Since I rebooted Models Workshop I have been itching to do an article on brushes and a guide to buying brushes. What’s stopped me? A current embargo in place on Kolinsky sable-hair brushes by the Fish and Wildlife Service. An embargo that has stopped the import of fine art brushes made by Winsor and Newton, DaVinci, and Raphael.

Factoid: Kolinsky sable fur is in fact not sable at all. The sable is the Martes zibellina, part of the Marten species. But I guess Kolinsky Sable brushes sounds better then Kolinsky Weasel Butt-fur brushes.

First let’s meet the Kolinsky (Mustela sibirica) otherwise known as the kolonok, which is a medium sized weasel from Siberia and Asia.

This beauty is where all of the Kolinsky Sable brushes come from. Specifically the tail hair. For high end brushes, such as the Winsor and Newton Series 7, Raphael 8404, and DaVinci Maestro series it is harvested from the tail hair of the male winter coat. I am not going to get into brush making 101 but that is the basics of it.

So the embargo is in place because in certain regions this animal has been deemed as threatened. It is on the CITES Appendix III because of this. The real mix up is coming from hair sent to Europe from China without proper documentation showing exactly where the hair was harvested making it compliant with CITES treaties.

What does this mean to us? Basically we are waiting for the paperwork and red tape to get cleared away to allow the import of these brushes back into the United States. Some websites, such as Dick Blick are reporting a restock date of 6/30, but who knows if this is legit, or wishful thinking. I, for one can’t wait until then because I would like to order a size 4 brush and I have a lot of friends waiting to buy some, either as a first time buyer or to replace older brushes.

So until then we are all sitting around waiting. At least they are still being made in Europe because I fear a massive rush from not only modelers but water color artists as well when they finally come in. Let’s hope this gets cleared up in quick order!

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