Introduction

Harder & Steenbeck Metallwaren Fabrik is located in Germany and was founded 75 years ago and they not only make airbrushes in several series like the Infinity, Evolution, Grafo, Colani and the Hansa series, but they also make reliable accessories like airbrush holders, stencils and compressors. Almost every advanced model builder uses an airbrush to present his model in the way he likes and probably know what it’s like work with an airbrush. The airbrush has infinite (infinite = infinity) possibilities and settings and there are a lot of different kinds of airbrushes on the market.

A model builder that starts with the art of airbrushing is looking for an airbrush that fits into his or her price range. They will buy, if it is possible, a low budget airbrush to learn with and get comfortable with basic techniques. People who have used an airbrush before and know how it works, will buy an airbrush that suits their price range and will grow further to a much more expensive airbrush. My first airbrush was the Hansa 581 and it is an airbrush that works very well for starting air brushers. Eventually with the growing of experience the need for a more advanced Airbrush was needed and I replaced it with the “Infinity” model No. 126543 from Harder & Steenbeck.

The Brush

Harder & Steenbeck succeeded to improve not only the quality of the airbrush, but also the abilities of the spraygun itself. This is why the airbrush can spray more sophisticated than its predecessor but still has the same needle and nozzle. The Infinity comes equipped with the following:

1. 0.15 Nozzle and needle
2. 0.4 Nozzle and needle
3. 2ml Paintcup
4. 5ml Paintcup
5. Quickfix
6. Protecting cap for needle
7. Protecting case
8. Distance cap
9. Tool (for loosening the needle seal from the airbrush)

Additional accessories are also available from H&S in the form of:
1. nozzle sets 0.15/0.2/0.4/0.6 mm
2. distance cap
3. fpc-air valve (fine pressure control)
4. side fitting connector set with two glass cups
5. paint cup 2 ml, 5 ml, 50 ml, 100 ml
6. air line connector
7. nozzle cleaning set (nozzle cleaning needle and brush)
8. screwdriver for assembling of the needle seal

The Infinity is a tremendous looking airbrush. I have to admit it was a pity to remove it from the case but eventually I did. The first thing I noticed was the solid appearance. Everything is working properly and is easy to adjust for the job it has to be done, even the movement of the trigger is adjustable by simply loosening or tightening the small ring behind the trigger. If you do this, a small spring (to push your trigger back in the first position) will make it feel heavier or lighter, a very innovative idea from H&S.

There is also a function on this airbrush that is called Quick-Fix. The name speaks for itself but I will explain exactly what it is used for. The button on the back can be pressed and has numbers from 1 to 6. You activate this button by pressing the silver part of it and, by doing this, the button will be pushed against the needle. By turning the gold part of it, you can then change the position of the needle. It allows for adjustments to personal taste and you can spray very fine lines to achieve the best results. It also eliminates the worry of getting a splash of paint, making it possible to get every line the same. Dots aren’t a problem either. If you want to use your trigger manually, like before the Quick-fix, just pull the gold part towards you and the airbrush returns to that mode. Without removing the back of your airbrush, you can easily change the position of the needle and spray very fine lines in the blink of an eye.

Enclosed in the 2 in 1 version of the Infinity is a Distance Cap. The needle protector is cone-shaped, just pull it from the airbrush. (Be warned! If you do this, always pull your needle back inside!!! If you don’t you can harm yourself and you can damage the needle!) With the Distance Cap mounted onto your airbrush, in combination with the Quick-fix, you can spray even lines from a specific distance and can even use a ruler to get perfect straight lines. It also allwos you to spray exactly the same dots in the same sizes.

Conclusion

My personal opinion is that this is just an amazing airbrush and very nicely designed. It can spray very sophisticated but it needs some experience from the user do to it being a very advanced airbrush. For the starters among us this is an airbrush that isn’t quite suitable but for the more experienced it has a lot of options. It can spray very fine lines and, due to the small parts, is a very complicated tool, a precision instrument that needs care to keep it operating.

The Price of the airbrush might be a bit on the high side with it’s €215 but considering the options and all the extra’s this airbrush has it is money well spent. It is much more expensive then it’s predecessor the Evolution but as stated for that money you get a better airbrush. I would advice to go to a store to try the Infinity and get to know the airbrush first before committing to buying. Ultimately, this is an airbrush that will be a great tool for any professional or advanced modeller. The high quality is what you can expect from Harder & Steenbeck and, while the art of airbrushing is in the hands of the user, this airbrush makes it a lot easier!