Our unique blend of natural squirrel hair and black synthetic filament creates ideal working tools for the watercolorist, silk painter, and artists working with inks, dyes, acrylics or gouache. Squirrel hair holds large amounts of color and releases it with perfect control. By itself, squirrel is delicate. So we blended it with a synthetic to resist wear and maintain a wonderful snap and spring. When not in use, these handy, pocket-sized brushes collapse and fit inside the handle for secure storage. To begin using the brush, simply remove the gold cap, exposing the brush and ferrule, and then insert the gold cap into the black handle. The perfect travel brush for any artist!