*Shrug [SEP] The brushes themselves are fine. They are not however the brushes in the product photos. The bristles are purple and beautiful. Beyond the ferrule though, its a different item. The handle is not purple. The handles of the brushes I received were red. They were almost cherry lacquer finish. My intent in this purchase was to display the things. They were pretty in the pictures and I found them browsing lightning deals. They are now sitting in a basket.  The tops are visible.<br /><br />The  case seemed to be the source of a pungent melted plastic/glue smell. The case looked very nice, but I could not keep it. After removing all the brushes from their protective sleeves and disposing of the case I didn't have odor.