ISSUE 2
18+
GRIMM GREEN
. REVIEWS OFFERS . GUIDES . TABOOS . TIPS &. TRICKS . MODS & MORE E X C L U S I V E
I N T E R V I E W
E D I T O R ’ S
L E T T E R
Hello and welcome to the second edition of Vape Pocket Guide, the magazine written by vapers for vapers! My name is Chris, and I’m excited to bring to you some of the exciting content here in this issue. The aim here at Vape Pocket Guide is to offer content for both new and experienced vapers alike. This issue, we have some great content, starting with an interview with one of YouTube’s biggest and most innuential reviewers: Grimm Green. Read about switching from smoking to vaping, health implications, taboos, tips, and tricks. We also cover the most expensive vape mods, and review the latest kit on the market, including one of the biggest product releases of 2018, the Voopoo Drag. Last but not least, we also delve into the Aspire story and review their latest piece of kit, the Aspire Tigon. The magazine is only the beginning. With plenty more helpful articles, features, and reviews online, go and check out the website today to nd many more things of interest beyond the page. We have a growing social media network which you should jump straight into and help forge content which is written for you. Si Signing off, thank you for reading! Vape Pocket Guide is growing rapidly; whether you are experienced or just starting out, our aim is to offer content for everyone.
Chris Ashton Editor
www.TheVapePocketGuide.com
CONTENTS ASPIRE TIGON REVIEW
GRIMM GREEN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
VAPING TABOOS
QUIT SMOKING
PHE STUDY ON VAPING
DRAG 2 REVIEW
All Rights Reserved © Pocket Media Group Ltd 2019. The entire contents of this publication are protected by copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form. The publishers do not accept responsibility for any of the views or opinions expressed in this guide, errors or omissions which may have occurred, or accept liability for any services or facilities featured. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that all information is correct, changes may and can occur.
So, you want to make the switch from smoking to vaping? Fantastic – one of the best decisions you will ever make. Welcome, my name is Chris and I would love to help you starting out and hopefully becoming smoke free in no time at all. Did you know cigarettes contain at least 600 ingredients and when burned release over 7000 chemicals? It sounds horrible right? That is because it is, the single worst habit you can have. How much better is vaping you ask? Well, it is at least 95% safer than smoking according to the Department of Public Health of England, a massive statistic. So let me take the time now to go through exactly what is vaping and get you started on quitting smoking altogether.
Vaping, in essence, is a much safer and less harmful method of delivering nicotine to the user without the chemicals associated with smoking. E-liquid contains only 4 components, Propylene Glycol (PG), Vegetable Glycerine (VG), Nicotine and food grade flavourings. PG is found in aerosol based medicines such as inhalers, with both the flavourings and VG have been tested to ensure they are safe to inhale.
The E-liquid essentially suspends the nicotine in a flavoured liquid made up of the PG and VG and when you fire the coil it heats the liquid up and delivers the nicotine into the lungs and turns the rest into simply vapour. Any vaping device is made up of 3 basic parts, the battery to power the device, the tank/pod to hold the liquid in and the coil which heats the E liquid up. The coil is often made from Kanthal metal, ideal for reheating and cotton for wicking to soak up and vapourise the E-liquid. The shape and design can vary of each vaping device but their core make up will always follow that same pattern. So, that is the basics of vaping, let’s move onto the first important step, picking the right device.
There are many types of devices on the market which all offer a different way of vaping. Methods such as RDA (rebuildable dripping atomisers) and RTA (rebuildable tank atomisers) are often seen as advanced kits that require a lot of experience and knowledge before using.
So, we will rule them out and move onto the next one, sub-ohming. Now, Sub ohm vaping uses a coil that has a lower resistance than 1 Ohm. They are often high powered tanks that require a lot of E-liquid and a high powered device to run, so as a basic starter kit they aren’t the most ideal if you want to save money. They utilise a vaping method called Direct to Lung (DL) vaping which works essentially by taking the vapour directly into the lung as the name suggests. Nicotine levels for this are often quite low and utilise the idea of more vapour equals more nicotine inhaled but for a starter, let’s focus more on the ideal device to make the switch.
