E-Cigs Archives - Page 3 of 32

Vaping Diaries #274: Saints Vapor Shane Bell Interview (Vapecon USA)

Whether you call them the seven deadly sins, the capital vices, or the cardinal sins, this group of naughtiness is something most are guilty of every week, if not every day. Gluttony (my personal favorite), greed, wrath, envy, lust, pride, and sloth (my second favorite) are things that all of us should endeavor to avoid. They’re also fantastic names for vaping e-liquids. That’s where Saints Vapor comes in. The SoCal e-liquid company has seven juices named after the seven deadly sins, as well as a standalone flavor called Divinity. At Vapecon USA, I chatted with Saints Vapor co-founder Shane Bell to learn more about his e-liquids.

There are some pretty unique flavors in the Saints Vapor lineup. The three that intrigued me the most were Sloth (raisin red oak), Wrath (horchata), and Greed (pineapple ice cream swirl). While it sounds unusual, I was also curious about Pride (menthol with rose). While I only had a brief taste of Saints Vapor e-liquid, I enjoyed the little bit that I vaped and am looking forward to spending more time with the company’s juices. Check out my Saints Vapor interview above to get an idea of what the company is all about.

Vaping Diaries #273: Beyond Vape / Aria Built Edison Tan Interview (Vapecon USA)

Beyond Vape is one of the most aggressive and successful American companies in vaping. As a vaper, I appreciate that Beyond Vape — and its high-end Aria Built line — reaches a wide variety of vapers through a wide variety of products. From inexpensive mods geared towards beginners and intermediate vapers to high-end gear aimed at vapers that value build quality and performance, Beyond Vape and Aria Built has it all covered. At Vapecon USA, I caught up with Beyond Vape’s Edison Tan to chat about three products in the Aria Built lineup.

Naturally, we spoke about the made-in-the-USA Oros mod. When I chatted with Beyond Vape co-founder Billy Chen in May, the Oros was still being prototyped. The mod has landed and has been receiving great reviews. If you’re looking for a high-performance copper mod with minimal voltage drop then you should definitely check out the Aria Built Oros.

If you’re into hybrids then the Aria Built Hyperion could be a great choice for you. Made primarily from gold-plated brass, this hybrid reminded me of C3PO. It features a T-shaped positive post that gives vapers a lot of versatility; from single-coil builds to quad-coil beasts, the Hyperion can handle anything you throw at it. Since it’s a hybrid, expect great performance from this all-in-one setup.

Last, but certainly not least, Edison told me about the Aria Built Orion atomizer. This rebuildable atomizer was made specifically for vertical-coil builds. It has deep, kidney-shaped juice wells that help keep refilling to a minimum. The positive post features a big block of metal that allows for easy building and also fills out the chamber, allowing for more flavor. The Orion is one of the more original atomizers I’ve seen in 2014. On paper, it should deliver a great combination of flavor and vapor.

Check out my chat with Edison to learn more about these three Beyond Vape products in the Aria Built line.

Vaping Diaries #270: Lilly Evans Talks Vaping, Gaming, and Model Water

The highlight of my Vapecon USA 2014 show was hanging out with Lilly Evans at the Ruthless Vapor booth. One of the hottest models in the SoCal scene, Lilly does a lot of work in the Hot Import Nights and vaping communities. She’s also an avid gamer, currently digging Destiny and a longtime Halo fan. In addition to promoting Ruthless Vapor at the show, Lilly Evans was showing off her new Model Water. Yes, you can enjoy a refreshing and healthy bottle of water with a sexy photo of Lilly Evans on the bottle — that’s just genius.

So yeah, Lilly is pretty awesome. She’s sexy as hell, delightfully charming, a vaper, and a gamer. Honestly, I don’t know how I made it through the interview. She’s too much to handle. Ha! Anyway, check out my chat with Lilly Evans to learn about her gaming and vaping habits. Hit her up on Xbox One if you want to enjoy a space-shooting adventure with scintillating model.

