Toko Brand Manager, Ian Harvey, offers this great explainer on his brush line. Check out his video at the end of the article for even more helpful information!
Our brush program is very simple and effective. 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. However, the following recommendations are tried-and-true.
The Combi Brush is purely a brush made to provide a cheaper option than buying Copper and Nylon. There is less surface area than having a Copper and a Nylon each. I don’t recommend it, but we sell a bunch.
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 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. It leaves a super fine sheen of wax which isn’t a bad thing when there is a bit of water in the snow. 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 through the yellow color, 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 dedicated to finishing the liquid paraffin 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. (this is not for cleaning klister but for simply base cleaning when the snow was really dirty such as in the spring).
So, this is a concise and simple brush recommendation that is highly effective. Good luck and happy skiing!
