Sharpe Becomes Official Sponsor of SkillsUSA to Assist Young Painters Make Their Mark

Minneapolis, MN (April 29, 2009) – Sharpe, a leader in paint spraying equipment for the professional automotive refinish market, is pleased to announce that it has become a 2009 Official Sponsor of SkillsUSA through its support of the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference.

SkillsUSA returns to Kansas City June 21-June 26, 2009 where 5,000 outstanding career and technical education students—all state contest winners—compete hands-on in 91 different trade, technical and leadership fields. Students work against the clock and each other, proving their expertise in occupations such as automotive refinishing, electronics, precision machining, culinary arts and more.

Sharpe is providing student coaching and providing sets of RAZOR® spray guns and accessories to the top three winners, with additional products going to their schools where the RAZOR spray guns will help other students learn the automotive refinishing trade in years to come.

Professional painter Justin Barnes has been commissioned to paint a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle with RAZOR spray guns. He will also be signing autographs in the Sharpe booth at TECHSPO in June.

The Harley-Davidson Dyna® Super Glide® will be raffled to raise money to support SkillsUSA programs, along with a three $2800 prizes from Sharpe. "SkillsUSA is thrilled with the addition of Sharpe to the Harley-Davidson raffle and welcome them as an Official Sponsor in 2009. We look forward to their presence at the National Leadership and Skills Conference and to a lasting partnership," said Tim Lawrence SkillsSUA Executive Director.

“Sharpe will be at TECHSPO, the SkillsUSA trade show, June 23-25 at the Kansas City Convention Center, in H. Roe Bartle Hall. Justin Barnes will be signing autographs in the Sharpe booth (#303) on Tuesday, June 23 1:00-3:00 p.m. During this time, there will be a chance to win product painted by Justin” said Penny Hanson, Sharpe’s Marketing Manager. “RAZOR Spray Guns are a high-performance, yet low-cost choice for a painter to trim expenses without sacrificing quality,” said Ron Graffis, Sharpe Manager of Sales and Marketing. “RAZOR Spray Guns are a practical investment for vo-tech students moving into careers in professional painting.”

RAZOR Guns on average retail for $475 for gravity feed. Competitive gravity feed guns retail from $550 to nearly $800. RAZOR guns work with the new paint chemistries being used in today’s shops. They offer amazing performance along with a lightweight, ergonomic gun body for painter comfort.

“RAZOR Spray Guns compete head to head in terms of performance and reliability with Sata and Iwata spray guns,” said Ron Graffis. “To demonstrate the durability and high quality finish these new guns deliver, Sharpe is offering a three year warranty for our made-in-the-USA product.”

About Sharpe
Graco, a world leader in fluid handling systems and components, and Sharpe, a part of the Graco Company, developed the new RAZOR Spray Guns.

Specific to automotive finishing, Graco has a long history designing and manufacturing finishing equipment that improves productivity, reduces paint usage costs, lowers emissions and provides consistently better finishes for automotive manufacturers the world over. These manufacturers include General Motors, Ford and Toyota, as well as bus, trucking and airplane manufacturers worldwide.

Graco purchased Sharpe in 2003 to enter the North American automotive refinishing market, and brought its strong R&D, engineering and product development expertise to develop new spray guns to bolster Sharpe’s position in the marketplace.

Sharpe and Graco developed RAZOR accessories that enhance the painting experience. The Dryaire™ system removes compressed air humidity, and many air filters and coalescers ensure high quality air.

About SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. The national organization helps students excel in training programs and future technical, skilled and service careers, including health occupations. SkillsUSA serves more than 300,000 high school and college/postsecondary students and their chapter advisors who are professional members.

Sharpe Unveils Newly Finished Custom-Painted Razor Motorcycle

Las Vegas, NV – Sharpe, a leader in paint spraying equipment for the professional automotive refinish market, announces the pre-unveiling of the newly finished $25,000 Razor Motorcycle – part of the Razor Gun Custom Bike Sweepstakes at www.sharpe1.com.

The Razor Motorcycle’s first public unveiling will be at NACE (www.naceexpo.com), November 6th by the bike’s designer and painter Justin Barnes of JB Grafix. Barnes is one of the most well-known and innovative painters in the U.S.

He has appeared on Discovery Channel’s “American Chopper,” and painted a number of well-known motorcycles such as the POW-MIA bike, the Fire bike, the I-Robot bike, the Comanche, the Snap-On bike and many more.

“Sharpe gave me free reign on the bike design, and really wanted something that would stand out in a crowd,” said Barnes who for all of the bike’s paintwork used Sharpe’s Razor guns.

To learn about the bike and Justin Barnes’ inspiration for the bike and painting techniques, visit www.sharpe1.com.

“I’ve been really happy with the Razor guns. We hadn’t used them before we started working with Sharpe, and I’ve been really impressed. They’re all I’ve been using now on every bike that we do. They spray really well, are easy to maintain. I also found them very easy to get used to. After just a couple of times using them I was really comfortable with the guns.”

