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When it comes to the board games distribution in Poland, there’s not many companies (if any) that can rival Rebel. Being a part of the Asmodee group and a well recognized brand, Rebel sits at the pinnacle of the Polish board games market. It’s not just games that Rebel is known for. Not so long ago the company turned its focus to miniatures hobby and introduced multiple popular brands of paints and accessories to their offer. A few months back Rebel went even further and released their own brand of hobby Brushes. As it happens, a selection of these new “Rebel” brushes found their way into my hands and I’ve been ‘butchering’ them since. If you’re curious as to how they performed then look no further.
The selection of Rebel brushes arrived in a special brush Rollbag, that at first glance looked pretty cool. A leather-like strap with a single clip, nice Rebel logo and a lot of slots for individual brushes. The brushes themselves are split between four series, one of which (purple, promo) is not available for purchase. The remaining three series are Natural Dry, Kolinsky Layer and Synthetic, all looking visually appealing, varying between amazing (dry) and a bit uninspired (synthetic). Overall good first impression .
When it comes to synthetic brushes I approach them with near to none expectations. With the way I paint and the quantity of miniatures that go through my desk I always feel like the expiration date on synthetic brushes is rather short. Rebel synthetics came through two main projects mostly intact, which is legit. The tips held. Definitely better than cheap low quality stuff from Asia, and with performance to be expected from fully fledged hobby brushes. I feel the price range is a turnoff with Rebel synthetics price starting point exceeding the Green Stuff World’s price end point. I believe that availability in local stores and associated discounts will be a decisive factor. These are, in all regards, good quality hobby brushes.
REBEL
Flat Synthetic M ~5,1€
Flat Synthetic L ~6,9€
Synthetic Layer 00 ~4,2€
Synthetic Layer 0 ~4,4€
Synthetic Layer 1 ~4,6€
Synthetic Layer 2 ~5,1€
Synthetic Layer 3 ~5,8€
THE ARMY PAINTER
Drybrush S (synthetic flat) 5,99€
Drybrush L (synthetic flat) 6,5€
GREEN STUFF WORLD
Flat Synthetic Brush Size 1 3,15€
Flat Synthetic Brush Size 3 3,22€
Flat Synthetic Brush Size 6 3,49€
Green Series 00 3,75€
Green Series 0 3,75€
Green Series 1 3,85€
Green Series 2 3,99€
Rebel’s Kolinsky Layer brushes hold up to the quality you can expect from all Kolinsky brushes. You basically get what you see and can expect solid performance. I had no issues with these, each tip held firm throughout the rigorous painting process. A bit pricey compared to competitors on the lower size end, especially compared to (once again) the Green Stuff World’s Silver series. Interestingly, Rebel gains pricing advantage further on the size spectrum, at some point becoming twice cheaper than Roubloff FFF1 series. Being produced within the EU and available, definitely makes Rebel Kolinsky Layer brushes worth a consideration for European hobbyists.
A quick comparison between two brushes, Roubloff 111F vs Rebel Kolinsky Layer. Tips of a similar length and shape. In my experience they did perform the same which is a testament to Rebel’s Kolinsky Layer quality.
REBEL
Natural Kolinsky 00 size ~7,6€
Natural Kolinsky 0 size ~7,9€
Natural Kolinsky 1 size ~8,1€
Natural Kolinsky 2 size ~9,2€
Natural Kolinsky 3 size ~11,6€
GREEN STUFF WORLD
Silver Series 00 6,56€
Silver Series 0 7,30€
Silver Series 1 8,66€
Silver Series 2 11,28€
ROUBLOFF
111F 00 ~5€
111F 0 ~5,3€
111F 1 ~5,7€
111F 2 ~10€
111F 3 ~23,5€
Dry brushes is the final Rebel series and my personal favorite. Not only do they look and feel great, but the performance is stellar. I like the length of the brush toes – a bit shorter than the recently covered Notts Hobbies, but longer and softer than The Army Painter. Quality is great and the pricing seems fairly competitive.
REBEL
Drybrush S ~4,6€
Drybrush M ~7€
Drybrush L ~8,1€
THE ARMY PAINTER
Masterclass Drybrush Set (3 pieces) 19,99€
GREEN STUFF WORLD
Drybrush size 5 6,75€
Drybrush size 7 8€
Drybrush size 9 9€
NOTTS HOBBIES
Drybrush S ~7,20€
Drybrush M ~7,20€
Drybrush L ~7,20€
A cherry on top is the Rebel Brush Soap, designed to be compatible with their brushes and help to extend their hobby lifetime. The soap comes in a 110ml plastic container, has a strong herbal smell and is oily in touch. It works with both natural and synthetic hair and is quite easy to use. This is the second container I got from Rebel. I have been using the previous one with good results for about a year now. Seems fairly priced around 5,8€.
The final item to arrive from Rebel is the Brush Rollbag designed to hold and transport brushes. Sadly, although visually appealing, the item feels completely misdesigned. The strap has only one clip and as such cannot be modified to fit depending on overall tightness. More so the width of the rollbag is not enough to hold Rebel brushes inside. When covered with protective plastic tubes, some brushes stick out, but it gets worse in case of Flat Synthetics, which being longer than the rest, are sticking out even without protective tubes. On the bright side the quality of material is there and the entire thing can be hanged sideways and used as a brush holder, providing easy access to what’s inside.
Throughout two latest painting projects I got to know Rebel brushes rather intimately and had a good overall experience with them. My impressions vary between the series. I’m rather neutral towards the Synthetics, but dig the Kolinsky (especially the larger sizes), and am impressed by Drybrushes. The promos (purple) I have annihilated, but that’s to be expected. Considering my personal situation the pricing is never a decisive factor and I tend to purchase stuff that I like to work with. That being said the Rebel Synthetics seem overpriced on paper and I feel I can get the same value for less elsewhere. Kolinsky and Drybrushes I will genuinely consider when the time comes and I burn through the current stockpile. I would definitely be happy to find these brushes in local stores. If you are looking for new brushes, I sincerely recommend testing Rebel brushes and see if they click for you, especially the series that are priced competitively. And if you happen to find these brushes in-store at a discount – they’re a steal.
I hope you find this review interesting. Be sure to let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or at Facebook or Instagram. I would also appreciate it if you considered sharing this content with your friends, who might find it useful. Finally if you are looking for a professional miniatures painting service, be sure to contact me with this contact form. I always reply within 24 hours, after which please check out your spam folder.
