Olympos users

[draggin81]

Everyone I know of who has tried any Olympos brush had nothing but glowing feedback for them, which leads me to think they'd sell very well here (stateside). Not to mention that the scarcity of genuine parts leaves a large market as well.
Sure, you can order genuine parts from Europe, but they're already expensive, add in the current dollr to uero convertion rates, plus shipping, and you're looking at $75+ for one needle.
Worse yet, if you own an MP model, you can't get any original replacement parts. Sure, you can buy Iwata parts, but lets face it, the quality just isn't the same.

So, to the point of my post (other than kissing Olympos butt). Has anyone tried petitioning the company itself to bring it's goods stateside, or to re-start production of MP parts, if not the whole AB?
One would think that someone here would be happy to carry thier parts. All they need is a trust-worthy, reliable distributor (i think we all know who that excludes. Do a search for "grex parts reviewed" if you're not sure. lol)
A petition to the company may or may not make a difference, but it could be worth a shot. I'd organize it and everything, but we'll just say that sort of thing isn't my strong suit. So, anyone willing to give it a go?

[airarts]

The company is in Japan. I don't speak Japanese, and my Aunt and Uncle aren't fluent enough in it to do this. I have considered it, but there is a huge language barrier right off the bat. I use Iwata parts for a replacement, IF I needed a replacement, but so far I have been lucky. I did flare the end of one needle, but not bad enough where I could use the whetstone on it. Plus I have how many extra head assemblies?

[draggin81]

I'm sure that someone who works there speaks English. Japan is real big on teaching it in school. Worst case senario I'm sure a translation service is available somewhere on the net, and probably isn't too expensive.

[Chuck732]

From what I read and heard from others. The owner doesn't live in Japan and has no interest in the US market. Many have tried to get in touch with him and failed. Some got reply's back saying the samething.

I wouldn't use Iwata parts in your Olympos. It lower the performance.

[fontgeek]

Even if you could get them to sell here again, you have to keep in mind that they stopped their R&D department many years ago, so all they are selling currently is the standard A, B, and C line, their Special/SP line, and the HP 101.
None of their models have Teflon packing/seals/needle bearings, though you could use the ones made for the Iwata brushes.
They used to make more models than the rest of the industry combined, but that is in the past.

[Chuck732]

It's a shame that Olympos is doing that. But it seems that Olympos is a brush of the past. Iwata will be around for a while and so will Harder & Steenbeck.

[fontgeek]

I would add Grex into that list. They kind of picked up the basic lineup of the Olympos line, and are updating and moving forward with it.
They have the Teflon packing that Olympos didn't, but they have worked to get that nice clean feel and trigger action.
I look forward to them getting some more models out there, and I hope they keep the inovative drive for design and quality.

Personally, I hope that we see several companies in the mix. The competition keeps everyone on their toes, and keeps the industry moving forward.

[draggin81]

Thats true, but trust me, neither one compares. Is whoever owns Olympos insane or something? What could any business owner have against making money. And why on earth would they seemingly purposely put thier company into a slow nosedive? And a company shutting down thier R&D?
It just makes no sense at all. Why not just close up the doors and close if you're business plan is to keep selling the same 3 or 4 basic airbrushes, not provide replacement parts, not progress, and limit your sales to two continents?

on another note- fontgeek, do you know what the specs are for the MP200-C models? (nozzle size, things like that). Also, since you probably know more about Olympos's than pretty much anyone, I'll ask you a question so far no one has really been able to answer. Well, a couple questions. First, do the MP200 A/B models have a smaller nozzle size (like Iwatas line)? Second, is there enough difference between the B and the C to keep pursueing a B if you already have a C?
You seem to be an encyclopedia of Olympos knowledge, where do you find your info? I can't find much of anything on them anywhere. Oh yeah, any interestinh tidbits about my C I probably don't know?

[Chuck732]

I played around with a Grex and don't really think there anymore then a Iwata. Don't they come from the same place?


I would add Grex into that list.


You said neither can compare. Have you tried the Infinity?


neither one compares.

Have you has a chance to try the SP? There the replacemnet for the MP.

Just remembered another. How about this airbrush called the MOJO? I haven't tried one but seen it on other sites.

[draggin81]

I've used Grex parts in my HP100-B, and going from them, I'd have to say thier quality is at least equal to Iwata. Grex is based in the US, I think, and thier factory is in Hong Kong or Tiawan. Gordon or Brian know more about them than I do, so they'll probably jump in with more info.
Iwata is based in Japan. I've heard that they've moved some production over to mainland China, but I'm not positive. I've tried emailing them, but so far haven't got any responses. (production in China generally means cheap quality, plus you have the moral issues of supporting a communist dictatorship with a long, long list of human right violations).
I do own an Infinity, and it is a good brush. I'd go so far as to say a damn good brush. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one to anyone. It is pretty close to the MP200's in terms of performance, but just can't quite match them.
When I got my Infinity, I really didn't think the microns could really be significantly better. Then I got my hands on an MP, and yeah, they're better. I can pull just as fine of lines, but they're easier to pull on the MP, and the MP atomizes better.

