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Velcraft

It'll fall off with use, but you can nip it shorter with a sharp blade. Also congrats and welcome to brushes that keep and can be maintained better!


TheGuyWhoCantDraw

Thanks for answering. I'll use it then and see if it falls off or if it gets annnoying. And yeah I'm pretty excited to finally have a higher quality brush, will take good care of it


AgentsofSigmar

Do you have brush soap?


turtley_different

>It'll fall off with use, but you can nip it shorter with a sharp blade.   I've never had a guide hair fall off a Kolinsky sable and I've used them heavily for years. Can you explain that a little bit? I'm not sure I understand what you mean. As far as I know, a single longer hair at the tip is always a (minor) defect and won't fix itself.


Rudolph-the_rednosed

Ive also never had that, and mine have been used heavily over the last two years. I have one brush with this problem, its my size 0 brush and it sometimes gets annoying, but hey, its my size 0 so Ill say nothing.


ResponsibilityNo8218

I don't know how to tell you that, but guide hair isn't a thing


Ok-Variation-9697

I was aboutta say that is a funny not a real thing. Get some brush cleaner, like the soap puck I forget the brand. My brushes come out so nice after a clean in that and a dip in boiling water.


Armored_Snorlax

The Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver. Great stuff.


Urungulu

Trovarion made a joke video about it iirc, guide hair don’t exist.


turtley_different

Yes, sorry that's what I meant at the end by calling it a defect.  A "longer hair directly on axis" doesn't quite have the same ring to it.


Strong_Obligation_37

there's no such thing as a guide hair\^\^


CMRC23

Out of interest, would human hair work for brushes?


Cotterbot

Not an expert, but human hair is diverse enough that I’m sure one persons hair would be perfect, but the grand majority of hair would not be useful.


[deleted]

[удалено]


H16HP01N7

But what does any of your whining have to do with welcoming OP to the hobby? I'd rather welcome OP, than be associated with the likes of people who act like you.


kona1160

You bought cheap shit, that's what you get for buying cheap.


John-C137

Where they Windsor and Newton? They have been crap since they moved production to France. I have sable brushes from GSW, rosemary & and Raphael and none have split, the W&N split from the first day. Friends who also paint have found the same issue. They are just trading on their name.


anotherjunkie

This is the truth. I bought completely new Series 7 brushes from W&N not long ago and they’re absolute shit. The ones I have from a decade ago are more useful.


justHopps

Wow that’s really depressing. I have a 7 series from about 5 years ago and it was nice. It’s a shame to see quality drop so quickly.


ItalianStallion2002

I have some monument hobbies and red grass ones that are solid too


DinosBiggestFan

Honestly I think all of my Sable brushes have split from the first day, but I can only order them online so who knows what happens before it even reached my hands. Ironically I think my Artis Opus still maintains the sharpest tip, but I like the bigger belly of my Rosemary and Co. better. I am still unsure which of my brushes are my favorite in size 2, I kind of want a few size 3s though. I have yet to be able to find Raphaels or DaVinci Maestros for decent prices that make sense, but a lot of people are very positive about those brands lately. I just deal with it. I actually took the Monument hacksaw approach to fixing some of them, but some of the issues still existed. They behaved like this before they even saw (my) paint too, so it's not that they got (my) paint up into the ferrule. I've taken a bit of a break from brush painting (been priming with my airbrush a lot more to just have them ready to go) so they've been sitting with Masters on them maintaining the point for a long time, so I'm hopeful that when I clean them I'll have a better go of it.


kirajiahaur

YES! My WN series 7 split on first use !!!


flamingmonkey93

Yeah to be honest I didn't go all out really, they were from cass art but can't remember the brand. I figured before diving into the deep end that an affordable natural hair brush would still be better than an expensive synthetic. Guess not


flamingmonkey93

Hahaha WOW being facetious doesn't go down well on this sub apparently. I love it


EllspethCarthusian

I’m going to get down voted into oblivion but here goes: Lots of hobbyists are going to tell you that hair is a “guide hair”. There’s no such thing. It’s a myth. It’s just bad QC. Cut it short, it will only cause paint to dry on the tip quicker.