Mouth to lung (MTL) vaping is more aligned to actual smoking than DL vaping is so the easiest method to make the switch with is through MTL devices. There are many tanks on the market that offer this way of vaping and usually have a coil resistance of 1 ohm and over, which require less power and use less liquid. MTL tanks offer a much tighter airflow through the tank and utilise higher nicotine liquids to provide the quick hit similar again to a cigarette. Combined with MTL vaping, a lower powered device is usually recommended but this can come in a variety of different shapes and sizes and come much smaller in profile. Another MTL method that is available is through the use of a pod system, an all in one kit essentially. It has a pod which can be filled and contains the coil, a small battery device to power the coil and either an automatic or manual inhale activation depending on device. This way is more discrete and handier to carry so with many options on the market, this could well be an option for something extremely simple.
Now, you have your device you will want to get liquids to try out and the nicotine strength is really important here. At an average rate, around 10 cigarettes a day is ideal at 12mg of nicotine, 20 cigarettes a day is recommended to start at 18mg. If you have chosen to pick up a DL sub-ohm vape then the maximum recommended is at around 6mg, as the higher nicotine can be very unpleasant at a higher level. So, depending on the device chosen, choose your liquid strength based on your current smoking level.
Next up is choosing your E-liquid, what works best with what. This is where the make up of an E-liquid comes in handy. An E-liquid is made up of VG and PG in a 100% ratio, so if a liquid says 70% Vg then it means 70% of the liquid is made up of Vegetable Glycerine. Sub-ohm (DL) vaping utilises more VG which is thicker and as such provides a smoother vape with more ‘clouds’. So, if you choose this method of vaping then anything 60vg or higher is going to be ideal for you. If you choose a MTL style vape then a thinner liquid, made up more of PG is ideal for you. VG can be used also in newer tanks but the added PG provides more of a throat hit which again is ideal for people wanting to directly switch from smoking to vaping. So at around 50/50 ratio, this would be ideal for MTL vaping. Additionally, it is interesting to know what a short-fill is compared to a regular E-liquid. A short-fill is an E-liquid that does not contain nicotine prior to purchase. Either bought separately or included, a nicotine bottle is then added to the liquid to complete the 100% ratio and add your nicotine. It is most commonly found in liquids more suited to DL vaping rather than MTL vaping. So chances are, if you are MTL and look to buy your E liquid at a high strength then it will most probably be included. It is always worth asking to make sure before you purchase.
So, now you are ready to start vaping and finally kick the nasty habit that has gripped you all this time. Now, you are in control of quitting and over time you will have more control over how much nicotine you use and in what method you vape it. The journey has only just begun in vaping and you may find yourself moving up in vapour production or quitting entirely. Either way, the most important thing to remember is to enjoy it and no matter what, stay safe.