It still baffles my mind that a company that has a fairly universal reputation of making the best airbrushes ever would just fold up like they have. It just goes against all logic. They could start re-producing the MP line exactly as it was, and people would be lined up around the block to get one. Considering what used ones go for, they could ask pretty much whatever they wanted for new ones, provided the new ones had the same quality standards.
Sure, there's some more competition out there, but when you make the best product, there will always be people willing to pay a little extra to have the best and not settle for something cheaper.

[airarts]

I can't wait to get a break from school, and produce a piece and a "How To" with my Grex! It has the smoothest trigger out of ALL my guns, including my Olympos. This does not say that I don't find my Iwatas and Olymposes any less, it is just the trigger response and feel that BLOWS all the others away!

[Chuck732]

I believe the Grex I tried was a XG. Looks simlar to a HP-C. I shoots just like the rest. I don't see any retailors online that carry them. Or did I miss them?




They do not come from the same place as Iwata, it is a completely different set up and I found that the ones I have used are the closest to Olympos.

I haven't tried the Infinity but my experience with Harder and Steinbeck so far has not been good. Haven't tried the Moto either so can't comment.

Which Grex model did you play areound with and what didn't impress you about it?

[draggin81]

try acceleart.com or dickblick.com. Or look up the companies webpage, I know they have a "distributors" link.

[JimmyG]

Heys folks...I'm moving this informative thread from "Off Topics Forum"....to....
"Airbrushing, Guns, Paint Equipment Maintenance Forum"......to preserve informative content.....

Plus, I will add some links to the aforementioned Grex airbrushes in the USA....
Grex USA.....
http://grexusa.com/grexairbrush/index.php5

Accelart as draggin81 mentioned....
https://www.acceleart.com/store/index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=5d020de7094216e27bf4b13f698e29cb

[draggin81]

sounds good Jimmy, thanks for the heads up.

[JimmyG]

Yeah Brian...so how about you add a direct link to the Olympos Airbrush oem site......

[fontgeek]

Chuck, No, Grex and Iwata are not made by the same people, the manufacturer for Grex makes ONLY Grex, and their factory is in Taiwan.

While the SP models are nice, they are not the same as the Original Microns which were made by Olympos, the patented head design by Olympos is different than the SP or the Iwata version of the Micron.

We have advisors on this forum from Iwata, maybe they will answer the question of where the Iwata brushes are manufactured now. All my research and inquiresies lead me to mainland China for their actual manufacturing, that doesn't mean that they don't have their heaquarters in Japan, it just means the labor and supply end is actually from China.

I really like my Olympos brushes, but the lack of parts availability keeps me from using them much these days. I found the Grex brushes gave me the same kind of feel and control, the prices are very good, and I can get parts and service without any problem, there are several retailers, and more jumping on all the time. Are there things I would like to see? Sure! Tell me a brand or model you wouldn't like to see with some changes, but the people at Grex have been super nice, and they actually listen and respond to questions and suggestions. I am a firm believer in trying them all, you never know when you will find a diamond in the rough, or even a polished one!

I have Olympos, I have Grex, and Iwata, and H S, and Paasche, and Precision, and Satagraph, and Badger, and Richpen, and a Hansa, and a few others too.
I'm not going to do a grading or a comparison of a brand or model I have against a model I don't have, or haven't tried.

[Chuck732]

I hope it's not Taiwan Airbrush that are making the Grex brushes. Taiwan Airbrush is well known for there copies of the other brushes.

[draggin81]

I'll get right on that Jimmy, I just have to finish teaching my pig to sing first.

[draggin81]

I can vouch for the people at Grex being very helpful, and very willing to share any info you could possibly want about thier products. One of these days I'll be picking up an XN, but for now my HP100-B is filling that roll (ok, so probably half the parts in it are Grex, so you could look at it as I'm buying an XN on the installment plan. lol)

[draggin81]

Not to de-rail the conversation, but I would like to learn more about Olympos, thier products and thier history, if anyone has any info on them.

[Chuck732]

I did some searching on then internet and other forums. And ask several questions about Olympos.

Mr fontgeek have you tried the SP-C? I have one and shoots like there Mircon.

[draggin81]

Yeah, I've tried every search engine I can think of, and I'm on pretty much every forum I can find (except airbrush.com). Other than occasional bits of rumor, no one seems to know jack about Olympos, or what actually happened with them (i.e. why they're making, essentially, 4 different airbrushes).
I did find a physical address and phone number, but its from the back of one of thier needle packages, and I have no idea how old it is, so the info may by invadil by now.
Other than that, I know two facts 1)they existed. I know this because I own two and 2)they made some damn good brushes, which are now slightly more common than hens teeth.
I can find everything I could possibly want to know about Thayer&Chandler, Badger, Paasche, H&S, etc, etc. But not a thing about Olympos.

[Chuck732]

The stuff is out there. Maybe I got lucky. The airbrush market isn't really that big. It's not big enough to where there selling millions of airbrushes. And I don't ever see Olympos ever going any farther then they are now. If the owner doesn't real care then it just sits there. Like a holding company.

[airarts]

I did some searching on then internet and other forums. And ask several questions about Olympos.

Mr fontgeek have you tried the SP-C? I have one and shoots like there Mircon.
I just sent him a SP-C
MP-200B
MP-200C
200B
100A (this one just needs his help)

all for some teflon seals at Coast, so he is more than welcome to "play" with them if he wants to, and compare away......

