The tying-tool-family by ingenious flytier Christian Kuchelmeister in cooperation with SWISSCDC has a new member: the MultiBrush. I had the chance to work with this tool a few weeks prior to the official introduction. Here is my review:
First impressions
Well, my first thoughts were honestly not the enthusiastic ones I had with the other tools of the series, especially with the MultiClamp which I absolutely love! The MultiBrush looks like a designer projectile of an alien blaster. And what’s so special about a brush anyway?
I must admit, that after a few seconds already these thoughts gave way to some sort of approving admiration: A tiny wire brush in the shape of a paintbrush – so simple but genius! On my tying desk there a several brushes, ugly selfmade things made from craft sticks and velcro, and small bottle brushes… with this neat stainless steel tool, all the others can finally be discarded. It lies in your hand perfectly, just like a heavy ballpoint pen. Even brushing out small portions of dubbing or wings on dry flies becomes easy.
Is the price justified?
Here in Europe the MultiBrush sells at roughly 35€. In the US the price is a little higher due to shipping costs and the higher general income. To my knowledge it sells at roughly 45$.
The quality of the tool is outstanding, as with any of the other SWISSCDC tools by Christian Kuchelmeister. All parts are machined and assembled in Southern Germany. The brush itself can be replaced by opening a tiny screw with an Allen key. As far as I know, an Allen key will be provided with the replacement brush, because not all countries use the metric system. That being said, I am skeptical if anyone ever truly needs to replace the brush, because it is very sturdy and the materials we work with in fly tying are rather soft. I wonder though, if there are plans to provide other tools which can be inserted in the shaft? Who knows what SWISSCDC and Christian Kuchelmeister have in store for the future? Different shapes or sizes of brushes or different grades of hardness?
This brush sure is a move to sustainability on my tying desk and to me, it is well worth the money. Speaking about the durability of this tool, I am sure it will outlive any flytier…
Why “multi”?
After the MultiClamp, the MultiLoop and now the MultiBrush have been introduced, you might wonder what all that “multi” wants to tell us? Probably it is some way to link the different products together, just as Marc Petitjean does with all his “magic” tools. But there is something about these tools that truly make them multi-functional. I have been using the MultiClamp not only to cut and arrange feathers and fibers, but also to just quickly hold the thread in place, store material so it doesn’t get blown from my table (or lost among the chaos).
It is the same with the MultiBrush: I discovered that the pointy end is perfect for splitting the thread, and the edges are so perfectly deburred, that the thread is not damaged. The “saw” is ideal to brush out dubbing on bigger flies or when you need a bit more force.
Conclusion
The MultiBrush is no fancy gadget, but a great tool. As with the other tools from that series, the brush has quickly become an essential tool on tying desk, and it complements the other tools perfectly. In my opinion, it is well worth the money, especially if you plan to keep on tying flies. For those who just want to try fly tying for a short period, a selfmade velcro-brush is absolutely sufficient.
