Russian black sable, also known as high quality Russian fitch hair, lies directly between artist Chungking bristle and the finest Kolinsky red sable, but still gives the painter the benefits of red sable; its stiffness allows for bristlelike strokes, only smoother without marking the paint layers. In larger sizes black sable brushes have great colour carrying capacity. Excellent for delicate blending and smoothing out ridges, it is a favourite among portrait and realist painters. It is the most stable oil painting brush in the whole assortment. Seamless, nickel-plated brass ferrules give it durability and black sable is a great value when compared to Kolinsky red sable hair, especially in large sizes.