[Chuck732]

Didn't I read somewhere here that you sold your MP? And You just said you sent him SP-C, MP-200B, MP-200C, 200B, 100A. Did you send them to him or Coast? Or does fontgeek work for Coast Airbrush?

[fontgeek]

No, I don't work for Coast, they are pretty close by though, and since I have stuff to get anyway, I can take care of her stuff at the same time, and the shipping cost is whatever the postoffice charges me, or whatever method she wants to use. I'll do some cleaning and such as well.

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

hi there im pretty new around here ,technicly i have been a member for a while but i forgot i joined OOPS

anyway i do own an olympos SP it is the tightest detailing and fine shadeing airbrush i own but its hell on my tendons controling it at low openings due to its short fast trigger action ,i would if i can find a taller trigger fit one as that is the problem with the thing in my individual case, for any other purpose its faultless

olympos are expensive and would not be my first choice niether would iwata for the same reason another very over rated model is the devilbiss super 63 i think nozzle prices compare to olympos but are made of brass

why olympos arent a leader out there i can only put down to priceing or marketing Grex seem to be able to produce a fine instrument at a reasonable cost as can RichPen even Devilbiss has its new DAGR at a good price haveing sold off its old overcomplicated overpriced super range to Bell aerograph
H&S can do it Peak are japanese with 25 year warrenties and compare in price to knockoffs, badger can provide US made goods at good prices and quality with lifetime warrenties

i think the olympos mystery is just that!"a mystery"

shame realy as they are fine instruments for the discerning user but like everything today we can all get quality for a low price

paul

[draggin81]

hey man,

In my expirience, of the other manufacturers you listed, they all come close, but none are equal. I've owned a Richpen. I was a good airbrush, but it couldn't hold a candle to my HP100-B. Peak is made by Richpen specifically for Bearair. My personal opinions of Bearairs proprietor aside, I have an X-5, and I'm really not impressed. It's looks and feels ok, but it contantly spits, doesn't atomize very well, and for some reason gets tip dry like crazy. Same paint I use in all my other brushes with no problems, but that Peak gets it every time.
Badger can make American made airbrushes, but, lets face it, they just don't compare to the competition, which is a shame. I'd happily pay a little extra for an AB thats American made if they could match up with the "big dogs". Same with Paasche. Yeah, there are a few people out there who can paint racing stripes on a fleas ass with a VL, but it's alot easier to do with a brush made for painting fleas butts.
I have an Infinity as well, and it is a really good airbrush, especially if you factor in the price and warranty. The cheap (priced) parts are a big bonus, too. As good as it is, though, when push comes to shove, I reach for my Olympos.
I haven't tried out a DAGR or a Grex yet, though. I have a few AB's that fall into the same niche as the DAGR, so I probably won't be getting a chance to use one for a while. My next purchase will most likely be a Grex to replace my Peak.
I've used Grex parts in my HP100-B and noticed no drop in performance at all, which gives me confidence that thier airbrushes are probably pretty good, too. Plus they have gotten very good reviews from alot of respected members here.
In fact, you may want to try a Grex trigger in your SP. Thier triggers are a bit taller than the "standard". I have one in my HP and it's at that "just right" height for me.

I'm doing some research and trying to figure out who really makes what and where they're made, etc. Its going to be a slow process, but hopefully I'll be able to share what I find fairly soon.

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

i will have a word with Gordon the grex distributor for the UK about a trigger he is an avid olympos fan and although biased towards his olympos he is a very honest guy and he says grex are near to them ,i can ask him about trigger fit as i realy want to slow the action down on my sp as i have a bad habit of pressing hard to control it that im not prone to doing on taller slower triggers

my Hohmi Y2 is near perfect but as its an 0.2 the paint reaction is just a hair to much at fine line compared to the olympos but its a close run thing

sometimees i wish i had just stuck to one model and not got spoiled for choice after all the truth is we all adapt to whatever comes to hand but now i find i can use each brush in a different way rather than try to do it all just by technique alone


paul

[fontgeek]

Paul, which SP model do you have, the A, B, or C?
Are you looking at Grex to possibly supply a taller trigger for your SP, or are you looking for a different brush entirely?
Like Gordon, and many others, I am a major fan of the Olympos brushes, but I really like the Grex brushes too. Their trigger action is very smooth and consistent, maybe even more so than some of the Olympos brushes.

You are right in the statement that we adapt to what we have, but you can adapt to different brushes faster for some types of work. The old adage of "the right tool for the job" does hold true.

[draggin81]

the Grex XN trigger fit in my HP100-B no problem, so I don't see any reason it wouldn't fit an SP. As far as I know, they are set up more or less identically for a mechanical point of view. I think it's the finish polishing and nozzles that separate the two, but I could be mistaken.
I have 7 airbrushes, all of them different. I find that each one has a sort of specialty that it accels at (for the most part). I never have a problem switching back and forth between brushes. To me, each one has a unique feel to it, so I automatically know what I'm holding and how it sprays.
I thought about getting a bunch of identical brushes, but there's no way I could decide on just one, anyway.

