I use
https://www.rosemaryandco.com/index.php?cPath=275_365&osCsid=2l66vdthqmll6dccb9bgqmm1r3 as I said before and this what they say re sable
Can you ship Kolinsky Sable hair to the USA?
*USA CUSTOMERS ONLY*
Over the past few months I have been under discussion with several officials from the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) regarding the Kolinsky Sable issues. The CITES Convention is legally binding, however national legislation is required to implement its provisions. I therefore have spoken at length with DEFRA, The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
There are several myths about Kolinsky Sable which you should know. Firstly, Kolinsky Sable is not sable hair, in fact it comes from the species called Mustela Siberia. This misnomer was used loosely to describe the hair when manufactures 'switched' from actual Kolinsky and/or Red Sable following World War Two. The trade of this hair is listed under the provisions set out by the CITES and it listed as an Annex D under Regulation (EC) No 338/97. Data for import of Annex D species is compiled yearly by UNEP-WCMC. If the data gives rise to serious conservation concerns, inclusion of a species into Annex C or B may be considered, though this is unlikely. An Annex D listed animal is more likely to be unlisted that re-listed.
An official from DEFRA has explained to me the next meeting for the Mustela Siberia could be in May 2015, though this is not confirmed as yet. They explained that for an Annex D animal to be reviewed there must be reason to do so. I questioned whether it was worth our customers petitioning against this restriction both in the UK and overseas, of which I was told it was worth trying. I also spoke with the US Fish and Wildlife Services, who suggested a similar motion.
I would like to inform our customers, we have never purchased any hair illegally or immorally. At the time of purchasing all of the 'Kolinsky Sable' hair it was both legal and ethical. Indeed, it still is legal and ethical, though it is now under restriction in the US only. The Kolinsky Sable issue is not a problem for anywhere outside of the US.
With regard to Kolinsky Sable, we have several years worth of hair in stock. We have been trading this hair for over 35 years and have spent years researching the best quality of hair for our customers, and will continue to do so.
Our companies main objective has always been to offer high quality brushes at competitive prices and it goes without saying, I am an animal lover myself and appreciate and respect all of the natural hair that we work with.
For those artists who for their own reasons do not want to buy natural hair, which I can understand, we offer synthetic substitutes and as you will probably know the synthetic fibres are improving all the time. In good faith, we give to our customers a product which we respect and treat as though our own.
Symi Jackson LL.B
Sales and Marketing Director
May 2014
I'll stick with them myself
Steve