Paintbrushes

In paintbrushes, as in leisure suits, too much polyester is a bad thing. The stiff, shiny filaments of bargain-bin brushes leave stroke marks, don’t clean easily, and begin to abrade and lose shape sooner than nylon. Here, though, a dip in a chemical bath has softened the polyester’s tips, making a flexible, soft filament that’s ideal for varnish or polyurethane.

Approximately $8, Wooster Brush