Professional painters (like myself) have come to love these as the best paintbrushes you can buy, and they cost the same as the Wooster's and Purdy's, and a lot less than the Corona. Don't clean them with hot solvent, however, as the base will melt and the bristles will come out. I learned that at the cost of a good paintbrush. But if you want beautiful, easy cut lines and full loads with an easy release, then this is the brush. Did I mention fast, fast, fast. Unfortunately, although the company is headquartered in Wyoming, the brushes are made in China by slave labor, like everything else nowadays. I don't know about Purdy, who is owned by Sherwin Williams, and cannot tell from their website where the plants are. Wooster equipment is made by Wooster Brush Company in Wooster, Ohio, as it has been for one hundred sixty five years. They also have a plant in Las Vegas, NV. I am originally from the Wooster area, and I sure wish I could say they make the best brush available. Corona seems to be made in the Tampa area, by people who escaped from Russia to Cuba then to the U.S., who have made brushes for three generations. Good but pricey.2020 Addendum---I discovered that the Wooster Silver Tip brush is also an acid tipped brush like the Proform Picasso, which is what makes it different from flagged tips. Wooster has been making them for many years and they are a lower priced line. Who knew? They don't last as long as the top line brushes but they are really good, and about half the cost of the Picasso.