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

no im happy with the SP [b model] its just the trigger which is fine for general use but as i say it tends to be hard on the tendons when controling it in the extreme

draggin its the size and aircap set up that is different 0.18.

needles are identical to H&S 0.15 in fact i dont know for certain which brush the original needle ended up in as i put two down together one day and truly honestly could never [even after minute examination] tell one from the other LOL

the SP comes up as the top model and to be honest if thier MP can go finer i for one would be astonished my infinity is good but the SP can give tighter finer lines at slower hand speeds IE you dont have to trick the brush by going faster ,hence why i want to slow the trigger action down


although the olympos has a bigger nozzle it doesnt pull as much paint as the high flowing infinity

the downside is paints have to be very exacting even Etac EFX will skip ,the best medium for it is liquitex comart or Magic colour paints, EFX reduced with Liquitex begins to work but used with conditionair and some water it struggles



paul

[draggin81]

I find that kind of odd that you're having paint flow problems with either brush with EFX.
I have a MP200-C, which I think is a .23 nozzle, which obviously has no problem shooting etac straight. IMO, the MP is more controllable and more predictable than the Infinity, and I can get slightly liner lines.
I have used a .18 nozzle and needle in my HP100-B (Iwata parts) and never had problems with any color but white, which a drop of water or condition-aire solved.
Once in a while I'll have to thin EFX for my Infinity, but normally I can shoot straight from the bottle. A drop or two of water or condition-aire, again, does the trick.
The fine-line ability of all three would have to be measured for any major difference to be noticed. However, since the MP is so predictable and controlable, it's very easy to get fine lines with. I'd have to give second place to the Infinity. It isn't quite as responsive, but it sure isn't far off the mark. The HP is just not meant to do what those airbrushes can do, but it sure makes a good try at it. the taller Grex XN trigger helps a bit, too.
One of these days I'd like to try out an SP. Maybe when the dollar and the euro are on more equal terms. lol.

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

im talking extremes black EFX is problematic as is the white but as i say i have other paints that flow better at smaller nozzle openings

Etac is thicker than comart not by much but enough to create a problem ,im not Etac bashing as its good paint but for detailing in the absolute extreme it for me has been problematic even with conditionair and water ,as i say when i add liguitex to it then it doese do what i need it to do which is micro thin lineing maybe if i post some examples showing the detail and useing different paints it would help explain what is going on

liquitex airbrush medium is very thin, so thin in fact water dilution is not often needed, its my first choice as an extender but unlike Etac it isnt rewritable however i dont often need that option


the truth is no one system doese it all, the same is true of airbrushes i would never state one is better overall than another just different or more useable under certain conditions

all i can do is say what im experiancing personaly

paul

[jonpaul11]

Hi... just found this site and thread when trying to find out more about my Olympos SP-C.

I had bought this when I was doing A level art almost 20 years ago... it got a year or so's use and has been stored perfectly in the origional box. All still working fine...

I read this:
Personally I am a big fan of Olympos and always will be, I try to up my collection but as they are so sought after, getting a good one at a reasonable price is difficult.

I was about to ebay my Olympos, how much do you think the reserve should be?

Sorry about the 'how much is it worth' first post.

Jon

[Jeroen - CDM]

Usually 60% of the 'new' value, if it still works super. I've seen guys sell em for 20%.

Depends on the person selling it, i guess.

Nice to meet ya btw.

[airarts]

Gordon, you are about to get a chuck full of Olymposes soon!

[jonpaul11]

Still in box, I looked after this like I'd look after a child!

All parts, needle in perfect condition - I can take apart and take more pics if you need more.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d123/jonpaul11/oyympus-special-sp-c.jpg

[jonpaul11]

btw nice to meet you all too...

we bit about me.

Born and schooled in Gateshead I got into using the Airbrush when doing O Level Art through a Tutor and a former pupil of his... The former pupil (Mark) was working as a freelance illustrator and had cards and posters and stuff published by Athena (80's UK card and poster store).

I bought my own Olympos SP-C as the school equipment wasn't up to much...

After O and A levels I didn't really touch the Airbrush as I moved onto Photoshop as I studied Graphic Design...

Moved away from Illustration and more into Design, since leaving I've worked in agencies and client side doing DM work before the internet came along...

Once I found that I switched again where I've been working for the last 11 years.

Currently working for a large Sports, casino and poker site as head of design(we lost the US business as you may know).

Have always kept a love of Airbrush work though...

regards

jon

[Chuck732]

I start the price at $300.00.

[Hrvoje]

I'm interested does anybody have any expirience with Olympos Piece Bon series?
I use airbrush mostly for scale modelling and RC airplanes, and in my free time I repair airbrushes and build compressors. As an Olympos fan, I use any opportunity to obtain new toy to my collection. These PB models are purchased on eBay. They all use micron technology. Triggers on PB-303 and 304 models are very smooth, fixed dual action. They are so nice, that I hate to put paint in those crystal clean jars :)
On this japanese site there is numerous Olympos models. Interestingly, in Japan Olympos cost more then Iwata.

http://www.airbrushtool.com

(use translate tool to read)

Regards,

Hrvoje

P.S. I hope you understand my English :)

[Chuck732]

You use this website to translate that Japanese website.

http://babelfish.altavista.com/

On the left side you'll see all the links to Olympos, And they have a lot of Olympos airbrushes listed there. Even the Microns. So maybe that website is slow at updating there info. But take a look anyways you'll see there old brush that looks just like the Iwata old HP-C and many more.




