Iwatas OEM....mystery solved...partly

[Robbyrockett]

Warning: This thread may not be suitable for viewing by hardcore Iwata fans.

 

Due to the uncanny similarities between many japanese brands of airbrush there has long been speculation about their origin.

In particular involving the Fuso seiki corp.

Many believe Fuso makes all the japanese brands. Many believe Iwata is the exception. 

I've come upon evidence in my research that lays out a few of the mysteries of the Japanese airbrush industry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Robbyrockett]

Meet Daveg, 

https://www.facebook.com/davegs.airbrush.exploration/

Dave is a long time airbrusher and tinkerer with more knowledge of airbrushes than you might ever want to know.

He operates this page. 

 

On his page A Japanese man contacted dave (search through the posts and you'll find it he has an icon resembling a general)

The man had a very hard time communicating through translator so much of what he said did not make a lot of sense.

He did however leave a link to a google maps image of the Rich factory and claimed that Kitakatsu seiki was the manufacturer for many of the brands.

Kitakatsu seiki doesnt exist. This I believe was a character translation problem.

Here is the link:

https://www.google.com.tw/maps/uv?hl=zh-TW&pb=!1s0x601dcadc1d85bd61%3A0xe76ae6984a91fb03!2m22!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i20!16m16!1b1!2m2!1m1!1e1!2m2!1m1!1e3!2m2!1m1!1e5!2m2!1m1!1e4!2m2!1m1!1e6!3m1!7e115!4zL21hcHMvcGxhY2UvJUU1JThDJTk3JUU0JUJDJUI4JUU3JUIyJUJFJUU1JTk5JUE4L0AzNi4yNDI5MTU5LDEzOC40MzM1MDUzLDNhLDc1eSw0Ni41MmgsOTB0L2RhdGE9ITNtNCExZTEhM20yITFzc05EZEhSY0toQThZRVB1ZWlFNjB4USEyZTAhNG0yITNtMSExczB4NjAxZGNhZGMxZDg1YmQ2MToweGU3NmFlNjk4NGE5MWZiMDM!5z5YyX5Ly457K-5ZmoIC0gR29vZ2xlIOaQnOWwiw&imagekey=!1e2!2ssNDdHRcKhA8YEPueiE60xQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjU8_eGzpfbAhUEl5QKHbw5DHQQpx8wCnoFCAEQjAE

 

More to follow.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Robbyrockett]

You'll notice in the image on the side of the building reads Hokushin Seiki.

 

RIch is a registered tradmark of Hokushin Seiki

https://trademarks.justia.com/owners/hokushin-seiki-co-ltd-1195601/

 

More to follow...

[Robbyrockett]

The smoking gun;

https://es.panjiva.com/Hokushin-Seiki-Co-Ltd/35454399

 

A bill of lading...actually there is one or two of these every month. 210kg of airbrushes shipped from Hokushin seiki (RIch) to Anest Iwata Medea Corp.

 

Id like to post the image instead of link but im not sure how.

[Robbyrockett]

Now if we look at Rich's patents you'll see they own the patents on the eclipse nozzle setup, as well as a few of the trigger airbrushes sold by Iwata and GSI (mr.hobby) and others. The other patents relating to the Iwata airbrushes have long since expired.

https://www19.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/PA1/cgi-bin/PA1LIST

 

and also notice the name of the inventor on the patent

KITAjima KATSUaki

 

 

Iwata does hold one patent related to airbrushes out of their 591 patents

That is for the nozzle holder bit that is on the back of some of the v2 brushes.

[Robbyrockett]

What does this tell us?

Most certainly;

 Iwata is definitely simply a middle man just like all the others.

Rich most definitely makes at least some of their brushes.

 

 

Most likely;

You can expect the same quality from airbrushes from other japanese brands as you can from Iwata

Fuso is also just a middleman , since iwata is getting their stuff from the same supplier directly.

I believe there is one other factory, there are hints of it, but i havent quite found it yet.

 

 

So the next time you catch some flak for saying your GSI or richpen is every bit as good as an iwata

Chances are you are 100% correct.  

 

The same factory will make different levels of product but these differences are usually fairly evident, for instance how the revolutions can be hit or miss and most have obviously slightly rougher aircap holes and head threads.

 

 

[Robbyrockett]

As far as I know that bill of lading is the first empirical evidence uncovered of I wata simply buying brushes from another manufacturer.

 

I Suppose I could shorten this down to nothing but the trademark link and the bill of lading, but figured id share the whole story.

Edited June 1, 2018 by Robbyrockett

[Robbyrockett]

Btw guys I have found bills of lading for everything that is sold by iwata medea. Only one japanese supplier of airbrushes, Hokushin, once a month for as far back as i care to look. 

 

Also I found the one other factory...a second Rich location LOL

 

A little part I left out accidentally ,Hokushin aka Rich is certainly connected with Fuso seiki as well, since Rich airbrushes carry the Fuso seiki logo in their packaging. So Rich, Fuso , richpen, Iwata....etc. All using the same manufacturer.

