Greetings and salutations plamo nerds! Here's the long awaited review for the Geminus airbrush by Harder & Steenbeck!
Click on Read More for the rest of this post...
The Geminus is a limited edition airbrush (1000 units) manufactured by Harder & Steenbeck in partnership with HobbyMate Singapore and distinguished gunpla builder Ed Day a.k.a Ver. Ed. Don't know him? GBWC world champ and supreme master of pistons and mechanical detailing? I'm talking about THIS GUY. I'm a huge fan of his work, and to have him collaborate with H&S is like my two favorite bands producing an album together. This is currently the only airbrush in the market even remotely influenced by Gunpla, which makes it all the more desirable in your mecha toolbox.
It's based off of the dual-action gravity-feed Ultra line by H&S, but with some nifty features thrown in to make it even more attractive than your average Ultra handpiece. The package includes two nozzle setups, with 0.4mm pre-installed and a 0.15 setup securely packaged in a plastic tube. You'll also find two plug-in type paint cups, 5ml and 2ml, and you also have the option of using it cupless for close-up detailing with a clearer line of sight.
The body is done in a nicely polished double nickel chrome, which is a brighter and more durable finish, while the handle is made of aluminum to reduce the overall weight of the brush. HobbyMate and Geminus logos are laser etched onto the main cylinder along with the unit number. The trigger utilizes the same patented rocker design as that of the Evolution and is color matched with the body. As standard with H&S brushes a matching quick-disconnect nipple is included for convenience.
The most prominent upgrade is to the front end. Where the standard Ultra uses a one-piece air cap/protective cap, the Geminus adapts the Infinity's two-pronged tip design which is great for detecting and managing tip-dry, and utilizes the same self centering nozzle as the Infinity and Evolution lines. The two-pronged cap slides off if you need to get even closer to your work surface, however for gunpla applications I prefer to leave it on. The chrome on the Geminus appears brighter than the Grafo and Evolution Silverline, and nearly on-par with the Infinity CR+.
The needles included in this set are of a newer design - with prominent notches machined into the rear end of the shaft that make it easier to distinguish between needle sizes. This does however make it more difficult to pull the needle out from the front, as the notches can catch against the needle seal and potentially damage it - so I suggest taking the needle out from the rear in this case. Detaching the handle gives you access to a tension adjust for the spring, which you can dial down for reduced resistance when pulling back on the trigger. This brush uses solvent resistant seals that last a long time and are relatively easy and affordable to replace in the event that you do need new ones. Aside from the nozzle and needle setups, handles are interchangeable between some H&S models. Here's the Geminus equipped with Grafo (blue) and Infinity (red) quick-set handles.
Obligatory YouTube review for the illiterate millennial below. LOL JK, but yeah, learn to read.
The Geminus tested out as expected, performing on par with the Infinity and Evolution in terms of atomization and paint flow - smooth as silk. Trigger response and sensitivity are also identical, and apart from the stock trigger button on the Geminus (my airbrush buttons have been modified) it feels almost the same in my hand as the Infinity CR+.
I reduced the spring tension and found just the right amount of resistance for my diminutive trigger finger. I struggled a bit with a leak between the body and cup during the test, though I may have been too cautious in inserting the cup which resulted in an imperfect seal. It's brand new, and I didn't want to get too rough with it just yet.
Overall I think the Geminus is an absolute steal for the price, with two complete tip setups and all the features you could ask for in a Gunpla airbrush. H&S' unique self-centering nozzle is still the best thing to ever happen to airbrush design in my book, and is the main reason you want this in your painting arsenal. The lack of a needle limiter will not be missed by experienced painters, so if you're considering to make a jump from your favorite Japanese brand to the German authority on airbrushing, the Geminus should definitely be in your sights. If you see this brush out in the wild, don't expect it to stay on the shelf for long. There are only 1000 of them out there and most are already spoken for.
Shout-out to Hobby Toys Laguna for helping me get my grubby hands on this excellent tool, and a virtual high-five to HobbyMate, Ver Ed and Harder & Steenbeck for the successful team-up! I think it's great that top-notch tool brands like H&S are starting to recognize the gunpla community as a legit market for their merchandise.
If you're keen on getting one for yourself, tap one of the banners below.
An Ultra model was the missing piece in my H&S airbrush collection, and now I can finally retire from doing airbrush reviews.
.....Or can I? :)
Until next time, keep building plamo!
Click on Read More for the rest of this post...
