Category: E-Cigarettes

Vaping Diaries #347: Mad Carpenter Curve V2 Box Mod Interview

The Mad Carpenter makes some of the most beautiful handcrafted box mods in the vaping business. The company’s Curve Mod featured gorgeous workmanship and an ergonomic design. Its followup, the Curve v2, features the same design language as its forerunner and adds a Yihi SX350 variable-wattage chip. At Vape Summit III, I caught up with The Mad Carpenter owner and craftsman Brandyn Young to talk about the Curve v2.

While the original batch of Curve Mods features various types of woods, the Curve v2 combines wood burls and Alumilite resin. The latter material has allowed Brandyn to get super creative with numerous color combinations. A lot of my friends at the show were enamored with the beautiful aesthetics of the Curve v2. I was absolutely smitten with the red, blue, and purple box Brandy was holding throughout the interview.

I’ve always found it amusing that so many mod collectors are high on various European box mods. In my opinion, companies like The Mad Carpenter and Harlequinn Woodworks make box mods that are every bit as beautiful as anything coming out of Europe. As someone that places high value on customer support and service, I’m more comfortable purchasing a high-end American box mod than a high-end European box mod, simply because it’s easier to get something fixed should something go wrong. Personally, I feel happy when I buy a made-in-the-USA product from an American small business.

The politics of personal economics aside, you should definitely check out my chat with The Mad Carpenter Brandyn Young on the Curve v2 box mod. Curve v2 mods are beautiful pieces of vaping art that are made right here in Southern California. The video below shows various finishes available. If you have any ideas for a custom Curve v2 color combination then check out The Mad Carpenter on Instagram and drop Brandyn a line.

Vaping Diaries #346: The Beginning of the End E-Liquid Interview

From the vault comes a Vape Summit III chat with The Beginning of the End manager Casey Doty. A friend from another e-liquid company told me to check out The Beginning of the End because he knows that I’m from New York and miss New York cannolis. Said colleague hails from Brooklyn, so I took his word that this company had an amazing cannoli juice. I was delighted to discover that The Beginning of the End makes a fantastic cannoli e-liquid. RPadholic N8R and I were also charmed by the company’s Southern hospitality — really warm and fun people. In the interview below, Casey told me about the company’s concept, the background of the juice maker, and three current flavors.

The Beginning of the End e-liquids are made by Christopher Bowman. Trained at Le Cordon Blue culinary school, Christopher uses his background to create layered and complex e-liquids. The Beginning of the End juices that I tried featured multiple notes, offering different (and delicious) flavors on the inhale and exhale.

The three flavors Casey told me about were Trinity, Serenity, and Verticality. Naturally, I was enamored with Trinity, as it was the only cannoli e-liquid I was aware of when this interview was filmed. If you’ve enjoyed cannolis in the past then you must try this juice. If you’ve never had a cannoli then go out and eat one before trying Trinity. Next up, Casey told me about Serenity. Vaping this e-liquid is just like eating a lemon bar at a coffeehouse. You get the tangy lemon, sweet crust, and powdered sugar. Last, but not least, was Verticality, a strawberry pastry e-liquid that Casey equated with a Pop Tart.

Casey also told me about an upcoming e-liquid from The Beginning of the End. It’s a rum-infused peach cobbler that’s aged in oak barrels for two months. I tried a bit at the show and loved the direction the juice was heading in.

To learn more about The Beginning of the End, check out my chat with Casey below.

Vaping Diaries #345: Lilly Evans (Athena Amour) Interview

RPadTV’s ECC 2015 coverage ends with an interview with the beautiful Lilly Evans (Athena Amour), because my mother told me to always end your show coverage with a video of a sexy lady. Okay, my mom never told me that, but it seemed like a good idea when I was planning out show coverage. As usual, Lilly was hanging out at the Ruthless Vapor booth. The company always has a sweet setup at vaping conventions, with beautiful models, great music, and a fun atmosphere. At ECC 2015, the company was showing off its Breakfast Club line of cereal juices. Lilly was kind enough to walk me through the lineup before the interview.

Last time I chatted with Lilly, she was playing a lot of Destiny. She’s still playing a lot of that game with her fans, but she’s been playing more Halo as of late. If you’d like to play games with Lilly, hit her up on Xbox One. Lilly’s gamertag is featured in the video below.