Barnes used a new line of paint on the bike introduced recently by PPG. It will likely take anyone who sees the bike straight back to their childhood days.

“We’ve used Hot Wheels™ colors from PPG,” said Barnes. “They’re really vibrant and they stand out a lot. We’ve used them on quite a few bikes now and like the fact that you can add pearls and flakes to the original candy color. They’re pretty easy to manipulate to come up with unique color work.”

For the actual artwork, Barnes took his inspiration from both the bike itself and the fact that it will be given away in a sweepstakes.

“Stack’s Creative Customs built the bike and they did such a great job,” said Barnes. “It has really great lines, which I focused on in the design. I also kept in mind that Sharpe will be giving this bike away, so I didn’t want it to be too theme-oriented. We’ve used a heavy graphic pattern, with traditional style flames and green metal flake. We’ve also used variegated gold leaf, which is treated with heat and acid so you get a marbling effect.”

The Razor Gun Custom Bike Sweepstakes drawing takes place in April 2009 and the winner will be announced later that month. Visit www.sharpe1.com for your chance to win.

You are invited to an Exclusive Event sponsored by Sharpe Featuring Justin Barnes of JB Grafix

Las Vegas, NV – Sharpe, a leader in paint spraying equipment for the professional automotive refinish market, will unveil the new Razor Motorcycle – part of the Razor Gun Custom Bike Sweepstakes – at NACE (www.naceexpo.com), November 6.

Justin Barnes of JB Grafix, one of the most well-known and innovative paint shops in the U.S., designed and painted the Razor Gun Custom Bike. Barnes will be on hand at noon that day in the Sharpe Booth # N2129 to unveil the $25,000 custom designed and painted motorcycle that Sharpe is giving away as part of the Razor Gun Custom Bike Sweepstakes (www.sharpe1.com).

Barnes will also put on a special presentation at 5:30 pm for NACE attendees and local Las Vegas paint and body shops. The presentation will be held in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Barnes will discuss his illustrative career and how to bring an individualized, artistic approach to automotive and motorcycle painting.

The presentation is free. To reserve a seat register at www.sharpe1.com/bikeevent. Attendees will be automatically entered into a drawing to win the new Razor Gravity Feed Spray Guns.

Barnes has appeared on the Discovery Channel’s “American Chopper,” and has painted a number of well-known motorcycles such as the POW-MIA bike, the Fire bike, the I-Robot bike, the Comanche, the Snap-On bike and many more.

“Sharpe gave me free reign on the bike design, and really wanted something that would stand out in a crowd,” said Barnes who for all of the bike’s paintwork used Sharpe’s Razor guns.

“I’ve been really happy with the Razor guns. We hadn’t used them before we started working with Sharpe, and I’ve been really impressed. They’re all I’ve been using now on every bike that we do. They spray really well, are easy to maintain. I also found them very easy to get used to. After just a couple of times using them I was really comfortable with the guns.”

Barnes used a new line of paint on the bike introduced recently by PPG. It will likely take anyone who sees the bike straight back to their childhood days.

“We’ve used Hot Wheels colors from PPG,” said Barnes. “They’re really vibrant and they stand out a lot. We’ve used them on quite a few bikes now and like the fact that you can add pearls and flakes to the original candy color. They’re pretty easy to manipulate to come up with unique color work.”

For the actual artwork, Barnes took his inspiration from both the bike itself and the fact that it will be given away in a sweepstakes.

“Stack’s Creative Customs built the bike and they did such a great job,” said Barnes. “It has really great lines, which I focused on in the design. I also kept in mind that Sharpe will be giving this bike away, so I didn’t want it to be too theme-oriented. We’ve used a heavy graphic pattern, with traditional style flames and green metal flake. We’ve also used variegated gold leaf, which is treated with heat and acid so you get a marbling effect.”

The Razor Gun Custom Bike Sweepstakes draw takes place in April 2009 and the winner will be announced later that month. To enter the sweepstakes visit www.sharpe1.com.

Design Chosen in Razor Custom Bike Sweepstakes

Minneapolis, MN (July 30, 2008) – Sharpe, a leader in paint spraying equipment for the professional automotive refinish market, announces that the final paint design has been chosen for the Razor Gun Custom Bike, which will be given away in a sweepstakes.

Sharpe asked Justin Barnes of J.B. Grafix, one of the most well-known and innovative paint shops in the U.S., to design and paint artwork for the Razor Gun Custom Bike.

Barnes has appeared on the Discovery Channel’s “American Chopper,” and has painted a number of well-known motorcycles such as the POW-MIA bike, the Fire bike, the I-Robot bike, the Comanche, the Snap-On® bike and many more.

“We’re very excited to be working with Justin,” said Penny Hanson, Sharpe Marketing Manager. “He’s well-known in the biker community as a truly innovative artist, and we know he’s going to do some amazing things with the Razor bike artwork.”

