Just know that the longevity of your brush, as with all Chinese painting brushes, depends on the care you give it. When you receive it, the bristles are glued together, so you have to soften them by setting the brush in a glass of cool water, just up to the plastic neck so the bamboo handle does not get soaked. Swirl it around every few minutes and then gently press it against the side of the glass to encourage its flexibility until it is supple. Rinse it again until until it isn’t at all gooey to the touch. Now, when you load the brush with ink or Chinese colors, do so only up to about 3/4 of the bristles so that the ink or paint does not get to the base, where the hairs have been bundled together and glued in.After each use, always rinse thoroughly in cool water, drying it carefully on a cloth or paper towel until little or no ink appears on the towel, and bring it to a point and let it air-dry completely.Otherwise, ink remaining at the base of the bristles can rot, and the bristles will come undone from the handle. Never prep or rinse your brushes with warm/hot water or soap.With good care, your brush should last for at least a decade.
