Shop Talk: Pinstriping Tips, Brush Guides & Kustom Kulture History

Get the lowdown

Welcome to Shop Talk, the official blog of Pinstriper.com — your home base for everything related to pinstriping, custom paint, and the artists and tools that built this craft from the ground up. Whether you’re a lifelong professional striper or someone who just picked up a brush for the first time, Shop Talk is where we break down technique, spotlight the history behind the craft, and walk you through the products that make it all possible.

At the heart of every good pinstripe is the right brush, and that’s a huge part of what we cover here. We regularly dig into the details behind our full lineup of Mack Brush pinstriping brushes, including classics like the Mack Series 10 Sword Striper — the original brush that most professional pinstripers still reach for every day — along with specialty brushes like the Fast-Lite (F-L), the Kelly-Mack (K/M), the Hanson/Mack King 13, the Alien Deathhawk, and long-line stripers like the Glawson Ultimate Long Line Striper (1644). If you’re trying to figure out which brush fits your style, your paint, or the kind of line work you’re chasing, this is where you’ll find honest, detailed breakdowns of what each one is built for.

Brushes are only half the equation, though. We also cover paint — including One Shot enamel, color mixing, and how to get clean, consistent lines whether you’re working in urethane, lettering enamel, or water base. If you’ve ever wondered why a brush “droops” when it’s loaded, how squirrel hair compares to synthetic fibers, or what the difference is between a sword brush and a dagger brush, you’ll find real answers here — not just marketing copy.

Beyond the how-to side of things, Shop Talk is also where we dive into the history of pinstriping and the Kustom Kulture movement that shaped it. From the freehand pioneers like Von Dutch (Kenny Howard), who is widely credited as the father of modern pinstriping, to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, whose Rat Fink character and wild custom builds helped define an entire era of hot rod culture, we tell the stories behind the names you see on brush boxes and paint cans. We also spotlight working pinstripers today — the people carrying that tradition forward one line at a time — because this craft has always been about more than just tools. It’s about the people who use them.

If you’re new to pinstriping, Shop Talk is a great place to start. We publish beginner-friendly guides on brush selection, paint prep, line control, and common mistakes new stripers make — along with more advanced content on scrollwork, coach lines, and freehand design for those who’ve been at it a while. And if you’re shopping for supplies while you read, you’ll find direct links throughout our posts to the exact pinstriping brushes, paint, and custom paint tools we’re talking about, so you can go from reading about a technique to actually trying it with the right gear in hand.

Pinstriper.com has been supplying pinstripers, sign painters, and custom artists since 1998, and Shop Talk is our way of giving back to a community that’s given so much to the custom car, motorcycle, and sign painting world. New posts go up regularly, covering everything from brush spotlights and technique tutorials to artist features and the deeper history of the craft. Pull up a stool, grab a brush, and stick around — there’s always something new to learn, whether you’re chasing your first clean line or your ten-thousandth.

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