Confucius said: "If a worker wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his tools."
　　 The brush is an important part of Chinese calligraphy and painting. Without the brush, there would be no linear characteristics of Chinese calligraphy and painting. The inkstone does not need to be washed frequently, and the ink left overnight is called staying ink. You must not be lazy when it comes to writing brushes, because the brush hair will fade, the pen tip will break, and the pen barrel will crack or even bend. Moreover, nowadays, good writing brushes must be expensive. Writing satisfactory works naturally depends on good writing brushes. Therefore, I believe that among the four treasures of the study, the writing brush is the one that everyone should cherish the most.

　　Washing brushes is inseparable from water, and of course the water must be clean water. Don't be stingy with water, because it takes a lot of water to clean a brush. Write it out for your reference:


　　1. Use up all the ink in the pen bristles
　　This is to make pen washing simpler. The method is that after writing, you can just scribble on the paper without dipping it in ink until all the ink in the pen is used up. It is said that the master Huang Binhong paints with a blend of ink and ink. After painting, you don't need to wash the brush, just wipe it dry on your clothes, because the ink in the brush has been used up, and in the process of dipping it in water, the brush hair has been cleaned. I think people who are familiar with the pen and the theory of ink can do it.


　　2. Soak the pen first and then wash it
　　It is best to wash the brush in a fixed container, such as a basin, sink, etc. Soak the brush in a certain amount of water, not too much water, just enough to cover the brush. Soak for about 20 seconds, which can disperse the ink in the pen belly and make it easier to wash the pen. Just don't soak the brush in water. In a few days, the brush barrel will crack, damaging the expensive pen. There is no room for laziness when it comes to washing pens.


　　3. Do not damage the pen by washing it
　　When washing the pen, always keep the pen tip downward. You can gently fiddle with the pen bristles with your fingers, but do not pull out the pen bristles with force. You can stir the pen tip in the water, but not for too long, as this will damage the pen base. The brush should be washed until the brush is lifted out of the water, and the water that oozes out when squeezing the bristles with your fingers does not contain too much ink, so that the brush is basically clean. Finally, squeeze out the remaining water in the pen with your fingers or absorbent paper to end the pen washing process.


　　4. How to wash multiple brushes
　　If you wash multiple brushes at the same time, in order to better protect the brushes, it is best to wash the brushes separately, because the materials of the brushes are different, including jianhao, Yanghao, Langhao, Zihao, etc. The ink content of Yanghao and Langhao , must be quite different. By washing them separately, you can basically clean every pen.


　　5. Maintenance of brushes after washing
　　After washing the brush, it involves daily maintenance of the brush. One important thing to note is that the brush cannot be placed with its head upward. Because then the remaining moisture in the brush will seep into the pen barrel, causing the pen barrel to crack and eventually the pen tip to fall off. In this situation, colleagues in the north need to pay special attention to this situation. Try to hang the tip of the brush downward or place it flat in the pen curtain, so that the brush will dry naturally and the bristles will be dispersed, making it easier to use next time.
　　Another point to mention is that not only does the ink stink, but it can also damage the pen. Because the molecular structure in the ink changes, the damage to the pen hairs will be obvious, so it is best not to write with permanent ink. The ancients said: "Exquisite writing and ink bring happiness to life." If we treat our brushes well and use them for a long time, they will become natural and good works will emerge.


Frequently asked questions, causes and repair methods about brushes


rod cracked

1. Improper material selection of pen barrel.
2. Unsuitable storage, related to the climate in the north and south.
3. When used for too long, the root of the pen tip swells when exposed to ink and water, and shrinks when not in use, causing the bamboo pole to crack.
[Repair method]
1. If there is a crack in the middle of the rod, you can apply adhesive to the crack.
2. Pay attention to the usage and storage methods.
3. If the root of the pen tip cracks, you can wrap it tightly with silk thread and apply adhesive to prevent the pen tip from falling off.


Pen top

The pen barrel falls off. The bonding is not strong and the glue is used improperly. Use adhesive to re-adhere (water-resistant glue).
The pen tip falls off
1. The pen chamber is too large and the bonding is not strong.
2. The manufacturer uses improper adhesive and an adhesive that is not water-resistant.
[Repair method]
1. Use water-resistant adhesive to re-adhere.
2. Select the adhesive used to stick plexiglass.


Sporadic hair removal

1. The floating brush cannot be rinsed clean, and it is normal for new pens to start.
2. The bonding is not strong.
3. The pen tip is not tightened tightly.
4. Use for too long.
5. Use too much force to break the bristles of the pen, or the drying and wetting time is too long and the pen becomes stuffy.
[Repair method]
1. Before using a new pen, rinse off the loose hair.
2. Use a syringe to inject adhesive into the root of the pen tip, then hold the brush tip upright until it dries before use.
3. It is normal for the vellus hair to rot after being used for too long.
4. The slender hairs have different tolerances. It should be suitable for the bearing capacity of the brush hairs. Pay attention to the pen handling method. High-quality vellus pens have strong wear resistance.