The Geminus is a limited edition airbrush (1000 units) manufactured by Harder & Steenbeck in partnership with HobbyMate Singapore and distinguished gunpla builder Ed Day a.k.a Ver. Ed. Don't know him? GBWC world champ and supreme master of pistons and mechanical detailing? I'm talking about THIS GUY. I'm a huge fan of his work, and to have him collaborate with H&S is like my two favorite bands producing an album together. This is currently the only airbrush in the market even remotely influenced by Gunpla, which makes it all the more desirable in your mecha toolbox.
It's based off of the dual-action gravity-feed Ultra line by H&S, but with some nifty features thrown in to make it even more attractive than your average Ultra handpiece. The package includes two nozzle setups, with 0.4mm pre-installed and a 0.15 setup securely packaged in a plastic tube. You'll also find two plug-in type paint cups, 5ml and 2ml, and you also have the option of using it cupless for close-up detailing with a clearer line of sight.
The body is done in a nicely polished double nickel chrome, which is a brighter and more durable finish, while the handle is made of aluminum to reduce the overall weight of the brush. HobbyMate and Geminus logos are laser etched onto the main cylinder along with the unit number. The trigger utilizes the same patented rocker design as that of the Evolution and is color matched with the body. As standard with H&S brushes a matching quick-disconnect nipple is included for convenience.
The most prominent upgrade is to the front end. Where the standard Ultra uses a one-piece air cap/protective cap, the Geminus adapts the Infinity's two-pronged tip design which is great for detecting and managing tip-dry, and utilizes the same self centering nozzle as the Infinity and Evolution lines. The two-pronged cap slides off if you need to get even closer to your work surface, however for gunpla applications I prefer to leave it on. The chrome on the Geminus appears brighter than the Grafo and Evolution Silverline, and nearly on-par with the Infinity CR+.
The needles included in this set are of a newer design - with prominent notches machined into the rear end of the shaft that make it easier to distinguish between needle sizes. This does however make it more difficult to pull the needle out from the front, as the notches can catch against the needle seal and potentially damage it - so I suggest taking the needle out from the rear in this case. Detaching the handle gives you access to a tension adjust for the spring, which you can dial down for reduced resistance when pulling back on the trigger. This brush uses solvent resistant seals that last a long time and are relatively easy and affordable to replace in the event that you do need new ones. Aside from the nozzle and needle setups, handles are interchangeable between some H&S models. Here's the Geminus equipped with Grafo (blue) and Infinity (red) quick-set handles.
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| "Geminafo" | "Gemfinity" |
Obligatory YouTube review for the illiterate millennial below. LOL JK, but yeah, learn to read.
The Geminus tested out as expected, performing on par with the Infinity and Evolution in terms of atomization and paint flow - smooth as silk. Trigger response and sensitivity are also identical, and apart from the stock trigger button on the Geminus (my airbrush buttons have been modified) it feels almost the same in my hand as the Infinity CR+.
I reduced the spring tension and found just the right amount of resistance for my diminutive trigger finger. I struggled a bit with a leak between the body and cup during the test, though I may have been too cautious in inserting the cup which resulted in an imperfect seal. It's brand new, and I didn't want to get too rough with it just yet.
Overall I think the Geminus is an absolute steal for the price, with two complete tip setups and all the features you could ask for in a Gunpla airbrush. H&S' unique self-centering nozzle is still the best thing to ever happen to airbrush design in my book, and is the main reason you want this in your painting arsenal. The lack of a needle limiter will not be missed by experienced painters, so if you're considering to make a jump from your favorite Japanese brand to the German authority on airbrushing, the Geminus should definitely be in your sights. If you see this brush out in the wild, don't expect it to stay on the shelf for long. There are only 1000 of them out there and most are already spoken for.
 |
Shout-out to Hobby Toys Laguna for helping me get my grubby hands on this excellent tool, and a virtual high-five to HobbyMate, Ver Ed and Harder & Steenbeck for the successful team-up! I think it's great that top-notch tool brands like H&S are starting to recognize the gunpla community as a legit market for their merchandise.
If you're keen on getting one for yourself, tap one of the banners below.
For Philippine orders, you can try:
Or
For the rest of the world, HOBBYmate is your friend:
An Ultra model was the missing piece in my H&S airbrush collection, and now I can finally retire from doing airbrush reviews.
.....Or can I? :)
Until next time, keep building plamo!
Check out my other airbrush reviews here >>> Airbrush Reviews
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