Reeves Watercolours

Reeves like Winsor  and Newton were the best of British and I know I used them in the dim and distant., but as you say  Robert they don’t seem to have been around in recent years.  So no I can’t help on the quality front. Try Googling to see  if the name has just been  purloined… otherwise just use them for sketching in books ,not posh stuff…as you say gift horses and all that. ,you just may be pleasantly surprised .

Robert I have used Reeves watercolour, we were given a lot of them by a stationary company when I was working in day centres . I honestly would not use them for a decent painting and the few I had at hone I let my grandchildren use them up.  I have never really though of why I don’t use them , but recall thinking they were to bright fir my liking and seemed very thin when diluted down . I realise that sounds silly but what I mean is there was not a lot of pigment unless it was used thicker if I make sense. I tended to use them as poster paint and they were fine for this . So that you are not causing any offence , I would suggest you take Sylvia’s advice and use then for rough work . I have some very cheap paints very similar bought from the works they are fine for every day sketches to agg a bit of colour but I again would nit advocate using them for what you could call a serious painting. I would and have suggested to people starting out thst it’s ok go use this type of paint until you can afford better or want better.  Hope this help a bit even if it doesn’t fully answer your question. 

I have no knowledge of Reeves watercolours in tubes.  Way back for many years I was happy to use their pan watercolours, they came in a small red tin and were as cheap as chips.  They suited me perfectly, although a true watercolourist may not have felt the same.  I still have many paintings done with them, I've never really concerned myself with things like lightfastness etc.  No doubt I should.  But these old paintings still look bright and vibrant to me...the last time I used them was in 2011...no time at all in the scheme of things.  Prior to that I'd used them from when I was a nipper.  The 2011 picture has been hanging on various walls most of the time, it's on the wall next to me as I type this.  I still looks fine alongside others painted with Cotman and White Knights. I'd assumed they were made in this country.  You can still by the red tins for about £9, 12 colours.