The original Black Sable Oil brush. Highest quality Russian Black Sable is slightly stiffer and more rugged than Red Sable hair allowing for bristle-like strokes, only smoother without marking the paint layers. Excellent for delicate blending and smoothing out ridges; it"s a favorite with portrait and realist painters. Black Sable is a great value compared to Kolinsky Red Sable hair, especially in large sizes. Not overly soft like many of our less expensive competitors, a very famous brush from da Vinci.