Thread: Brush stands - do you really need them?

I'm sure this has been asked before and I'm sure it's been debated and so forth but has anyone actually gathered any proof whether or not a stand is essential or if it adds to the longevity of a brush? Many vendors say yay others say nay. What do you think? Personally I don't use a stand but I do rinse my brushes afterwards until the water runs clean and I buff them gently on a soft towel. Never had a problem.

I am 67 years old and remember my father never used a brush stand. I have used a straight over 20 years and use one so the brush can dry with the help of gravity pulling the water down.

They are nice to have, but certainly not necessary.

Not sure if this is correct, but I'd be more inclined to use a stand if I had a brush with a wooden handle with is more prone to water damage...but even then, I do have a brush with an olive wood handle and I never used a stand and it's been going strong for over a year with no sign of damage anywhere. I guess I don't like to see my brushes hanging upside down like a beef carcass in a butcher shop. Oh well

I would think having the water/moisture/old soap fall away from where the knot is sealed to the base could only be a good thing, for longevity and cleanliness I'd think.

Also, if you're using some of the high end brushes, the motive for excellent care is significantly more than a brush that can be replaced easily at low cost...also, of course, it's a YMMV.

I like them so the brushes dry faster. It also seems like the brush would get damaged eventually from water sitting in it all day, but that is just my thoughts.

Originally Posted by Rachmaninov

Not sure if this is correct, but I'd be more inclined to use a stand if I had a brush with a wooden handle with is more prone to water damage...but even then, I do have a brush with an olive wood handle and I never used a stand and it's been going strong for over a year with no sign of damage anywhere. I guess I don't like to see my brushes hanging upside down like a beef carcass in a butcher shop. Oh well

The concern is not for the damage to the handle, its for the knot, where the hair enters the epoxy,,, where the hair is "jammed" & water will stand longer,,,, water in a crowed , tight area with less ventilation means bacteria,, this is not good for hair.

You won't notice the damage until its too late.

When I used 5 dollar brushes it didn't matter much after a couple years just toss it , but not for something I,m spending a lot of money on and plan to keep , you only had it a year, not sure you would be saying the same thing 10 years from now, and it does keep damage from the knot base as it dries faster and doesn't start making its way to the handle, I don't know about you but a high quality brush will treat you better if you treat it right. Tc

For me, a user mainly of boar bristle brushes, the stand is almost a necessity. So many of the brushes I have found...and left...in the wild had a cracked ferrule around the knot. That is probably why so many older brushes were "Set in Rubber' and "Rubber Set," there was some give there.

Badger brushes of age...which I have seen out there and purchased do not seem to get cracked ferrules. I read somewhere they were closer to a porcupine quill than a hair and pretty non-absorbent..

A real good reason to store quality brushes bristle down was mentioned above. To prevent the hairs from breaking off after a period of time when the lather dries and fills all available space in and near the ferrule. I did find a lot of brushes with stray hairs around the ferrule and many broken off hairs there, making the knot smaller in diameter.

I am old enough to have spent a bit of time staying in older homes where waking up to finding water frozen in the upstairs rooms was not unusual. That as late as 1959. But freezing a brush with water/lather in it would most likely crack most any brush handle.
~Richard

I use a stand now, but never used to. Not sure about any damage caused when I didn't have it, simply because my brushes aren't years & years old, but common sense would tell me that gravity would pull any water away from the knot when it's upside down. I put all of my brushes in the stand to dry except for my Simpson Chubby. The bottom of the handle is too fat to fit in it.