da VinciWatercolor Series 1200k Maestro Paint Brush, Medium Needle Liner/Rigger Kolinsky Red Sable, Size 0 (1200K-0)

I love the Da Vinci Maestro series of brushes. I'm assembling a set of them. There are real advantages to using kolinsky sable brushes. The fact that they come clean with 2 or 3 dunks in water is my favorite. It's so convenient. It let's me work faster and not have to race and worry about the paint on the page drying. They also maintain their points very nicely, hold lots of liquid and are durable.I purchased a brush from the seller "Heart of the Deal" recently. I had an issue but they took care of it very quickly and to my satisfaction.

Firstly it was poorly packaged in a flimsy non padded plastic bag. The ferrule was bent when I opened it. I did my best to bend it back to straighten it. The deal breaker for me was the fraying after the very first use.

I use this for watercolor painting and love the performance ! UNTIL the ferrule fell off. I’m very careful when cleaning up, always laying brushes horizontal to dry and while painting.I’m disappointed this has happened within 1 year of use.

I bought two Round 10 Size 2 brushes. One arrived with a protective cap, the other didn't. The uncapped brush fortunately only had one hair that was bent out of shape.I was able to use that brush today to paint some 28mm statues. I also had my current favorite brush to help with two brush blending (the Da Vinci Student Series 373, also Round Size 2). The Maestro lived up to its name, and the student needs a lot more education. The Maestro bulged beautifully, almost precisely in the middle between the ferrule and the needle-sharp tip. To achieve that tip only a slight rolling of the brush was required as I pulled it through a puddle of thinned acrylic.Laying down large swaths of color was, as one would expect from any brush, easy. The brush held so much paint I started to question whether I was blanking on the moments when I reloaded; but no! This brush simply holds a lot of paint.The test came when I needed to paint the statue's eyes, and paint the 1mm wide sash. I could not have asked for better precision. The tip was so pointed I had to make actual brush strokes to lay paint on the eye. I was able to paint in the very narrow crevice between the figure's folded clothing and the belt, without any of the paint brushing onto the clothes.Then came two brush blending. The Student, while a very nice brush and my favorite of the low-cost options, felt like a toothbrush in comparison to the Maestro. The Student's bristles were hard, and pushed back against my hand where the Maestro's bristles are impossibly soft, yield to the pressure and snap back to a point. The Student's tip felt like I was using an old sharpie compared to the fine drafting pen of the Maestro. A new frustration arose when I had to reload the Student at least twice for each time I loaded the Maestro.Currently the Maestro is twice as expensive as the Student, but is definitely more than twice the brush. If this lasts as long as a Student I will be ecstatic.

Brush arrived today in a box with three other items and was bent at the ferrule. Truly surprised that it would have been shipped without a tube and is the first sable I've bought that came without it. I checked the site and see they have another option to buy with a tube for about 6 dollars more, which is more than a little absurd. Just sell one brush with a tube for a little more. You'll have happier clients and less inventory to manage.I fixed the brush as best as I was able to and figure I'll see how it performs. The shape is good with no fraying or stray bristles. The point seems to be pinpoint razor sharp and if it holds when wet and performs like my other sables, I'll overlook the lack of a tube, update the rating to four stars and if you change your products to a brush with tube for a couple more dollars, make you my main brush supplier.Update: as promised...The brush, though it had a point upon arrival does not hold a point when wet. The bristles flatten out even with the smallest pressure and makes it impossible to make clean even lines.When dry the brush flays and the bristles spread like a woman's makeup brush.Truly disappointed in this brush.It is probably just a bad brush and does not reflect the quality of their product. I most likely received a defective one.I increased to three stars because I was able to make it hold a point by dipping it into boiling water for a few seconds. Now when dry it's bristles are frayed as before, but wetting it and giving it a sharp tap across the rim of my water cup brings the point back. When painting the tip still isn't sharp but it is adequate for base coating.

Unlike many other detail brushes, this has very long, stiff bristles that can hold enough paint and moisture and yet have a wonderfully fine tip. Much easier to do the detail work without mistakenly drowning the ferrule in paint. Excellent brush, and has earned a permanent spot in my "most used brushes" lineup.

First, Da Vinci Maestro brushes are my favourite at the moment and I ordered a replacement for the one I destroyed with incorrect use (it now doesn't hold the point well). Hence 5 for the product itself. However, the replacement ordered from this seller arrived 2 weeks later and was a defective product as you can see from the picture (my old brush is on the right and the brush I received - with bent ferrule - on the left).

Usually Da Vinci brushes are good, however, my latest order (5/0) turned up looking more like a broom than a precision paint brush. This wasn’t anything to do with packaging or postage, it was just misshaped. Good brushes if you don’t get a defective batch.

Absolutely wonderful brushes for miniature painting. The best I have ever used.

Really good price and wonderful brush to use. Arrived promptly.