Leak proof design Easy to use Great coil performance / flavour Long lasting battery
Difficult to change liquid Underpowered for adept vapers Paint is easy to scratch Lower battery for EU version
Aspire have released their latest product, offering a hybrid name and almost unique approach to producing a vaping kit. The aim seems to be a kit designed for both MTL and DL vapers with their new Let’s take a look at the Tigon kit here today:
Aspire Tigon Kit Spare glass 2x drip tips (1 installed) 2ohm coil 4ohm coil
O-rings Tank removal tool (EU version only) USB cable User manual
Size: 142×24.5mm (Standard) / 123x23mm (EU) Battery: 2600mAh (Standard) / 1800mAh (EU) Power: 3.3-4.2V Power modes: Bypass Fire button operated
Size: 52×24.5mm (Standard) / 49x23mm (EU) Capacity: 3.5ml (Standard) / 2ml (EU) Childproof top cap E-liquid sealing mechanism Top fill Suitable for MTL and restricted DTL vaping styles Coil resistance: 1.2ohm / 0.4ohm Bottom adjustable airflow – slot for DTL and holes for MTL Self sealing coil housing – prevents leaks when coil removing coils
The Tigon kit is a hybrid MTL/DL kit released from Aspire. It comes with both the Tigon tank and stick-style mod and 2 different coils. The mod is a 1800(EU) / 2300 mAh internal battery with front fire button and back USB charging port. The indicator light is almost purple coloured when firing with flashes to tell when battery requires charging. Charging time is around 90 minutes-120 minutes depending on battery level. The Tigon tank is a 2 mil (EU) /3.5 mil capacity tank capable of both MTL and DL vaping. It comes with a choice of 2 drip tips for each style and a 0.4 ohm (DL) and 1.4 ohm (MTL coil. The top fill is found by lifting the top part of the tank up slightly and then pushing back. Inside there is a protective cover over the fill hole to prevent leaking. On the bottom there is adjustable airflow and a push in coil design, which again is leak proof to allow changing coils any time you prefer when tank is full.
Using the Tigon over the past 2 weeks I have found that the kit is extremely easy to use. That was the obvious aim from Aspire and they have certainly achieved this with changing styles taking less than 60 seconds. Simply changing the drip tip and coil allows you to change how you vape in an instant. The size of the device is extremely small compared to other stick style devices so the overall profile is compact and easy to carry around, with no real weight behind it either. The fire button has a nice soft click feel to it which is easy to use and the 5 clicks to turn off is very responsive. Coil life is quite good, with both coils lasting over a week each with plenty of use and plenty of life left, with the flavour also a pro being strong and prevalent in both vaping styles. Charging time for this device is another big selling point with the huge battery for the vaping style and quick charge time to get back vaping. The whole kit feels solid and well made for the price which is another huge pro for the Tigon. The fill mechanism and leak proof design are both welcome features as I have not had any leaking at all whilst using/changing coils and no accidental openings in my pocket again compared to other slide to open designs.
The first big observation for the Tigon was that the paint on it isn’t going to last with rugged usage. It can easily scrape off with my own having a scratch mark within 2 weeks, so not the type of paint that will be holding up with a heavy hand approach. The change in battery capacity on region is another con for me as the EU doesn’t dictate the battery life and as a result, there is no real reason to have a smaller battery for European vapers. The leak proof design of the tank can mean changing liquids is quite difficult to do , so be prepared to only change when the liquid level is running low. The kit may be underpowered for many sub ohm vapers and possibly too airy for MTL vapers. I think the style of the kit didn’t factor airflow in overall so it does mean you will be closing the airflow down when using it MTL quite a bit.
The targeted audience for this kit factors in its overall quality in my opinion. For a vaper such as me, this is a very under-powered kit and it won’t satisfy your cloud making urges. However aimed at someone moving from smoking to vaping, this could well be a very good kit. Offering a lightweight device, with adaptive vaping styles, it can serve to be a perfect entry point into vaping for people. The MTL style offers good flavour and easy to use design with the DL coil allowing a natural advancement without significantly upping the power. At the right price, this could well again be a quality Aspire product designed to help people stop smoking and start vaping. Not as restrictive as the Nautilus style , it certainly offers flexibility and performance whilst being extremely easy to use. If you are looking for an airy MTL style tank or know someone who needs help quitting, this kit is certainly going to be for you.
The ban on smoking in enclosed public areas came into effect on July 1st, 2007. It’s now possible to put a fairly accurate date on movies and TV programmes, based on whether or not the characters are smoking inside or out. Similarly, the growing trend in e-cigarettes is represented on the screen, both big and small, as more and more characters are seen vaping, rather than smoking.
Actress Katherine Heigl has long been an ambassador for vaping and discussed the benefits with David Letterman on his show in 2010: she even vaped live during her Late Night appearance. Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood was seen vaping on morning television in 2012 and former deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg pledged his support following his switch from cigarettes on a radio show.
