Anyone ever tried these brushes?

[Monty]

While I was searching for something else, I came across some listings for ergonomic-handled hobby paintbrushes.  The handles are more or less triangular (rounded) and they're supposed to be better for longer use.  I'd guess the vast majority of us are still using round-handled brushes, but I was just curious if anyone on here has used the ergonomic units.  If so, what did you think of them?

[tcoat]

I have a bunch of these. Really don't make any difference in an ergo sense since I am not putting in 40 hour weeks with them. They are nice in that they don't roll off my slopped desk though.

[mach7]

I agree with tcoat.
They don't really make a difference to me.

[406 Silverado]

I’ve used them as well Monty and I can’t really tell much of a difference either. I’ll agree with Tony that they don’t roll around on the bench as easy which is a plus.

[buddho]

I didnt notice any advantage either, other than not rolling around like Tcoat stated.

[stikpusher]

I never thought about the rolling issue... not to mention with the nerve damage in my arms, it might be a good idea to try such things as I do drop tools & brushes more than I care to admit.

[kyledehart5]

Worth a shot. Seems like everyone is in agreement here. I like my triangle handle brushes myself but can’t say they’re more ergonomic necessarily, as I use both traditional round and these as well. . But I do like them for the non rolling factor.

[TJ]

I'm in agreement with the comments above

[tcoat]

Oct 3, 2023 18:57:02 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

I never thought about the rolling issue... not to mention with the nerve damage in my arms, it might be a good idea to try such things as I do drop tools & brushes more than I care to admit.

They may be handy for your circumstance. 
My wife gave me a set for Christmas a couple of years ago. I was dubious as to the quality at the price point I knew she would spend but they are actually really nice. I am still using them. 


Amazon (Canada) brush set

[kyledehart5]

Oct 4, 2023 8:34:29 GMT -5 tcoat said:

Oct 3, 2023 18:57:02 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

I never thought about the rolling issue... not to mention with the nerve damage in my arms, it might be a good idea to try such things as I do drop tools & brushes more than I care to admit.

They may be handy for your circumstance. 
My wife gave me a set for Christmas a couple of years ago. I was dubious as to the quality at the price point I knew she would spend but they are actually really nice. I am still using them. 


Amazon (Canada) brush set

Lol. I think this is the exact set my wife got me. Agreed. Good quality for the money and I’m still using mine almost everyday.

[stikpusher]

How do they work with enamel paints and thinners? I see that the description says that they are for acrylics and watercolors. I’ve bought some brushes for those types of paints and after a few uses and cleanings of enamels, whatever holds the metal barrel for the bristles to the handles tends to dissolve and the parts separate.

[tcoat]

Oct 5, 2023 11:32:09 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

How do they work with enamel paints and thinners? I see that the description says that they are for acrylics and watercolors. I’ve bought some brushes for those types of paints and after a few uses and cleanings of enamels, whatever holds the metal barrel for the bristles to the handles tends to dissolve and the parts separate.

100% fine. I use them with lacquers and enamels as well as clean all my brushes, regardless of type of paint, with  Tamiya extra thin cement (I save the last 10% of each bottle just as brush cleaner) and they are as good as new. If they can stand up to that abuse then normal thinners aren't likely to hurt them.

[Whiterook]

Well, I guess I’m the dissenting voice in the conversation 

Ya’ll are thinking mostly (note… ’”mostly”) the wrong case or ‘ergonomics’, as you seem to be thinking in case of stamina, whereas that’s not what these brushes were designed for… they are made for precision painting. The triangular handle, and the ones with bulges near the barrel and bulges made of rubber are all for *grip*, not for stamina. They were made for crafters at first, but then artists picked up on their fantastic abilities and now,m you see them heavily marketed as Artist brushes, now; that last bit answers the just asked question of ‘…how do they work with enamels and thinners’… the craft style brushes (as in, super cheap price) aren’t of the quality of the Artist brushes (much more costly), so they are not meant for harsher paints and solvents…their main home is in acrylics, which is a staple of the crafters’ world.

…saying all that, there is another market they do speak to, and that’s, older hands… folks with arthritis, or hand conditions, or just f*ing old and lost a fair bit to a lot of dexterity. The angles and bulges are aids to grip…sometimes they are marketed to that audience. That was the ‘mostly’ bit I mentioned earlier 

Now there is a third audience… miniatures painters, particularly human figures… think about a painting session of a wargamer, where you are painting 50-100+ Napoleonics soldiers that are less than an inch high and have super duper detail. You see, we Merry Band of Wargamers love to paint creases in uniform, and detailed faces, and all kinds of insane undertakings. Holding a round barreled paint brush handle becomes extremely unruly after even 15 minutes of work for a stud, never mind a 60+ year old geezer (I’m one, so I can say that!).

