Highest quality Russian black sable is slightly stiffer and more rugged than red sable hair * Allows for bristle-like strokes only smoother without marking the paint layers * Excellent for delicate blending and smoothing out ridges makes it a favorite with portrait and realist painters * Great color-carrying capacity with the ability to move large amounts of paint * Black sable is a great value compared to Kolinsky red sable hair, especially in large sizes