1. Painting, miniture models .2. No one as yet, the logevity and durability will determine, recommendation.3. Superior in comparison with synthetic brushes,the application of paints is smoother ,the design holds a higher reservoir of paint which flows evenly and the point of the brush remains exact, and rarely splits .

Happy with this product, note that you will possibly need to pay import duties if you are getting this delivered to the EU. It was an extra 10EUR for me, but duty rates will vary by country. Unfortunately this is totally out of the hands of the seller but an additional cost that I wasn’t expecting.

Amazing paint brush

This brush is like holding a Samurai sword. You just know it is amazing. But once you start using it, you immediately know how incredible it is to use. It's ability to hold paint is superb. The fine tip and strong shape means it does an amazing job of creating thin precise lines. Well, that's what it would do if it weren't in the hands of a buffoon like me. But I'm sure I'll get more proficient with it. I can only imagine how good the $200+ brushes are. But they are way beyond my price range so these brushes are well worth the money and are definitely a massive step up from Games Workshop brushes. I will definitely be buying more of these in the future.

Excellent "basic" brush for miniature paining with acrylic paints

Raphael 8404 is the best brush for painting miniatures I ever had. It keeps excellent point and holds paint very well in it's belly. Bristles are returning to its original form quite easily. Currently this is my main paint brush for miniature painting with acrylic paints. I am using it together with different size brushes from the same line: 0 for edge highlighting, 2 and 3 for basecoating and two-brush wet blending. For non-acrylic paints (like Humbrol Enamels or Vallejo Liquid Gold) and "heavy duty" (like taking paints out of pots and mixing them on a palette or in the airbrush cup) I use cheap synthetic brushes available locally. I am using "The Masters" Brush Cleaner and Preserver after paining in order to clean the brushes from paint and shape them for storage. ... MoreRaphael 8404 is the best brush for painting miniatures I ever had. It keeps excellent point and holds paint very well in it's belly. Bristles are returning to its original form quite easily. Currently this is my main paint brush for miniature painting with acrylic paints. I am using it together with different size brushes from the same line: 0 for edge highlighting, 2 and 3 for basecoating and two-brush wet blending. For non-acrylic paints (like Humbrol Enamels or Vallejo Liquid Gold) and "heavy duty" (like taking paints out of pots and mixing them on a palette or in the airbrush cup) I use cheap synthetic brushes available locally. I am using "The Masters" Brush Cleaner and Preserver after paining in order to clean the brushes from paint and shape them for storage. For the past 10 years of miniature painting I was using various brushes, both with synthetic and natural hair bristles, trying to find one that suits me best. I've tried Raphael 8404 after watching video's from Miniac and Squidmar Miniatures on YouTube and I am very happy that I have followed their advice. I don't know why it has mixed reviews on eBay - personally I had no problems with it. All in all, I highly recommend this brush. It keeps fine point, holds paint well, and has a very good "snap". It's a goodvalue for it's prize.

Expensive but worth it

Very expensive, but best brush I have ever used. I use it to paint miniatures and the point stays sharp and collected for several days in a row, only rarely needing to be cleared of excess dry paint with master brush soap every week or two. Extremely high quality. The lettering on the handle faded within a month however, a d quite expensive. If you are tired of fighting with your brushes to keep a sharp point after every stroke, consider buying this.

Nothing beats the Raphael Kolinsky sable brush!

I have used different types of watercolor brush. The Raphael Kolinsky sable hair brushes are the best for controlling the amount of water you deposit on paper and the thickness of brush strokes. I paint mostly flowers and leaves so for me, being able to control my brush stroke is important. No other brush allows me to achieve this than the Raphael Kolinsky Sable. This size 6 is an excellent overall brush for thick as well as fine lines. If you have a limited budget and can afford to buy only one Raphael Kolinsky sable brush, get the size 6.

Perfect for miniature painting

I paint 28mm scale miniatures (i.e. Games Workshop and similar minis). I've been user Windows and Newton Series 7 brushes for a while but had consistent issues with the size 2, even brand new ones. They didn't keep a point well and there were a lot of breakaway hairs. I tried masters soap, I tried W&N brush restorer, nothing seemed to improve the situation.The Raphael brushes are longer and thinner than the same size in a W&N. So far they have kept a good point and I'm not seeing all the breakaway hairs. The thinner size also seems to provide a more workable belly for miniature painting. The belly on the W&N brushes is, now that I have a point of comparison, too large for minipainting and can make it hard to get just the right amount of moisture in the brush.

Very very good brushes. The best I have ever used,.

These brushes are top drawer. Great tip, Great feel, good price. Premium brushes.

Whats the point?

Really disappointed with this brush. I generally take good care of my brushes (brush soap etc) and I have some R&C S:33 brushes which are a good 2-3 year old and still maintain their point and shape. This brush however - despite the good reviews - looses it shape as soon as paint hits the bristles. I've tried the usual tricks to try and re-condition the brush but nothing seems to work. I have some cheap synthetic brushes which are much better that this 'premium' brush.