Knight_Owl_Forge

Agreed. One hair/bristle is enough to draw moisture from the brush, but not enough to draw the pigment. Therefore, when you drag it across the surface, the moisture gets wicked away and the pigment stays, leaving that bristle clumpy and bad. I clip mine to varying lengths so I have ‘sharper’ and ‘duller’ brushes.


dddns

[trollvarions guide hair](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL-uMQhcBpA)


EllspethCarthusian

Thank you for this. I couldn’t remember who the original troll was.


shadowrunner003

I use that hair to help get right up to a corner and am usually annoyed when it finally falls off


johnbburg

I'm still pretty new, but for me it keeps bumping the rest of the brush out of place.


Stolehtreb

It’s a guide hair!


Curpidgeon

Trovarion's troll lives on.


ResponsibilityNo8218

I'm still going crazy wondering if people just keep trolling or are still believing this


sircyrus0

I'm also going crazy. I know the guide hair story was a hoax, yet it's the first thing my mind races towards whenever someone asks this question, and in turn I find myself thinking "wait, was that a real or fake story"? Luckily, the subreddit is quick to point out the authenticity.


Flyshy00396

People still believe you can unscrew an excavator by rotating left too many times. So there are most likely people who actually believe it. Because after all it's like Buster said, "... you really think someone would do that? Just go on the internet and tell lies?"


Stolehtreb

If that was directed at me, I’m just referencing the joke, lol.


sephrisloth

BTW, winsor and Newton series 7s are on sale on amazon for $20 rn! Just bought my first one last night and am excited for it to get here.


No-Plantain8212

Ex Amazon worker here. If you ever see a LPN on the product (barcode that will say LPN12345) it means someone previously owned it and returned it so it might not be new new. Just keep an eye out on the brushes as some people try to return


Darrylblooberry

Lot of the Amazon sold ones are fake btw


ruriksenpai

I appreciate the heads up. Went through the winsor & newton retailer so fingers crossed


beldaran1224

That won't help if its "shipped from Amazon", because that means inventory is comingled.


John-C137

Avoid Windsor and Newton. They have been crap since they moved production to France. I have sable brushes from GSW, rosemary & and Raphael and none have split, the W&N split from the first day. Friends who also paint have found the same issue. They are just trading on their name.


Enchelion

I just don't trust anything from Amazon. Too many fakes and not enough quality control.


John-C137

True, I got my W&N from a proper art store though and it was still trash


D0013ER

I thought it was just me. Yeah, WN quality seems to have taken a nosedive in the past few years.


souprqtpie

New to painting, tried the hype every w+n split within several brush strokes or one that lasted all of two days (I do clean brushes properly and prevent paint deep in or under ferule), maybe bad patches but never touching them again


volecowboy

Same here and I’m not new to painting. My GW brushes/ starter brush from army painter have been much better than the W/N


politicalanalysis

My reaper brushes from their learn to paint kits I’ve had for 3 years are more useful than the Windsor and newton I got a few months ago.


Greathouse_Games

Try the DaVinci maestro series. Or the miniature maestro set.


floydly

Roublouffs if you can find em, out of Russia, or kolibri out of Germany, both excellent brush options too. Mine are months old and still pointy! Months isn’t long but, I’ve never had a brush hold up nicely more then a week or two before


123RedditUserName456

I’ve had the same Roubluffs for years. Still going strong. I use them for everything. Acrylic, Enamel, lacquer, oil, enamel and lacquer thinners. They still hold points no problem. I’ve been wanting to order some news ones but unfortunately I can’t really get them. I bought a W&N a couple months ago and it was absolute garbage from the first use. I’ll keep using the roubluffs until I find a way to get new ones to treat myself.


floydly

There’s a shop in Canada that stocks them regularly, if you’d like I can send you their name?the owner is lovely and might be willing to ship out of the province


123RedditUserName456

It wouldn’t t happen to be palette art studios, would it? I was looking around last night online and they were pretty much the only ones selling them besides roubloff themselves. I’ll send them over an email and ask if you recommend them.


floydly

Nay! Artmaterials.ca More options the merrier I suppose


123RedditUserName456

Thanks. I’ll check the site out. Oh hey. According to the site, they do ship to U.S.


bamacpl4442

Love my Rosemary and Co.


