little presents

[Madbrush]

Hey guys

Jessica Alba got wind of my painting of her and was so chuffed and proud that I did such a good job, she said she loved what I did with the eye so much she's having plastic surgery to have her eye moved to her knee.

She was so happy she sent me these two lovely gifts;
View attachment 33982

OK you got me, I lied, a while back I stopped flying so I could care for my wife, at the time I gave away a fully working model glider and the guy I gave it to came round this evening and gave me these brushes free of charge.

The top one is a Hansa pro 250 and the bottom an Olympos 100A

What are your thoughts on these? They both belonged to his father in law who died ten years ago, I tried out the Olympos and it sprayed perfect even after all that time, these are still made and cost around €145 new.

Would like to hear from anyone with experience of either of these.

They both need cleaned and lubed, there is no dried paint or such, just a little stiff due to old oil.

 

[Strictly Attitude]

I want an Olympus it is on my have to own AB list

 

[markjthomson]

Nice looking brushes... do up a test something...

 

[basepaint]

If they paint well use them till they die a slow death!!!

 

[Madbrush]

If they paint well use them till they die a slow death!!!

The bottom of the two, the Olympos 100A as I said I tried it out and was pretty much amazed that it worked so well after it had been sitting unused for ten years, this makes me think if I give it a good clean and remove all the old oil then re-lube as well as check all the springs and replace if necessary, this could be a pretty good brush well worth keeping.

I've already had the needle out to have a look and there isn't a blemish or mark to be seen, it looks like it came from the factory yesterday, in fact the whole brush looks like it has never been used but the guy who gave me them said his father in law used both of them everyday, from what I can see he cared for them very well.

It has a 0.2 nozzle and these are still made, a quick check has shown spares are readily available here in Holland, if I remember correctly @Melbee has or had an Olympos so I would love to know her thoughts on it or anyone else's for that matter, it's very light and I like the feel of it in my hand so I'm thinking this could be my go too brush, what makes it even more attractive is the fact that there is no cup obstructing my view.

I believe the other (Hansa) brush is/had something to do with Harder & Steenbeck, the only info I can find so far is that they were made from 1985 to around 1998, I did find a a sticker under the box with "Harrolds" on it a and this is the shop where I buy most of my supplies including my Iwata, so I might take it to them to find out more, my main question is whether or not it's worth preparing for use.

 

[Strictly Attitude]

http://precisiongermanairbrush.com/hansa281chrome.html
Now just send me the olympus and all will be good

 

[Madbrush]

http://precisiongermanairbrush.com/hansa281chrome.html
Now just send me the olympus and all will be good

Well that's not the same brush so it looks like you bum is out the windows

 

[Melbee]

Hey Malky, lucky you!!! How fabulous! I've not used the Olympos 100A but I've heard really good things about the 100 series. I think the quality of the Olympos airbrushes is just that tad better than the Iwata's. So as I've said before my Olympos MP200-C which is the Micron of Olympos brushes is slightly better than my Iwata CM-SB. I'm sooooo annoyed they don't make a side-feed version which is why I ended up with the gravity feed but I consider it my best airbrush.

It by no means surprises me that yours sprayed really well straight from the box even though it has been used extensively for many years but also been stored for many more. They are really built, very, very well and they use better materials to make them so it will last much longer (so long as you take care of it). The 100A is a dedicated detail airbrush as you can obviously only put in a small amount of paint in it so you are set to go!! I'm pritty sure @denstore has one or has used one.

I've not used the Hansa airbrushes but you are correct that they are the H&S's cheaper range. I'd say it's gonna be better than a Chinese Knockoff so will still be a useful airbrush even if you only use it for varnishing for example.

But the Olympos 100A is a real gift. Use it wisely Padawan-Malky, Obi-Wan-Olympos is watch over you
Enjoy, enjoy!!! A hug for you and your Missus too
Cheers Mel

 

[Madbrush]

Hey Malky, lucky you!!! How fabulous! I've not used the Olympos 100A but I've heard really good things about the 100 series. I think the quality of the Olympos airbrushes is just that tad better than the Iwata's. So as I've said before my Olympos MP200-C which is the Micron of Olympos brushes is slightly better than my Iwata CM-SB. I'm sooooo annoyed they don't make a side-feed version which is why I ended up with the gravity feed but I consider it my best airbrush.

It by no means surprises me that yours sprayed really well straight from the box even though it has been used extensively for many years but also been stored for many more. They are really built, very, very well and they use better materials to make them so it will last much longer (so long as you take care of it). The 100A is a dedicated detail airbrush as you can obviously only put in a small amount of paint in it so you are set to go!! I'm pritty sure @denstore has one or has used one.

I've not used the Hansa airbrushes but you are correct that they are the H&S's cheaper range. I'd say it's gonna be better than a Chinese Knockoff so will still be a useful airbrush even if you only use it for varnishing for example.