Vaping Diaries #269: Vapor Spot Jazz, Funk, & Soul E-Juice Interview (Vapecon USA)

The Vapor Spot owner “JJ” John Jenkins was one of the first people I interviewed for RPadTV’s vaping section. The Vapor Spot was America’s first vape shop, according to JJ, and the company has come a long way. When I first chatted with him a few years ago, The Vapor Spot had three house juices named after rock ‘n roll artists (Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin). The line has expanded and evolved to become the “Jazz, Funk, & Soul” series of vaping e-liquids.

JJ matched flavors that represent each artist. For example, Ray (Charles) is a sweet Georgia peach, while Herbie (Hancock) is a watermelon flavor. (On a side note, some kid was at The Vapor Spot booth and was insisting that naming a watermelon juice after Herbie Hancock was racist. It took a ton of restraint to not slap him for his ignorance of the outstanding “Watermelon Man.”) From Nina Simone to John Lennon to Tito Puente, the Jazz, Funk, & Soul juices cover a wide variety of artists and flavors.

Check out my Vapecon USA interview with JJ to learn more about The Vapor Spot’s Jazz, Funk, & Soul e-liquids and to see which artist fits into your vaping wheelhouse.

Vaping Diaries #268: Infinite Mod & CLT v2 Plus Atomizer Interview (Vapecon USA)

Infinite is known for making high-quality clones of well-known mods and atomizer. Vapers looking for a bargain, often go with the company’s replicas. Vapers that have issues with clones mostly avoid the company. At Vapecon USA 2014, Infinite showed off two products that appeal to both types of vapers. The Inifnite Mod and CLT v2 Plus are original products that will be available at a low price. Checking them out quickly at the show, I was impressed with their combination of features and quality.

Cloud chasers at Vapecon USA made a B-line for the CLT v2 Plus, so much so that it sold out the first day of the show. This Infinite atomizer offers a versatile deck that can accommodate a wide variety of builds, a deep juice well, massive airflow, and a top cap that integrates a wide-bore tip for additional vapor production. It combines features of the popular Tobh and Helios atomizers. For cloud chasers on a budget, the CLT v2 Plus looks like a fantastic choice.

Vapers that want an elegant mod for a low price will want to check out the Infinite Mod. This copper beauty has a magnetic switch and can accept the three most common 18xxx vaping batteries. What impressed me the most about the Infinite Mod was its seems. Even though this is a modular mech, you can’t see the seems. The practically transparent lines reminded me of the ones on JD Tech’s excellent Stringray X mech.

Check out my chat with Infinite manager Jeffrey Wong to learn more about the mod and the atomizer, and stay tuned for a review in the near future.

Vaping Diaries #267: The Oil Company Ehab Abufarie Interview (Vapecon USA)

As I was walking past The Oil Company’s booth at Vapecon USA, its bottles immediately caught my eye. The Oil Company uses bottles that are unique, different, and cool. Each one is hand finished and hand painted, so no two are the same. I immediately want to learn more about these e-liquids and started chatting with chief of operations Ehab Abufarie. In the interview above, Ehab talks about the unique bottling process The Oil Company e-liquids use, its three launch flavors, the next flavor coming, and why it’s important to him to use nicotine derived from organic tobacco.

Vaping Diaries #266: The Mad Carpenter Brandyn Young Interview (Vapecon USA)

The Mad Carpenter has been making gorgeous hand-crafted wood vape stands for years. Recently, the company introduced a hand-crafted wood box mod called the Curve V1. With the same quality as its renowned stands, The Mad Carpenter Curve V1 is one of the most beautiful box mods you’ll ever see. There are several variations of the Curve V1, since dozens of different woods are used throughout the line. All models feature an ergonomic shape that allows you to get a good grip with either hand, as well as a unique thumb-slide door that ensures that your batteries will never be exposed accidentally.

In the Vapecon USA 2014 interview above, The Mad Carpenter owner and craftsman Brandyn Young talks about his background in wood furniture and transitioning from making great vape stands to making a great box mod. Brandyn talks about several unique features of the Curve V1 and teases his upcoming DNA40 box mod based on the same design language.

