# Paintbrush hairs

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintbrush-hairs/570127
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 4, 2011, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintbrush-hairs/570127 "2011-02-04T08:07:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2011, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintbrush-hairs/570127/1 "2011-02-04T08:07:45Z")

</div>

What are the little hairs, or “bristles” as they are known, on a paintbrush made from?

Edit: Wow - I don’t know what I’ve been doing wrong before, because I could never find an answer, though a Google search reveals this on the first hit: [Know Your Painting Brush Hairs and Bristles](http://painting.about.com/od/artsupplies/a/BrushHairs.htm). Silly me.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2011, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintbrush-hairs/570127/2 "2011-02-04T08:11:09Z")

</div>

There is no one answer to this. It depends on the paint brush. Some are synthetic and others are not. Natural ones might be made of boar bristle, sable, etc.

Edit to add:

> **[Which Types of Hairs and Bristles are Used in Paint Brushes?](https://www.liveabout.com/know-your-painting-brushes-hairs-and-bristles-2577905)**
>
> An easy-to-understand introduction to the types of hairs and bristles used in art painting brushes and which brushes are the best for what purpose.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2011, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paintbrush-hairs/570127/3 "2011-02-04T08:14:32Z")

</div>

> [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](#):
>
> There is no one answer to this. It depends on the paint brush. Some are synthetic and others are not. Natural ones might be made of boar bristle, sable, etc.
> 
> Edit to add:  
> [http://painting.about.com/od/artsupplies/a/BrushHairs.htm](http://painting.about.com/od/artsupplies/a/BrushHairs.htm)

You found the same article I did. For some reason I was never able to find an answer before, until just after I asked the question.

Thanks!