I'm interested does anybody have any expirience with Olympos Piece Bon series?
I use airbrush mostly for scale modelling and RC airplanes, and in my free time I repair airbrushes and build compressors. As an Olympos fan, I use any opportunity to obtain new toy to my collection. These PB models are purchased on eBay. They all use micron technology. Triggers on PB-303 and 304 models are very smooth, fixed dual action. They are so nice, that I hate to put paint in those crystal clean jars :)
On this japanese site there is numerous Olympos models. Interestingly, in Japan Olympos cost more then Iwata.

http://www.airbrushtool.com

(use translate tool to read)

Regards,

Hrvoje

P.S. I hope you understand my English :)

[draggin81]

Yeah, the one that looks like an HP-C is called a HP100-C. Olympos still makes the HP line, which IMO is still head and shoulders above Iwata. I was suprised to see the MP200-B on there. Are those still available in Japan?

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

i paid £45 for my sp b as new inc postage a brand new old stock MP b went for £160 ish about a week ago and i missed another new old stock one that went for £67 plus post from the US a hpc new old stock went for around £24 if i remember correctly and was amongst six new old stock olympos airbrushes

new from germany or belgium the sp models are just over £200. in my experiance i would not expect an SP C to fetch more than say £60 second hand on ebay ,at twenty years of age you should have had your monies worth out of it so i wouldnt get too ambitious about its second hand price

paul

[rudeboysaude]

I've got a couple Olympos brushes and I agree they are defiantly nice. I prefer them to my other brushes. I'd say they're defiantly beyond my skill level! I'd be sad if I lost of one them because replacing it seems nearly impossible. Which is why I'm glad to hear Olympos fans like the Grex range. I may have to try those if they'll be around for a while. I've wanted to try some other paints but didn't want to damage my non solvent proof brushes. Looks like the grex brushes would let me do that. And if you have success getting Olympos brushes to deal in the US, I'd be happy to hear that!

A.

[Hrvoje]

Hello Gordon,

Do you know which material Grex use for their nozzles? As far as I know, Olympos use platinum alloy, and Iwata use inconel super alloy.

Hrvoje

[rudeboysaude]

Cool! If I ever blow out the seals or need parts I'll definatly get some Grex ones then. Sounds like a project I might not want to take on until I need too, but glad to know the option is there.

Once I feel like I can justify another toy, I'll most certainly check out the Grex line. They look really nice. Thanks for the info.

A.

[Peabody]

So I hope no one minds my performing a little threadomancy here...
Just wondering if anyone has ordered any legit Olympos parts from either Belgium or Japan since the last activity on this thread?

I was nosing around the Obeeliks website the other day and noticed that postage for a needle and nozzle was running close to $80.00, and that ain't good news.

I'm only looking to remain informed, fortunately! I'm not in critical need of any parts, but if I find a decent source for spares I think I'll pick up what I can afford against future needs.

Thomas

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

the nozzles and needles for olympos are usualy interchangable with iwata which are platinum aloy and of at least comparable quality if not exactly the same as iwata dont actualy make thier own so there is strong possibilty they may well be sourced from the same place anyway ,i have actualy acquired Simair nozzles and needles which where "original olympos parts"

Italy has some dealerships also John Dillon and lorena Straffi deal with Olympos and will post world wide John wont sting folk for postage either ,i will edit in a link for thier site for you

Paul

[Peabody]

Ah, this issue becomes clearer. It's good to have options & to have links to ethical retailers when possible!

Thanks.

[draggin81]

Olympos parts aren't "shared" with any other companies, and they go through a lot of trouble to make sure thier parts are marked as Olympos. I know for sure that Olympos needles are made strictly for Olympos.
I'm in the process of getting a bulk order of airbrushes and parts from Japan, and I'll know by the end of next week if it's going to happen for sure or not.
If it does, I'll have needles and nozzles for the HP line, and needles for the MP series (as well as HP, MP, and PB series airbrushes). They will all be priced lower than Obeeliks, and shipping will be standard stateside rates (meaning that needle that cost nearly $100 will be available for less than half of that).
I'll be posting sometime next week if everything is a go. If you want anything in specific, just let me know and I can be sure I include it in the order.

[denstore]

A question for the better informed.
On one of my Microns, the head has the decorative rings that I find on most pictures of MP-200´s.
On another, both heads lacks these rings. Does this mean that the later has Iwata heads? I really don´t care, because both spray equally good, but it would be interesting to know.

[Peabody]

@Draggin81, that is very cool news & a solid offer to make to the community. On behalf of my HP-100b I thank you. Having back-ups for the most fragile parts of my Olympos would make me feel a lot more at ease whenever I brought it out to play.

[denstore]

A question for the better informed.
On one of my Microns, the head has the decorative rings that I find on most pictures of MP-200´s.
On another, both heads lacks these rings. Does this mean that the later has Iwata heads? I really don´t care, because both spray equally good, but it would be interesting to know.

