Bill sorry for your losses , now what you said about the stuff that stays in a brush from the previous owner , is true I clean my brushes really good and I sent one to Bill for re knot and he informed me of the build up in there, so extreme measures would have to be used to get rid of all, I myself don't use someone elses brush , I,m just too much of a clean freak, but if I found a brush handle I liked a lot I would have it re knotted ,, but to each there own, one way or the other isn't right or wrong , its choice tc