Badger Brushes: Where to get them and how to care for them

Hey Andy,

Thanks for your blind faith in me, I hope I can deliver! First of all - you obviously need to treat your Badger better - 1 should last a lifetime - they don't grow on trees you know! NEVER get the ferrule wet or the wood will swell and you'll experience Badger pattern baldness.

HOW TO CLEAN: Grab the hairs firmly between the full length of your index and middle finger. Now you can isolate and clean ONLY the tips with cool water - never hot. In this position, you can also very gently scrub the tips with a fingernail brush. You really would only need to do this if you allow the paint to dry on the end of the brush. I have gotten into the habit of wiping the tips of the badger with a damp microfiber cloth IMMEDIATELY after EVERY use.

HOW TO STORE: Fold a stiff piece of paper into a rectangle the same dimensions as the ferrule of the brush to make a sleeve with sharp folds and slide the brush into it to realign the hairs. Store your badger in this sleeve. You should be able to stand a proper badger upright on its hairs. 

Now that you know how to care for your badger, here's what's available:

DICK BLICK: https://www.dickblick.com/products/da-vinci-pure-badger-softener-bright/

PELI: https://shop.peliglass.eu/product-category/painting-needs/paintbrushes/badger-brushes/

New on the market SYNTHETIC BADGER: https://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-master-synthetic-badger-brushes/

Let me know what you think of the synthetic badger if you get one - I heard that they were in development but haven't tried one yet.

Best,

Ken

On 01/15/2021 8:21 PM Andy Gersh <andy@judsonstudios.com> wrote: Hi Kenneth.  I’m Andy.  I was the TA for the Narcissus Qualiata & Tim Carey fused class that took place a couple of years ago at Judson Studios …

… you have a few tricks up your sleeve and if you’re comfortable with sharing the info with us, we’d be very grateful. At any rate, I appreciate the time.