What's in a name?
There are many brushes sold as Kolinsky sables. They may vary in price 400% for the same size brushes. Seemingly there are real bargains. Why are some so inexpensive, while ours is so much more expensive than many other "Kolinskys"? Our Daniel Smith Kolinsky Sable brushes are made by an old established brushmaking firm in Germany. For over 50 years, our brushmakers went to the former Soviet Union and bought Kolinsky sable pelts at the annual fur auction. The sale of furs was one way the Soviet government raised foreign currency. Fur buyers from all over the world patronized these auctions because they knew the superior quality of Russian furs.

Why are these pelts so superior?
As most people know, most sables (a.k.a. mink) are raised on mink farms. These animals are very different from their feral cousins. The domestic animals are raised in small cages, get little exercise, are not subjected to temperature extremes, and are given a regimented diet. The pelts of these animals are soft and smooth, ideal for making fur clothing. The wild Russian Kolinsky Sables, found primarily in Siberia, live in a very demanding and harsh climate. Since the animals must adapt to this unforgiving environment, the hair on their pelts and tails is considerably stiffer and stronger than farm-raised mink.

Daniel Smith brushes are made exclusively from male hair. The males of the species are the hunters. They are stronger, tougher animals and as a result their hair is stronger than the females' hair and has more "spring"-one of the qualities that makes for a superb brush. Also, the shape of each hair in the wild is more pronounced. Tips are very pointed while the body of the hair is heavier and thicker, perfect for soaking up paint and water.

Only tail hairs are used for the very finest brushes. Our brushmaker, although he went to the Soviet auction every year, did not buy sable tails every year. Some years tails were in high demand by the fashion industry-for collars and stoles. In years when there was less demand, he bought tails. He then took them home to Germany and proceeded to make the finest Kolinsky Sable brushes we have ever seen. (Many of the hairs in our brushes are, in fact, from 50-year-old sable tails that have been preserved in a cold storage vault.) One last thing. Our #24 brush is very expensive-the reason being, usually only one hair on each male Kolinsky Sable tail is long enough for this brush-and it takes 1,000 tails to make one size 24 brush!

Are they worth the money? That is a question for each artist to decide on his or her own. But we do know no one in the world makes a finer or more responsive Kolinsky Sable watercolor brush and, as the world changes, it is highly doubtful that such brushes will ever be available again.