> What are chip brushes?

Around here, they are the foam brushes and they are regularly, $.39 ea for 1" and $.45 for 1 1/2 and $.49 for 2"

> Are they those inexpensive pig-bristle brushes?

> Do they lose bristles badly or are they fairly tight?

If you are talking about the cheap bristle brushes, they are horrible to use for painting, varnish or epoxy, they lose bristles all over the place. Foam brushes are 10/ 1 better.