First look: Hardline Chameleon brush

In order to fit the interior diameter of the new Chameleon carbon-fibre handle, the mandrel of the IcePad head has been increased to 26.2 mm. This means that the new Chameleon handle will not fit existing Hardline IcePad heads with a 20 mm mandrel without an adapter to add the additional 6 mm. However, the new IcePad head will fit Goldline Impact and Balance Plus LiteSpeed handles without modification; one would use only one mounting screw instead of two.

Out of the box, the Chameleon IcePad brush head weighs a substantial 275 g, placing the Chameleon brush head in the lowest quartile of brush heads by weight (see chart below). However, as usual the IcePad includes a plastic “shim” underneath the black fabric of the sleeve, which was banned from play after 2015. Both the shim, and the black fabric IcePad sleeve, should be discarded for competition. (Note: the included foam is approved for competitive play).

With a World Curling-approved sleeve and the shim removed, the total brush head weight 266 g, still substantially more than heads from other manufacturers but lighter than the Asham V2 Pro. The additional weight is due both the size of the 26.2 mm mandrel and the heavier inserts that sit inside the foam and “click” into the brush head’s base plate.