Raphael 8404 Kolinsky Round No. 2

I've ordered through Amazon three Raphael Kolinsky Sable size 2 round brushes, and only one was acceptable. Two of them did not come to a point. One of them did. The only other good brush I have in this size is a Windsor & Newton Series 7 no. 2 round brush that I purchased in person at an art supply store.If you wet one of these Kollinsky brushes and tap the end of the brush near the ferrule, the tip should come to a point. If it doesn't, the brush won't create a single consistent line. That doesn't mean the brush isn't useful, but it's no longer suitable as a liner. Because it isn't possible to conduct this test sight unseen when ordering online, it's better to order three at a time.A good Raphael Kolinsky Sable size 2 round brush, which I have seen at the Art Students League, has a fat belly and a narrow point. I've seen them used to meticulously ink carefully penciled comic art pages. It's not the least bit surprising that some professional comic art inkers prefer the Raphael Kolinski Sable size 2 round to the Windsor & Newton Series 7 no. 2 round brush.After a certain amount of practice it becomes evident that brushes provide physical feedback that you won't get from a brush pen. Learning to sense the feedback from the brush helps to control the line. The Raphael Kolinsky Sable size 2 round is still my favorite brush for comic book inking, but after learning that I ought to pay close attention to the feedback from the brush, I now find that the Windsor and Newton Series 7 no 2 round is more or less equal.

If I wasn't already familiar with Raphael brushes I'd have been a bit upset over the fact that it doesn't come in a fancy protective tube like W&N brushes, but it comes with a tip protector on. Great brush, but you should really wash the bristles gently with some kind of brush soap and lukewarm water before using it the first time. The starch that they use to bring it to that point will destroy your brush if you try to use it without washing it first.For those who order this brush and get it in bad shape, don't blame the manufacturer, blame the shipper. Raphael makes high quality brushes and if you make even a passing attempt at keeping paint out of the ferrule and doing proper brush care, these will last you years.

I only ever buy this brush when a brush needs bought. Why? It's good and sound, my neighbor dear-heart. The tip whips zip out the lines - thick AND thin, don't fret! Where other brushes sigh and moan and say I can't, these brave boys go straight to the page with a warm smile and a can do attitude. And they write their mothers and they never let em worry. When my brushes come in the mail I glow and I beam and I can't stop calling my good guys up and saying "The real art are the happy babies that grew up and slipped ink on the page from my hand, by all that's good, that's so. These brushes are all I'll ever need." They say "I'm a happy boy to hear you are a happy boy" And there the brushes go, weaving smiles and they didn't even try.

If you're painting at the 25-28mm scale (Warhammer, 40k) this is the absolute ideal, perfect all purpose brush. I spent ages working with mediocre brushes, assuming it couldn't make TOO much of a difference, and struggling to get professional quality work as a result. The second I started using this I realized how much time I had wasted on bad brushes--it really is hard to explain how different the experience is. The bristles stay in place, paint seems to only ever get exactly where I want it, it has a huge but very consistent and predictable well / belly, yet it somehow maintains a proper point. Painting is just more fun now.

This was great price for this famous, professional quality brush. I have no used it yet. I kept looking at it thinking something was off. I could well be wrong, but it looks larger than the size 2 it is supposed to be. Larger than the size 2 of this brush I tested at an art store. I hope that I am wrong and that when it gets wet it will shrink down. If it does, then you cannot beat this price for a Rapheal Kolinsky Sable brush. I shopped around endlessly. they sell for about $25.00 in stores.

I paint 28mm miniatures for as a hobby. For over 2 years this has been my go to brush. My work horse. My All Star. The point has stayed true and sharp, the belly is large and will hold ample amounts of paint. These style of brushes won't make you instantly a better miniatures Painter, but they sure will help. Do yourself a favor and grab a No 2 and a No 0. Don't spend on the No 1, as everything that I can do with the No 1, I can do with the No 2. Worth every penny. Will for sure purchase again as need arises.

I skimmed past the bad reviews thinking it was just unlucky customers. Nope.... I bought this brush to have as a replacement for my old brush. Well after painting one set of Tzaangors the brush has about 6 hairs that flay out. I can still get a point but the fact that there's so many disobedient hairs makes it hard to keep paint off of places I don't want it.I also used brush conditioner after each day of painting and left it in after cleaning for extra protection. And to no avail it hasn't helped at all..Extremely disappointed is an understatement.

Second time buying a raphael 8404 size 2 round, and this one is on par with the last I bought off amazon which is a good thing. Arrived in a packet with the brush in it's own plastic bag, with a cardboard piece to protect it from bending during transit.The brush came with a plastic tube to protect the bristles as well. The bristles were glued to it's fine tip as expected. All-in-all exactly what I expected of a raphael product and cannot wait to use it after I wash the glue out with warm, soapy water.