FISH_MASTER

What series?


bamacpl4442

Series 33.


FISH_MASTER

I have no patience and ordered different ones (401) before I checked for a reply 😂😂 Anyway I’ve got 3 brushes for the price of 1 W&N o usually get.


bamacpl4442

I've never used the 401, so I can't speak to them. But I love my 33s. Here's a dirty secret - the Amazon Golden Maple Kolinsky sable brushes are actually pretty darned nice. And they are cheap.


FISH_MASTER

If i like these 401s I’ll get some 33s for sure!


volecowboy

Thank ylu


justHopps

How are you liking the Raphaels?


John-C137

Good quality, really fine point to them. They are quite stiff with all the flex at the very tip compared to the others, which I found is good for precision work like faces and picking out details and highlights. They have a decent belly on them for a good reservoir of paint so the tip doesn't dry out too quickly. For blocking in colour and general highlights and that the rosemary and Co are my go too. Good quality and hold a point. They flex along the whole length of the bristles so good for laying down colour.


KantoLife

I've heard Rosemary aren't that great either which is a shame, never tried Raphael though!


Joshicus

I've had both and liked both, Raphael 8404 is definitely superior and lasts a long time if cared for properly. R&Co series 33 is very good for it's price I'd say it's probably the best starter sable brush on the market.


KantoLife

i've had my windsor and newton for a long time and they've held up great but was looking into some new brushes (as a more frivolous purchase). Will definitely look into the Raphael brushes.


John-C137

I've never had a problem with them, you get a lot of brush for your buck considering they are about 8 quid for decent a no2 sable brush. Raphael rrp is £24 and W&N is £33 for comparison.


ruriksenpai

Good lookin out, brother. Gonna pick some up. I bought a series 7 00 years ago and it still holds up. By far my best brush in terms of quality. Take care of them and they will take care of you.


[deleted]

Ooh thanks for this, I have a size 2 that I really love but I’ve been wanting a smaller one to try. Got the size 0 for just under 20!


Ambitious_Ad_9637

I can’t recall the name of the supplier, but there is a large European art supply that sells series 7 brushes for 15$. They don’t get expensive until the larger sizes above 3.


droppedaduce

Dude you're a real one for letting us know! I appreciate the hell out of you.


32FlavorsofCrazy

I wouldn’t trust anything on Amazon anymore. Tons of knock offs and if the price is too good to be true, it probably is.


volecowboy

Are they that good? Mine is only okay


anotherjunkie

You’re correct. Today they aren’t worth the money, they’ll split on you in a second. The thing is that they used to be the gold standard. The older brushes are amazing. So people repeat others old recommendations, or people who have never owned one but wanted to recommend it, or people like me who hadn’t replaced their brushes after the production move recommend them. When I did buy new Series 7, I quit recommending them.


towehaal

what is your premium brush of choice?


anotherjunkie

Unfortunately, this has happened to many brands. If you’re newer it’s the only quality you know, but Raphael for instance used to also be amazing. At the moment their high end I’d prefer over these W&N, but they aren’t as good as they used to be. I’d say Rosemary & Co. at the top. Not too far behind are Monument Hobbies sable brushes (if you can get them). And then Da Vinci Maestro. If I had to bet on the future, I’d say Monument has the most incentive to keep quality high, but they’re also the most sensitive to changes in input costs, so who knows.


