Hamilton Addresses The Question: What Is The Point Of A Sash Brush

Buying and carrying additional kit beyond the standard range of bristle and synthetic brush shapes and sizes costs money and demands extra skills, so decorators and builders need to be sure any equipment beyond the obvious really will earn its keep. One such ‘extra’, which seems to becoming more and more prevalent is the round headed brush – sometimes called the sash brush – and so PB asked one of the UK’s oldest suppliers of decorating tools, Hamilton, what is the role of the sash brush and what is its potential contribution to the average builder’s repertoire?

The increasing popularity of the rounded headed or sash brush seems to be part of a trend amongst builders and decorators towards using a specific brush for a specific job. The idea is that it makes the job easier, ensures a better finish first time and therefore saves time and hence money. Originally known as sash brushes because the long slim head and handle could reach into awkward areas i.e. in-between window sashes, the point of the sash brush today is that its head shape is ideal for edging, cutting in and use on profile surfaces – and that this is the case from Day One. No-one would pretend that a good quality conventional brush in the right hands would not be equally effective, but decorators tend to let such brushes adapt themselves to the job of cutting in through usage. The round headed brush is perfect for the job from the moment it is purchased.

Hamilton’s new Prestige bristle and synthetic sash brushes have been developed in response to this trend and the key benefit to these particular products is that they guarantee a perfect finish consistent with areas of a project requiring the use of conventional bushes.  Using a sash brush in conjunction with a standard brush makes the overall job quicker, easier and more effective in terms of results. Hamilton sash brushes use exactly the same bristle or synthetic filament composition to Hamilton Prestige standard brushes to ensure  the builder or decorator gets consistency in the overall look, while benefitting from the easiest and most effective tool for the ‘difficult bits’.

Hamilton Prestige sash brushes also have a number of benefits over standard paint or varnish alternatives.  Firstly a sash brush does not splay, like a standard paint or varnish brush, on profiles such as spindles, pipes, frames and tops of skirting boards. When painting profiled surfaces this ensures an even coat whereas a standard brush tends to leave a variable thickness of paint film around the profile. In other words the sash brush gets the job right first time.  The slim wooden handle is comfortable to use, which is especially important given the best technique for using sash brushes is to spin the brush during the paint stroke to maximise the use of the paint, when edging.   This delivers longer strokes and better loading. The best method is to use the round headed or sash brush in conjunction with a standard brush to make the overall job quicker, easier and more effective.  It may be a cliché but a collection of brushes are often better than one when quality of finish and time is important.

So, if that is the point of a sash brush and investing in some appeals, then it’s worth bearing mind that not all sash brushes are the same.  In addition to the benefit of matching the sash brush to the conventional brush, it’s worth bearing in mind that Hamilton Prestige sash brushes are suitable for storing in vapour boxes, whereas others with copper ferrules are not compatible.

Hamilton round headed or sash brushes are available in a range of sizes from 15 mm to 21 mm., in both bristle and synthetic filament (view our range of sash brushes).  There is also a handy three-pack containing the most popular sizes – 15mm, 18mm and 21mm.  The range is available at most good decorator and builders merchants.

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