The Best Natural Bristle Paint Brushes
A natural bristle brush holds more paint than a synthetic one, releases it more evenly, and leaves fewer brush marks. The reason is physical: natural bristles split at the tip into what painters call flags -- dozens of fine sub-tips that spread paint the way a comb spreads hair. Synthetic bristles do not flag naturally, though some manufacturers try to replicate the effect by mechanical splitting. The best oil-based paint application still goes on with a China bristle or ox hair brush.
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How to Choose
China bristle brushes are made from white or black hog bristle and are the standard for oil-based paints, varnishes, and polyurethane. Never use a China bristle brush with latex paint -- the water causes the bristles to swell and curl. Ox hair brushes are softer and better for water-based finishes and fine detail work. Width selection: a 3-inch brush is the most versatile all-purpose brush; a 4-inch brush is faster on large flat surfaces; a 1.5-inch sash brush is for trim and window glazing.
Purdy XL Glide Nylon/Polyester Brush
The Purdy XL series is the professional painter's choice for water-based paints: nylon-polyester blend bristles that maintain stiffness after repeated washing, a chiseled tip for clean cuts on trim, and a hardwood handle with a comfortable grip. Purdy has been making brushes in Portland, Oregon since 1925. The XL Glide is the brush that trim painters specify.
Purdy has been making brushes since 1925. The chiseled tip on the XL Glide allows single-stroke cuts that a blunt-tip brush cannot achieve.
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Wooster Brush Alpha Series China Bristle
A China bristle brush from Wooster -- the American brush company that has been making them in Wooster, Ohio since 1851. The Alpha series uses long-staple China bristle with natural flagged tips. It is the brush for oil-based paints, alkyd varnishes, and shellac. The metal ferrule is stainless; the handle is sealed hardwood. Clean with mineral spirits.
Long-staple China bristle holds a larger paint charge and releases it more evenly than short-staple bristle. The flagged tips leave fewer brush marks.
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Corona Excalibur Brush 4-Inch
A 4-inch China bristle brush for large flat surfaces: exterior siding, decks, fences, and doors. The Excalibur holds enough paint to cover a 6-foot board section without re-loading. The extra width is inefficient for trim work but dramatically faster on open surfaces. Corona has been making professional brushes in El Monte, California since 1947.
A 4-inch brush covers more surface per stroke. On a 2,000-square-foot exterior, this efficiency matters over two days of painting.
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Bob Ross 1-Inch Landscape Brush
The 1-inch fan brush and the 1-inch landscape brush from Bob Ross's own paint supply line -- the same tools used in the television series. These are genuine oil painting tools, not novelties: the fan brush for blending skies and foliage, the landscape brush for horizontal tree lines and ground cover. The bristles are nylon, the handles are painted wood, and the brushes are available individually or in the complete set.
Bob Ross used these tools on a nationally televised program for eleven years. The fact that they produce results is documented in 403 episodes.
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