Logan, the tenth of the X-Men series, features a car salesperson vaping about an hour in to the film. Jack Black can be seen vaping in the 2016 movie “Sex Tape”. Johnny Depp was seen vaping an e-cigarette in the 2010 film The Tourist. John Cusack has vaped in at least three films (Drive Hard; Maps to the Stars; Reclaim) and even Dot Cotton (June Brown) vaped in a 2013 episode of EastEnders.
You know you’ve made it when you’re in an episode of The Simpsons. Celebrities literally beg to be included, but vaping has been featured several times. Marge’s twin sisters, Patty and Selma, switch to vaping in (and for) one short clip, Bart takes up e-cigarettes to impress a girl in the 2015 episode Let’s Go Fly a Coot, when we see Bart and baby Maggie vaping. More recently, Groundskeeper Willy turned his musical bagpipes into a monster vape. However, many more mods, cigs, and cig-a-likes become stars of stage and screen; the vaping lifestyle has already been immortalised.
Hi Nick, thanks for taking the time to speak to us. How’s everything with you at the minute?
Life is great. Everything is really busy – constantly fighting bad vape legislation across the US – but overall things are good. How did you first get into vaping, and what encouraged you to make an online channel about it?
I was a very heavy smoker; I started in the 7th grade. In 2009, I bought an e-cig off of Ebay before a trip to Las Vegas, and I was so amazed that I didn’t smoke for 48 hours – I just wanted to tell the world about it. I decided to start a YouTube channel to share my experience and it all just snowballed from there. Your YouTube channel and social media following have grown massively since you started out. How did you first decide to start posting online vaping videos, and did you ever imagine you’d be in the place you are today?
Like I said earlier, I was just so impressed with the way the product worked for me from the moment it arrived that I had to tell people about it. At first I was still working my day job and making videos when I had the free time, but as the channel grew and products started coming out so rapidly, I just kept making videos. I genuinely had no intention of making this my career. In 2009, being a Youtuber wasn’t a thing. That wasn’t a career. It’s wild. You have fans all over the world. Would you say there’s any one specific vaping community which stands out against the rest?
Honestly, everywhere I’ve gone, I have met incredibly passionate vapers. I wouldn’t say there’s one standout community among them all, but I have definitely had some amazing experiences. I will say that Sweden was super cool; they had metal bands playing on a live stage at the event. I haven’t seen that anywhere else, and it was really cool to see how they integrate the rest of their passions with vaping.
Take us through an average week in the life of Nick Green.
Oh boy, here we go. Monday is typically my admin day where I answer all of my emails and as many messages as I possibly can. It’s correspondence day. I also take Mondays to prepare for the vlog and 510 report, so it’s a lot of research and gathering materials, links, etc. Tuesday is the all-day vlog shoot. I start at 9AM and just shoot and edit until my Mrs comes home and tells me it’s time to call it a day. Wednesday is editing day. The vlog and the 510 report both get chopped up and ready to rock. I also have a live stream with my Patreon Patrons (shout out to the #coolkidsclub) in the afternoon, and it is a great stress reliever to talk to those folks. Thursdays are podcasting days where Ruby Roo and I record the Culture of Clouds podcast, plus I also respond to vlog comments and gear up for Friday. And lastly Fridays are my review shooting day. I’ll shoot and edit two or three videos, and then spend the rest of my time responding to comments, gathering links, and generally gearing up for the next week. And somehow in the middle of all that, there are emails, calls and endless texts with OhmBoyOC about Recoil brand and all the other business things I’ve got going on. You’ve been making weekly vlogs recently where you talk about other topics such as advocacy, mail, and beer. Are these videos something you enjoy more than your usual reviews?
I wouldn’t say I enjoy them more, but I’ve always wanted the vlog to be a reflection of myself and my life. I like talking about other aspects of life which interest me; after all, variety is the spice of life. I know vaping is what brought us all together, but there are so many things outside of vaping to talk about. People see me and my videos and go “Oh, that’s Nick. He vapes and likes Star Wars.” And while both of those things are true, there’s so much more than that. The vlog is my time to share that, and I love the conversations which come out of it with my subscribers.
