Speedball Block Printing Baren - Comfortable Wooden Handle, Made in the USA - 4 Inches

I like this Speedball Block Printing Baren very much.

Ive tried the bamboo baren, but this really makes pulling prints so much easier. I get a cleaner press with more pressure, but it feels like less work.

exactly what I needed!

Never having seen a baren before, from the look of the photo I expected it to be heavy, and the bottom to be ceramic or some other heavy plastic. I thought the weight of the baren was part of what helped transfer the ink to the paper. But this is very lightweight and the bottom is made of fabric. I trust Speedball to know what a baren is supposed to do, so obviously my expectation was wrong. But if this can do it, then a Japanese baren made of bamboo and coiled paper might also work, and they cost much less. But then Ive also seen barens on Etsy made of solid glass or marble, which are decidedly heavy, so I have a lot to learn about barens. This will undoubtedly do the job, though. It has nicely rounded edges so there is no risk of tearing the paper. Im satisfied with this, but I might ask for a marble or glass one for a birthday or Christmas (they cost a lot more)!

This item was recommended to me by an avid block printer. I was sceptical about its effectiveness but am delighted that I purchased it. I have tried printing with and without it and the results are far better when I use it. I would recommend this for aiding with good consistent printing.

Works great. Much better than the back of a wooden spoon.

This barren works well in hand printing. Good in student situations. Would have given it a 5 but the barren is hard to clean if ink gets on it.

Very satisfied. Smooth on many paper types including hand made. Especially good value compared w much pricier barrens. Surprised at how well it functions.

This barren could be dangerous since the metal band is sharp and caused cutting to my fingers. Also the bottom is not smooth.

Unfortunately, I used this product after the 30 day window to replace/return. Just got caught up and didnt have time for art projects. The first press and glide on paper the whole thing came apart. I also did not receive a red barron Very disappointed! My bad for not inspecting the product earlier. I just normally have such great experiences with amazon I didnt feel the need. I also didnt realize the return policy on this product was coming to a close.