What is Pig Bristle
Pig bristle is the bristle from pigs. China is the largest producer of pig bristle in the world, accounting for over 75% of the global pig bristle trade.
The Chongqing-produced "Yu Bristle" is regarded as the highest quality, representing the largest output and market share in the country.
The main distribution centers for pig bristle in China include Tianjin, Hohhot, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hankou, and Chongqing. Among them, The primary production areas of Yu Bristle are now mainly in Yibin and Shehong in Sichuan, as well as parts of Yunnan and the surrounding counties of Chongqing.
The colors of pig bristle include black, white, mixed, and mildewed. Pig bristle brushes are sturdy and durable, capable of applying a thicker layer of paint, easy to clean, and reusable.
The best quality pig bristles come from the neck of the pig, characterized by coarse strands that are glossy, elastic, durable, and resistant to wear. It is a natural raw material for brush manufacturing.
Common types of pig bristle paint brushes include flat brushes, ceiling brushes, block brushes, and round-handle brushes.
When dipping the brush into the paint, it's essential to achieve the right balance: apply as much paint as possible to the wall while avoiding drips onto the floor or yourself during painting.
Pig bristle, being animal hair, also has antistatic properties, making it suitable for manufacturing antistatic brushes. Like the hair brush.
Yangzhou Jingdu Brush Co., Ltd has produced pig bristle for 32 years and synthetic bristle for 16 years. We have sold the bristles to America, Italy, Spain, Poland, Japan, Kenya, Thailand and So on.
The craftsmanship of making pig bristle brushes is recognized as an intangible cultural heritage, involving traditional handcraft techniques and processes.
Here are the basic steps of pig bristle production, highlighting the uniqueness of this traditional craft:
1. Selecting Raw Materials: The first step is to select high-quality pig bristles, primarily from the neck area. These bristles are thick, glossy, and have excellent elasticity, wear resistance, and toughness.
2. Boiling Bristles: The selected pig bristles are washed and boiled to remove impurities, odors, and excess grease. This step not only cleans the bristles but also enhances their flexibility.
3. Drying and Combing: After boiling, the bristles are air-dried naturally under sunlight, followed by manual combing to remove short hairs and impurities. This step requires experienced craftsmen, who carefully comb the bristles using traditional tools to ensure consistent length and neatness.
4. Grading and Sorting: The bristles are sorted based on color (black, white, mixed, etc.), thickness, and length. The accuracy of the sorting process determines the final quality of the bristle brush, requiring meticulous and skilled techniques.
5. Bundling and Shaping: The graded bristles are then bundled and shaped to ensure they maintain their form during brush production. Craftsmen use traditional bundling techniques to ensure the bristles are tightly and evenly secured.
6. Brush Manufacturing: The processed bristles are embedded into brush handles or heads, creating various types of brushes, such as paint brushes, cleaning brushes, and polishing brushes. This step is also performed manually to ensure the bristles are neatly arranged and firmly fixed.
7. Final Inspection and Packaging: The final step involves inspecting the quality of the pig bristle brushes to ensure their appearance and functionality meet standards, followed by packaging.
These production steps and manual techniques have been passed down for centuries, reflecting the unique value and cultural significance of traditional Chinese pig bristle manufacturing, making it a valuable intangible cultural heritage.