Companies like The Mad Carpenter make my happy. It’s an American company that serves up unique made-in-the-USA vaping goods of impeccable quality. Check out the clip above and you’ll see what makes The Mad Carpenter so special.

Vaping Diaries #265: Good Vibes Kuya Ray Interview (Vapecon USA)

If there’s a vaping event in Southern California, Good Vibes E-Liquid creator Kuya Ray is more than likely to be there. I’m pretty sure there are at least three of him, because dude is everywhere. Ever the hustler, Kuya Ray has been netting a ton of attention with Good Vibes’ juices. A lot of my friends are hooked on Lei’d and LA Lovin’. In the Vapecon USA 2014 interview above, Kuya Ray talks about those flavors, the Morning Wood and First Kiss juices, and a couple of upcoming additions. There’s also a tangent about how one of our pervy friends from Cloud Kicker Society helped come up with a clever juice name. There’s also talk of an upcoming e-liquid that may or may not be called Golden Showers. Ha!

Vaping Diaries #264: MVPZ Cindy Kaminaka Interview (Vapecon USA)

Mom’s Vape Protectorz (MVPZ) owner Cindy Kaminaka is a fixture in the SoCal vape scene. She’s a mother figure or big-sister type for so many SoCal vapers. Her company also makes some of the best mod protectors in the business. MVPZ mod protectors are made primarily from neoprene, which is soft, cushioned, and stretchable. The company offers models that can accommodate eGo-style e-cigs, 18xxx mods, 26650 mods, and box mods. Several MVPZ models are also available with horizontal or vertical velcro straps, allowing them to be attached to a backpack strap or belt. With their great protection, versatility, and good looks, MVPZ mod protectors are my favorite mod holders.

In the interview above, Cindy talks about how the company got started, the various mod protectors she has available, what’s coming next, and how our friend from Convict Vapors uses his MVPZ to vape while on his motorcycle.

Vaping Diaries #263: Beefcake the Mighty GWAR Talks Vaping

In addition to being a ruthlessly rocking bassist and one of the most powerful denizens on planet Earth, GWAR’s Beefcake the Mighty is an avid vaper. He even has a juice named after him (German Chocolate Beefcake) in Mt. Baker Vapor’s line of GWAR Fluids. Minutes before he took the stage and conquered the crowd, I had a brief chat with Beefcake the Mighty to learn more about his vaping habits and how the relationship with Mt. Baker Vapor came about. The answer to the latter was simple, as Beefcake boisterously exclaimed, “They came to me on their knees!!!” As for the type of vaping gear the GWAR bass-playing badass likes to use, Beefcake favors simple devices. Check out the video above for one of the zaniest interviews I’ve ever conducted.

As for the show itself, it was a total blast. It took place at The Observatory in Santa Ana — an intimate venue where the crowd could really connect with the band. It was my first GWAR show and it was entertaining on several levels. The music and show were enjoyable on their own, but what I really loved was the utter lack of pretense. You can tell that the band is serious about entertaining their fans, but don’t take themselves seriously at all. It was such a refreshing contrast to most “artists” out there. The show itself was great, but the unique vibe is what will stay with me — a very particular and very pure type of fun.

For many GWAR fans in attendance, this was the first time seeing the band since original frontman Oderus Urungus passed away. The tour’s plot revolved around using a time machine to (mistakenly) order pizza and grab Oderus from the past. Several portions of the show were a tribute to the GWAR mastermind and you could feel the love the fans have for him. If you’re interested in furthering Oderus Urungus’ efforts on Earth, please check out the outstanding Dave Brockie Fund.

Anyway, please watch the video above when you have a chance. It was definitely fun for me to conduct and edit, but it was also very challenging. Both my feet are wrecked and I was on crutches for the entire interview. I was pretty close to keeling over towards the end. Ha!

Special thanks to my excellent friend Justin Leeper for setting up this interview and to Convict Vapors for a nice gift for Beefcake the Mighty.