A New Kolinsky In Town - Scharff 3000 Kolinsky Sable Brush

I ordered a Scharff 3000 Kolinsky Sable Brush from Secret Weapon Miniatures when I ordered more bases for my Marines. I have had it for almost a month and  I pulled it out for the first time last week. Its a nice brush, holds a very nice point, its a bit stiff with a nice spring to it. It looks a lot like a Raphael 8404. I would certainly recommend it as a replacement if you are still looking for a source for your favorite Kolinsky brush. The company is located in GA and the brushes were initially reported to be made in the US. I actually called them to verify this and that information is incorrect. These brushes are made in France (which you can clearly see stamped on the handle) and are being imported, which further invalidates claims that Kolinsky brushes are banned (of course if you have read some of the links I have posted in the past then you know this already). As long as a company fills out the paperwork that the Fish and Wildlife Department wants filled out then their brushes can be imported to the US.

These have a much thinner and lighter handle than either my Raphael or DaVinci brushes. The DaVinci is still my personal favorite and I may start looking for an overseas source on these. However, this one should be a good stand in till I can start replacing my DaVinci brushes.

The business end. On top is a Raphael 8404 #1, in the middle is the Sharff 3000 #1 and on the bottom is the DaVinci Maestro Series 34.

Here are the handles. The Scharff, is just your stand straight handle and a bit on the thin side. My preference is still the DaVinci handle with its triangle shape and its thicker than either of the other two. I find it much more comfortable to use.

Where have my Kolinsky's Gone?

Way back on May 17th, I posted about Kolinsky Brushes. I was concerned that the supply was drying up because sable was being banned, that turned out not to be the case (it was African Antelope Sable pelts that had been banned). I also included a discussion about different brands and sizes of Kolinksy Brushes (original post: Kolinsky Brushes), which was probably more important to me at the time. We now discover that Kolinksy brushes are sort of banned.

Since then the availability of Kolinsky brushes has been dropping off rapidly. My favorite brush dealer, Dick Blick, shows that well over 50% of my favorite DaVinci brushes are out of stock with no indication of when they will be re-stocked. The same situation exists for Windsor Newton and Rapheal brushes from the same source, in fact just about every US source. There is not a problem getting them if you order them in from overseas apparently. No, the real issue doesn't even lay within the scope of the ban on Sable (which is apparently a ban on the importation of antelope sable pelts from Africa), no its all about a form. Yes, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has stopped the importation of Kolinsky brushes over a form.

Rather than repeat the whole sordid mess I'll summarize. Basically this part of our beloved Federal government has decided that the old form that has been in use by Europe for years is no longer acceptable and instead a different form must be used. Europe has pointed out that their form contains all the information and is, basically, identical to the form being requested by the US. In fact its so identical that apparently the form that the US is requesting doesn't even exist. To read more about this classic tale of government bureaucracy in action head over to this letter posted on the WarPath Games site: Kolinsky Brush Crisis
For some over the pond information (which, in theory, limits the effects to size 7 brushes and larger) head over to this link on the Ken Bromley Art Supplies site: Size 7

I may explore the possibility of using Hobbes' fur for my brushes, he certainly has plenty to spare.

Kolinsky Sable Brushes - Not Banned in the US and other comments

I had an email from Anne this morning and she mentioned that CMoN was no longer carrying brushes and that she had heard that Kolinsky sable had been banned in the US. That certainly concerned me since I had seen Reaper Miniatures mention that they were unable to get Kolinsky brushes from their supplier and were looking for a new source. So I did some research this morning thinking that I might have to start stockpiling brushes and being thankful that I had just received a bunch of brushes from the Games and Gears Kickstarter.

The gist of my research indicates that sable pelts can no longer be imported to the US and there are some other comments there which would allude to the fact that items made from these pelts would also be banned from being imported. I was concerned for a moment. But Kolinsky Sable brushes are not made from sable, they are made from weasels and are part of the mink family and do not fall under the ban. I'm not sure why supplies seem to be drying up though. If you are thinking about getting new brushes I would do it!

Dick Blick is one of the best online sources for Kolinsky sable brushes for those in the US. They carry the three brands, Da Vinci, Raphael and Winsor & Newton, favored by many of the miniature painters that I know. I know some painters also swear by the Rosemary & Co Kolinsky brushes but I haven't tried them. I do know that there is a US distributor for these brushes now: Legacy Art Products.

I stick to three primary sizes for painting my miniatures: 0, 1 & 2. I also have a selection of nylon and older, past their prime, Kolinsky brushes that I use for base coating. My mantra is learn to paint the smallest detail with the largest brush you can. That's the advantage to using a good kolinsky brush they hold a good point while you are painting. As long as you have a good point on the brush you should be able to paint just about any detail you can see (although I do see a lot less these days). I like a nice round, fully bellied, brush. This will hold the point I need and plenty of paint which keeps you from having to refill your brush with paint as often. My personal favorite brushes are the Da Vinci brushes as they have these characteristics and I like the shape of the handles.

Let's take a look at some pictures and prices (current as of 5/17/2013 from Dick Blick online and Legacy Art Products for the Rosemary & Co).

Da Vinci

Da Vinci Full Belly Rounds

Maestro
Series 35
0     $13.95
1     $14.21
2     $15.29
Series 1505 (similar to the 35 series but with shorter bristles)
0     $10.35
1     $10.92
2     $11.99
Restauro (shorter handle and shorter bristles)
0     $10.92
1     $11.48
2     $13.08

Raphaël

Raphaël 8404 Fine Pointed

Raphaël 8408 Extra Fine Pointed

Series 8404 Fine Pointed
0     $12.35
1     $14.92
2     $16.87
Series 8408 Extra Fine Pointed
0     $12.35
1     $14.92
2     $16.88

Winsor & Newton

Winsor & Newton Pointed Rounds

Series 7
0     $14.84
1     $17.11
2     $20.41
Series 7 Miniature
0     $11.46
1     $12.58
2     $13.25

Rosemary & Co

Rosemary & Co Short Handled Red Sables

Short Handled Red Sables
0     $7.50
1     $8.00
2     $8.75

I should mention the Games & Gears line of brushes as well. This is a UK company that is making "reasonably priced" Kolinsky sable brushes. Definitely aimed at the painting gaming community. I don't think their brushes are up for general sale yet as they are still shipping the rewards from their kickstarter. I can find them on facebook but I'm unable to locate a regular website for them. If anybody has it send me the URL and I'll add it.

I haven't had much chance to work with these brushes but I have been a bit frustrated with the PS1 brush that I have been using.