Airbrush Feature:
Iwata High Performance HP SB

The Iwata High Performance HP SB is an AWESOME airbrush!! This airbrush is the brush that was provided for students at the 2005 Airbrush Action Getaway in Las Vegas (the deal was that at the end of the course you could buy the one you used for a discount).

Retail, the Iwata High Performance HP SB are a little pricey.... about $200 US for this brush. But it's one of those brushes that you won't be disappointed in ... it's high quality, durable and precise.

I figure if this is the airbrush that the folks at Iwata wanted featured at an Airbrush Getaway ... they must be pretty damn good!

The Nitty Gritty

The Iwata High Performance HB SB features the following:

NOTE: Iwata's latest product brochure does not have this exact brush in it as of December 2008 ... they have upgraded the "High Performance" line to the "High Performance Plus" line.... so now it is called "Iwata High Performance HP SB Plus"

.... with the plus you get these extra features:

So what does all that mean? Let me break it down....

1. The side feed means two things .... 1) the cup is out of your line of sight which helps when painting details and 2) it's best used for applications where you won't be using lots and lots of paint (considering the cup is only 1/8 oz). If you are not sure what side feed is read this.

2. It's dual action ... which is great! And, if you don't know what that means read this.

3. The 0.2 mm needle allows for very fine lines...this airbrush would not be god for painting heavy, thick pigmented paints (like textile paints) because it will be difficult for them to pass though the fine needle/nozzle. The fine needle also can make it prone to clogging - again - depending on the paint you use.

4. Teflon needle packing is featured on most (if not all) iwata airbrushes. The benefit of teflon is that it doesn't degrade when used with solvent based paints (like urethanes).

5. Screw in nozzle.... one of the "bad things" that can happen to an airbrush is cracking or splaying of the nozzle. If that happens your airbrush will misbehave in a BIG way ... so, it is nice that the nozzle can be easily replaced.

P.S. cracking or splaying the nozzle happens when the needle is inserted roughly... so careful!

My Two Cents

Things I really like about the Iwata High Performance HP SB are:

The Quality: As soon as I laid eyes on this brush, I was impressed. It is much daintier and smaller than other brushes I had used but it still felt tough and well made.

The Needle Size: Moving from a 0.5 mm needle to a 0.2 mm needle was a bit of a shock - in a good way - it was so much easier to get hairlines with thise needle size.

The Side Feed: Getting used to the side feed took a little bit of time, but now, it feels awkward when I use my gravity feed airbrush because I am always trying to see around the cup. I noticed that my aim improved quite a bit when I started using the side feed.

More Pictures!!

Here is a top view of the brush - so you can see the side feed in all it's glory ....

Here it is with the side feed cup removed and the back end taken off ....

And now with the needle removed ...

And this is it taken apart 95% of the way (I don't mess with the nozzle which is still in it ... a "if it ain't broke..." approach). I won't go into explaining what all this stuff is here.... but wanted to show you all the bits!

The Verdict

The Iwata High Performance HP SB is an awesome airbrush. I would recommend it to novices and up. I don't think it would be the best beginner brush because the nozzle / needle are so small that you might have a tough time working with that at first and the brush itself is quite small which makes it a bit tough to handle.

(however - if you are a beginner and get one of these for christmas .... forget everything I just said and thank your lucky stars and give who ever gave it to you a BIG KISS!)