I was at a home center the other day, looking at their selection of brushes. What I found was a box of Wooster Shortcut brushes, for $5 and change each, and around the corner there were nearly 2 dozen pegs of these brushes. Looking at Amazon, they’re quite popular there too.
The Wooster Shortcut is a small-handled, and soft-handled brush with an angled 2″ wide head. They say that the handle is made from “Shergrip,” which I found to feel like a soft but firm and flexible plastic material.
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The bristles are made from polyester with nylon tips, and is said to be suitable for all paints. I suppose it should be suitable for all kinds of other finishes, although it’s probably not the best choice. It’s also reasonably economical, at least compared to many other Wooster offerings.
The ferrule is made from brass-plated steel.
Wooster shows this brush as being used for random general purpose applications, such as clearing the dust off of a dirty home plate (baseball), and for clearing a computer keyboard.
At less than $6, I might give it a try for my next finishing project. I also think the small size might be good for other uses as well, such as clearing sawdust and debris off of woodworking tools. However, chip brushes are far less expensive for general purpose use where high quality isn’t really needed.
I also saw some other Wooster Shortcut-style brushes on the shelf, but this was by far the most plentifully stocked.
If you’ve used this before, what do you think of it? And what’s your experience with polyester and nylon-tipped brushes? What aren’t they good for?
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Nathan
I have 2 of them and I used them for quick paint jobs. IE – touch up with window sill from scraping it, or this hole I put in the wall with the cabinet.
etc.
cleans really well – like a nylon should – short and easy to maneuver into tight places.
etc etc.
Woodchuck
Wooster makes the best paint brushes hands down (Purdy is a distant second). I have a couple of these that I have been using for over 10 years. They still paint like brand new, and are really easy to clean.
RC Ward
Better than Purdy? Have to disagree with that one dude.
Toolboxhero
I won’t. I have a hard time buying Wooster locally and I really miss them.
The Shortcut is great for cutting in edges between the ceiling and walls. If you want to paint fast but don’t want to slop the paint all over like you do with a long handle brush.
Jay
I’ve tried both. Used a Purdy for half a day then switched to a Wooster. When you first start out both brushes are about the same but after painting for a couple of hours the Wooster brushes definitely held up better against being wetted by the paint and high ambient temps.
Steve
Lowe’s sells these under the Blue Hawk name… Same handle, same bristles, and US made… I’ve used both and can’t tell the difference.
Jay
Don’t paint with it much but it does make a nice sash brush for window glazing. Favorite brush for cutting and trim is a Wooster Ultra/Pro Extra-Firm Lindbeck 3-Inch. Used to use a Purdy XL-Glide but their quality has slipped and the bristles are not firm enough. The last couple Purdys have had poorly attached ferrules, they flop back and forth as you paint. Had to screw they down. A while back I bought multiples of both Purdy and Wooster brushes to see which was best. Wooster turned out to work best for me.
Hilton
Thanks for the recommendation Jay. I’ve added the Ultra/Pro Extra-Firm to my cart and will try it out.
MichaelHammer
Interesting to hear your experience with Purdy. I have an array of 15- year-old Purdy brushes that are still going strong. When they start to quit I’ll definitely take a look at Wooster. Thanks for the heads up.
Derek
Use these every time we paint a room or furniture. Small enough to fit in tight spaces in furniture. It fits nicely in my hand and my wife’s hand for cutting in corners.
avi
Heeey that’s my brush, so proud it made it onto toolguyd. I use it for all my cutting in, although I never thought to use it for anything other than paint.
I have never used it for oil paints.
The only complaint I have is that after you wash it to switch colors it will slowly drip tinted water (of your current color) down the handle (yes I am holding it grip down, but how else can you cut in the top edge of a wall) making the grip all slippery. I have to wrap the handle in a paper towel to combat this every time I am on a painting job with more than one color.
SawdustTX
Even with long handle brushes, I tend to grip right above the ferrule, so “stubbies” are perfect for me.
I have this exact 2″ angled sash brush, but the Wooster Pro version. Love it, it’s all I use now for trim – window sills, frames, door jambs, even small base molding.
Only downside – when painting for hours with it, I find my hand gets sore quicker than with a long handle. But worth it for the more agile grip and ability to get in tight spaces.
Jonathan
Love the brush, my only complaint with the short “shergrip” handle is that it cramps my hand after using it for more than a 5 minute stretch.
Kevin
good value brush, I got a bunch of these, mostly use them for anything other then finish work like trim that requires satin/gloss paints . Great for walls, exterior, primer brush ,etc. I think they also sell at Lowes under the bluehawk label.
Toolfreak
I’ve used the Blue Hawk ones from Lowe’s – looks like the same brush in different packaging, but figured it was a cheaper made version, not the exact same brush.
I’ve used it for cutting in, painting trim, it’s a great little brush, perfect for tight spots. The softer handle is great and really reduces the pressure from cradling it in your hand that a hard wood or plastic brush handle gives.
RKA
The short or long handle is very much a preference thing. Myself, I can’t get used to these short handles. I think I relax my grip a little when the long handle is resting in the web of my hand and that’s ultimately more comfortable than a slightly tighter grip on the short handle over extended periods.
I’ve stopped buying brushes in the big box stores and only get the pro versions online. There is a world of difference when cutting in, painting trim, etc. I’ll use different material bristles for flat latex vs. semi gloss trim. The latex trim paint needs to lay out quickly or you overwork the paint and end up with a lot of brush marks. A few brands that I like are Wooster and Corona. I’m also trying a few Picasso brushes. I think paint store.com carries most of the good brands.
I’m far from an expert, in fact I only know that my earlier frustrations were usually tied to the brush in some way. As I find better brushes, I’m getting better and/or faster results. Faster means I don’t dislike it quite as much.
Nate
Works great for a small dust off brush.
Nathan
I only buy wooster or purdy normally but I bought a Zibra brush the last room I painted. It was what they had on the shelf and I wasn’t home – very quality brush and a full round handle – very ergonomic in the hand. but the end was sharp.
specifically designed for trim work etc etc. angled 2 inch nylon. package said made in america – so I bought one. it’s a great device. I don’t know if it’s better than my others but I retired my trusty purdy when I got home.
Adam
I’ve been very pleased with mine, getting into tight corners around cabinets, etc. The knob shape at the end helps to lock it into the web between the thumb and forefinger for stability despite the small size.
I chopped off the back of a chip brush with a coping saw to get a similar form factor to apply Drylok to a bit of basement wall behind the plywood mount for the electrical service panel as well.
I hadn’t thought about using one as a “tiny broom”–I use an old chip brush for that, myself, but the bristles are firmer and springier on the Shortcut brush.