Brause Linocut Set

A complete entry-level and working set for linocut, made in Germany: The wooden handle lies warm and grippy in the hand, the five steel blades cover the most important cutting techniques – from fine contours to large-scale clearing. A roller, lino printing ink and printing plate are also included, so your first print can start right away.

Special Features

• Five blades for all basic techniques: Three flat cutting tools (large, medium, small) for exposing areas and lines of varying widths; a V-gouge with its V-shaped cutting edge for uniformly thin lines and sharp contours; a knife for trimming the plate and pre-cutting precise edges.
• Interchangeable blade system: The included spring extractor allows tool-free insertion and removal of blades – no tool handling, no unnecessary contact with the blade edge when changing.
• Wooden handle: The untreated wood absorbs hand moisture, making it slip-resistant and comfortable to grip securely even during longer carving sessions without fatigue.
• Complete set with roller, ink and printing plate: A roller for even inking of the lino plate, lino printing ink and a printing plate as a base are included – all core components of a linocut workspace in one box.
• Made in Germany: Blades from German metalcraft tradition, proven in school and studio use.

Application & Tips

• Choose blade according to task: For the first contour line, use the knife or V-gouge. Remove areas gradually with the small, then medium, and finally large flat cutter – this allows better control of depth without taking too much at once.
• Transfer design in mirror image: What is drawn on the plate appears mirrored in the print – especially important for lettering and asymmetrical designs. Transfer paper or a pencil rubbing on the back of a printout simplifies the transfer process.
• Roll ink thinly: Distribute only a small amount of printing ink on the printing plate and roll the roller over it several times evenly until a fine, uniform ink film forms. Too much ink fills the cleared areas and causes the image to blur.
• Paper selection: Slightly absorbent, smooth papers take the ink without smudging. Very smooth, calendered papers work well for fine lines; Japanese or Chinese papers deliver particularly clean impressions for single-color prints.
• Multi-color printing: For multi-colored designs, use multiple plates and layer the print runs dry on top of each other. The already-printed area must be completely dry before the next inking to prevent colors from bleeding together.
• Keep blades sharp: A dull blade tears the material instead of cutting cleanly and increases effort. Blades are available for individual replacement.
• Clean immediately after printing: Clean the roller and plate right after printing with water and a cloth while the ink is still fresh.

For Printmaking Enthusiasts

Linocut is a relief printing method: Only the remaining, uncut areas take ink and leave an impression. Linoleum itself – a material made of linseed oil, resin and cork dust – has no grain direction like wood, allowing the cut to be made evenly in any direction and producing particularly smooth, sharply defined areas. The distinction between positive and negative cutting is fundamental: in positive cutting, the design lines remain; in negative cutting, they are removed and appear light on a dark background in the print. Advanced users employ the lost cut technique (reduction printing): a single plate is further worked after each inking pass, creating multi-color overlays – a process that cannot be undone and therefore requires precise planning.

Technical Data