I tried to edit, but didn´t figure it out. Anyway, here´s a couple of pictures to illustrate my earlier question:
http://www.home.no/carius/hel.jpg
http://www.home.no/carius/delbild.jpg

[Peabody]

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6608/dscf0073o.jpg (http://img101.imageshack.us/i/dscf0073o.jpg/)
A couple of shots of my baby...
[/URL][URL="http://img101.imageshack.us/i/dscf0075y.jpg/"]http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/4225/dscf0075y.jpg (http://img101.imageshack.us/i/dscf0073o.jpg/)

I've not seen pictures of one quite like it elsewhere. The end-piece is somewhat different than what I see in most pictures.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2677/dscf0076.jpg (http://img101.imageshack.us/i/dscf0076.jpg/)

[draggin81]

Denstore- I just looked at mine, and my MP200-C does have the decorative rings, while my Iwata CM-SB doesn't. It's not exactly definitive proof that you have Iwata head units on yours, but my guess would be that that would be the case. As you said, though, if it's working for you, I don't see a problem. It is alittle odd, though, because the Olympos MPs come with an extra head unit, and you wouldn't figure you'd go through those too fast.
I'm the 2nd owner (at least) of my MP200-C, and it still has the original head unit and needle. The spare is still in the little tube with the factory tape still on it (I got it from J W Baker a while back, and, apparently, he takes VERY good care of his equipment).
I only wish my HP100-B looked as clean as Peabody's. lol. That thing looks brand-spankin new. I got mine used, and I use it alot, and it shows, but it's still one of my favorite brushes. I'm looking forward to finding out what a genuine Olympos needle and nozzle will do for it. The one that came with it were shot, so I put Iwata and later Grex parts in it.
My HP100-C is still nice and pretty looking, though. The inside of the paint cup is wearing through a bit, but nothing to worry about.
All in all, Iwata's are good, I like my Infinity, but nothing beats an Olympos.
Once everything is a go, I'm going to check with admin about posting a price list, or at least a link. I'm most likely just going to do one of those "ebay stores" to keep things simple.

[Peabody]

Lol, silly me... I do an image search for Olympos and sure enough all I see now are black handles just like this one...:blush:

[denstore]

It is alittle odd, though, because the Olympos MPs come with an extra head unit, and you wouldn't figure you'd go through those too fast.

And here´s an even odder thing. THe MP-200b came second hand with only one head. The MP-200a came with two heads, in the original box and with the spare head identical to the first. No rings on either. This is one of the reasons I find it strange. OK, if you mess up one head, but two, and then buy two new Iwata ones to replace them? And the overall shape of the brush is absolute mint. No wear at all. I´ve seen this before a few times, when the airbrushes has been used with inks, but then the heads ought to be original too.

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

i would presume they where original head units ,i only have the SPB which uses the same style nozzle needle and aircap set up as the MP ,all those parts will interchange with iwata micron even on my SP however the crown cap on the SP is shorter than on the iwata micron although the SP aircap has a larger airhole and allows for higher airflow and pressures this could also be the case with MP aircap compared tp the SP however you would have to check part no;s or compare them physicaly

Simiar must have sold Olympos brushes at one time or sourced spares from them as i have purchased original "Olympos spare parts" needles and nozzles in that instance which where also packaged with the Simiar logo ,it now unlikely that i have those old packegings but they most definatly supplied Simair with spare parts and with both companies Logo in the packaging

SF nozzles and needles and the threads where different to my Olympos SP nozzles

simair have sold everything from triplex to sparmax and currenty H&S as Simair ,i have had Sparmax XL 2000 and H&S XL 2000 "simair" brushes

thier current gravity model is H&S it was Sparmax and they most definatly delt with Olympos at some stage whether for spares or complete units and spares badged up for them by Olympos


Paul

[MitchMan]

Hi Draggin81

I am very interested in aquiring a Olympos from Japan, and wondered if you could share your Japanese contact with me? I PMed you on Wetcanvas, but i'm guessing you don't frequent that much anymore.

Many Thanks

MitchMan

[draggin81]

Sorry about the delay. I haven't been on any of the forums much lately.
I'd be happy to sell you one once I get them, but I put alot of time and effort into making that contact, and even more time and effort convincing him to ship to the US. It wouldn't make much sense to tell everyone my source when I'm going to be importing and selling these airbrushes at an already very small profit.

[MitchMan]

No worries, I fully understand! Just out of interest, how much would a MP200-B/C cost (ballpark figure)?

Regards

MitchMan

[draggin81]

Just a rough estimate at this point, but I would say in the $500-$525 range. I don't have my figures in front of me at the moment, but that should be pretty close.
It sounds painful, but if you remember the cost of an Iwata CM plus an extra head unit, it comes out pretty close. The Olympos is still more expensive, but at least that puts it more "apples to apples"
The PB series, which are essentialy siphon-fed microns, will be in that same ballpark. HP's should be $200-$225ish. The MP's I'm planning on having the B and C sizes in stock, the PB's I'll probably have the .3 or .4 size in stock, and the HP's will be the B and C sizes. If anyone wants one in an A configuration, an HP-101 (side fed, .3), an HP100-D, or the .2 nozzled PB-202, I can get those as well, but you'll have to wait until I put in the next order (or in this case let me know before the first order).
I'll post up some parts prices once I find my little piece of paper with all my figurin's on it. lol.

