This excellent quality german brass brush features 4 rows of fine brass bristles, 3/4" long. The extra long bristles make it easy to get into crevices. Pieces to be brushed or burnished can be held in the palm of your hand or against a rubber block. A rubber block (try out genuine Canadian hockey pucks), gives support to the piece and raises it up off the surface to make burnishing more comfortable. You can run this brush right over your fingers. The soft bristles will not hurt your skin. For bails and hard to reach spots, try out stainless steel tube brushes. Use the brass brush to burnish down the upright crystaline silver particles that make the silver appear white. This is not a crust to grind off, but actual silver than is simply brushed or burnished down. The is the first step in the finishing process for metal clay.Some prefer to use a burnishing solution made of water and a few drops of liquid soap, which is optional.