But the Olympos 100A is a real gift. Use it wisely Padawan-Malky, Obi-Wan-Olympos is watch over you
Enjoy, enjoy!!! A hug for you and your Missus too
Cheers Mel

Thanks Mel, I know I saw somewhere either here or elsewhere someone boast about how good the Olympos were, I liked the feel of this one, I had a cheapie which was similar to it but I dropped it and busted it, but it was ideal for doing small items such as lips and eyes and stuff, when I do that kind of stuff I always mix colours on the piece because of the small amounts needed, so this brush ideal for that since it's so easy to clean.

The hansa brush is also only a 0.2 nozzle so not much good for varnish, because the other brush worked so well my suspicions are that this one will do the same even though I haven't tested it yet, the previous owner had quite some pride in looking after them so I'm confident, so if my suspicions are correct it will be an ideal back in case of one my famous red mist moments,

I'm still busy with my Jessica pic, but when it's done (hopefully tomorrow) I plan to give my studio a little tidy up and then I'll strip and service all three brushes, it seems I now have quite an armoury, when the guy picked up the plane I gave him he told me he had a couple of old little spray guns he couldn't use and that I may have them, I thought meant normal spray guns but small, when he turned up with these I couldn't believe, I had to be honest and tell him that these were probably worth a few bob, but he said that didn't matter since I could get the use out them that the couldn't, I was so chuffed I even let hi have a biscuit with his tea,

I cant wait to hear form @denstore now, I've tagged him too just to be on the safe side, I am now extremely curious as to his verdict

 

[Strictly Attitude]

Does anyone know if the new olympos airbrush have the same quality as the older ones

 

[Madbrush]

Does anyone know if the new olympos airbrush have the same quality as the older ones

I had a little look around on-line and the model is still made and looks exactly the same, I can't vouch for the quality but have no reason to think it wouldn't be as good.

This the one I found, it's just the same model, top one obviously;
http://www.airbrush-services-almere.nl/shop9/contents/en-uk/d20.html

 

[Squishy]

They have definitely found a good home!

 

[Melbee]

Does anyone know if the new olympos airbrush have the same quality as the older ones

It's hard to determine exactly what is happening with Olympos in Japan but I bought my Olympos MP200-C in 2013 from a Japanese company (he's also an airbrush artist), here's the link http://olympos-airbrush.ocnk.net/product-list/2 and the quality is brilliant.

I can't say for sure because I'm no expert but for me the quality of the needle in my Olympos seems better than the CM-SB needle. I'd rather have an Olympos needle than an Iwata, the taper on my Olympos Micron is longer than the CM-SB and I have the feeling it's stronger and therefore less likely to bend if I take care of it. However the Olympos needle is an 0.23mm and the CM-SB is 0.18mm so it's possible that the taper is different between the two sizes, I don't know, if anyone does please let us know
Cheers Mel

 

[Madbrush]

It's hard to determine exactly what is happening with Olympos in Japan but I bought my Olympos MP200-C in 2013 from a Japanese company (he's also an airbrush artist), here's the link http://olympos-airbrush.ocnk.net/product-list/2 and the quality is brilliant.

I can't say for sure because I'm no expert but for me the quality of the needle in my Olympos seems better than the CM-SB needle. I'd rather have an Olympos needle than an Iwata, the taper on my Olympos Micron is longer than the CM-SB and I have the feeling it's stronger and therefore less likely to bend if I take care of it. However the Olympos needle is an 0.23mm and the CM-SB is 0.18mm so it's possible that the taper is different between the two sizes, I don't know, if anyone does please let us know
Cheers Mel

I took the needle out of mine before I tested it, and even after ten years of now moving there wasn't a single blemish on it, no rust, no black marks, nothing at all, I bought new needle for my iwata two months a ago form Harrolds and it already has a black tarnish spot on it, I do have my doubts as to whether or not is is a genuine iwata needle it wasn't in an iwata pack just as your nozzle wasn't, but I won't buy needles form there any more, although the Iwata works fine now, I just don't trust them.

 

[Melbee]

I took the needle out of mine before I tested it, and even after ten years of now moving there wasn't a single blemish on it, no rust, no black marks, nothing at all, I bought new needle for my iwata two months a ago form Harrolds and it already has a black tarnish spot on it, I do have my doubts as to whether or not is is a genuine iwata needle it wasn't in an iwata pack just as your nozzle wasn't, but I won't buy needles form there any more, although the Iwata works fine now, I just don't trust them.