There’s been a lot of negative press in the media lately about vaping with talks of anti-vaping legislation being proposed around the world. Tell us a bit about your opinion on all of this.
I think what we’ve seen so far is a lot of knee jerk reactions to a very intrusive industry which challenges the status quo relationship of how comfortable big tobacco is with the government. It takes very little research to see how much money the government and states make on tobacco taxes. When we come in and mess with that with vaping, of course we’re going to be caught in the cross hairs. I honestly think Big Pharma is a bigger enemy to vaping than tobacco is right now, and it’s because vaping is succeeding where they are falling short. There are cessation products which have been on the market for 40 years which have lower success rates than vaping does. Look at the smoking rates since 2010; smoking is now at the lowest it has ever been. That’s not because of Nicorette gum. I think that, ultimately, science will prevail, because the science is there. As time goes on there will only be more positives to vapor products.
You’ve attended a lot of vape shows. Is this something you enjoy and benefit from?
Always. I love vape shows. It’s a chance to meet people, to shake the hand of the person who watches your videos. It’s the chance to shake the hand of someone who bought their first kit from one of your videos you shot in your house. It’s fellowship time. You instantly have something in common with everyone in the room. Those human connections are what keep me going. The shows are a lot of work, but it’s so worth it. Tell us a bit about how your involvement with ‘Namberjuice Inc’ came about, and if we should be expecting anything next from it.
Namberjuice was my first business venture in the vape industry, so it’s my baby. It’s something I hold very close to my heart. We’ve been in business since 2012, and we sell liquids across the US and around the world, and I’m very proud of that. Liquids have always been the most fascinating part of vapor products to me, and we started the company because we were inspired to bring quality liquids to the market. I never know what the future holds for Namberjuice or any vaping company for that matter, but my passion for creating inspired liquids will always be there and I’m constantly excited for what is next. What should fans be expecting of you next?
Big things. I have more ideas than hands to execute them all right now. My biggest new project is the 510 Report; I wanted to do a video completely dedicated to advocacy and vape news every week because it is so critical to the survival of this industry. I’ve learned very quickly though that reporting the news is a serious job (read: time consuming), so it has been a big new venture on my plate. But I think at the end of the day, fans can expect me to be me. I do what I feel is right and follow my gut a lot of the time. So I guess we’ll just see where it takes me next. I think it has worked so far.
Over the years there have been many companies who have risen and fell as their products were released. Some of those remain and some are now a memory, only kept alive by their die-hard fans. Some companies rise sharply, such as Voopoo or Geekvape and others remain producing quality products such as Innokin and Smoant. However, among all those names there is one that stands out. One that has not only rode the market, but reinvented it over and over. That company is Aspire, the company who write their own rules and still continue to surprise and astound vapers worldwide. So, I want to take a quick journey as to how Aspire went from the name eclipsed by long forgotten brands into being the industry leading juggernaut it is today.
Back in the early days of vaping, MTL devices were pretty much all you had available to you. Low powered and quite basic wicking for coils, the technology hadn’t advanced beyond this, so it was very hard to really stand out innovatively. Aspire were one such company, overshadowed by many others at the time, and the time capsule tells you there was no mention of any of their products in anyone’s top 10. They started out with the CE5 BDC they focused on products such as the Vivi Nova, E-pen and the Maxi from then on. All good tanks but nothing that really stood out, until 2014 hit and they changed the market forever. In 2014 their new tank, named the Nautilus, released and changed everyone’s conceptions on how vaping worked. Using bottom coils with internal wicking, a high-quality design and fantastic performance, the Nautilus was revolutionary. In fact, some may even consider that it remained the standard for MTL tanks until Aspire released their follow up some years later – it was that good. The impact of the Nautilus rang throughout the whole industry and catapulted Aspire to the very top, however Aspire weren’t finished and 2014 ended with possibly the biggest release of vaping history.
