=====筆=====
   * When looking at a brush, you're interested in:
         * {{ruby|尖|せん}}: Is it really pointy?
         * {{ruby|斉|さい}}: Do the hairs stay together when flattened?
         * {{ruby|円|えん}}: Is the body nice and round?
         * {{ruby|健|けん}}): Does it spring back into its original shape?
         * (and also ink retention)
   * Size matters (the shorter, the easier to control; but longer gives more expressivity)
   * There are brushes for writing 漢字 and for writing かな (or 仮名). The latter is often made from weasel hair (イタチ毛) or a Siberian weasel (called コリンスキー, for some reason).
   * Brushes are made from different hairs:

^  毛              ^  Reading             ^ Animal                                                                                              ^ Character                                                                   ^ Suitable          ^
|  羊毛            |  ようもう            | Goat hair (despite using 羊)                                                                        | Very soft, difficult to control; large expressive range                     | 行書・草書        |
|  鼬毛・イタチ毛  |  いたちげ            | Weasel hair (sometimes also 狼毛, which here doesn't mean wolf)                                     | Fine point, strong spring, responsive                                       | 仮名・細字・楷書  |
|  コリンスキー    |                      | Siberian-weasel tail hair (//Mustela sibirica//), technically a sub-type of イタチ                  | Premium weasel hair; fine and relatively long; excellent point, elasticity  | 仮名・細字・楷書  |
|  馬毛            |  うまげ              | Horse hair; different parts have different properties; tail, f.e., is very resilient (called 天尾)  | Generally strong and resilient; can be coarse; forceful, clear strokes      | 楷書              |
|  狸毛            |  たぬきげ            | Raccoon!                                                                                            | Firm tip, very strong resilience; good when the point needs authority       | 楷書              |
|  兎毛・紫毫      |  うさぎげ・しごう    | Rabbit; 紫毫 traditionally refers to dark rabbit hair                                               | Sharp, resilient, rather delicate; historically prestigious                 | 細字              |
|  玉毛・猫毛      |  たまもう・ねこげ    | Cat hair                                                                                            | Very fine, soft, with distinctive sticky/supple elasticity                  | 仮名              |
|  猪毛            |  いのししげ          | Boar hair                                                                                           | Very stiff, rough, produces deliberately vigorous/rough lines               | 漢字              |
|  兼毫・兼毛      |  けんごう・かねもう  | Blend                                                                                               |                                                                             |                   |


    * Storage:
          * In a 筆巻 to carry around (ventilated!)
          * Or hang on a 筆掛け・筆立て