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

heres a link for John Dillon ,he and Lorena are currently working in Italy where thier Olympos distributer is located

there are other Olympos retailers in Italy

http://www.artbyvision.com/shop_Olympos_prices.htm

i believe a 15% discount is available

John will ship worldwide

[MitchMan]

heres a link for John Dillon ,he and Lorena are currently working in Italy where thier Olympos distributer is located

there are other Olympos retailers in Italy

http://www.artbyvision.com/shop_Olympos_prices.htm

i believe a 15% discount is available

John will ship worldwide

I contacted John a while back, and he is no longer selling Olympos Airbrushes. He did point me to a retailer in Italy who sells them, but they won't send outside the country.

MitchMan

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

ahhh i know he did tell me there wasnt a much money in selling them

he phoned me a few weeks ago but we chatted about the new wicked detailer range hes trying out as Lorena wants to change from solvent

i know he talked to Stu Forster in respect of Stu maybe selleing Olypos in the UK

as John said the adress for Olympos Japan is on the boxes so anyone could aproach them direct ,i do have some original olympos documents around somewhere

John did say he would get me a micron at cost if i wanted but they werent comeing to him that cheaply anyway

i got my SP as new off ebay for £45 so maybe one day i will score a micron cheap ,i did miss one that went for around £65 but that was due a internationl bids being blocked which the seller failed to lift after saying he would ship it to me from the states


JW Baker sold all his a few months ago after he went over to H&S


Paul

[draggin81]

No, there definitely isn't a whole lot of money in selling Olympos. Even after negotiating a bulk rate, the profit margins are pretty slim. If you're in it for money, there are a lot of higher profit margin companies out there.
Hard to beat the quality, though.

jfj-it's been a few years since J W sold his, btw. I have his MP200-C. And wasn't it your idea that you not post in threads I'm on, and I don't post is ones your on? Or are you just trying to raise a little hell. yet again. )

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

No, there definitely isn't a whole lot of money in selling Olympos. Even after negotiating a bulk rate, the profit margins are pretty slim. If you're in it for money, there are a lot of higher profit margin companies out there.
Hard to beat the quality, though.

jfj-it's been a few years since J W sold his, btw. I have his MP200-C. And wasn't it your idea that you not post in threads I'm on, and I don't post is ones your on? Or are you just trying to raise a little hell. yet again. )

my recolection was that i sugested we no longer "talked" to each other

perhapse you should maybe take up the sugestion rather than atempting to rekindle your silly issues

as for JW selling his brushes my recolection is that it was maybe under two years ago but "whatever"



you aint gonna stop are you!

[bigwater]

I don't think the concept was "don't post in threads I post in"... I think the concept was "quit being petty and arguing about every little thing".

draggin, In your UserCP there is a handy little option. "Edit Ignore List". You can add JFJ to your ignore list and you won't have to worry about reading any of his posts ever again. I expect you guys to act like adults here. Ignore each other if you need to, but don't get petty ok?

[redanner]

Darn my post from in the mosh pit got lost when moving this thing. Oh! well what I had to say is not worth repeating!

[hasey]

And wasn't it your idea that you not post in threads I'm on, and I don't post is ones your on? Or are you just trying to raise a little hell. yet again. )

Draggin what is the need for bringing this issue up in here? For 1 it was over on KKL wasn't it? nothing to do with this site besides I happen to know Paul is a wealth of technical information, all he has done on this thread is try to provide useful information and hasn't been negative to anyone in anyway. Have you really got that much time on your hands or is there more to your name Draggin as in keeps draggin everything up. Were not in the school playground anymore.

Oh by the way I have an Olympos SP_C .23 and love it, was wondering though is it possible to put a smaller set up in it or is it not as simple as just swapping out the needle and nozzle like on the H&S range?

[draggin81]

insult me then ask for advice? Yeah, thats a great way to get it. I know whenever I'm try to find something at the store, I make sure to call the clerk childish crap and if I can, squeeze in a zinger about his name. That way they're sure to point you in the right direction.
I don't like Paul, he doesn't like me, and it goes far past paint preferences. Comments from the gallery really don't help anything.

You'd have to ask Paul on the SP info. I like the HPs and MPs, so don't have much use for finding out info on SPs. I'm pretty sure he has one, though, and knowing Paul, he's probably tried it.

[hasey]

I wasn't aiming my question directly to you rather openly to anyone who may know and I stand by my point of dragging dirt from one forum to another, shouldn't it be left where it was created or is it to rear it's ugly head on every forum available. It's for this type mentality and behaviour I stopped visiting airbrush.com.edy there is more bickering there than airbrush talk. Please don't let this forum go the same way or any other for that matter. It's so :lame:

[hasey]

Draggin I've not got anything personal against you whatsoever and I'm not involved in any dispute between yourself and Paul, all I'm asking is that can it be kept out of other forums and kept to the thread and the site in which it originated otherwise it cross contaminates and brings on negative feelings which results in other forum members avoiding threads and possibly the site.
Just think about it.
I hope there's no hard feelings between us

[JimmyG]

Darn my post from in the mosh pit got lost when moving this thing. Oh! well what I had to say is not worth repeating!
as was some other's posts not worth repeating.....I am the clean up man....
I have several options, closing this thread is still one of them...
bickering does no one any good....

...

[redanner]

as was some other's posts not worth repeating.....I am the clean up man....
I have several options, closing this thread is still one of them...
bickering does no one any good....

