The exact date is unknown for the first Artist's brushes made in France. In the past, Artists would learn to make their own brushes as well as their own colours. 2000 years before Christ, the Chinese had the idea to insert natural hairs into bamboo, to write their ideograms. In 1730, metal ferrules were available. It was not until shortly before 1789 that the first workshops, then factories started to appear. French manufacturing had at the beginning a very large monopoly. Then, Germans from Nürnberg came to learn the French technology. This is why the French from Artists' brushes is still the most used around the world. The founding for the present SAUER Company goes back to 1793 in Paris. Today it is the oldest European Manufacture of Fine Brushes.
Raphaël brushes are made by highly skilled “pincelières”. They are given long and rigorous training. The products are controlled at each stage
of the manufacturing process. Handles and ferrules are chosen, to ensure an attractive presentation as well as solidity. Tradition and know-how among our brushmakers has been passed over many generations and the extreme care taken to "dress" Fine hairs before the manufacturing stages result in supreme quality of finished product, thus ensuring continued pleasure of use which all amateur and professional Artists have come to recognise as synonymous with Raphaël brushes.
