I learned my old paintbrush handles hide a useful size label

I was cleaning out a dried-up brush last night and noticed a tiny number stamped right on the wooden handle near the ferrule. Turns out it's the brush width in inches, which I never knew existed. Has anyone else found a hidden label on a tool that saved them time when measuring for a job?

2 comments

2 Comments

kellygarcia29d ago

Found the exact same thing on an old brush I've had for years. I was about to toss it cause the handle was all cracked but noticed a tiny "1/2" stamped right where the wood meets the metal. Saved me from guessing if it was a 1/2 or 5/8 inch brush when I needed to match it for a touch up job. Now I check every brush I own for those little numbers, some of them are so faded you gotta squint real hard to see em.

logan_dixon1828d ago

Hate to be that guy, but just a heads up, that 1/2 marking is probably the ferrule size or the bristle width, not the brush size itself. Brushes are usually sold by their total width across the whole brush head, which includes the metal band and the bristles. So if you're matching it for a touch up job, you still gotta measure the whole thing to be sure. Did you check the other side of the handle too, some brands stamp the actual inch size there?