Maxi-fibbets?

[Jolly Red 0]

If you want unflagged paint brush fibers, check the aritist's paint brushes at craft stores. The ones at the borgs are for latex and other thick paints. Artists often use much thinner paints and don't need the flagging to hold the paint on the brush. Will cost more than the ones in the borg, but it's your call.

[oldtoolsniper 0]

Can't you just cut the smashed ends or flagged ends off?

[Piker20 0]

I picked up an old make up brush in my daughters room, Loriel I think. Lovely golden hair, doesn't look synthetic. Great on size 18 down.

[gwallace1 0]

I just grabbed 3 or 4 random brushes from around my house, including 3 that were green, orange and pink respectively as well as one brush that was used....All of the fibers were perfect. Noe were split, with the exception of a few on the used brush. Lined up side by side with some factory fibetts I have, I must say I cannot tell the difference in taper, size, color, stiffness or quality. I will now use only paint brushes and I will definitely hit wally world up for some more of the generic colored brushes (3 to a pack for less than $5).

 

One brush alone has the equivalent of 5-6 packs of fibetts and I even shaded and colored some grizzly and they held color great, even after wet and wiped vigorously. One trick i learned was a light pull between me fingernails put a neat gentle curve that looks more realistic than a perfectly straight tail.

 

Wallace

[SilverCreek 0]

Though I haven't checked every paint brush made, those I have looked at had ragged ends, hardly any taper or were so stiff that I'm sure they would prevent many a hook up by not flexing enough when hit by a fish.

I haven't taken a mic to fibbets or to mayfly tales, the naked eye is good enough for me to see the difference.

I have bunched microfibbets to get a size that I like but have always wondered why the need to do that when a change in the manufacturing process might yield a variety of fibbet sizes. Most everything else in fly tying is sized for the purpose.

I use spade hackle and coq de leon for tails now but think there might be room on quite a few tying desks for right-sized fibbets if someone could come up with them.

Thanks for the replies.

 

 

Peddler,

 

MIcro-fibbets ARE the synthetic fibers from artist paint brushes. Like many of the items we put on flies, they are not made for fly tying.

 

The next time you are at a Michaels or Jo-annes or Hobby Lobby, check out the fine art brushes. The tail fibers on the small parachute adams at the top of the photo below are the fibers from the artists brush.

 

[Stevester 0]

I kind of wish that Piker could record the conversation he has with his daughter about absconding with her make up brush and post it so we could all learn from it. Not all of us are skilled in the negotiating arts.

 

Steve

[SilverCreek 0]

These are the brushes I bought at Michaels. Get the wild brush with the flat end, 3rd from the right side.

 

http://www.michaels.com/Essential-Long-Handle-Artist-Brushes-By-Royal-Langnickel/fa1353,default,pd.html?cgid=products-artsupplies-brushes