While I knew that Lilly enjoyed videogames, I only recently discovered that she’s into comics as well. That’s just not fair. She finds new ways to get hotter. In our chat, she also spoke about the kinds of comics she likes.

Lastly, she told me about her new stage name — Athena Amour. She has separate social media accounts for Lilly Evans and Athena Amour. The stage name was chosen because she liked the idea of combining the goddess of wisdom with love. She’ll keep her modeling activity on her Lilly Evans accounts, while her adult movie stuff will be under the Athena Amour brand. I recommend following both (assuming you’re over 18, which you should be if you’re reading and watching vaping content).

Thanks to Ruthless for having a fun booth and for giving me another chance to interview the gorgeous Lilly Evans!

Vaping Diaries #344: Switch Mods v2 Interview (ECC 2015)

Switch Mods has made a big splash in a short amount of time, thanks to its hard-hitting made-in-the-USA mechanical mods. The original Switch Mods product came as a complete set — mod and atomizer — and could be had for under $100. At ECC 2015, Switch Mods CEO Andrew Richard and brand manager Jude Fernando told me about v2 of the company’s mechanical mod, as well as the Team Switch Mods competitors.

Switch Mods v2 is a 24mm setup. Like its forerunner, it comes with a mod and atomizer. The aluminum versions (available in numerous colors) retail for $120, the brass version retails for $135, and the copper version costs $145. Considering that they’re American Made vaping products, the prices for the various Switch Mods v2 models are impressively low. While I didn’t spend too much time with the devices at ECC 2015, checking it out for a few minutes gave me the impression that the build quality is much better than that of its predecessor’s. One of the few complaints of the original model was that its button had too long of a throw that felt somewhat uncomfortable with the mod’s beefy nine-pound spring. V2 features a much shorter throw and a lighter spring. As many vapers in cloud competitions use Switch Mods products, expect v2 to have ample power.

Andrew and Jude also spent some time talking about Team Switch Mods. If you attend a vaping event in Southern California, you’ll almost always see a member of Team Switch Mods competing in a cloud competition or trick contest. While the team is an excellent promotional tool for the company, it’s also a great way to lend support to the shops that carry Switch Mods products. I’ve known several of the guys on Team Switch Mods for a couple of years; they’re really nice people that represent the company and the vaping community well. Plus, they’re just really, really good at chucking voluminous clouds and performing sweet tricks.

To learn more about Switch Mods v2 and Team Switch Mods, kindly check out my ECC 2015 chat with Andrew and Jude below.

Vaping Diaries #343: Elixir Vape Epothecary Interview (ECC 2015)

Out of the 100+ e-liquid companies I saw at ECC 2015, Elixir Vape was the most singular. The company’s Epothecary line of vaping e-liquids is so distinct. I can honestly say that I didn’t try anything remotely similar to Epothecary at the show and haven’t vaped anything like these juices. You see, Elixir Vape Epothecary e-liquids are infused with numerous herbs. In addition to giving each juice a unique taste, the company claims that vaping their herbal concoctions promotes various health benefits. The Elixir Vape team has a licensed herbalist and a licensed nutritionist, to help ensure safety. Company co-founder Billy Vernetti told me about Elixir Vape and the Epothecary line in the ECC 2015 video interview below.

There are currently four flavors in the Epothecary line. Initially, the juices contained 0mg of nicotine, but a 3mg option was added later. Awake contains vitamin B12, ginseng, green tea, and yerba mate. Elixir Vape claims that it promotes alertness and clear thinking. Breathe contains peppermint, eucalyptus, mullein, and thyme. Billy said that this e-liquid helps those with respiratory ailments, allergies, and migraine headaches. Calm features St. John’s wort, valerian root (not Valyrian steel), and ginseng. This juice is meant to help with relaxation. Lastly, and probably most controversially, is Enhance. With yohimbe, maca root, cinnamon, and ginseng, this juice supposedly aids libido and vitality.

Naturally, I expect many vapers to be skeptical about the benefits of vaping herbal mixes. Billy was kind enough to explain the company’s view on the effectiveness of inhaling vs. ingesting these herbs. While I haven’t tried any Epothecary e-liquids yet, I do have a few friends that swear by Breathe. Two of them claim that it helps them breathe better when they have allergy attacks, while another claims that it has cleared up her sniffles on a multiple occasions. I’m anxious to try out these e-liquids in the near future and curious to see what kinds of effects they’ll have on me, if any.

