Like most decorators I do have my own favourite brands of paint brushes, however, it is always good to try new products.  Pioneer make a wide range of brushes but I was keen to try out the Summit brushes as I predominantly use water based paints and these brushes are designed primarily for applying these paints.

I have been decorating large stairwells and a lobby area over the last few weeks and have been using 1.5” and 3” Summit brushes on these projects.

Both brushes came supplied in a permanent storage keeper. This is an extremely useful accessory which enables the brushes to be stored safely after cleaning without the worry of the bristles becoming distorted when not in use.

The Summit 3” brush has been used to cut in prior to rolling and also to paint some broad areas.  The paint application with this brush is extremely good.  The synthetic bristles have just the right amount of resistance to spread out the paint evenly without any paint flicking off.  Cutting in with the brush provided consistently straight lines without any effort.  The brush has a stock which is completely filled with synthetic bristles and this means the brush holds a good quantity of paint which makes painting large areas quicker and longer lengths can be cut in with each dip of the brush.  The brush is well balanced and feels good when in use.  The handle is made of beech and feels comfortable and solid.  When it comes to cleaning out the brush after use I was surprised how quickly and easily it was to clean.  Overall I was very impressed with this brush and would say that it was a joy to use.  I did find a few bristles came out when cleaning the first couple of times.

The Summit 1.5” brush was used to apply water based sealers, undercoats and satin finish to the woodwork.  The brush felt well balanced when in use just like the 3” brush.  The synthetic bristles are finer than the ones in my usual brand of brush and gave an exceptionally good finish when applying the finishing paints.  The brush did feel like it had more bristles in it and held a good quantity of paint.  Cutting in was good right from the start and I soon got used to the brush.  A good quantity of paint was held by the brush and this was applied evenly and quickly.  Only one bristle has come out so far.

Both brushes performed extremely well.  I was impressed by their quality of build and how they felt when in use.  They kept their shape well after several weeks of use and I was able to keep them looking good without to much effort.  I think the star of the show was the 3” brush as it performed so well and effortlessly and I find myself looking forward to giving it another work out.