As a disclaimer… I’m not only a miniatures wargamer, but a trained and degrees Fine Artist so, I know a little about the subject
 

[tcoat]

Nov 1, 2023 9:20:26 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

Well, I guess I’m the dissenting voice in the conversation 

Ya’ll are thinking mostly (note… ’”mostly”) the wrong case or ‘ergonomics’, as you seem to be thinking in case of stamina, whereas that’s not what these brushes were designed for… they are made for precision painting. The triangular handle, and the ones with bulges near the barrel and bulges made of rubber are all for *grip*, not for stamina. They were made for crafters at first, but then artists picked up on their fantastic abilities and now,m you see them heavily marketed as Artist brushes, now; that last bit answers the just asked question of ‘…how do they work with enamels and thinners’… the craft style brushes (as in, super cheap price) aren’t of the quality of the Artist brushes (much more costly), so they are not meant for harsher paints and solvents…their main home is in acrylics, which is a staple of the crafters’ world.

…saying all that, there is another market they do speak to, and that’s, older hands… folks with arthritis, or hand conditions, or just f*ing old and lost a fair bit to a lot of dexterity. The angles and bulges are aids to grip…sometimes they are marketed to that audience. That was the ‘mostly’ bit I mentioned earlier 

Now there is a third audience… miniatures painters, particularly human figures… think about a painting session of a wargamer, where you are painting 50-100+ Napoleonics soldiers that are less than an inch high and have super duper detail. You see, we Merry Band of Wargamers love to paint creases in uniform, and detailed faces, and all kinds of insane undertakings. Holding a round barreled paint brush handle becomes extremely unruly after even 15 minutes of work for a stud, never mind a 60+ year old geezer (I’m one, so I can say that!).

As a disclaimer… I’m not only a miniatures wargamer, but a trained and degrees Fine Artist so, I know a little about the subject
 

Not really dissenting as like I said in my first post I don't use a brush long enough for the "ergo" aspect to have any real impact. I can certainly see the benefits for anybody that has a hard time gripping or is mass producing an army. 

[Whiterook]

Nov 1, 2023 9:35:56 GMT -5 tcoat said:

Nov 1, 2023 9:20:26 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

Well, I guess I’m the dissenting voice in the conversation 

Ya’ll are thinking mostly (note… ’”mostly”) the wrong case or ‘ergonomics’, as you seem to be thinking in case of stamina, whereas that’s not what these brushes were designed for… they are made for precision painting. The triangular handle, and the ones with bulges near the barrel and bulges made of rubber are all for *grip*, not for stamina. They were made for crafters at first, but then artists picked up on their fantastic abilities and now,m you see them heavily marketed as Artist brushes, now; that last bit answers the just asked question of ‘…how do they work with enamels and thinners’… the craft style brushes (as in, super cheap price) aren’t of the quality of the Artist brushes (much more costly), so they are not meant for harsher paints and solvents…their main home is in acrylics, which is a staple of the crafters’ world.

…saying all that, there is another market they do speak to, and that’s, older hands… folks with arthritis, or hand conditions, or just f*ing old and lost a fair bit to a lot of dexterity. The angles and bulges are aids to grip…sometimes they are marketed to that audience. That was the ‘mostly’ bit I mentioned earlier 

Now there is a third audience… miniatures painters, particularly human figures… think about a painting session of a wargamer, where you are painting 50-100+ Napoleonics soldiers that are less than an inch high and have super duper detail. You see, we Merry Band of Wargamers love to paint creases in uniform, and detailed faces, and all kinds of insane undertakings. Holding a round barreled paint brush handle becomes extremely unruly after even 15 minutes of work for a stud, never mind a 60+ year old geezer (I’m one, so I can say that!).

As a disclaimer… I’m not only a miniatures wargamer, but a trained and degrees Fine Artist so, I know a little about the subject
 

Not really dissenting as like I said in my first post I don't use a brush long enough for the "ergo" aspect to have any real impact. I can certainly see the benefits for anybody that has a hard time gripping or is mass producing an army. 

Miniatures painting is a whole different level of painting really… we describe it as “assembly line production”, ‘cause you need to mix your own colors and use it before it dried, so that means 100 pairs of pants, then 100 coats, then 100 shoes, then… mix the next color, 100 pairs of pants, then 100 coats, then 100 shoes, then… mix the next color…

It’s kinda insane, really, but the result of whole armies on the field of battle, on a large diorama is truly an experience!







(…not mine/me in the pics)

[tcoat]

Nov 1, 2023 10:10:27 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

(…not mine/me in the pics)

That isn't you in the back standing under the saber?

[stikpusher]

And here I am worried about painting the four to seven figures that come in typical 1/35 styrene kits by Dragon, Tamiya or Miniart...
Wow!!!!

[Whiterook]

Nov 1, 2023 11:04:54 GMT -5 tcoat said:

Nov 1, 2023 10:10:27 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

(…not mine/me in the pics)

That isn't you in the back standing under the saber?

Ah dang, I thought I was being inconspicuous!

Nov 1, 2023 12:52:43 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

And here I am worried about painting the four to seven figures that come in typical 1/35 styrene kits by Dragon, Tamiya or Miniart...
Wow!!!!

haha…well, there’s probably more pressure with those four figures, cause there’s no place for those little fellas to hide any flaws! …if one of Napoleons’ troops ends up with orange pants, you can hide him in the 200 others!