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.

Kickstarter Loot - Games and Gears Brushes

I have been waiting for these for sometime now, it was hard watching all the posts from people saying that I had received theirs. I have made a quick check of the brushes. I see one that has a a frayed point which I suppose isn't bad out of 23 brushes. I'll see if the point neatens up when I get it out of the package. I know I went in a little on the large side with untried brushes but I figure I can always just give them to the CMPA for classes if it comes right down to it. The ), 00 and 000 are a lot closer to the DaVinci Restauro brushes that I have. Nice points but no real belly to hold the paint will see how well those do in my climate.

I'm taking the claims of how fantastic these are with a grain of salt. I'll definitely give them a spin this weekend at the CMPA's 2nd Saturday workshop. 

Here's a quick look at what I received.