Section 1 Writing brush
First, the types of brushes
Before choosing a brush, we should first understand the type and properties of the brush.
There are many kinds of writing brushes, and the nib is made of animal hair. Therefore, people often classify pens according to their different elasticity. Generally divided into hard brush, soft brush and double-sided brush.
(1) bristle brush
The bristles of hard bristle pens are elastic, such as rabbit hair, wolf hair, deer hair, rat beard, stone badger hair, mountain horse hair and mane.
1. Rabbit brush: Rabbit brush has a long history, and the Warring States pen unearthed in Changsha is made of rabbit brush. It is made by splitting one end of the pen into several sections, inserting the nib, and then tying it tightly with silk thread. Rabbit hair is divided into purple hair and gray hair. Purple hair is made from the hair on the rabbit's back (also called arrow hair) and the hair on its tail. It is soft and healthy. Gray is better than purple.
2. Wolf Brush: The "wolf" here is not a wolf in the zoo, but a weasel. The pen made of the hair on the weasel's body and tail is slightly softer than the rabbit's brush and harder than the wool pen, but it is brittle and not resistant to friction.
3. Moustache pen: Moustache pen is made of mouse beard, so its performance is firm. According to legend, Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty wrote Preface to Lanting with a moustache.
Other hard pens, such as mountain horse brush, stone badger brush, bristle brush, etc. , are particularly hard, it is not easy for beginners to choose.
(2) Soft brush
Soft hair brushes are less elastic and softer. Generally made of wool, chicken feathers, fetal hair and other soft hairs.
1. Wool pen: Wool pen is made of goat hair, which is softer than purple wool pen. Because the wool quilt is thinner and longer, it is suitable for writing big letters and characters.
2. Chicken feather brush: The chicken feather brush is made of the hair on the cock's chest, and its performance is softer than wool.
3. Fetal hair brush: Fetal hair brush is the hair of newborn baby, and its performance is extremely soft. Xiao Ziyun in the Southern Dynasties (487-549) used fetal hair brushes, which shows that it has a long history.