Premium Brushes for Varnish - what & where to buy

[George Octon]

You do not want the Gramercy brush for Epifanes. Epifanes (at least unthinned or even lightly thinned) is a very thick product and the Gramercy brush though beautiful, is very very soft. You would have to thin the Epifanes consideraby to use the Grammercy. The bruhes that Epifanes Distributors sell are Italian Omega brushes and are very full and pretty stiff and Epifanes carries them for a reason. They are good at pushing a stiff product.

In general all you need is a good quality professional brush available at any paint store or Depot. People have their individual favorites. Unfortunately the brush will not make the job. An expensive brush will not automatically give you a great job. I've tried and owned virtually every brush out there. Also consider that you will have to clean it and especially an expensive one (and they are pretty well all not cheap) and clean it meticulously. You don't want a real cheap brush. But then again you can get a good quality brush pretty reasonably. Corana Urethaner is a good inexpensive brush and there are others. And the Urethaner would push the Epifanes. Getting the hang of Epifanes and thinning it to handle for different conditions and different abilities, now that is a whole other story. There are far easier varnishes to use than Epifanes.

[Brian Kent]

I ended up getting an Epiphanes 55mm full brush and used the Scott Holmes video for preparation, application, and cleanup. Very effective all the way across. Thanks everybody.Totally different than any experience I've had in the past with a brush-on finish.

Since I don't have money to throw around I am happy to have a $50 brush now that I expect to use for years.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I have one of these. I like it.

DUNNET FITCH BRUSH

But then, I got two of the Grammercy Ox-hair. I first got a 1" to compliment the 2" above. Then, because I had a large table top to varnish, I got the 3"

No comparison. The Grammercy holds a bigger load, and lays it down consistently.

I'm going to try the dunnet for shellac, if and when I get to brushing shellac. I'll still use it for varnish sometimes.......it is very stiff, and is great at tipping off. But - that's just one more brush to clean.

[Scott Holmes]

My experirence is that a quality brush WILL make a HUGH difference.

As Geogre points out there is no one brush that is perfect for all varnishes. Epifanes is a good example... it needs a stiff bristled brush. Gramercy Ox hair is a very soft bristle; excellent for detailed work and curved surfaces. I use an imitation badger hair (real badger hair is very stiff) brush when I need a stiffer bristle.

[Brian Kent]

I figured an Epiphanes brush would be good for Epiphanes varnish since they both have the same first name. What an epiphany!

[Jerome Hanby]

I figured an Epiphanes brush would be good for Epiphanes varnish since they both have the same first name. What an epiphany!

For the record, the next time I make a comment like that remember I didn't make this one!!!!

[George Octon]

For the record, the next time I make a comment like that remember I didn't make this one!!!!

I like the comment.

I think about the only real badger hair you will find will be on shaving brushes and they are obviously very soft. The only paint brush type badger brush that I know of is a badger blender that is used in decorative painting for just that, blending. And very soft. Just for that purpose.

The brushes that you see that are called badgers are actually "badger style" with white bristles with a dyed black stripe, like the Dunnet Fitch pictured a few posts back, but not called a badger. The vast majority of the 'badger" brushes will be in the yachting market; Corona, Redtree, and some others. The bristles are short, thick, and stiff. And they are not real badger bristle.
The Dunnet Fitch brush is not as thick or stiff as the normal brushes that are called badger. If that makes sense.