By the time 2014 finished, the Nautilus was the biggest product on the market by far. Nearly every vaper owned one and it changed the way other companies designed their tanks. Not one for being content with being the best, they decided to change the face of vaping completely with their latest release, the Aspire Atlantis tank. Up until this point, everyone knew what vaping was until the Atlantis released and gave birth to vaping as it is known today.
Instead of a low powered restrictive draw, the Atlantis was the first commercialised sub-ohm vaping tank, giving bigger flavour, clouds and power. Competitors followed with their versions but, Aspire were the first to truly take vaping to the next level and the Atlantis probably stands as one of the biggest selling tanks of all time – only probably bettered by themselves a couple of years later. This release was truly revolutionary and the shock-waves that Aspire sent through the market helped shape the landscape for years to come.
Moving into 2015, Aspire continued to lead the market with the Atlantis V2 which improved the design and performance of the original, and brought with it more coils designed for bigger and better vaping. However, it was their next big release that proved to be a little bit of a step back for the company – the Aspire Triton. Continuing the sub-ohm range, the Triton was a commercial failure for the company proving to be very problematic with both coils and overall design of the tank. However, Aspire did bring out more innovation that again changed the way tanks worked. Until this point, sub-ohm tanks were bottom fill design, meaning filling was a problematic experience, the Triton was the first product that featured top fill design. Every single tank that we know today comes with their version of this but it was way back with the Triton that really started it off. Following on that year, Aspire released the Triton V2 which fixed many of the design flaws that were found in the original and it fared much better. At this point, other companies had started to overtake Aspire with their sub-ohm products such as Smok and Uwell. Aspire needed something big to reclaim their crown and the following year, they did just that.
Following on from the Triton failure, Aspire still had presence with the Atlantis but their power was waning somewhat. As the market grew bigger and better, tanks were released that overshadowed it to the point that Aspire seemed to be still coasting on past achievements. However, in 2016, Aspire came back to market and completely blew everyone away with what has never been copied or bettered in design – the Aspire Cleito. For the third time in as many years, Aspire took what was known as standard design and completely ripped it up in forming the Cleito tank, which still remains its own unique design to this day. Aspire turned the chimney of their tank into a whole coil, giving again better flavour, performance and brand new look from their competitors. The Cleito was a massive hit with vapers and again probably stands as one of the biggest selling tanks of all time; mainly as they priced it cheaper than most others on the market. The Cleito was an incredible success for Aspire and it firmly put them back on the top of vaping, especially with their lower powered coils compared to the beasts of the likes of Smok. It still proves to be a popular tank to this day which is a testament to how good a product it was back then.
2017 for Aspire was underwhelming compared to their previous years. They were among the best in market with the Cleito and Cleito 120 tanks from the previous year and it seemed Aspire were content with cruising for once. They released the Nautilus 2, which bettered their original design of the biggest selling MTL tank of all time, and continued to lead the way in the market. Relying on their other products to continue selling, it finally seemed that Aspire had run out of gas and were happy to remain content. That all changed by the end of the year, however, and they ripped up the rule book once more.
The final release of 2017 was the Skystar mod, featuring a simplified touch-screen control combined with a light and portable design. Aspire weren’t the first to do touch-screen but they did it well. It was what was on top of the mod that proved to change perception once again. Aspire had also developed a new tank, the Revvo as it was named, which offered something rather unique again – disc coils. Taking what was known about coils at the time, Aspire completely changed the idea and developed the arc coil; a disc shaped coil that sat on the top rather than the bottom of the tank. Giving a bigger wicking area with the idea of natural usage wetting the cotton, it completely changed the possibility of how a coil may work. Despite the tank not being as big of a hit as the Cleito was the previous year, what the Revvo served to be was another indicator that Aspire were never looking to compete with the competition, they were constantly looking at reinventing vaping.
