江戸時代後期に、現在の豊橋市にあたる地域を支配していた吉田藩の藩主が、京都の職人を、藩のために筆を作る御用筆匠（ごようふでしょう）として迎え、下級武士に副業として筆作りを奨励したのが始まりです。
明治初年、芯巻筆（しんまきふで）を改良した、現在の筆と同じ作りの水筆の製法で筆が作られるようになり、豊橋筆の基礎となりました。現在筆作りの職人375人が、伝統的技術・技法を受け継ぎ、筆作りに励んでいます。
Toyohashi is situated at the center of the area which was once ruled by the Yoshida clan. Toward the end of the 18th century, the leader of the clan brought in Suzuki Jinzaemon from Kyoto, and he began making brushes for the clan. Gradually lower ranking samurai started this work and this marked the true beginnings of the craft in Toyohashi. Toward the end of the 19th century, Haga Jirokichi promoted the making of a coreless brush called a suihitsu and the same brushes are still being made today. Jirokichi was also instrumental in giving the craft a firm base in the area, and established a scheme for the training of apprentices.
Being a style of writing brush in general use, the market for Toyohashi's brushes has been greatly affected by the importing of cheaper brushes from China. A great deal of effort is therefore being made to produce top quality brushes to appeal to the Japanese user, in order to survive in a very competitive market. Today, 15 of the 370 people engaged by the 76 companies in the area are designated as Master Craftsman by the government, and various types of brushes for calligraphy and painting are still being made with unfailing diligence, following traditional methods and techniques.