Simply put, it's a matter of preference. Having said that, and I hope the next statement doesn't upset Ken Schlotfeldt, but it's hard for Badger to beat a Badger. Their illustration brushes, when fitted with a fine tip and needle, polished winged back lever, and oversized Omni trigger, are second to none, including the Iwata's. My 100, 100LG's, 150's, 155/360's all have counterbalance handles and Badger quick disconnects. I've also tricked out the inner workings. However, the Renegades are excellent brushes out of the box and are easier to maintain than the illustration series. Specifically, the tip drops in like a cone tip but centers like a screw in tip due to the "cupcake" bottom profile where it mates with the body. The trigger tension can be adjusted from very tight to very loose to accomodate a wide range of preferences. Would I recommend one to someone in the market for a new brush; in a word, yes. Played with the Rage tonite shooting water on a mirror. If a brush can atomize and pull a fine line w/ tap water on a polished mirror without spatter, that's saying something. Badger dropped shipped my Velocity today and it is scheduled to arrive Wednesday by UPS. It'll be a couple of weeks before I get to play with it due to Guard commitments.
E