Moving into 2018, Aspire finally settled down into their own pattern. Releasing products such as the Plexus, the Cleito pro range, and the Dynamo, they were doing things on their terms rather than trying to match their competitors. However, in April of that year, they brought out something again that pushed what was possible at that point and triggered a whole new market into a new generation of design. Aspire released the Feedlink kit, the first semi regulated Squonk device and paired it up with a redesigned Revvo tank for that purpose. What this did was bring squonking to the mainstream and give the possibility that a whole growing market in vaping was not closed off to just the experts. The Feedlink provided a protected semi-regulated mod which moved away from the mechanical mod style of the other products and paired it with a stock coil tank which has never been achieved since. It was from this point that the possibilities of squonking grew and many companies since then have offered to bring their own regulated devices to increase safety and performance for vapers.
Throughout the years, Aspire have constantly revolutionised vaping through their ideas and probably stand alone as being the most innovative company out there. To some extent, most vapers may not realise the part Aspire have had to play in the rise of the industry and for good or bad, they have been there to change both expectations and perceptions of what is possible. Never shy of taking risks, Aspire stand alone in their field and prove that the market is never truly ready to stagnate. What will the future hold? One thing is for sure, one company will continue to aspire to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
vapeterrace.co.uk 0191 4352852
We are a small vape shop just o the high street in North Shields, who provide the best quality products at a reasonable price to suit everyone. VapeTerrace
If you’re serious about vaping, chances are you consider your core vaping paraphernalia an investment, and one you’ve spent time researching before purchasing. Mod envy is becoming a thing: where once the scent of someone’s cloud would encourage you to try their liquid, now your mod can have social status. We took a look at three of the most expensive and luxurious vape mods on the market.
We know that buying cloned equipment is a compromise on quality and even safety, and not a wise way to spend your money. But what about the vape mods available at the top end of the market? Do they represent inspired investment, or are they merely a poseur’s penchant with a premium price tag?
Before its dissolution in 2015, the UK’s Shisha Sticks Ltd made international media after an anonymous Russian oil magnate commissioned Sofia for his girlfriend’s birthday present. Sofia, as the device was christened, took more than four months to build, and is encrusted with 246 flawless diamonds, 46 yellow Swarovski crystals and is topped with an oval diamond worth £46,000 on the tip. It is made with “authentic hand blown Italian glass from the Venetian island of Murano” and the device, which cost £550,000, has a clearomiser base and buttons of 24-carat gold.
Otto Carter engraves by hand, with a chisel. No computers, no machines, just exquisite craftsmanship. That’s why owning an Otto Carter is becoming popular among vaping enthusiasts. The performance of the vape mod is not affected by the engravings, and you can expect to pay according to the detail in each design, and their rarity. Yes, this artist’s name and skill do command a healthy price tag, but in terms of beauty, each mod is an exquisite work of art.
Magic Valley Vapors has printed - yes, printed - a 3D mod kit in platinum, and you can now buy the Advanced Builders SX350 Single 18650 Modular Mod kit and print one for yourself - for around £90,328.84. If that’s a little excessive for your wallet, there are cheaper versions of the same model: the same model in gold starts at a little more than £30,700.
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Last year, VooPoo came from relative obscurity within the vaping world to release the Drag 2 mod. Emblazoned with the mod name down the side, the Gene chip powered dual 18650 mod was a massive seller, with the device still selling rather well to this day. It represented a company making a quality product that met user needs and thus, making waves within the vaping community as a result. Their follow up products didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the same impact unfortunately, so VooPoo came back after 15 months of research and development; 11 million Gene chips mined and 161 tanks tested to improve on their number one best-seller. The Drag 2 is VooPooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aim to keep themselves at the top of the mod market and keep delivering that quality that they are now known for.
