KALISH FINEST BRUSHES
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WHAT IS A KOLINSKY?...
The Kolinsky is a weasel-like critter about fifteen inches long with a large
bushy tail of about eight to ten inches. He has reddish-brown fur and
lives in Siberia and northern China, usually along rivers in forest areas.
He is a vicious predator of rodents, squirrels, and rabbits which he pursues
relentlessly, but he also eats insects and fruit. He is extremely agile, with
both swimming and tree-climbing abilities.
Unfortunately (for the Kolinsky), his beautiful fur is highly valued and he
has been trapped since the mid sixteenth century. Kolinsky fur is the most
desirable in the fur industry (as well as the most expensive)- and couldn't
you guess, the very best hair for Artist Brushes!
Scanning a Kolinsky hair from root to end, we see that its diameter becomes
larger near the middle, and then tapers off to a fine point at the end. When
many of these hairs are set together in a bundle to make an artist brush, the
bulges add to form a distinctive 'belly'. An artist's extremely fine control of
color is attributed to this belly. The other, equally important characteristic
of a Kolinsky brush, is its ability to always snap back to a fine point. This
is made possible by the great resilience of Kolinsky hair grown in very cold
climates.
No brush compares with the Kolinsky for control and resilience; it is
the ultimate in artist brushes! There is one limiting factor and that is size.
Most Kolinsky brushes run up to size 12, some go to 14, and a few go higher.
Only the older animals have long enough hair for these sizes, and their longer
tails drag on the ground, roughing up the precious hair. Long Kolinsky hair
of top quality is scarce, and expensive.
Even though the Kolinsky has a very specific place in the formal hierarchy of
the Animal Kingdom, there is an unbelievable amount of confusion as to
where it fits in and who its 'cousins' are. This is due, in no small part, to the
very loose usage of common names established through tradition, as well as
the brash misnomers being used today. The 'scientific' name of the Kolinsky
is Mustela siberica . This name consists of a combination of the
GENUS ( Mustela ) and the SPECIES ( siberica ) at the bottom of the
formal hierarchy.
If we trace the Kolinsky down from the top of the hierarchy, the PHYLUM
is Vertebrata (internal skeleton), the CLASS is Mammalia (mammals),
the ORDER is Carnivora (flesh-eating), the FAMILY is Mustelidae
(weasels, etc.), and the GENUS is Mustela . The Mustelidae family includes
two genus: the Mustela and the Martes. Species in the Mustela genus include
the: siberica (Kolinsky), lutreola (Mink), erminea (Ermine), navilas (Weasel),
putorius (Polecat or Fitch), and the furo (Ferret). The Martes genus includes the:
martes (Pine Martin), meles (Badger), lutra (Otter), pennant (Fisher), and
zibellina (Sable).
The common names of brushes in the Art World are not as formal, to say the
least! For example, a 'Camel Hair' brush may be made of Pony hair and/or
any hair but Camel, 'Sabeline' brushes are made of dyed Ox hair, while
'Erminette', 'White Sable', 'Taklon', etc. brushes are made of synthetic
(polymer) filaments. Traditionally, brushes made of Kolinsky are called
'Kolinsky Red Sable' or just 'Kolinsky' while the name 'Red Sable', 'Fine Sable'
or 'Sable' is reserved for non-Kolinsky brushes made from the hair of other
animals in the weasel FAMILY, usually the Weasel ( Mustela navilas ).
It is interesting to note that various dictionaries and other reference books
define the Kolinsky as a 'Siberian Mink', 'Asian Mink', 'Tartan Sable',
'Red Sable', or most officially (F&WL), the 'Siberian Weasel'.
The very best Kolinsky brushes are made with hair from the tail of the
male animal, winter coat . Although Kolinskies are also found in northern
China and northern Japan, the best hair is from animals in the northern-most
parts of Siberia. Kolinskies must be trapped in the wild as opposed to raised
on fur farms as Mink are today. Also, the fuss and expense of bringing
Kolinsky hair into the U. S. is no small matter. The Kolinsky is on the
endangered species list , requiring very special paper work for the U. S.
Customs and the Fish And Wildlife Agency, not to mention special licenses
and fees.
All of this makes Kolinsky brushes expensive and many devious
approaches have been used to market them at a lower price. A common
approach is the use of lower-grade Kolinsky hair- not from the male, not
from the tail, and/or not from a winter coat. Such brushes will not perform
well, but can still be called Kolinsky! Another approach is to mix less
expensive animal or synthetic hair with the Kolinsky hair. This is difficult to
detect, but an experienced artist will note the lower performance immediately.
Other approaches include skimping on sizes like making a 10 the size of a
traditional 8, etc., or skimping on hair length; not having enough hair inside
the ferrule for good performance. Finally, and with increasing occurrence in
recent times, we find brushes offered as Kolinsky but made with hair of
another animal! What is a 'European Kolinsky', a 'Marten Kolinsky'?
Manufacturers obtain the hair for their brushes from hair dealers, who,
in turn, get hair in a rough state (pelts, tails, etc.) through the fur industry.
The hair dealers 'dress' (de-grease, clean, etc.) the hair, grade it, and bundle it
by size and weight. A brushmaker is then offered the different grades and
mixtures. If he is not careful, however, he may unknowingly receive summer
coat instead of winter coat, or other hair mixed in with the Kolinsky hair.
The law that protects endangered species - The Endangered Species
Conservation Act of 1973-1977 - is strictly enforced by the Fish and Wildlife
Law Enforcement Agency. However the law that attempts to protect
consumers (like artists) against misrepresentation - The Fur Products Labeling
Act of 1952-1980 - is evidently not taken seriously in the area of Artist-Brushes.
Copywrite 1998 Harry Kalish
Around January 2004 I was happy to find, on the internet, an excellent
wildlife list that the UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) /
WCMC (World Conservation Monitoring Centre) had put up. However
when I looked up 'Kolinsky', there was no such common name !!! I sent
them my comment as follows:
I'm very happy to be able to use your listed-species database. I have
been searching the libraries for many years trying to find an authoritative
hierarchical list of mammals.
Our small business designs fine artist brushes and has them made in a
small factory in Ireland. Our finest brushes are made with hair of the
Mustela siberica and, of course, they are shipped to us with the proper
CITES. The common name of this mammal is "Siberian Weasel"
according to your list and a few of the many encyclopedias / dictionaries
I looked at.
My concern is that your list does not mention the "Kolinsky" as a
common name even though it is thoroughly established in fine art
painting for many years - well over a century ! Every painter knows
that brushes made with Kolinsky hair out perform all others.
Thank you for your attention-
Harry Kalish
And the reply.....
Dear Harry
We have added Kolinsky to our database.
With best wishes
Sarah
