Isabey

For centuries beautiful handmade brushes for artists have been crafted in Brittany, France. A region famous for fishing, the men of Brittany have traditionally left at dawn to man the boats, while the craftswomen of Brittany stayed at home to make the world’s most beautiful handmade lace and fine art brushes. The art of fine brushmaking has been passed on from generation to generation of Bretons, and the brushes made today are the legacy of that tradition. It takes the brushmakers 7 years to learn how to make the brushes of the Isabey line. Isabey brushmakers must apprentice 10 years before being allowed to make the Kolinsky sable, red sable and Siberian blue squirrel mop brushes. Isabey travels to the most remote locations in the world to hand select only the finest hair available. Unlike manufacturers who buy pre-dressed hair and pre-assembled brushes, every Isabey brush is completely made by hand from start to finish, and completely hand dressed including the washing, sorting and shaving of the hair. In order to preserve the natural qualities and characteristics of the hair, all Isabey brushes are shaped exclusively during the mounting of the hair, without further cutting or re-shaping of its tip. Through traditional methods, careful selection of materials, the strictest quality control and unparalleled pride in workmanship, Isabey crafts brushes of distinction that are truly works of art. The adherence to this tradition that has been passed through the centuries makes Isabey brushes the finest in the world.