The Drag 2 is a dual 18650 battery mod capable of firing up to 177w. The device comes in at 88.3 mm by 51mm which is 2mm by 3mm smaller than the original Drag. It comes with a 510 spring loaded pin on the top and compatible with up to 26mm tanks without overhang with its slightly off centre pin. The device has a full-side resin design in a multitude of different colour options and on the opposite side features the trademark Drag logo. The device has a whole side magnetic battery door with top and bottom magnets to secure the door in place. The right side features a screen with a top round-fire button and 2 small navigation buttons underneath, with the USB featured at the bottom for firmware upgrading/battery charging (not recommended).
The Gene FIT chip represents the next evolution in VooPooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chip set featuring the new FIT technology. It has 3 different options labelled 1/2/3, with each offering a different automated vaping experience. Option 1 features battery saver mode, option 2 is flavour mode and option 3 is cloud mode. Navigating the device is made extremely easy with the use of the simplistic menu system. 3 clicks of the fire button takes you to the FIT options; another 3 into the temperature control (SS NI TI) and another 3 takes you back to power mode. 5 clicks of the fire button shuts the device off and holding the top navigation button with the fire button locks the device. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a hidden additional menu which is found by holding the navigation buttons down for a few seconds, which gives you access to wattage memory pre-sets, chip information and firmware level as well. Finally holding the bottom navigation button and fire button simultaneously flips the screen.
This was my first experience with the Drag mods, so a lot of my positives come from a first time usage rather than simply a comparison piece. The size of the device is really comfortable in the hand, with just the right amount of weight added to it. The device is also really user friendly with the simple menu controls and lack of complex menu system to get lost in. This was a huge selling point of the original Drag so a major positive to see it remain in its successor. Overall, the device is just extremely easy to use on a day-to-day basis, combined with the weight and size, it makes the Drag 2 feel like a quality device at a mid-range price. The biggest selling point for the Drag 2 is the performance of the Gene chip inside, still one of the best chip sets on the market for performance and battery life. You can get to around a day and a half battery life from your batteries which is fantastic, with quick firing and accurate power/temperature control included as well. Screen display is also fantastic, presenting only the relevant information for your average vaper. So similar to the lack of menu system, the simple display is easy to read and use effectively. The resin design on the device is stunning in a fair few different colour schemes, with more to come over the year similar to the original. The bold designs really make the device stand out from others and with a colour matched tank (or UForce) on top then it gives the whole set up a sleek elegant look.
Due to the new designed door of the device, the Drag 2 side panel can be a little loose on the touch when played around with. As the door now fits on, rather than in the device like the original, there can be a slight movement there when a little effort is made. However, this does seem to become rarer as the device gets used more over time. In my experience, there is no noticeable movement at all now. The paintwork on the sides of the device can be a little prone to scuffs with general wear and tear I have found over my time with the device. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a shame because it can make the device look a little shabby even with correct care taken; a cover may be the best option to preserve the looks of the device. It has to be said that the FIT options leave a lot to be desired as well, with the features acting more like pre-heat modes rather than genuine improvements to the vape. For example, the vapes feel quite underpowered in comparison to natural wattage vaping, with all 3 feeling like a significant power drop-age has occurred when vaping over 80W. The memory options being found in a different menu, as previously mentioned, is a little strange. It probably would have been better served within the main menu cycle itself. Other than that, there is very little to really critique the device on, not without really nit-picking into personal preferences.
The Drag 2 potentially could be the best mod of the year again. VooPoo have shown that sometimes improving the best is a much smarter choice than trying to offer something significantly different. The device is a joy to use and performs fantastically â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as good if not better than any other device on the market right now. How it differs from the original drag is up for debate, especially when talking about the unnecessary FIT options included, but the Drag 2 represents something fantastic for any vaper today. Despite not being a fan of box mods in general, the Drag 2 has been my go-to device since I got my hands on one back in November, and it has replaced many others as my go to device. Looking at products being released since, the Drag 2 is seemingly the standard rather than the exception with many other similar devices being released off the back of the Dragâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success over the past year. However, the Drag 2 really stands out as fantastic value for money and it will take something truly special in its price range to knock it from being the biggest selling device of 2019.
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