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 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.

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.

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.

Bought this with a gift card to see what the fuss was all about. Not sure if it was user error or bad quality, but it was frayed beyond use and split almost immediately. I am fairly careful with my brushes too. I tried using brush conditioner but eventually just threw it away. $10 brushes from Michael's perform better for me.

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.

Vous êtes débutant en peinture ? Prenez le sans hésiter ! C'est une véritable baguette magique , je l'utilise pour la peinture de miniatures et c'est un véritable bonheur.

Una gran decepción, la primera vez que lo uso y la punta se abre haciendo imposible pintar con el.

Der Raphael 8404 ist super fürs Bemalen von Miniaturen und Figuren! Die feine Kolinsky-Borste hält Farbe gut, bleibt spitz und eignet sich perfekt für präzise Details wie Gesichter oder Rüstungen. Der Pinsel liegt angenehm in der Hand, die Verarbeitung ist hochwertig mit stabilem Ferrule. Auch nach mehrmaligem Einsatz bleibt die Form top, wenn man ihn gut pflegt. Für den Preis ein klasse Werkzeug für Modellbau und Tabletop – klare Empfehlung!

A genuinely fantastic brush. I use it for miniature painting and it's lovely, stays in shape and keeps a nice point. Would buy a whole set but they're £20 each.

I love this brush for painting miniatures