Continuous hair removal or hair loss in bunches
1. The root of the hair head is not firmly bonded
2. The ink is highly corrosive and the quality of the ink is too poor, causing the tip of the pen to become moldy and the base of the pen to be the most susceptible to mold and mildew.
3. After rinsing, if you do not hang it up to dry before inserting it into the pen holder or putting it into a pen cover, the ink will soak into the pen chamber for too long, causing the pen bristles to rot.
4. The production is rough and the wool quality is poor.
[Repair method]
1. To re-bond, inject adhesive.
2. Rinse the ink clean after use, and use inferior ink carelessly.
3. After rinsing, hang it up to dry without putting it into the pen case. Adhesive is injected when hair loss is severe.
4. Be careful to choose products with reliable quality.


The brush has short service life and poor wear resistance.

1. The pen was made by hand, the heat treatment temperature was inappropriate, and the alkaline water soaking time was too long.
2. The paper used is too rough.
3. Poor quality ink.
4. Improper maintenance may damage the tip of the pen.
5. Use too much force when using the pen.
6. The quality of vellus hair is too poor.
7. The brushes come in different varieties and grades.
[Repair method]
1. Use a good quality brush.
2. Choose better paper.
3. Choose better ink.
4. Must pay attention to protection.
5. Improve the rules of writing.
6. When purchasing a pen, carefully identify the quality and selection, and do not believe the seller's rhetoric.
7. Different types of livestock hair have different grades and prices, and different service lives.


Curved edge

1. Made of inferior wool.
2. The wool is not finely selected during production and oil stains are not handled properly.
3. Poor maintenance or the tip of the pen is bent.
[Repair method]
1. When purchasing, pay attention to the selection, spread out the pen tip to look at the sharp edges, and look at the fine points.
2. Unrepairable.
3. Rinse the ink after use, hang it up to dry, and do not touch the tip of the pen when storing it.


The nib is not sharp

1. The hair quality is too poor and there is no sharp baldness.
2. The production is shoddy and the hair is not of high quality.
3. The pen shape is unqualified and the owner is not appropriate.
[Repair method]
1. Select the hair quality carefully.
2. Don’t believe the seller’s rhetoric.
3. Choose the appropriate variety for your own use and find a reliable manufacturer.


The tip of the pen is loose-fronted and has no tip.

1. The pen column is not round and the hair on the brush is poor.
2. The proportion of secondary cents and main cents is improper, and the amount of hard cents raw materials is too much.
3. Improper preparation of the auxiliary parts.
4. The hair quality is not high enough, resulting in waste hair and bald hair.
5. The pen repairman is unqualified and the process flow is insufficient.
6. The service life has expired and the pen tip is worn out.
7. Not rinsing or not rinsing thoroughly after use, there is too much ink residue at the root of the pen tip.
8. The pen tip is used too hard or the pen is moved improperly.
9. Writing big characters with a small pen is beyond the tolerance range.
10. Use the wrong type, such as: bristle pens, horsehair pens, etc. are easy to split or add too much hair.
[Repair method]
1. Purchase a new pen.
2. After using the brush, the ink must be rinsed clean.
3. Pay attention to the rules of pen operation and lift the pen to run.
4. Choose the appropriate size of brush. Use a big pen to write small characters, and a small pen to write large characters.　
5. Try to choose well-made varieties.


The tip of the pen is knotted
1. The outer hair is of poor quality and has curved hair.　
2. The pen head is not properly matched and the production and combing are uneven.
3. There are too few or no auxiliary raw materials.
4. Improper preparation parts and cutting corners.　
[Repair method]
1. Before use, absorb enough ink and move the pen slightly slowly to make do with it.
2. The key is to be careful when buying brushes, and don’t be greedy for cheap.
3. The secondary hair is the main factor in the quality of the pen tip. When choosing a pen, observe the quality of the hair.
4. Cutting corners refers to minor defects, which should be observed carefully.


Not enough elasticity
1. Improper selection of varieties.
2. The proportion of main hair, secondary hair, and healthy hair is inappropriate, and the secondary hair is not enough.
3. The quality of the pen material is not good.
4. The pen tip is not enough. The side is not full, not round, not full. Summarizing experience must select appropriate varieties.


Too elastic
5. The proportion of ingredients is inappropriate and the production is unqualified.
6. The hair quality is too poor, and the animal hair is not high enough.
7. Too much hard hair is used. Pay attention to carefully selecting varieties that meet the standards and look for reliable manufacturers.


The pen spits out ink too quickly
1. The tip of the pen is too thin and the brush is not enough.
2. There is no secondary hair, and it is made of low-quality hair.
3. The pen tip contains too much synthetic fiber (artificial hair). Carefully choose the right variety and pay attention to the pros and cons.


The pen tip absorbs too little ink

1. The pen tip is too thin and the pen shape is too thin.
2. The pen tip contains too much synthetic fiber (artificial hair).
3. The ink soaking time is too short and the ink absorption is insufficient. Be careful when buying brushes, cheap ones are not good.


The pen tip is crooked and flat

1. The auxiliary hair is not round enough and the amount of auxiliary hair is insufficient.
2. The pen repairman failed to repair the pen.
3. The pen tip is inserted in an inappropriate proportion.