"Hey Adam - Frags look great man, thanks a lot. What the heck is the brush for?”
I swear I’m not picking on any of you, and I’m sure you know who you are, but I have to admit, this one gets me every time. I mean, “What is the brush for?” Really?
“Well, it’s a brush” I’ll reply casually, quelling any shred of sarcasm, fighting to make itself heard. I then follow with some encouraging words about finding the perfect use for it eventually. Like – “trust me, you will love it when the time is right,” or ” you’ll get it, and when you do, you’ll thank me one day” - LOL!
So, what am I even talking about? Someone developed some kind of new whatever brush or something? I’m sure plenty of you know exactly, what it is I am talking about, but for those of you who aren't privy, I’m referring to my beloved Battlebrush! Perhaps the finest little reefers cleaning tool ever! And no, I didn’t invent some fancy new instrument. In fact, these are simply small, stiff bristled, plastic brushes for cleaning guns, readily available at any kind of arms outlet store. I dare you to find a more perfect reefers brush. I sincerely do.
Here’s the story. He’s my father in law, a Vietnam Vet and a lifelong military man now retired. When I first met my wife, he was always giving me things. Things like boxes of pencils, sharpeners, rulers and all sorts of other peculiar but seemingly useful items he’d collected when he retired from the Army Reserves in 2003. Apparently he’d had free roam over some older stockrooms that were being relocated or something, so he salvaged whatever he could. Sometimes a great surprise and sometimes totally useless, these treasures were always welcome and always appreciated. One day he showed up with about 6 white boxes full of these little green two sided brushes. “Thought you may have some uses for these things with your fish stuff” he said, handing me over a few bags full of these boxes holding about 100 brushes each.
Thinking back, I guess my response wasn’t much different than the customers I jazzed in the beginning of this. “Ok Ken, thanks a lot man. Brushes. Thanks again, I guess, sure whatever”. But it wasn’t long after that I needed to clean something. Something small. Maybe some algae off a frag plug, or the cage on my calcium crusted tunze’s. I don’t recall exactly what it was, but whatever it was, in that instant I knew I’d happened upon something extraordinary and the Battlebrush had been born. Of course this was years before I even started Battlecorals so not technically a “Battlebrush" at that time yet, but I think you get where I’m coming from. Even then as a hobbyist selling the occasional Monti pack over on Reef Central, I would send them out with the box for fun. Sometimes three or four even. I mean - I had a trove of the things and I wanted others to experience the joy of using these brushes just as I had. Locally they were already all the rage and I gave them out whenever and wherever I could. No doubt about it - reefers loved this brush!
While it took me a number of years to finally get down to the last few brushes, I had been hoarding them myself long before that, reserving them only for really large orders or good friends. At that point you had to be worthy to get one of these and the smaller my supply got, the more stingy I got with them, until finally I was down to about 10 and that was it. The last of my beloved brushes were all mine and weren’t going anywhere! But what would I do when the time finally came and I had not more? The thought actually made me a little nervous if I’m being honest. What the heck was I going to do when all my brushes were gone? Back to the old denture brush I suppose, but man those things suck compared to these…
That was about 2 or 3 years ago.
I don’t know what really motivated me to do it, but one day this past winter I finally decided it was time to seek the brushes out. I knew that they were intended to clean guns so they must be available somewhere. Sure enough, within minutes, I had identified and located a place to buy them in bulk. And buy brushes in bulk I did! And so, as many of you have been receiving these gems in your boxes for a while now, I felt it was finally time to officially announce the return of the Battlebrush, complete with it’s own shiny new logo and packaging!
I am sending a Battlebrush out free with every order over 200.00!
So when it’s your turn, and this brush whilst opening your box greets you, don’t be confused by it. It’s just a brush. I’m not suggesting anything at all about you or your system. But simply welcoming you to the club as you join the rest of the reefers that have already experienced the utilitarian wonder, which is the Battlebrush.
Pull it out and open it up. Run your thumbnail along that stiff set of fine bristles and contemplate your next cleaning. Whatever it may be. When then time comes, get that brush out and put it to good use! I promise that you will find at least one unbelievable, irreplaceable use for it.
If you have one already, let me and the rest off us know what you think and just what exactly, you do with yours!
And, if you want one but don't see yourself ordering any time soon, then look out for a super gimmicky giveaway on FB soon by visiting my FB page. A click on the blue brush above will take you there!
Enjoy!
I'm thinking to myself, nah he didn't
