Brushes: what/when/why?
Tue, Dec 22, 2020 - By Ian Harvey
Toko's brush program is very simple and effective. I think some brands like to confuse you so you buy more brushes. That's not our style. We want you to be successful with our products and recommendations. We have a bunch of brushes in our program. See below for the photos of each of the rectangular Nordic brushes.
Above from left to right you see on the top row Copper Brush, Combi Brush, Nylon Brush and then on the second row Horsehair Brush, Nylon Polishing Brush, and then Liquid Paraffin Polishing Brush. There are a few ways to get to the same place: fast skis. That is to say, there is more than one effective way to do something. That said, the following recommendations are tried-and-true. They are effective and simple.
The Combi Brush is purely a brush made to provide a cheaper option than buying Copper and Nylon. I don't recommend it, but we sell a bunch.
The Nylon Brush is a very popular brush that I don't use or recommend at all. The bristles are so thick, they don't do much and don't get into base to clean out the structure at all really. (Why do we sell it? People buy them like crazy, that's why). That leaves the Copper Brush, the Horsehair Brush, and the two polishing brushes (Nylon Polishing Brush and Liquid Paraffin Polishing Brush) which are identical except for color. I definitely use these brushes.
The Copper Brush is your utility and go-to brush. It is the first brush that you use after you ski before you wax. It cleans and opens the base preparing it for waxing. It is also the first brush you use after you scrape your hot wax, regardless of which hot wax it is (blue, red, or yellow). This is the most used brush for sure.
The Horsehair Brush is great for brushing out cold hard waxes such as Blue and XCold Powder. The bristles are very fine, yet also quite stiff. It removes more wax from the base than any of the other brushes which is what is wanted in such cold conditions. When brushing out cold hard wax, start with the Copper Brush and then finish it with the Horsehair Brush.
The Nylon Polishing Brush also has fine bristles but they are very flexible. This brush does get into the fine structure, but it does not remove as much wax as the Horsehair Brush does. When brushing out Red and Yellow waxes, start with the Copper Brush and then finish it with the Nylon Polishing Brush.
The yellow Liquid Paraffin Polishing Brush is similar to the Nylon Polishing Brush. The reason that we offer it is that because it is yellow, it is easy to dedicate for brushing out liquid paraffin waxes only. You don't want to use the same brush for liquid paraffins as you do for hot waxes. The liquid paraffins are faster and different (smaller less "waxy" particles"). For this reason, I recommend having a yellow Liquid Paraffin Polishing Brush to finish the BPLP waxes.
I also use an old Copper Brush for using with Wax Remover and Race Wax Remover. Apply the liquid to the ski and then brush it into the base aggressively. Then let it sit for a bit and clean the ski base with some Base Tex (Fiberlene) or paper towel. This is far more effective than not using the Copper Brush. So, this is a concise and simple brush recommendation that is highly effective. It's everything that you want and not the marketing blah blah stuff and confusion that you don't want. Good luck and happy skiing!