In order to be an artist or crafter of any kind, you more than likely have used a paintbrush. They’re sold everywhere in a large variety of sizes, shapes, and textures for a wide array of projects.
But did you know that making a paint brush was a huge process in itself? So much work goes into it that making this art & crafting tool is arts & crafts too!
The brush maker starts with the hairs, and pushes them into a metal piece called the ferrule. Using a mold, they push down the hairs, tie them off with a string, and insert them back into the ferrule.
Once secured, the brush maker dips the hairs into a solution of starch and water to keep the hairs in place. Once smoothed out and dried, the ferrule is ready to be pressed into the handle.
The wood handles are painted and prepped, the brush head is ready to be placed. Using a press, the head is permanently pressed on to the handle through bending the ferrule in place.
Watch the video below and you’ll get just as wrapped up in this brush-making process as I did.
Seriously, it’s mesmerizing.