If you've been shopping for a new Winsor & Newton Series 7 lately — or any other decent Kolinsky Sable brush — you've likely noticed that everyone's darn near sold out. At Dick Blick you'll see something like this:
You may have observed that "Brush Shortage" notice at the top of the screen. But the truth is that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department is responsible for the disruption. It seems they've changed the requirements for the import of certain animal products, including the Kolinsky Sable used in our favorite brushes. While brush manufacturers comply with the new requirements, no new brushes for us.
You can read the full story here. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a timeframe for when we can expect to see the return of Kolinsky Sable brushes the the U.S. Time will tell, I suppose.