 

Also the "made in the USA" Paasche brushes....getting at least some airbrush parts from china, not just accessories like compressors and hoses and boxes as those are listed separately but airbrush parts.

 

Seems If you want to buy from the OEM, Badger or Rich are your only options.

If you just dont want to overpay, well, none of the japanese brands have ever let me down. Not withstanding neo's (and the sparmax made tamiyas (not includng sprayworks) ) but we all know those are overpriced chinese brushes.

Edited June 5, 2018 by Robbyrockett

[Howard Moon]

Interesting stuff Robby, I’ve got a Tamiya HG97 Spraywork and an Iwata HP C+. I’ve also just bought a GSI Creos Mr Procon Boy P270 and would take a hell of a lot of convincing that at least some of the components didn’t come from the same manufacturer, (instructions for the HG97 say its manufactured by B.B. Rich). Thanks for the link to Dave G’s FB page, I’m now a follower 👍

 

All the best

 

H

[Robbyrockett]

Thanks! I hadn't realized the instructions on the sprayworks actually say bb rich  (bb rich is actually defunct but the rich factory still has a sign with that logo on the security shack or whatever)

That tells me I can certainly add Tamiya sprayworks to the list

Is it a made by? a logo or...?

Any chance you could upload a pic somewhere?

Edited June 5, 2018 by Robbyrockett

[Howard Moon]

Yes bear with me a day or so and I will put a picture up, The instructions are in the familiar Tamiya style and in small print near the bottom it says something like ‘made by b.b. rich’

 

[Robbyrockett]

Thanks! appreciated. Eventually I'll put together a coherent article on all this.

[Howard Moon]

Robby,

 

As promised here’s the pic:

 

 

With the exception of the removable paint cup, this brush is virtually identical to the Iwata HP-C. The air valve is identical to the one on my HP-C+ and fully interchangeable. Here is is a link to a very old article, (15 years +), from another popular modelling website that makes reference to Rich being a contract manufacturer for GSI, Tamiya and Iwata:

 

http://missing-lynx.com/reviews/other/tamair/tamair.htm

 

This information seems to have been in the public domain for some time, interested to see where you are going with this. 🙂

[Robbyrockett]

Thank you! 

Mainly im  just trying to get all my facts straight to write up a small article on the Japanese airbrush industry and perhaps some cross compatibility info as well as maybe a sort of list or guide to rebranded brushes in general and things of that nature. As for the information being available for some time well, not exactly, its mostly been conjecture and speculation. Though that article states it as fact, they also state that the hg is constructed from stainless steel as fact.  As well as stating it has a "matched headset"..... Which as far as I know is strictly marketing and has only ever been used in conjunction with microns.

 

There are some articles which say the other brands simply imitated Olympos or iwata and many that state fuso seiki makes them all, still others that will tell you iwata makes their own and fuso makes all the "copies". Others which say they think rich made Olympos. After hearing all the theory and speculation and concluding that the running thought among artists was that rich and all the others were somehow inferior copies of iwata I just had to get to the bottom of it all. 

 

Take a look through mikes review of the ps290 (HP-th) and you'll see that loads of speculation abound.

Edited June 9, 2018 by Robbyrockett

[Robbyrockett]

Btw the hg manual on the tamiya website is absent that little bit of info. So it was taken off at some point, I guess after bb rich became just rich, so the factual info you provided is very helpful. Thank you

Edited June 9, 2018 by Robbyrockett

[DX-SFX]

I'm late to this one by about a year but I can confirm what Robbyrockett has been saying. The parts do come from the same production line and are interchangeable in nearly all cases. Olympos (spelt correctly) are the originators of most of the Iwata designs and old stocks of brand new Olympos airbrushes can still be bought from Japan. Iwata bought the rights and now have them produced under their own name by Rich. Rich also produce the same airbrushes at a fraction of the cost and also manufacture for Tamiya. Great Art carry most of the Rich airbrush range but this link is provided to illustrate the obvious family relation between a Rich AB-300 and an Iwata HP-C. 

https://www.greatart.co.uk/rich-ab300-airbrush-gun.html

Also, don't mistake the cheap Chinese knock offs with the good stuff.

Edited July 25, 2019 by DX-SFX
Spelling, grammar.

[DX-SFX]

Here's the link to the Japanese site selling off the old stocks of genuine Olympos airbrushes again with the obvious relation between these and the current designs available from other suppliers. Having several Olympos airbrushes (as well as Iwata, Rich, and Sparmax), I can confirm they are top of the quality pyramid. 

http://olympos-airbrush.ocnk.net

[Dads203]

To be honest nothing above is new, it’s been known for while tbh. Iwata only manufacture automotive type spray guns that is their core business the airbrushes are bought in , branded and sold by them as part of the Iwata group. That’s why you see similarities between some airbrush designs sold by different companies.