Premium Brushes for Varnish - what & where to buy

[Scott Holmes]

Epifanes varnish brush is very good. Using a good brush will make you throw the cheap ones away. They work better, period. In the long run a quality brush will be cheaper than the throw aways. Buy it once not 40 times or 300 times.

The brush in the video is ~7 years old and has been used and cleaned 250-300 times. Many of the students in my finishing class think it's a new brush when they first see it.

[Brian Kent]

Gramercy tools has never let me down, so I am inclined to go with their product or the Epifanes, since I am using their finish. I assume that it would be better than the china bristle at Rockler.

[Andrew Gibson]

Brian, I have the Gramercy Brushes that i use for shellac and they are very nice, I would recomend them. They are the only quality brushes I have experience with.

[Steven Hsieh]

I have touched one before (Gramercy brushes) and found them thicker than your regular Purdy or Corona brushes.
Which works best if your brushing larger surface.

[Scott Holmes]

The thicker body of the brush indicates more bristles which in turn will hold more finish. This brush will lay down a smoother more even film of finish than an inferior brush. With a thick ox-hair brush (the bristles themselves are very fine) like the Gramercy you should be able to easily draw the brush along a piece of wood for 6-7 feet without needing to reload the brush; proper technique (appling slightly more pressure as you proceed) will leave a smooth even coat from one end to the other...