door, but it holds plenty of paint for cutting.
> 
> I often wait too long to wash out my brush. With a $20 Picasso, I kick myself and spend half an hour picking paint out of it and it is never as good as it was. With the Shortcut I just pitch it like a roller cover.


I tried those little Wooster's based on a recommendation from a friend and it just didn't work for me. That being said, I know three other contractors who love them and do great work with them.


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## instock (Nov 17, 2012)

Ooops. I made that too small. This should be easier to read.


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

instock said:


> Ooops. I made that too small. This should be easier to read.


Based on that, I may just go back to Purdy XLs. Not a bad brush.


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## instock (Nov 17, 2012)

Philament said:


> I tried those little Wooster's based on a recommendation from a friend and it just didn't work for me. That being said, I know three other contractors who love them and do great work with them.


When I was first starting out and stumbling around in the dark, a customer introduced them to me. The Shortcut was much better than anything else I had been trying to use. And they were cheap. So I just started using them all the time. 

I tried to get my helper to use one, but he learned with a more traditional brush and just couldn't get past the weirdness of it. He is a little faster than me with the Purdy, but I make straighter lines and prettier corners with the Shortcut.


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## instock (Nov 17, 2012)

MarkJames said:


> Based on that, I may just go back to Purdy XLs. Not a bad brush.


I wouldn't necessarily go by the chart. I just happened to have a picture of it. That's just a starting point. In reality, one brush might give a better finish. One holds more paint. One is more comfortable to hold. One is easy to wash out. One is less expensive. It all depends what you want.


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

instock said:


> I wouldn't necessarily go by the chart. I just happened to have a picture of it. That's just a starting point. In reality, one brush might give a better finish. One holds more paint. One is more comfortable to hold. One is easy to wash out. One is less expensive. It all depends what you want.


I'm going by past experience, but it was interesting to see that it performs across a wide range (supposedly).


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

instock said:


> I like the cheap little 2" Wooster Shortcut brushes with the soft rubber handle. Sometimes, I feel like it is not professional and I should use something bigger. But I keep coming back to it! Not ideal for painting a door, but it holds plenty of paint for cutting.
> 
> I often wait too long to wash out my brush. With a $20 Picasso, I kick myself and spend half an hour picking paint out of it and it is never as good as it was. With the Shortcut I just pitch it like a roller cover.


I'm not going to get enough production out of a 2" brush, a 3" is my norm. Unless I'm painting out of a coffee cup I wouldn't want to rest the brush inside the can or cutting pot when the brush has a handle shorter than the bristles.


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## smoothe80 (Apr 7, 2016)

instock said:


> I wouldn't necessarily go by the chart. I just happened to have a picture of it. That's just a starting point. In reality, one brush might give a better finish. One holds more paint. One is more comfortable to hold. One is easy to wash out. One is less expensive. It all depends what you want.


I agree with you to a point, however there are certain brush/paint pairings that are better, or worse than others. For example, clearcuts tend to leave a "stringy" finish when using heavier bodied higher sheen paints, especially water based industrial coatings... ProExtras don't seem to work well for applying wall paints, especially higher end products like emerald and duration... Etc.


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## instock (Nov 17, 2012)

avenge said:


> I'm not going to get enough production out of a 2" brush, a 3" is my norm. Unless I'm painting out of a coffee cup I wouldn't want to rest the brush inside the can or cutting pot when the brush has a handle shorter than the bristles.


You leave your 3" brush resting in the bottom of the can? 

I use a Handy Pail that has a magnet to hold the brush. I put a lot of paint in there and I never have to stop to refill. It's a pretty good system. Unfortunately, the magnet isn't quite strong enough to hold a bigger brush. When it does fall off the magnet, it gets completely submerged in the deep paint and I have to stop and wash the whole thing out. I forgot about that little detail.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

instock said:


> You leave your 3" brush resting in the bottom of the can?
> 
> I use a Handy Pail that has a magnet to hold the brush. I put a lot of paint in there and I never have to stop to refill. It's a pretty good system. Unfortunately, the magnet isn't quite strong enough to hold a bigger brush. When it does fall off the magnet, it gets completely submerged in the deep paint and I have to stop and wash the whole thing out. I forgot about that little detail.


Ya it's not like it sits there in the can all day. That's how it's been done since the beginning of paint, one side of the can or cutting pot lip always stays clean to rest the brush handle on. Annoying when paint gets on my brush handle.

There shouldn't be so much paint in the pot that it covers the bristles completely and a decent brush shouldn't lose it's shape sitting at the bottom for a time.


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## Caslon (Dec 15, 2007)

Californiadecks said:


> The best paint brush is the one I'm not on the end of!


Gee, no kidding? Well then...


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

Caslon said:


> Gee, no kidding? Well then...


Don't get me wrong a caveman could do it!


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## Brad Gunn (Aug 18, 2015)

instock said:


> I like the cheap little 2" Wooster Shortcut brushes with the soft rubber handle. Sometimes, I feel like it is not professional


I love that brush. I'm not a painter by trade, but it's the perfect size to cut in, touch up trim, after the painters leave, and a decent finish. 

But yeah, it seems so "homeowner" that I kept it hidden. :laughing:


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## instock (Nov 17, 2012)

The handy pail gods have heard me. A pro version that holds a 3 inch brush.


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## mnld (Jun 4, 2013)

Ever use the pelican?
I like these much better than the handys.


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

I just use the cheap dollar store or Walmart touch up cups. cheap and work great. I can go all day and not cramp up. No holder, but until now, I didn't know I was missing out.

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## dulltoothbeaver (May 16, 2011)

Wow I must be SUPER CHEAP! I use that morning's McDonald's sweet tea cup.


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## Driftweed (Nov 7, 2012)

dulltoothbeaver said:


> Wow I must be SUPER CHEAP! I use that morning's McDonald's sweet tea cup.


Me too! I used to use a 44 Oz fountain drink cup, ha!


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