Review - "The Masters" Brush Cleaner and Preserver

A while back my small dry brush went all wacky on me. It was like the bristles decided to divide themselves into quadrants and curve outward away from each other. This rendered the brush useless.

I was at Hobby-Lobby looking for a new dry brush when I stumbled upon "The Masters" Brush Cleaner and Preserver in the brush cleaning section. I hadn't found any brushes that would do as a good replacement for my Games Workshop brush and my local hobby store didn't have any in stock. I decided that I would give this brush cleaner a chance.

When I got home I popped open the package and rad the directions. They seemed simple enough -
To Clean
  • Wash the brush in warm water
  • Rub it to make a lather on the brush cleaner
  • Work the lather into the brush
  • Rinse
To Preserve
  • Wash the brush in warm water
  • Rub it on the brush cleaner to get a clear coat of cleaner on the bristles
  • Work in without lathering
  • Let it sit until the next time you need it
I decided that I would wash all my brushes because they needed it. It was a simple and pain free exercise and the brushes cam out looking pretty good. I then decided to tackle the dry brush. Man was I disappointed. It didn't really do anything. Oh well I figured, at least my other brushes are clean.

Over the next week I washed my standard brush a few more times - I was going back and forth between painting metallic and flat colors. After a few washes my brush was like new. I decided to give it another go on my dry brush. I rinsed it and ran the bristles around the cleaner for a bit and then shaped it as best I could. I let it sit overnight and checked it out the next day. It looked a bit better.

I have now repeated the above process about four or five times and the brush is almost back to full health. I figure another treatment or two and it will be good to go.

Overall I have been very pleased with my purchase. I was a bit put off by the price at first - about $8 for the tub, but for the amount of cleanings I will get out of this one tub it is a bargain. The quality and performance of this product has also been astonishing. This is definitely a product you should consider buying if you paint many miniatures at all.