After switching brushes three times, I finally figured out the breaking-in (patina process) for the Old Tree King 108. When breaking in 108 beads, choosing the right brush matters even more—after swapping one brush after another, I finally understood the principles of breaking-in. I'm documenting the brush-switching process as a reference for others doing the same.

The First Brush

The first brush was an ordinary soft brush. At the time, I thought a soft brush was gentle and wouldn't damage the mala (prayer beads) when brushing 108 beads. But it turned out the soft brush couldn't reach into the crevices, couldn't remove the alkaline bloom, and the crevices of the 108 beads stayed grayish-white—the more I brushed, the more anxious I got. Later I understood: breaking-in starts with cleaning the crevices. A soft brush works for the surface, but not for the crevices. That was the first pitfall.

The Second Brush

The second brush was a stiff-bristle brush. The stiff bristles reached into the crevices and removed some of the alkaline bloom, but with 108 beads, brushing for a long time with stiff bristles made the surface rough and dull, with no glossy sheen coming through—and my hand got tired. Later I understood: brushes need to be used for different purposes. A stiff brush cleans the crevices, a soft brush polishes. One brush isn't enough. That was the second pitfall.

The Third Brush

The third time, I got both a stiff and a soft brush. The stiff brush follows the grain to clean the crevices, the soft brush polishes the surface, brushing each of the 108 beads one by one, using them together—the alkaline bloom faded, the glossy sheen appeared, and only then did I truly understand breaking-in. After switching brushes three times, I finally figured out the breaking-in for the Old Tree King 108: brushes need to be used for different purposes, stiff and soft working together, brushing patiently—and breaking in 108 beads isn't hard at all.