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Robert Simmons Short Handle Sapphire Brushes

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If you value the good pointing, color handling, spring, and smooth application of natural sable with the durability and value of synthetic brushes, the Sapphire line is for you.

Handmade of the finest red Kolinsky hair and synthetic filaments, Sapphire brushes can be used with all media. They feature kiln-dried beechwood handles and precision engineered 22K gold-plated ferrules.

Use the short handled brushes for fine art and decorative painting.

Sapphire Pack W — This set, designed for watercolor painting, contains three short handle brushes: Shader #4, Filbert #4, and Round #2.

Sapphire Pack X — This set, designed for tole and decorative painting, contains four short handle brushes: Liner #10/0, Angle Shader 1/4", Shader #6, and Round #4.

Sapphire Pack Y — This set, designed for watercolor painting, contains four short handle brushes: Script Liner #3, Shader #12, Round #2, and Round #6.

Note — Brush sizes are not standardized. The length and width of a brush of a given shape and size varies considerably by manufacturer. Since fine art brushes are handmade, expect some variation even among brushes from a given manufacturer.

see also ...

® Robert Simmons is a registered trademark of ® Daler-Rowney.

Filbert, Size 6

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REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Robert Simmons Short Handle Sapphire Round Series S85

3.9

(based on 8 reviews)

63%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Reviewed by 8 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-8

9/26/2012

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Reasonable value, performance OK

By Dog Artist

from Castleton, VA

Pros

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Robert Simmons Short Handle Sapphire Brushes:

I started watercolor painting with these brushes. They seem to be well made; mine held up well and I experienced no cracking/peeling of the handle's paint but then I am very careful with my brushes (don't leave them sitting in water, don't store them point up when wet).

While the feel, spring, and paint holding capacity are okay, none of the rounds I purchased in this line ever came to a super-sharp point. They all come to a sort of rounded point. It takes a very delicate touch to get a very fine line from my #8 or #12. I certainly would not compare them to sable. They have a much stiffer feel, but not as stiff as most synthetics.

I cannot recommend them over sable but these brushes are a decent compromise for those on a budget.

2/4/2012

5.0

Excellent watercolor brushes

By Chez

from Baltimore, MD

Pros

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Robert Simmons Short Handle Sapphire Brushes:

The Simmons brushes are excellent for your watercolor paintings. They are top quality, no loose bristles, easy to clean, the handles don't chip or split, and the bristles come to a nice point. The prices are very good and my particular order arrived in just a few days.
I have had some of my original Simmons brushes from my art school days some 40 years ago, so I highly recommend them.

10/26/2011

1.0

Bad Brush

By Belle-Lady

from Columbia, Mo

Pros

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Best Uses

Comments about Robert Simmons Short Handle Sapphire Round Series S85:

I had the same problem with this brush as a previous reviewer.
The paint flaked off the handle and the brush came apart.

8/30/2011

(1 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

Robert Simmons Sapphire bad construction

By Gary

from Windsor, CO.

Pros

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Robert Simmons Sapphire Brush Packs:

I bought several Robert Simmons Sapphire brushes after my watercolor teacher said she used and like them. I did not have a problem with the brush and how it works to paint but the handles are terrible. With normal use the blue paint breaks off and the brush head comes loose from the metal to the point where the brush is unusable. This happened to all the RS brushes I purchased. A very poorly constructed brush. I would not recommend it to anyone.

7/19/2011

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Excellent Brushes

By Landscape Artist

from Edmond, OK

Pros

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Robert Simmons Short Handle Sapphire Round Series S85:

These brushes are excellent. I don't like them for watercolor but for oil painting they are just awesome. They hold a sharp chiseled edge and are excellent for creating expressive brush work. I have been looking for a brush that is reasonable in cost and that creates sharp edges. I like this over pure sable because they hold a sharper edge

12/21/2010

(8 of 8 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Perfect! It was exactly what I needed.

By Cloudman

from CA/Az

Pros

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Robert Simmons Short Handle Sapphire Round Series S85:

I paint as a realist in oils. Most of the work is fine detail so this brush is perfect in holding its point.
Without realizing it, most of my brushes are "Robert Simmons"
They do what one needs a brush to do. I will be back for more.

2/25/2010

(6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Favorite brush

By Nurbman

from northern vermont

Pros

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Robert Simmons Short Handle Sapphire Round Series S85:

After trying many this is my all time favorite

11/30/2009

(16 of 16 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Get What You Pay For

By Gary

from Lake Meade (East Berlin, PA)

Pros

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Robert Simmons Short Handle Sapphire Brushes:

When I started watercolor lessons my instructor failed to stress the importance of quality brushes thus I ended up with student grade brushes and poor results. I could not achieve the same results as the instructor nor as the artist on Art Accademy Live. Finally a clerk at Blicks suggested Simmons Saphire Brushes. I wished that I had invested in Simmons to start with. I get much better results & I master techniques faster. The brushes are easy to maintain and have a lifetime warranty, I love them!