I'm with you on that one cos I bought Iwata parts from the UK at airbrushes.com and they came in sealed Iwata packaging and from Harrolds they were loose, so I think they get unofficial Iwata parts. I'd rather pay the extra to know I've got the official parts so be aware that Iwata parts are in sealed Iwata packaging that has a kind of hologram on it. At the end of the day, cheaper usually means the quality is not as good

The Olympos line was the original before Iwata bought the license from Olympos for their airbrush designs. This means that you will also be able to use an equivalent part from the Iwata range if you can't find the actual Olympos parts. For example the CM-C needle will fit my Olympos MP-200C and I think the HP-A+ parts will fit the Olympos 100A. If someone knows different please correct me if I'm wrong. Either way if you can't get the real Olympos parts you will still be able to furnish your Olympos Airbrush with equivalent Iwata parts. So no worries
Cheers Mel

 

[Strictly Attitude]

It's hard to determine exactly what is happening with Olympos in Japan but I bought my Olympos MP200-C in 2013 from a Japanese company (he's also an airbrush artist), here's the link http://olympos-airbrush.ocnk.net/product-list/2 and the quality is brilliant.

I can't say for sure because I'm no expert but for me the quality of the needle in my Olympos seems better than the CM-SB needle. I'd rather have an Olympos needle than an Iwata, the taper on my Olympos Micron is longer than the CM-SB and I have the feeling it's stronger and therefore less likely to bend if I take care of it. However the Olympos needle is an 0.23mm and the CM-SB is 0.18mm so it's possible that the taper is different between the two sizes, I don't know, if anyone does please let us know
Cheers Mel

Was on that site today was tempted to buy but don't have the money right now.

 

[Melbee]

Was on that site today was tempted to buy but don't have the money right now.

Be aware @Strictly Attitude that you have to pay Import Tax on top of those prices. I bought my Olympos from them and then had to pay €80 Import Tax to the Dutch government via the Post Office when it arrived. It was still a bargain as far as I was concerned because mine came with an extra head unit worth around £130. However it could work out more expensive because some of the Olympos airbrushes are available to buy in Europe with no extra Import Tax and they don't all come with an extra head unit from the Japanese website. It is always a good idea to ask before you buy.

 

[denstore]

I love the Olympos range. Best airbrushes ever. I used to have one of each of the 100, SP and MP-series, but when I went back to the University I had to start selling them of.
I have a couple of HP-100's and my Microns still, and a SP-C that hasnt been sold.
Parts are very similar to the Iwata HP series. But you need to get the HP-A-parts, and not the HP+, which have different size nozzle threads.

Hansa was bought by Harder & Steenbeck a while back. From what I've heard, they wanted to get their know how on compressors, but where not that interested in the airbrushes, which is a bit of a shame, since they where quite good, IMHO. I'm not that a big fan of H&S, so I might be a bit biased.....

 

[Madbrush]

I love the Olympos range. Best airbrushes ever. I used to have one of each of the 100, SP and MP-series, but when I went back to the University I had to start selling them of.
I have a couple of HP-100's and my Microns still, and a SP-C that hasnt been sold.
Parts are very similar to the Iwata HP series. But you need to get the HP-A-parts, and not the HP+, which have different size nozzle threads.

Hansa was bought by Harder & Steenbeck a while back. From what I've heard, they wanted to get their know how on compressors, but where not that interested in the airbrushes, which is a bit of a shame, since they where quite good, IMHO. I'm not that a big fan of H&S, so I might be a bit biased.....

Thanks for that D, So far the 100A I have is in top condition for it's age, it was well looked after and only requires that the old oil residue be cleaned and re-lubed, we have a shop here in Holland that carried the whole "100" range and parts so that won't be a problem, I would assume Olympos parts would cost less than Iwata?

I too am no big fan of H&S, I had a lot of problems with an evolution which got lobbed after only six months, but this brush also seems to be in excellent condition and I see distinct difference in the shape of the needle, the Hansa needle is more slink just like the Iwata, but I noticed the evolution needle was fatter going into the nozzle, I believe this was the route of my problems, I was always having to pull back a good way before paint would come out and then it would just explode, it was thought at the time it had to do with thinning, but I had other brushes on the go at the same time including cheapies which performed way better.

Today I'm planning a good tidy up in my studio, along with that I'll beservicing these tow brushes along with my Iwata HP-BH+, once I've done that I'll test both of these again, I know the Olympos is fine, but if the Hansa is also working as well, I'll keep that on hand as my back up, since I totally love Iwata I see no reason to stop using it but I was always on the lookout for brush for small items uch as eyes and noses where frequent colour change is necessary so the Olyimpos is just what I was after.

Thanks again for your input, you've just confirmed my suspicions, I've heard a lot positive stuff on the Olympos range, the only complaints I've seen about availability of parts but I think this area specific.

 

[Madbrush]

@Strictly Attitude @Melbee @denstore

I cleaned out all my brushes including these two.

This is what came out of the Olympos which I had tested a little and got very nice lines after ten years of doing nothing;



And this is what came out of the Hansa which I hadn't tested;


Both brush now look like new and I've had a little play with both of them and they both work fine, the Olympos is actually amazing, very accurate and fine lines, seems to like low pressure, so it's ideal for what I want it to do, I plan to do my next (small) painting with it so watch out for that

Note: although a lot of what we see here looks like rust, the insides of both brushes are clean as a whistle and both look like they just cam out of the factory.