Thread: cost of making your own brush (confused)

First things first - welcome to SRP!

How good are you at making stuff? Making brush handles usually involves working with wood, stone, acrylic, or other synthetic materials (although many others can be used too) that will have to be taken from a raw form to a finished handle. If you are confident in your abilities, they aren't that complicated to make. There is also the option of buying a pre-made handle and attaching the knot of your choice.

There are several considerations here. You touched on one: the type of knot. Different types of hair have different properties, so you're correct in that choosing one over another will have an effect on the stiffness of the brush.

But that isn't all. You will also have to decide how deeply to set the knot into the handle. If you set the knot so that the epoxy (or whatever) at the base is flush with the end of the handle, it will be floppier and less stiff than if you drilled out the handle and set the know deeper. So if you do decide to make your own, once you have your knot, and *before* permanently fixing the knot to the handle, so some testing. You can stuck the knot in place with hot melt glue or something else temporary. And then use elastic bands around the knot to simulate having it set at different depths. Once you find the level you like, measure the distance from the base to the highest rubber band, and that's about how deep you want to drill your hole.

Doing a basic brush is quite easy if you have the skills. Creating a *really* nice one is what sets the pros apart from us amateurs.