Displaying reviews 1-8

Purchase Items

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Item	Series	Brush	Style	Width	Length		Price Prices, promotions, and availability may vary by store, catalog, and online.	Qty
06770-1039		Sapphire Pack W	Short Handle			List $19.55	$9.78
06770-1049		Sapphire Pack X	Short Handle			List $25.35	$12.67
	out of stock, available 7/19
06770-2049		Sapphire Pack Y	Short Handle			List $31.09	$15.54
05802-7050	S85	Round, Size 5/0	Short Handle	0.5 mm	6 mm	List $7.09	$3.54
05802-7020	S85	Round, Size 2/0	Short Handle	1 mm	6 mm	List $7.25	$3.62
05802-3000	S85	Round, Size 0	Short Handle	2 mm	9 mm	List $7.35	$3.67
05802-3001	S85	Round, Size 1	Short Handle	2 mm	10 mm	List $7.65	$3.82
05802-3002	S85	Round, Size 2	Short Handle	3 mm	11 mm	List $8.15	$4.07
05802-3004	S85	Round, Size 4	Short Handle	3 mm	16 mm	List $9.75	$4.87
05802-3006	S85	Round, Size 6	Short Handle	5 mm	19 mm	List $12.65	$6.31
05802-3008	S85	Round, Size 8	Short Handle	6 mm	22 mm	List $18.19	$9.08
05802-3010	S85	Round, Size 10	Short Handle	7 mm	25 mm	List $26.79	$13.38
05802-3012	S85	Round, Size 12	Short Handle	8 mm	32 mm	List $37.75	$18.85
	out of stock, available 7/5
05802-3014	S85	Round, Size 14	Short Handle	9 mm	33 mm	List $40.79	$20.37
05802-2204	S67	Filbert, Size 4	Short Handle	5 mm	10 mm	List $12.99	$6.49
05802-2206	S67	Filbert, Size 6	Short Handle	6 mm	11 mm	List $17.29	$8.63
06182-4014	S21	One Stroke, Size 1/4"	Short Handle	6 mm	19 mm	List $10.99	$5.49
06182-4012	S21	One Stroke, Size 1/2"	Short Handle	13 mm	27 mm	List $19.99	$9.99
06182-4034	S21	One Stroke, Size 3/4"	Short Handle	19 mm	32 mm	List $52.95	$26.47
	out of stock, available 7/5
06182-1001	S21	One Stroke, Size 1"	Short Handle	25 mm	37 mm	List $58.99	$29.49
05802-5214	S52	Oval Wash, Size 1/4"	Short Handle	6.4 mm	15 mm	List $15.69	$7.84
05802-4212	S52	Oval Wash, Size 1/2"	Short Handle	13 mm	27 mm	List $23.35	$11.67
05802-4234	S52	Oval Wash, Size 3/4"	Short Handle	19 mm	33 mm	List $48.45	$24.22
	out of stock, available 7/19
05802-4201	S52	Oval Wash, Size 1"	Short Handle	25 mm	38 mm	List $62.45	$31.22
05802-4112	S55	Flat Wash, Size 1/2"	Short Handle	13 mm	17 mm	List $23.45	$11.72
05802-4134	S55	Flat Wash, Size 3/4"	Short Handle	19 mm	21 mm	List $33.59	$16.79
05802-1201	S55	Flat Wash, Size 1"	Short Handle	25 mm	28 mm	List $55.09	$27.54
05802-6002	S60	Shader, Size 2	Short Handle	3 mm	8 mm	List $8.49	$4.24
	out of stock, available 7/5
05802-6004	S60	Shader, Size 4	Short Handle	5 mm	10 mm	List $9.75	$4.87
05802-6006	S60	Shader, Size 6	Short Handle	6 mm	11 mm	List $10.89	$5.43
05802-6008	S60	Shader, Size 8	Short Handle	8 mm	13 mm	List $12.89	$6.43
05802-6010	S60	Shader, Size 10	Short Handle	10 mm	14 mm	List $15.79	$7.88
05802-6012	S60	Shader, Size 12	Short Handle	11 mm	16 mm	List $16.46	$8.22
05802-6016	S60	Shader, Size 16	Short Handle	14 mm	19 mm	List $21.45	$10.72
05802-6020	S60	Shader, Size 20	Short Handle	16 mm	21 mm	List $26.09	$13.03
	out of stock, available 7/19
05802-4014	S57	Angle Shader, Size 1/4"	Short Handle	6 mm	10 mm	List $8.69	$4.34
05802-4038	S57	Angle Shader, Size 3/8"	Short Handle	10 mm	13 mm	List $12.15	$6.07
05802-4012	S57	Angle Shader, Size 1/2"	Short Handle	13 mm	16 mm	List $13.59	$6.79
05802-2002	S48	Fan, Size 2	Short Handle	41 mm	25 mm	List $19.15	$9.57
05802-5001	S50	Script, Size 1	Short Handle	2 mm	21 mm	List $7.65	$3.82
05802-5003	S50	Script, Size 3	Short Handle	2 mm	25 mm	List $8.69	$4.33
05802-5100	S51	Liner, Size 10/0	Short Handle	0.5 mm	12 mm	List $6.39	$3.19
05802-5110	S51	Liner, Size 0	Short Handle	2 mm	16 mm	List $6.79	$3.39
05802-5101	S51	Liner, Size 1	Short Handle	2 mm	17 mm	List $7.55	$3.77
05802-5102	S51	Liner, Size 2	Short Handle	2 mm	19 mm	List $7.65	$3.81