After over a decade of using a VL, just yesterday my Iwata HP-C arrived. Honestly it is a wonderful tool. The look, the fit and finish, I really like how it's made and the attention to detail. I like the way it feels, the trigger is smooth and it's easy to handle. Not that there is anything wrong with the VL (some artist I have seen do amazing work with a lesser brush than the VL so it's not like the brush will make me a better artist), I am still using it for some things but the Iwata ... imho is a wonderful brush and I didn't know what I was missing. It seems more a precision tool than "just" an ab.
I am really happy I picked one up!