Honestly, we're flattered.
Like most everything of high quality these days, the airbrush is not immune to knock offs and generic copies, especially our brand - Iwata. One would think that the airbrush industry is small enough to be insulated from such pettyness, but its not. Copies abound on almost every one of our models from Revolution to Micron series, and there seems to be no end to the madness.
The madness is beginnning to spiral as users are buying cheap imitations from places like China and Taiwan. Then they try and pass them off on places like ebay where they claim that "these are authentic Iwata brushes, straight from the factory."
They are not.
Even some of our very own wholesale customers have ventured down into this abyss. Under the guise of "it's just marketing 101", and their enlightened wisdom, they have decided to pursue their own "house brands" then pass them off to unsuspecting consumers as Iwata Light - Iwata Quality and Performance without the cost.
Amateurs.
We occaisionally get calls from customers who claim that "so-and-so says that Iwata makes this brand for them..." Or "...are Brand X's airbrushes Made by Iwata?"
Truth be told, Iwata does not and will not make anyone elses "airbrush brand X". Cheap makers private label for other companies, why would we compromise our brand name and image by manufacturing things for others? It doesn't make good sense.
Don't do these guys any favors and buy knock offs of any kind, and I'm not just talking about airbrushes, i'm talking TV's, radios, ipods, shoes, watches ~ anything! Even though you think you're getting a "sweet deal" you're not. In many cases you're buying stolen intellectual property or products forged in fly-by-night factories. Products with inferior materials, poor manufacture and most often - no support or warranty.
Trust me, you're not sticking it to "the big corporations" by doing so. You're only hurting quality makers and the faithful people who have worked hard over many year building and supporting you the artist and the airbrush industry. Buying cheap knock-offs only hinders the efforts of established and proactive companies to create and ultimately support, quality airbrush products. Which only hurts you, the aritst, in the end.
Remember if it doesn't say IWATA, it is NOT IWATA.
