good quality paintbrushes?

[PlywoodPascal]

I am about to decorate a room.

I am using distemper on the walls, not emulsion.
I am using oil-based paint on the woodwork.

I want some natural bristle brushes to do this but CANNOT, partocularly for a wall brush (4, 5, 6 inches maybe?) find one for sale anywhere!
does anyone know where I can get one?

and for the smaller brushes - which I can see for sale - anyone got any to recommend?

cheers!

[Simpo Two]

How about https://www.amazon.co.uk/COTTAM-Wallpaper-Masonry-... ?

[dhutch]

For a synthetic brush for waterbased paints, my go to after a recomendation here, is the 'Oldfield' Oval wall brush from mypaintbrush
https://www.mypaintbrush.co.uk/oldfields-brushes-w...


For a natural bristle, in the past, I have used Hamilton 'perfection' but while it was a decade ago I last bought, the Harris equiv seamed very similar a the time.
https://www.mypaintbrush.co.uk/hamilton-perfection...

[OutInTheShed]

Generally, I think synthetic brushes have overtaken natural bristle these days.

The Pinnacle ones from Toolstation seem fine to me.

[Huntsman]

PlywoodPascal said:

I am about to decorate a room.

I am using distemper on the walls, not emulsion.
I am using oil-based paint on the woodwork.

I want some natural bristle brushes to do this but CANNOT, partocularly for a wall brush (4, 5, 6 inches maybe?) find one for sale anywhere!
does anyone know where I can get one?

and for the smaller brushes - which I can see for sale - anyone got any to recommend?

cheers!

I do a lot of yacht painting with enamel paints, I always used Hamilton Perfection, to be honest the switch to plastic bristles has been a good thing.

[POIDH]

Another who thinks a plastic bristle is better. The Paint Shed have a good range of better quality brushes if you have one locally, and are good for advice.

[Russet Grange]

I tend to buy the best ones that I'm prepared to throw away after the job is done.

[mart 63]

Synthetic with water based paints, pure bristle for oil based paints

[Square Leg]

Pure bristle you say?
Just dug this one out for some distemper work…

[mart 63]

Square Leg said:

Pure bristle you say?
Just dug this one out for some distemper work

When i first started my painting apprenticeship at 16, some of the old painters were painting walls with 8''to10'' flat brushes. Luckily rollers were just starting to be the thing to use when I started

[Square Leg]

Same here - 1985 I was using one of these to size walls with canon size - the worst smelling stuff made from ground up bones.
But the best stuff for sizing new plaster.
Arms and hands would be aching at the end of the day.

They were known as ‘wallop’ brushes..

[mart 63]

Square Leg said:

Same here - 1985 I was using one of these to size walls with canon size - the worst smelling stuff made from ground up bones.
But the best stuff for sizing new plaster.
Arms and hands would be aching at the end of the day.

They were known as wallop brushes..

Over here in Spain, the brushes are shocking.

[PlywoodPascal]

Square Leg said:

Pure bristle you say?
Just dug this one out for some distemper work

Yeah, exactly, this is the sort of thing I’m after!

[Square Leg]

PlywoodPascal said:

Square Leg said:

Pure bristle you say?
Just dug this one out for some distemper work

Yeah, exactly, this is the sort of thing I m after!

You can buy a ProDec 7” on Amazon.
Or, there’s one like mine on eBay for £45

[PlywoodPascal]

thank you everyone for your help and suggestions. thought I would stick up a picture of the outcome just to close the loop on a thread - frustrating to give advice and not find out what happened.

I did a test bit of wall at the weekend, 3 coats of distemper applied with a 5 inch natural bristle brush. Pretty pleased with it, in fact its gone on so consistently that I am even a bit disappointed its so even, I was hoping for a bit more a natural cloudiness/patchiness like you see most of the time, this sort of this:



the white 'unpainted' finish you can see is where I applied limewash (4 coats, argh, I made it myself from lime putty) to the original lime plaster just so it would soak in/penetrate and pull together older more friable bits of plaster and also to knit together some repairs I made with the original plaster.

Edited by PlywoodPascal on Monday 6th October 12:52

Edited by PlywoodPascal on Monday 6th October 12:53

[dhutch]

Looks good.

What brush did you buy in the end?

[Simpo Two]

I'm claiming a win as I was the only person to meet the brief

[PlywoodPascal]

I got one of these, googled harder

https://www.mypaintbrush.co.uk/the-fox-paint-brush...

[PlywoodPascal]

6 inches seemed immodest

[dhutch]

Simpo Two said:

I'm claiming a win as I was the only person to meet the brief

In fairness the brief did also include painting woodwork!

And I recommended MyPaintBrush, so but I'll share the winnings if you want.