California water blade? Any good?

[paulSC]

Looking for feedback. Was wondering if the California Water Blade was decent for drying.

[94gpse]

I love mine. Gets about 90% of the water off. I have had mine for 3 years and it is great.

[gb387]

Check this really old post out.... some like it others don't.

Thry this

I would never use one for fear of scratching.

[Tim Lingor]

Hey,


Like gb387 mentioned, some like it others do not. The fear is that if the paint was not rinsed off enough, then a dirt particle could get trapped between the blade and the paint, causing one long scratch. However, if one wipes the blade on a towel after every pass and rinses the paint really well, that may not be an issue. As I said, it is more of a personal choice.

I personally use mine only for glass. I prefer to use Meguiar's Waffle Weave Drying Towel

Microfiber Drying Towel



Cheers!

Tim

[Rockpick]

Originally posted by 2hotford
I personally use mine only for glass. I prefer to use Meguiar's Waffle Weave Drying Towel

Microfiber Drying Towel

I'm the same way now after discovering several straight line scratches that were seemingly caused as a result of the use of the blade. Further, I found myself getting in a hurry and having the blade 'grab' on the paint and ultimately slip out of my hand causing the hard plastic handle to smack the paint. After this happening twice, I believe the blade was hurled into the street and, ultimately, thrown in my garbage can.

Waffle weave microfiber is my personal preference now. It's hard to beat!

Again though, be very careful when drying your vehicle. There's a huge variety of items that can cause scratching and swirling including your drying technique. Simple steps like keeping the towel that you're using on other body panels away from wheels and wheel wells and other areas where grit is more likely to still be present after a complete washing will go a long way to keep your finish in excellent condition!

RP

[Buellwinkle]

I think it's great, I can wipe my shower down in seconds. Don't like it for my current cars though since they too curvy it misses too much. When I had a 92 Suburban it was good because of all the flat panels.

[the other pc]

I bought a California Water Blade for doing glass. I didn’t want to try it on paint for fear of getting some grit caught under it and scratching. When I read the instructions that came with it specifically warn about that danger I definitely decided to avoid using it on paint.

Ironically the characteristics that make it useable on paint, being deep, flexible and very soft, make it pretty mediocre on glass. What I do like about it is the telescoping, adjustable angle pole they make for it.

I also tried natural chamois, PVA synthetic chamois, waffle weave PVA synthetic chamois and microfiber synthetic chamois for drying.

Bottom line for me, once I tried a waffle weave microfiber drying towel all the others went into storage (and I bought a bunch more waffle weave microfiber drying towels).


PC.

[TOGWT]

Water Blade:
The best-known brand (The Original California Water Blade) is made of medical-grade silicone so it should not scratch. It can be used to remove water without causing scratches by applying very little surface pressure with the blade, wiping with long strokes in one direction only. If there is any grit left on the car after washing, the blade may pick it up and drag it across the paint, much the same as a towel would, this can be avoided by wiping the blade with a clean damp towel after every pass.


The water blade should be protected when not in use. If it is crushed in storage, the edge may take a set and leave a stripe of water on the car, the water blade comes with a protective plastic case, use it for blade storage.

Like any tool, the water blade does require a little bit of technique and practice. The first few times I used mine, it tended to chatter on the surface, resulting in incomplete drying. It turns out this is eliminated by using just the right angle and pressure on the blade. Smoothness can also be affected by the surface condition of the paint (wax, sealant oxidation, etc.) and any coating that might be on the water blade itself.

Caution: do not use- a water blade to remove rainwater as there could be road grit on the paint surface or the rain may contain impurities that could scratch the paint.

JonM

[Mojo1]

Cheers!

Tim [/B][/QUOTE]
want to buy some of these ,link not working for me and my blind azz cant find them on the site ,can you help a fool out ???

[Tim Lingor]

Originally posted by Mojo1

want to buy some of these ,link not working for me and my blind azz cant find them on the site ,can you help a fool out ???

Hey Mojo,

There is something wrong with the code/link. I too can not find it on the site. I will talk with Mike and see if we can find out what is going on.

Until then, here is the review I did of the Drying Towel:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1318

Tim

[Mojo1]

Originally posted by 2hotford
Hey Mojo,

There is something wrong with the code/link. I too can not find it on the site. I will talk with Mike and see if we can find out what is going on.

Until then, here is the review I did of the Drying Towel:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1318

Tim

Thanks for the info 2hotford,I will be watching this!!!

Bill

[RamAirV1]

When using any type of towel, I like to blot, rather than wipe, the water on the horizontal surfaces as this really helps to minimize scratching. I learned this technique on my Black WS6 TA. The clearcoat on the hood was very soft. If you even looked at the paint too long it would scratch it LOL! Using a blotting technique really cut down on scratching, as well as the switch to MF towels.

I tried the CA Water Blade and was not that impressed with it. Too many curves on the TA for it to work very well. It did not scratch the paint though. As the others say, wipe the blade after every pass and there should be no scratches.

RamAirV1

[airick]

Re: California water blade? Any good?

Besides buying the California water blade online, where could I get this product locally?

[corky5678]

Re: California water blade? Any good?

Besides buying the California water blade online, where could I get this product locally?

If they have Kragen Auto Parts or Pep Boys where you live, go there.

[gorin002]

Re: California water blade? Any good?

ahhh water blade.we have a name for it wich is inlogic
water balde sound logic
i need one for the roof.