To learn more about Elixir Vape’s Epothecary e-liquids, check out my chat with Billy below.

Vaping Diaries #342: Revol Vapors Austin Hopper Interview

Revol Vapors co-founder Austin Hopper is affectionately known as #TheFaceOfVape within the industry. He has been an executive at some of the biggest e-liquid companies in the business, such as Space Jam and Cuttwood. His latest venture is much more personal. Revol Vapors (Revol is lover spelled backwards) is his very own juice line and he told me all about it at ECC 2015.

Revol Vapors has launched with three e-liquid flavors. Friends With Benefits (FWB) is aimed towards vapers that like candy and is reminiscent of Fun Dip. For fans of tangy e-liquids, there’s Date Night, a melange of Greek yogurt and blueberry. Last, but not least, is Her Addiction. My personal favorite of the three Revol Vapors launch flavors, Her Addiction is a lemon poundcake e-liquid. Austin was quick to point out that all of his liquids are free of acetylpropionyl and diacetyl.

Continuing with vaper safety, Austin also spoke about the “Vape Responsible” campaign that Revol Vapors is involved with. The first initiative is getting vapers with children to lock up their e-liquids. Similar to how parents should keep alcoholic beverages away from children, Vape Responsible wants adult vapers to treat their e-liquids in the same fashion. In the vaping community, Austin is known for his proactive work for vaping political and social causes. He also talks a bit about that in our chat.

Not to kiss his ass or anything, but I really appreciate vaping executives like Austin Hopper. He has helped some of the biggest and most popular juice companies attain success, while also promoting awareness and informing vapers about political situations. The vaping business is better when people like him are involved and I hope, on a personal level, that Revol Vapors becomes a very successful e-liquid company. Anyway, check out my chat with Austin to learn more about Revolv Vapors and the Vape Responsible campaign.

Vaping Diaries #341: VLS Box Mod, Vector Cap, and Thunderstorm Tank

Vapour Lifestyle (VLS) had an exciting booth at ECC 2015 and the company’s head of product development, James Ting, was kind enough to walk me through the lineup. The most interesting products at the booth were a pair of upcoming VLS box mods. First is a temperature control box that goes up to 75 watts on a single 18650 battery. The more novel product runs on a single 26650 battery and features a modular design. The 26650 VLS box mod has a rail system that allows users to swap out chips. If all goes well, vapers can expect an SX350 variant and a proprietary VLS chip. More information on both VLS box mods should hit in September.

When I spoke with James at Vape Summit III, he told me about the Vector RDA. At ECC 2015, he showed a new cap for the Vector RDA that allows vapers to use their own drip tips instead of using the one built into the standard cap. The new cap also alters the way airflow works, making it a bit better for cloud chasers that like to take long pulls. The new Vector RDA cap reminds me of how the company listened to its customers in regards to airflow on the Vulcan RDA. I appreciate the way VLS listens to its customers and releases accessories that accommodate their wishes.

VLS has recently partnered with Thunderhead Creations and is the US distributor for the Thunderstorm Tank. I’ve been using this sub-ohm tank for a little under a month. So far, I love the way it looks and enjoy how it vapes. If you’re not familiar with the Thunderstorm Tank, James talks about it in the interview below.

The last four months of the year should be really exciting for VLS fans. The VLS box mods look fantastic and I can’t wait to learn more about them. For now you can learn about these products and see near-final prototypes by watching my chat with James.

Vaping Diaries #340: Sub Ohm Innovations Competition RDA Interview

Sub Ohm Innovations had a pair of excellent vaping products on display at ECC 2015. Company owner Cale Crase was kind enough to tell me about them on camera. First up is a black version of the company’s fantastic Subzero Competition Mod. When I first saw the Subzero at Vape Summit III, I was extremely impressed and had to pick one up on the spot. The black version packs all of the great features and top-notch performance of the original, and adds a slick and durable black finish over the copper body. The Subzero is my favorite tube mod of 2015 (so far) and I’m tempted to pick up the black model…because, you know, it looks cool.

On the atomizer side, Cale showed me the Subzero Competition RDA. Like the mod, the Competition RDA packs a ton of great features and is available at a great price ($65). It has a deep juice well and dual-post design for easy building. The really cool, unique, and convenient feature of the Subzero Competition RDA is that the deck can slide up from the bottom, offering a nifty building stand. The feature is one of those clever ideas that makes you wonder, “Man that’s smart. Why haven’t I seen this before?!?”

