Brush making dates back to prehistoric times, when drawings of walls and caves suggest that some type of brush was used. Brushes have been discovered in Egypt, which were made from split palm leaves, and it is an accepted fact that the ancient Greeks and Romans used brushes for writing.
In modern brush manufacturing, the process of sorting the bristles and making the handles is carried out by machine, the actual construction of the bristles and placement in the ferrules is done by hand, and the bristles of the bristles are arranged into carefully lengths. graduated. Today, the old brush settings such as resin pitch and glue have been replaced by vulcanized rubber and synthetic cements.
The part of the brush that does the brushing is called the bristle, because for many centuries bristle was the main material used to make brushes. Bristle comes from pigs, pigs, and wild boars, and from no other source. It has many desirable properties that make it ideal for use in brushes, but it is very expensive to manufacture. For this reason, many other materials, collectively known as brush fillers, are used.
For centuries, the West produced sufficient quantities of bristles for our needs, but by the 1800s, imported white Russian bristles were considered more desirable and were available until the Russian Revolution. We then turn to China for our needs, most of which is black and considered more inferior. Domesticated pigs no longer produce sufficient quantities, so we are now dependent on countries like Russia, China, India, Poland, and Australia.
The bristle has a natural curvature, so before it can be used it must be straightened. Sow ownership varies by country of origin. The length of the bristles is usually in the region of 2 to 7 inches. The colors are normally white, yellow, gray or black. Gray or black Russian bristle tends to be quite thick. China black is stiff but fine, and Siberian or lily white is the best quality but rare. A characteristic common to all types is the fine tapering along its length and the open ends known as flag. This is very useful because it allows for a more even distribution of the paint and more paint can be loaded onto the brush.
The search for substitutes for bristles led to the experimental use of artificial silk fibers such as rayon and nylon. These synthetic filaments are strong, but because they are soft and non-absorbent, they carry much less paint. It is a known fact that a toothbrush requires an ‘adoption’ period before it reaches its perfect state. During this period, the end of the flag wears away from abrasion and is replaced by a fine tapered point. This is not possible with nylon. The use of horse hair, which comes from the mane or tail, is typically used to make cheap retail dusters and brushes.
Mexican fiber is extracted from the leaves of a plant. In its natural state it is whitish and has a sticky appearance. There are around 20 different plants used for this purpose, and they all need to be cleaned, combed, and cut before use. Brushes made with these fibers are generally not suitable for good work.
Brushes classified as ‘soft bristle’ are used in the furniture industry. Many are often of small furry animals, such as the tails of the squirrel, badger, polecat, and pony. Another downy hair comes from the inside of cattle’s ears, known as ox hair. The red and black sable is obtained from the Siberian sable and other members of the weasel family. These are mainly used for sign writing, graining, guilds, and artwork.
