da Vinci Brushes5359 da Vinci Watercolor Russian Red Sable 5359-5 Brush Set-Includes Series 36 Sizes 0, 1, 2, 4 & 6-Round Shape

Love these brushes.

I got some Escoda and Da Vinci brushes to compare.(Escoda brushes: Reserva, Prado, Versatil. Da Vinci: Maestro, Marder (oil brush), Harbin, Nova)My harbin size 4 came without a protective cap. At first, it was hard getting it to keep a point, but the more I use it, the more it comes to a finer point though. Of all the Da Vinci Kolinsky brushes, the Harbin is the most flexible and holds the most water. It definitely poofs out in water! It's almost more of a mop shape; it might be because the hairs are wavy? A couple good flicks or using a paper towel to remove all the excess water makes it pointy though. Mine was probably damaged; my other Da Vinci brushes aren't behaving this way! The other ones keep a sharp point.Despite the extra effort to make it pointed, I do like using this brush for gouache. It's much easier to clean than synthetics because of the way it poofs out. :)If you're looking for a firmer, springy Kolinsky brush that has a sharp tip, go for the Marder or Maestro brushes. All of the brushes are great... They just perform a little differently.

First of all, this is NOT a nail brush as the title says it is. It's a brush for watercolor brush. The Da Vinci line has always done fantastic brushes. I have a few of their red handled cosmo spin brushes and I love them immensely. This one is right up there. It holds a LOT of paint and makes a fantastic point for fine lines or broad sweeps in a glazing technique. The handle is nicely shaped too. That's one of the main features that makes it stand out for me. The handle is very comfortable to work with. I do realistic/fantasy paintings and having detail and control is a must.This is an affordable sable brush. Please note that, although it's not "top shelf", working with ANY sable is considerably better than any synthetic! For the price you are paying you are getting a great brush that you can use for many years.Keep in mind, this is a natural hair brush, not a synthetic. It's made from some type of weasel or ermine, so you do have to take proper care of your brushes. Wash them, condition them and reshape them after you use them!

Horrible. Almost turned me away from painting thinking all brushes were like this. Truly gas to be a scam, these brushes gave a huge following and I know that had nothing to do with these brushes I received. DONT BUY!!!!So I’m a man of acceptance so I know when I’m wrong and am not afraid to admit it. So it’s not that the brushes are horrible it’s that the brushes are amazing but the prep before use is horrible. I will tell u now. If u do not prep these brushes they will be the worst. But once washing and trimming all the loose hairs (which goes to me complaining about the prep and which took about 30mins each brush so I wouldn’t damage them) they are amazing. Stiff and the belly holds the paint very well. It’s not that’s it’s a long time because it’s not. It’s that it’s very disappointing for new painters who don’t know about prepping and washing the brushes prior to use. You guys and most brush companies should really tell the customers that and explain to them it’s the norm. Because if I didn’t do the research I would’ve been really bummed about ordering other brushes from u guys. Thinking they all came like this. But I’m a very happy customer and WILL be ordering more brushes.

da Vinci is the best!

I must have received a "lemon" from the seller since so many 5-star reviews have been posted for this item. One previous reviewer shared my experience, so initially I felt my review might be most helpful if it appeared as a comment linked to the only other 1-star rating rather than buried amongst all the product praise. However, you have to click on "comment" to see it, so I am uploading it now as a separate review.Within a week or two of using these brushes for the first time, I noticed the hair on the smaller sizes was thinning, and before four weeks were up, the hair on the 3 smallest brushes was virtually gone, save a few stragglers. Soon after that, the second-to-largest brush also went bald, and although the largest size is technically usable, there is no point left to the tip, and the remaining hairs are broken off at different lengths creating the 'frizzy' texture referenced in the review I am commenting on. Although I paint often, I only used this set with watercolor. I can only imagine the result if they were exposed to other media like acrylics that are harder on natural fiber brushes.I should have returned the brushes to the seller at the first sign of trouble. Unfortunately, I kept the product because I considered the price I paid, which, at the time, was only about $25.00, to be reasonable for even one sable brush. Once the time for returns had elapsed, I looked for a place to lodge a private comment in case the seller wished to remedy the situation, but if there was such an option, I couldn't find it.If you decide to purchase these brushes, my recommendation would be to return them right away if you notice yours are damaged. Look for any irregularities in the tapered shape of the brush tip, or wet the tip and press the brush hairs down to the ferrule to see if they "splay" and whether the brush snaps back to its original shape immediately upon release like natural sable fibers should. Even at the current price, the product is still a relatively low risk investment, especially since the odds seem good that you will receive the higher quality brushes other reviewers have written about. If you want to be completely safe, and your goal is to build a collection of high quality natural fiber brushes that will last, you may wish to consider putting your $34.00 toward the purchase of a genuine male Kolinsky "sable" brush in the size you use most often (many are offered here from Amazon direct and other sellers they represent). Licensing issues are currently impacting the importation of genuine Kolinsky brushes, causing an increase in prices, thus the real thing is not likely to get any cheaper in the short term, at least not until those issues are resolved.

Gear seem to be holding up well and keeping their point. Have painted over 100 miniatures and the tip keeps it shape.