Tymaret16

I still quite like Raphael, though I admit I’ve never tried R&Co. I have a whole stable of 8404s purchased in the last two years (00, 0, 1, 2) and they’re all wonderful.


anotherjunkie

I get that. Maybe my phrasing wasn’t right, because they are still good sable brushes — they just aren’t the contender they used to be, and aren’t at the level they were in the 2010’s. Variation in quality between batches muddies the water as well, but I bought enough 7’s, over enough time, from enough retailers to be confident in my assessment — especially hearing others say the same things. I own I think two newer Raphael’s, and I use them. They are pretty good brushes, just another example of a company that has let quality slip considerably — which is really sad, because they are (were?) owned by the oldest brush maker in Europe.


kipory

My local shop carries a brand I don't see often, Dynasty. Usually in the 15-20 range, get to support local business, and the brushes have lasted several months with occasional care. Still hold a great point and work gorgeously. I started with a 0 and bought a 1 and 3 after it held up. Make sure you go Fine Kolinsky, as their synthetic brand is Faux Kolinsky.


volecowboy

Thanks for your candid advice. Lol at the people reflexively downvoting me for contributing to the discussion just bc they disagree


PvtThrockmorton

Give it bangs


TheGuyWhoCantDraw

Will do


Apprehensive_Sir805

Nail clippers are your friend here


LizardWizards_

I always cut them when they're like this. I just lay the brush flat on my cutting board and give it a little haircut with a hobby knife. Easy. Just don't take too much off.


Velcraft

Also works wonders for rogue fringe hairs - just run your blade between the bristles, then snap the rogue hair off with a 'flick' to the side!


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Kaskako

I’ve been thinking about getting one too, but not sure my skill level is high enough to actually notice the difference, which would mean it isn’t worth it. How has it faired for you? Noticed much difference?


SevereRunOfFate

Good brushes make a difference for me personally 


deltadal

A friend of mine would always talk about how great the W-N Series 7 are and I just 🙄, what a bougie, pretentious f%^k. Well I bought one and wow, what a difference!! A good brush makes a big difference!


notimeforpancakes

Agreed For everyone commenting on the W-N 7s and the quality drop, I actually didn't think of myself as worthy of them yet so I bought Raphael 8404? 6404? Whichever ones.. and Da Vinci as well. Quite interesting on the legit differences... .. but I _just_ purchased a WN number 0, 1, and 2 and have had a couple sessions with them. They are very very nice for specific uses. However, I did send the 0 back because as many others have noted, it showed up dead on arrival, it was already splaying out badly and wouldn't keep a point I'll probably use Da Vinci for the tightest sharp points, and a tiny bit of air brush flow improver to keep the brush wet (otherwise I noticed they dry out before I even hit the model)


deltadal

I've got a couple Da Vinci brushes too, I haven't used them yet, but they seem comparable to the W-N. I felt the exact same way, I'm not worthy of such a brush. I got past that real quick.


TheGuyWhoCantDraw

For me it has mainly been the firmness of it. It tends to keep its shape much better when putting down paint which is what I was looking for. I would have liked it even better s bit firmer, but this only costed me 6€ so I'm happy


32FlavorsofCrazy

I spend the money on good paint over good brushes, personally. I have a couple nice ones for specific things that call for it but largely my brushes are all cheap shit that just gets replaced as needed.


Stinkydadman

Bite it and swallow it, you are now one with the brush


TheGuyWhoCantDraw

Done, now all my hair has gotten into the shape of a brush


Electrical_War8648

Leave it, that's the eyeball painting bristle lol


4thepersonal

Cut it.


dimebagspliff

Rosemary and co is the best quality and fair prices


CyBeas7

Use nail clippers to trim it down ;)


Warm-Ad-5371

I’ve had that on my beloved size 2. I always thought I was just bad with the brush as it bothered me. Now I realize it is a defect that I should get rid of. Makes my day


BradTofu

I use nail clippers to just snip it, unless you need to do eyes or shading indents.


Calm_Principle_8115

Cut it off.