Sub Ohm Innovations was a VapeSafe USA partner at ECC 2015. The organization is a collective of companies and individuals that want to educate the public on vaping safety. In addition to showing off his two awesome products in the interview, Cale spent some time talking about VapeSafe USA’s mission. From what I’ve learned, the group is doing important and much-needed work that will benefit the vaping business and consumers alike.

Check out my ECC 2015 chat with Sub Ohm Innovations Cale to learn more about the black Subzero Competition Mod, the Subzero Competition RDA, and VapeSafe USA.

Vaping Diaries #339: Founder’s Favorites Interview

Founder’s Favorites was the last interview RPadholic N8R and I shot at ECC 2015, but it was also the biggest e-liquid surprise I had all show. I learned about the company through POET Michelle, who was very impressed with the Founder’s Favorites crew’s juices and professionalism. When Nate and I stopped by the booth to try the e-liquids, we were similarly floored. When I learned about the company’s concept and how they came up with these flavors, I was floored. In the ECC 2015 interview below, Founder’s Favorites CEO Samad Lakhani talks about his company and how the six Los Angeles Edition flavors came to be.

In order to differentiate its juices from the ever-growing e-liquid market, Founder’s Favorite decided to base its six LA Edition juices on foods from actual Los Angeles eateries. As a huge fan of The Pie Hole, I was thrilled to see that the company has a juice based on the restaurant’s Earl Grey Pie. Samad also told me about Cookie Butter (based on the Trader Joe’s favorite) and Affogato (from Culina at The Four Seasons Beverly Hills). The Founder’s Favorites crew spent months eating at various Los Angeles restaurants to come up with ideas for e-liquids. After flavors were picked, they spent months focus testing the flavors at various trade shows and finalized the six LA Edition flavors. As an Angeleno with a sweet tooth, I love the Founder’s Favorites concept and appreciate the e-liquids.

If all goes well, Founder’s Favorites will tackle New York next. If the team comes up with an authentic cannoli vape, I will love them forever. To learn more about Founder’s Favorites, check out my ECC 2015 chat with Samad below.

Notes: I completely flubbed the company’s name thrice in the interview. Also, my voice was close to shot after four days of filming. I apologize to Samad for my error (but not-so-secretly blame N8R for not correcting me…ha).

Vaping Diaries #338: Cafe Racer E-Liquid Interview

My colleague Charles from Blue Orb Vapor grabbed me at ECC 2015 because he thought that I’d enjoy a certain Cafe Racer e-liquid. He knows that I enjoy tobacco vapes and am a fan of the history of RY4 e-liquids. With that in mind, he introduced me to Cafe Racer’s Lucky 13. This juice is a blend of vanilla, caramel, tobacco, and almond. The profile is similar to other Western RY4s, but the almond gives it a unique twist. I was glad that Charles introduced me to Cafe Racer and Lucky 13, because the juice’s novel spin on the tried-and-true RY4 formula intrigued by tastebuds.

RPadholic N8R, on the other hand, was taken by Cafe Racer’s Peach Guzzi. Another unique blend, this juice mixes peach, blueberry, and custard flavors, touched with a bit of green tea. While it certainly has a lot of fruit notes, I wouldn’t classify Peach Guzzi as a fruit vape. It’s more complex than that. Even though I’m generally bored with fruit vapes, I enjoyed Peach Guzzi as well (thought not as much as N8R).

In the interview below, Charles told me about the Cafe Racer style of e-liquids. He was quick to point out that while a lot of juice companies claim complexity and premium flavors, Cafe Racer truly makes complex e-liquids made from premium ingredients. I certainly enjoyed the two Cafe Racer launch flavors and was intrigued by the latest addition, Yogurt Bomb. Like the company’s other juices, this is a multi-flavor blast. It combines yogurt, berries, orange, almonds, honey, and bavarian cream. Charles pointed out that the yogurt in this flavor is on the soft side and isn’t as in-your-face as competing yogurt e-liquids.

To learn more about Cafe Racer, kindly check out my ECC 2015 chat with Blue Orb Vapor Charles below. Based off of the three flavors I tried at the show, I’m definitely keeping my eye on this company.