Paint has changed and so have we: that was the overwhelming message from premium decorating tools manufacturer Hamilton during a recent event as it opened its doors to the media for the first time in 270 years.

The company made a big statement in the sector towards the end of last year with a relaunch, repositioning its role in the painting and decorating market and giving its entire range a makeover. Today, it’s products are easily recognisable, categorised into three audiences: For The Trade available to multi-skilled traders through merchants, Prestige for professional decorators, and Perfection targeted at more discerning, high-end decorating professionals. Not only do these product categories benefit from new, easily identifiable packaging but Hamilton has been working closely with distributors to ensure they are both available and accessible to end users.

The relaunch was not just a move to improve Hamilton’s presence in the market – with more than two centuries of experience, it’s important the brand evolves – but was also a response to market demand and innovation.

Sarah Cousens, Head of Marketing - Trade at Hamilton, explained at the event: “We conducted market research that found 60% of people who have been paid to decorate within a 36+ month period chose Hamilton as their preferred brand. We also learned that 90% of multiskilled tradespeople identified Hamilton as an aspirational brand of products they wanted to use but previously couldn’t. This led to the creation of our For The Trade range. It also inspired us to innovate our products within the Perfection range to ensure that professional decorators were still receiving the very best products from Hamilton.”

As part of its Perfection range, Hamilton has introduced a brand-new filament to sit alongside its established MaxStroke™ filament. Its new Perfection CleanEdge™ brush selection is a 100% synthetic filament brush designed to mimic the structure of natural bristle and outperform it. It also has the benefits of being easier to clean, with no need to break in.

Sarah Coussens commented: “We are doing our best to tackle the sustainability challenge and this has led to a huge reduction in single-use plastic packaging, switching plastic clam packs to recyclable card, while also using FSC® Certified wood for brush handles.

“The use of natural bristle also has implications here. As a biproduct of the meat industry, there are ethical considerations but critically for us, no paintbrush manufacturer can guarantee the quality of natural bristle anymore, due to the effects of climate change. That’s why we have invested heavily to design a synthetic filament that outperforms natural bristle.”

Hamilton offers two synthetic brush ranges within the Perfection tier, specifically designed by paint type. Perfection MaxStroke™ has longer, finer filaments for a flawless finish with thinner paints, ie. water-based paints and low viscosity, while Perfection CleanEdge™ has shorter, stiffer filaments for accuracy and control with thicker / stickier paints, such as oil-based and high viscosity.

Filaments used in both brushes have been tested in laboratory conditions, by third party bodies, well-known UK paint manufacturers and, more importantly, in the hands of real users. Hamilton’s laboratory is impressive, used to perform inspections and tests of its products. One of which is dip testing, used to determine the amount of paint a brush picks up with each dip.

Hamilton’s production facility is equally as notable, with the company producing 9.8 million roller sleeves in 2023 and on target to reach 10 million+ this year. It’s no surprise from a business that has created so many market-firsts in the UK. Back in the 1900s, Hamilton brought the vulcanised rubber process to the UK – now considered one of the most important breakthroughs in the manufacture of paint brushes. The 1960s saw Hamilton lead the development of specialist epoxy resins – resistant to chemicals and therefore perfect for brushes, while in the 1980s Hamilton pioneered the introduction of stainless-steel ferrules. This transformed ‘the paint brush’ into the product professionals know and use today.

The future looks equally as exciting; Hamilton is working closely with paint manufacturers and importantly, professionals, to continue to evolve and define its range of decorating tools.

“The Hamilton the market sees today has been four years in the making,” explained Sarah Coussens. “It’s been quite the journey, with Hamilton partnering with paint companies, decorators and even the multi-skilled trades to ensure we can evolve a brand and product that offers the right solution, for the right end user, for the right paint. We want to continue to build and evolve these relationships to ensure we continually offer the products that all our end users require.”

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