...

Yea! My analogies suck most of the time! Thank You!

[hasey]

Has anyone heard of an Olympos HP 18BC, can't seem to find that model on the Japanese site.

[denstore]

Has anyone heard of an Olympos HP 18BC, can't seem to find that model on the Japanese site.

I think its one of their single actions.

[hasey]

Yeah Den just come across it now on a Norwegian site, seems it is a single action brush.

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

John the SPC can be fitted with a 0.18 set up although Kat is the best to ask as she has done it

check out the aircap numbers as these may be different and the needles may also be thicker which will require a change of needle seal ,Kat used an Iwata 0.18 nozzle and needle on her SPC

if the aircaps are different then you wont achieve identical results to a true SPB but the iwata micron aircap fits the SP series and they are realy very cheap at around £13 the micron B aircap also gives a softer spray pattern as it has a smaller hole ,the SPB sprays very similar to a Mojo and atomises better than the iwata micron

the simplest thing to do regards the seal is to compare the diametre of your current needle against most any Jap 0.2 needle as the 0.2 and 0.18 are definatly the same diametre ,if your 0.23 and a Jap 0.2 are the same then you wont need a new seal



as for the HP18 im sure its the single action and not a 0.18 duel action in fact im posative as i have seen a few on ebay
however i have seen 0.18 HP duel action type units which i think are made by Sparmax i was going to bid on one but it was the A type without a cup

to be honest with you a 0.2 would do much the same trick and be cheaper than a 0.18 micron or olympos set up ,or i can swop you for something maybe a colani hehehehe

personaly i would leave that one as is mate

i have also found a great link for special iwata compatable needles ,sprung stainless steel and highly polished not just ground like factory ones and at only £13 inc postage for 2 yes TWO of them from a reputable British seller and manufactured in the UK both 0.2 and 0.3 versions plus ones for the devilbiss/aerograph set ups


BTW any issues are over


give a bell and i can chat you through it all ,the brush that is


Paul

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

this is a post from a chinese forum discusing olympos ,i was trying to find a link to a japanese seller ,i did find one a few weeks ago and they listed just about every model inc some i hadnt seen before

The first release of this book was in year 2003 and the Chinese Translation edition has just been released last month.

Almost 4 years ago, Japanese professional Model builders were not talking about Olympos then you won't find much Japanese will talk about it today.

The domestic Airbrush Market in Japan is the main revenue incoming for all airbrush manufacturers because Japan has the biggest "Model builder" population in the world!

Losing this market, it definitely creates some negative financial impacts to Olympos!


that along with the likes of Craig Frazer saying olympos has closed its doors and therefore advising folk to hang fire on buying them due to possible future spares problems means sales for these will probably be limited to die hard olympos fans who are prepered to chance not being able to get spares even from long established dealers let alone spare room dealers with limited buying power and therefore also limited stock levels of spare parts which is an esentail part of why we buy from one dealer as oposed to the next

an Olympos Micron is a hefty investment and probably one i would not choose now faced with all those issues and useing say iwata spare parts realy defeats the whole object of the excercise

the same forum also hints at the fact that olympos has not kept up its technical advances and also quality control and is basicly stuck some fifteen years behind the times with issues such as teflon seals which has always limited olympos to waterbased use
i always wondered why JW sold off his olympos models and he has/had direct contact with Olympos, they even made a JW baker special of which only three where ever sold if memory serves ,the shrewd old bird LOL he now uses H&S brushes inc the infinity but he did tell me he prefers the evolution ,his are all etched with his company logo which was nice of H&S to do for him and Sandi

Paul

[hasey]

Paul cheers for that mate, I might look into putting a .2 set up in it just to give me a bit more detail and I've also got my eye on a HP 100A which I could maybe swap the nozzle/needle out of into my SP-C.
Very interested in the special deal on the needles too.
I'll give you a buzz later on (Monday evening) and have a chat, I'm heading down to Combat Stress 20th-30th Jan.

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

beware as not all olympos nozzles are the same thread ,just like iwata they used two different pitches depending on the model and age ,if it feels wrong dont force it


Paul

[fontgeek]

Keep in mind that Craig Frazer also works for Iwata/Media, so he has ample incentive to chase people away from the better brushes (Olympos).

The HP-18, the HP-8, and HP-88 are all single action brushes from Olympos, they look very similar to the Grex XA model. These are all wonderful little workhorses. With a 0.3mm needle and nozzle setup they can do some great detail and coverage, they typically have more control on the air pressure and volume than a standard airbrush does. With a longer and more tapered valve plug in the air valve, they let you get some remarkable control. The downside is that if you are looking for the kind of control on paint volume you get with a double action you are out of luck.

There are plenty of dealers for Olympos in Europe, the corporate office for Olympos closed up because the manufacturer itself decided not to put any money into marketing into North America anymore. They (Olympos) cut their manufacturing from 80 or 90 models of airbrush down to THEIR original HP (High Precision) line, and their SP (Special) line, and they don't appear to be doing anymore R&D to further their cause.

[ARTSPRAYJ4J]

that would explain why the SP is consistantly referenced as thier top of the range unit thus i am inclined to believe they have stopped makeing microns from some time ago and any currently available would therfore be new old stock


Paul