Barnes has now chosen the design for the bike. It will feature many of his signature details. “I’m usually all about doing metal-flake paint jobs, because they’re the most eye-catching,” said Barnes. “If you put a flaked-out bike in a sea of a thousand non-flaked-out bikes, it stands out from a mile away. Sharpe gave me free reign on the bike as far as design, but really wanted something that would stand out in a crowd.”

Barnes is also using a new line of paint on the bike introduced recently by PPG. It will likely take anyone who sees the bike straight back to their childhood days.

“We’ve used Hot Wheels colors from PPG,” said Barnes. “They’re really vibrant and they stand out a lot. We’ve used them on quite a few bikes now and like the fact that you can add pearls and flakes to the original candy color. They’re pretty easy to manipulate to come up with unique color work.”

The bike has a gold and silver metal-flake base, along with Hot Wheels Antifreeze Green. And, Barnes has added some of his own unique touches. “I’m a fan of black wheels, and we did that. It makes a difference to the bike. Gives it a bit of edginess, makes it look a lot tougher.”

For the actual artwork, Barnes took his inspiration from both the bike itself and the fact that it will be given away in a sweepstakes.

“Mark Calhoun from Stack’s Custom Creations built the bike and they did such a great job,” said Barnes. “It has really great lines, which I focused on in the design. I also kept in mind that Sharpe will be giving this bike away, so I didn’t want it to be too theme-oriented. We’ve used a heavy graphic pattern, with traditional style flames and green metal flake. We’ve also used variegated gold leaf, which is treated with heat and acid so you get a marbling effect.”

For all of the bike’s paintwork, Barnes will be using Sharpe’s Razor guns. “I’ve been really happy with the Razor guns. I hadn’t used them before I started working with Sharpe, and I’ve been really impressed.

They’re all I’ve been using now on every bike that I do. They spray really well, and are easy to maintain. I also found them very easy to get used to. After just a couple of times using them, I was really comfortable with the guns.”

When the Razor Gun Custom Bike is finished, Barnes is confident it will be something people want to win. “We’ve already had some of the pieces in the sunlight and it’s pretty crazy looking so far. Definitely a unique bike, whoever wins it is definitely going to have a one-off bike from fabrication to paint.”

Razor Gun Custom Bike Sweepstakes

Minneapolis, MN (May 15, 2008) – Sharpe, a leader in paint spraying equipment for the professional automotive refinish market, announces the Razor Gun Custom Bike Sweepstakes for the chance to win a custom-designed and painted motorcycle.

Stack’s Creative Customs, a Twin Cities custom bike fabricator, collaborated with Graco to create the ultimate custom designed bike. The Razor Gun Custom Bike includes an air ride suspension on a LowLife Softtail frame with a rightside drive. The engine is a 113 S&S motor and the transmission is a Baker 6 speed.

The motorcycle will undergo a visual transformation over the next few months. Sharpe has engaged Justin Barnes of JB Grafix, one of the most well-known and innovative paint shops in the U.S., to design and paint custom artwork for the Razor Gun Custom Bike.

Barnes has appeared on the Discovery Channel’s “American Chopper,” and has painted a number of well-known motorcycles such as the POW-MIA bike, the Fire bike, the I-Robot bike, the Comanche, the Snap-On bike and many more.

“We’re very excited to be working with Justin,” said Penny Hanson, Sharpe Marketing Manager. “He’s well-known in the biker community as a truly innovative artist and we know he’s going to do some amazing things with the Razor bike artwork.”

Barnes will create four designs for the bike. The final design will be interactive, with voting at www.sharpe1.com.

Sharpe will bring the finished Razor bike, painted with the winning design, to the National Auto body Congress and Exhibition (NACE) in Las Vegas on November 6-8, 2008 for the official unveiling. The Razor bike will tour the country until the sweepstakes drawing takes place in April 2009.

To paint the bike, J.B. Grafix will use Sharpe’s new RAZOR line of spray guns. They are one of the best American-made spray guns offering long-term affordability, with ultra long life needle packings and low cost of ownership due to cost-effective repair parts. The RAZOR line features spray guns suited for every job, including HVLP models.

“Sharpe is the true leader in automotive painting technology, and it’s a pleasure to be working both with the company and with their products,” said Barnes. “I’m definitely looking forward to this experience.”

With any Razor gun purchase, there will be a card inside the box regarding how to register for a chance to win the bike. More information will be available at www.sharpe1.com.

After extensive market research and field development with automotive refinishers, the new RAZOR Spray Guns were designed to be lightweight and have superior ergonomic features while delivering a high-quality, first-class automotive finish.

“The new RAZOR Spray Guns compete head to head in terms of performance and reliability with Sata, DeVilbiss and Iwata spray guns,” said Ron Graffis, Sharpe Manager of Sales and Marketing. “To demonstrate the durability and high-quality finish these new guns deliver, Sharpe is offering a three year warranty for our made in the USA product,” added Graffis.

The RAZOR Gravity Spray Guns deliver premium performance for base, clear and primer coats and offers features and options that painters did not have in the past from Sharpe Manufacturing.