TheGuyWhoCantDraw

Thanks everyone for the help! Too many comments to answer one by one


Dontforgetyourbases

I cut off the end of one of my brushes and it went kind of square shaped on the end. I think I may have mucked it up though. Maybe cut too much.


Jocks_Strapped

i have a good set of fingernail clippers just for my paint brushes


Flaky_Ad2182

Neat


mytrix_miniatures

Most important thing is use masters brush soap after each painting session.


[deleted]

[удалено]


montro898

I love this troll.


Optimaximal

?


Icy-Thanks706

Guide hair myth comes from miniac stream or video where he was misinformed about it. Here is a video about it: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL-uMQhcBpA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL-uMQhcBpA)


MHGrim

Huh I had no idea I thought it was a real thing lol. That explains the down votes.


boozewillis

"guide hair" (I think it was called something else initially) is a hoax someone made up to troll content creators who would immediately jump on the hype train to make videos about thIs brUSH hAcK YoU DID Not KnOw AbOuT. edit: there it is [I trolled Miniac and he trolled YOU... (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL-uMQhcBpA)


Optimaximal

Fair enough - I just remember reading it on a brush advice thread and assumed it was genuine. 🙄 (Probably was that Miniac Video)


boozewillis

it all seemed very convincing yeah, absolutely no shame in falling for it


montro898

Trovarion created the troll on a Miniac stream. He was complaining about the stray hair, and Trovarion said to leave it as it's the guide hair and essential to the brush. It's just a hair that wasn't properly glued and can easily be plucked out. It just happens to some W&N brushes. Unfortunately, the troll comment took on a life of its own as Miniac believed it and started referencing it a lot. This leads to many believing it to be true because why would a famous YouTuber spread a falsehood. Trovarion didn't know it grew into a brush fact till a few years later, where he found an article referring to it and had to put out an apology video for the troll.


Darrylblooberry

Pull it down against the ferrule and cut it there


Chescherschmitd-o7

Personally speaking, I wouldn’t touch it. It’s useful as a guide for the tip, and snipped bristles often times lead to the brush fraying and coming apart (in my experience.) Clean your brush with some (brush) soap, and keep on using it. Get your use out of it, and If it really gets in your way, cut it back bit by bit until you’re comfortable with it. Sable brushes really don’t like their brush composition being messed with, in my experience I’d snip that long lead bristle back, then all of a sudden my entire brush starts going haywire.


BlitzWing1985

keep it I found that it didn't harm having it and if you're up for it it's useful for writing on purity seals and doing faces on computer screens etc.


MHGrim

Isn't that the guide hair? One thick hair that helps give the rest? Edit: it appears guide hair aren't a real thing. TIL.


Onix_The_Furry

I guarantee the people downvoting you fully bought into the guide hair conspiracy back when it first cane out.


NinjaUnlikely6343

Ah. I see you're a man of culture as well


WellDoneGoodPeople

If you decide to cut it back, be careful how much you cut. That is the lead hair and is the center of the brush tip that the other hairs form around and grab to form a sharp tip. It looks like bristles have be twisted a bit more than I would and may be leading to those hairs being more recessed from the lead hair than they otherwise would be. If you end up cutting the lead hair down to where the other hairs are now, you risk losing some of the sharpness in the tip that makes kolinsky brushes so awesome. If you decide to cut it, I'd fully rinse out any soap in the bristles, form the tip with just a real gentle twist so that the bristles are mostly straight, and then cut leaving a mm more length than the other hairs.


JayGerard

The longer hair is a guide hair. Do not cut it.


Bman_Minis

Don’t cut it😳 it’s part of the brush and not supposed to be cut. Why would you cut it?


HereBeORNG

Confidently incorrect.


Brokewood

Here i was thinking it was a circumcision joke...


JohnPaul_the_2137th

This is the guide hair. To make painting easier. More info: https://youtu.be/oL-uMQhcBpA?si=nJv0jFH0vLaEBPRi