Among the wide variety of brush types, they are all well-made. Among them, the products from Hunan, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and other places have the best quality. According to the use, they are generally divided into several types: purple hair brush, double hair brush, water brush, wolf brush, sheep brush, large brush and paint brush.
Characteristics of high-quality products: The pen body is straight and rounded, the hair is clean and straight, and there is no slanted edge. It does not shed hair during use, does not split ends, has moderate rigidity and softness, and the pen tip and rod are firmly bonded.
The quality of a pen should be "pointed, neat, round, and healthy" as the standard.
"Point" means that the tip of the pen should be sharp when the bristles are gathered together.
"Qi" means that when you flatten the pen hairs, they should look even. You can use your fingers to twist and flatten the tip of the pen to see if it is even inside and outside, and there is no uneven length like the teeth of a grate.
"Round" means that when writing, all sides are round and smooth. The entire pen head must be like a newly unearthed fat bamboo shoot, round and full, with no bumps and convexities.
"Strong" means strong elasticity. Twist the new pen, dip it in some saliva, and circle it back and forth on your thumb nail. The tip of the pen should be round and free, without "grabbing hair" (protruding from the side) (bristle of the pen)), after winding and lifting, the pen tip naturally shrinks and returns to a sharp point. Considering these four conditions together, it can be seen that when choosing a pen, you should choose one with fatter and thicker bristles, rather than one that is thin and thin, so that you can write effectively.
When purchasing, you should pay attention to the characteristics of various vellus hairs, which generally depend on the requirements of the writer.
1. Sheep hair. Made of goat hair, a popular product. Among them, old goat hair has been stored for many years, and the fat has dried and is easy to be inked; old goat hair is somewhat rigid; young goat hair is fine and has a transparent tip; clean goat hair has no impurities and is soft.
2． Zi Hao. Made from the black tips on the back of mountain rabbits, the hair is relatively stiff and is suitable for writing running script and cursive script.
3. Wolf hair. Made of weasel tail hair, its rigidity is slightly worse than rabbit hair.
4． Rat whisker pen. Made of house mouse whiskers, the strokes of the pen are pure, smooth and sharp, and the characters written are soft and strong.
5. Chicken pen. Made from chicken breast feathers, it is quite soft and difficult for beginners to master calligraphy, so it should not be used.
6． Bristle pen. It is processed and steamed from pig bristles and used to write large plaques.
7. Both. It is made by blending different animal hairs in different proportions. There is a balance between hardness and softness in the book. For example, purple hair and sheep hair are combined. The more purple hair, the harder it is, and vice versa. When purchasing, it can be determined according to the different requirements of the calligrapher.
When writing running script, couplets, and flat foreheads, you can use the brush pen, which is soft and tender, and has a wide range of uses. Zihao and Langhao pens are hard and elastic. The short edge is used for regular script and the long edge is used for painting. With both hair and hair, it is both hard and soft, and can be used for writing and painting. The three numbers of large, medium and small brushes are divided according to the length and thickness of the brush head. Users should choose the model according to the size of calligraphy and painting.
Note: When choosing a pen holder, you should check whether it is round and smooth, not flat, cracked, bent, or slanted, and the length is appropriate. If there is seal engraving on the pen barrel, it depends on whether it is beautiful and clear; if there is inlay, it depends on whether it is elegant and simple.
Finally, it depends on whether the pen tip and pen holder are firmly adhered, and whether the pen tip is moldy or insect-eaten. Gently shake the pen tip with your hand to see if it is loose; check whether the brush tip is moldy and smell the musty smell. There is a layer of floating hair after opening the pen, which is not removed by repairing the pen. This is normal.