Where to get W&N Series 7 Miniature Brushes in Canada?

[SageMonkey]

Hi everybody,

I recently wanted to purchase some WN S7 Miniature brushes from dickblick.com but found that due to US export laws and the fact that the brushes were made with animal fur, the import costs would make the purchase and savings on dickblick pointless. Aside from trying to buy these brushes from a local art shop, is there any Canadian online store where I can get W&N brushes for at least somewhat comparable prices to what dickblick sells them for? Could/should I order them from Europe?

Much appreciated,

-SageMonkey

 

[QuietiManes]

Currys perhaps. Not quite DickBlick pricing but they do have a sale going on now, a percentage off the order based on the total.

They do go on sale fairly regularly, at DeSerres and Wallacks, for %40 off or so. If you keep an eye on the flyers.

 

[SageMonkey]

Thanks QuietiManes! The Miniature Series 7 line is different from the standard Series 7 though right? Because from what I can tell DeSerres only carries the standard line.

EDIT to add: Neither Currys nor Wallacks seem to sell the Series 7 lines, at least not on their online stores :/

 

[QuietiManes]

Oh, sorry, the "miniature" didn't register. Are you sure you want the mini brushes? I've never heard of anyone who likes them. The bristles are way too short. Which means you have to rinse out your brush every 20 seconds or ruin it by letting the paint get into the ferrule. I don't know anywhere that sells the miniature version.

For the regulars: The Wallacks website has always sucked but you can view the flyers on it at least. As for Currys:

https://www.currys.com/catalogpc.htm?Category=A021B000507&NBReset=3

 

[Einion]

I'd actually recommend you do yourself a favour and try something other than the Series 7s, because they're overpriced for what you get and their QC sucks; and as W&N have made little apparent effort to improve on this in years frankly I don't think they deserve the business. There are plenty of comparable brushes for less money, some of them significantly cheaper.

Could/should I order them from Europe?

I doubt it would be profitable, but if the Canadian dollar is strong at the moment it's certainly worth doing some comparisons - plenty of people I know have ordered stuff from the US (Blick mostly) over to Europe, paying both Euros and Sterling, and despite the shipping and even occasionally duty they've saved money.

Are you sure you want the mini brushes?

Seconded.

Einion

 

[SageMonkey]

Ah I was not aware of either of these facts about W&N, gents! I was also looking at some Raphael brushes (most of my interest for the W&Ns and Raphaels sparked from a review I saw on Handcannon Online) but once again face a similar problem as I did with the W&Ns. Are the Raphael Kolinsky Sable brushes better/comparable/worse than the W&Ns you're describing?

Could either of you perhaps suggest some brushes I may want to look into? I'm very new to "good brushes" as I'd been using basically only Citadel and White Taklon brushes since I started up in the hobby, much to my dismay now that I'm reentering the hobby and have no decent brushes to work with D:

 

[Einion]

Are the Raphael Kolinsky Sable brushes better/comparable/worse than the W&Ns you're describing?

Raphaël are a good maker but you have to be specific to range or series unfortunately, since some brands make multiple lines with some variation in quality/qualities.

Could either of you perhaps suggest some brushes I may want to look into?

It's been a while since I'd looked at Wallack's site so I had a poke around earlier and they stock some Escodas which would deffo be worth a try - I might as well link directly to them since the page is still in my browser history, so here. The 1212 series is I think their top-of-the-line brush and the price differential on Wallack's between them and Series 7s is worth noting!

If you're ordering from there anyway I'd also give one or two of their own-brand brushes a shot too, they might be quite good (brushes like this are often made for the retailer by one of the big names, in which case quality is right up there).

If Dick Blick were a viable option the Kolinskys I'd recommend from them are in this thread, post #9. Plus of course they stock a large range of synthetics.

Last but not least Rosemary & Co. are worth mentioning given their great prices, but be aware the tufts are a tad softer than the norm for Kolinskys so if you're a fan of detail brushes with a lot of spring they may not be to your liking.

...I'd been using basically only Citadel and White Taklon brushes since I started up in the hobby...

If you're comfortable using them, white taklon is fine at least for broader work and basecoats. I've pretty much switched to using various nylon brushes for most painting work, going to Kolinsky rounds only for the finest details and there's no real difference in the end result that I can see. With the added advantage that I don't expect to need to buy any replacement Kolinskys any time in the next decade.

Einion

 

[SageMonkey]

Thank you very much that was all very helpful! I was speaking about the Raphael 8404 brushes but I think I may purchase some of those Escodas as soon as Dick Blick cancels my payment and I get that money back in my PayPal...

I'm pretty gentle with all my brushes so even if the quality isn't as good as some other brands I'm decently confident I can keep my brushes alive (will also buy some brush cleaner off Wallack's). I will continue purchasing the Taklon brushes because I do like them for mixing, basecoats, washes, glazes, and general larger area work but all my finer detail brushes are fish hooked at the end unfortunately.

Anyway thanks for all the advice and help, I very much appreciate it

 

[RuneBrush]

Oh, sorry, the "miniature" didn't register. Are you sure you want the mini brushes? I've never heard of anyone who likes them. The bristles are way too short. Which means you have to rinse out your brush every 20 seconds or ruin it by letting the paint get into the ferrule. I don't know anywhere that sells the miniature version.

For the regulars: The Wallacks website has always sucked but you can view the flyers on it at least. As for Currys:

https://www.currys.com/catalogpc.htm?Category=A021B000507&NBReset=3

I've got a couple of the miniature ones and quite like them - however they hold very little paint and are a complete nightmare if you're in a warm room as the paint dries out very quickly Very situational use though.

 

[SkelettetS]

just ordered some serie 7 brushes, cant wait. at least they cant be worse than the £1 nylon brushes i work with atm