What is your brush made out of?

There are no official brush naming conventions.  There is no legal obligation or any standard on the designation of the Kolinsky term.  Any natural hair brush could be made out of any animal.  This can be quite confusing when you're starting out. 

The law that protects endangered species (The Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1973-1977) is strictly enforced by the Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Agency. However the law that attempts to protect consumers against misrepresentation (The Fur Products Labeling Act of 1952-1980) is not taken seriously.  

For instance:
Natural brushes

Brushes called 'Kolinsky Red Sable' or just 'Kolinsky' are made of Siberian weasel.

Brushes labelled 'Red Sable', 'Fine Sable' or 'Sable' are not made from the 'Siberian Weasel', but from other animals in the weasel Family, usually the Weasel (Mustela navilas) or the Himalayan or Yellow weasels or Martens.

L to R: Rosemary & Co No. 7 Sable, No. 7 Kolinsky, No. 10 Sable

Brushes called "camel" do not come from camel but from ox, pony, squirrel, sheep or some other creature. Camel hair is unsuitable for brushes because it's too woolly. Pony hair is coarse hair that doesn't form a good point. Often used in cheaper brushes

Brushes called "sabeline" have nothing to do with sables but come from dyed Ox (cattle) hair. Long, strong and springy hair.

Brushes can be made out of squirrel. Cheaper than sable, squirrel is a soft hair with little spring. Larger squirrel brushes work better than smaller ones because the mass of hairs together gives them support. Hold amazing amounts of water / paint.

Brushes can be made out of mongoose.

Brushes can be made out of hog /bristle. The ultimate hard brush is made from the hairs on the back of a pig (hog), which are strong yet springy. The bristles have natural split-ends, which increases the amount of paint they hold. Used for oils and acrylics.

Brushes can be made out of goat. Lacks spring, but forms a good point. Used in calligraphy and Chinese Brush painting.

Synthetic Brushes

Some synthetic fur brushes may be a mixture of synthetic fibre and animal hair.

Some synthetic fur brushes have animal names: "Erminette", "White Sable", "Golden sable", "Taklon" but are made of synthetic polymer (nylon or polyester) filaments. 

Rex Art Aupplies: Choosing the proper brush