ECC 2014 Archives - Page 2 of 4

Vaping Diaries #249: Illuminati Vapor & Kaiju Monster Elixir Interview (ECC 2014)

Last time I spoke with Illuminati Vapor owner Erik Todorovich, he teased some big plans the company had in regards to getting into the collectibles space. At ECC 2014, he unveiled those plans. Illuminati Vapor has a new mascot named Eyezzak. In the future, special bottles of Illuminati Vapor e-liquids will be released with an Eyezzak action figure. The juice will come in 15ml or 30ml bottles that will be housed inside Eyezzak.

In other company news, Illuminati rereleased Money. This e-liquid is similar to the strawberry shortcake ice cream bars that you find at the grocery or in a deli.

Lastly, Erik spoke about the upcoming Kaiju Monster Elixir brand. Coming in November, this spinoff line will use action figures that hold juice bottles, similar to Eyezzak. Naturally, Kaiju Monster Elixir action figures will be inspired by the wonderful monsters and robots found in Japanese movies. As a lifelong fan of Godzilla, Gamera, etc., I’m really looking forward to these Kaiju Monster Elixir e-liquids.

Check out the ECC 2014 interview above to get an update on Illuminati Vapor, meet Eyezzak, and hear about the plans for Kaiju Monster Elixir.

Vaping Diaries #248: Cloud Kicker Society Interview (ECC 2014)

Cloud Kicker Society is the premiere apparel and lifestyle brand in vaping. If you go to a vaping event in California (of which there are like five every weekend), chances are you’ll see several people rocking Cloud Kicker Society “Social Club” t-shirts. The company makes awesome shirts, hoodies, bandanas, and, more that revolve around the vaping lifestyle, but it’s also branching out to different areas of the business. At ECC 2014, I caught up with Cloud Kicker Society founders Rendy Ichsan and Erik Nagashima to learn more about the company and their backgrounds, as well as to see what’s coming next.

One of the company’s earliest successes was its “Social Club” t-shirt. These shirts use a slick, uniform design, but with different brands emblazoned on the chest. The brands range from different vape companies to various vape shops to different parts of the country. It was cool listening to Ren talk about the idea behind the shirt and wanting to embrace the community aspect of the vaping hobby with them. And yes, I now have it on record that there will be RPadTV Social Club shirts coming soon. Win.

Erik and Ren also spoke about their collaboration with Aethertech, which has resulted in some sexy vaping hardware. Another up-and-coming American vaping company, Aethertech has made a pair of 26650 mods that feature unique designs and Cloud Kicker Society branding.

I love that a company like Cloud Kicker Society exists. I appreciate that Erik and Ren are highly concerned about releasing products with designs that they like and quality that they’d want. I like that the company is selective about its partners, making sure that the people they work with have a similar view about the vaping lifestyle. Most of all, I like that these cool guys are making cool stuff!

Check out my long ECC 2014 interview with the Cloud Kicker Society founders to learn more about the company and to find out whether or not it will delve into the exotic world of men’s thongs.

Vaping Diaries #247: Poet Electronic Nectar Randy Freer Interview (ECC 2014)

Poet Electronic Nectar is one of my favorite e-liquid companies in the vaping business. The company makes complex and layered e-liquids that I find absolutely delightful. I’m a huge fan of the way the company mixes heavy and light flavors to create intricate vaping blends. With all of that in mind, meeting up with Poet Electronic Nectar CEO Randy Freer was a top priority for me at ECC 2014. In addition to running a great American vaping company and creating some delicious e-liquids, Randy is a very sweet and very interesting man. Naturally, it was a pleasure chatting with him at the show.

At ECC 2014, Randy debuted three new flavors and was using the show to decide which one will be released next. My personal favorite of the three was his Mexican coffee blend, which was flavorful and rich, while also standing out from the numerous coffee e-liquids on the market. The most popular of the new Poet Electronic Nectar flavors at ECC 2014 was the bourbon spiced roll. Lastly, the company’s dragon green tea was a bit lighter than the other two, but also a tasty and distinct e-liquid. While I’d love for all three of these to be released, I’m hoping the Mexican coffee juice gets the nod.

On a different note, Poet Electronic Nectar is entering the hardware side of the vaping business. Randy’s diverse background and a partnership with Vape Savvy will result in The 53 Mod. The company had prototypes at the show and they were very impressive. Aesthetically, The 53 Mod has an understated and elegant look that I’m a fan of, while there’s a lot of great engineering going on under the hood. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this mod ends up.

Watch my ECC 2014 with Poet Electronic Nectar CEO Randy Freer to get an update on this stellar vaping company.

Vaping Diaries #246: Empire Glassworks Phillip Vuong Interview (ECC 2014)

If you’re a vaper that’s into comic books, videogames, science-fiction, or fantasy then you need to check out Empire Glassworks. The company makes a variety of glass atomizer caps and drip tips that feature all sorts of characters from pop-culture. Whether it’s Master Chief from Halo, R2D2 from Star Wars, Pikachu from Pokemon, or Cartman from South Park, Empire Glassworks will help you nerd out your vaping setup (and I mean that in the coolest possible way).

At ECC 2014, I chatted with Empire Glassworks CEO Phillip Vuong about how his company got started and some of the products he offers. While he has a number of great atomizer caps available now, he has more coming for the popular Cartel Mods Stillare and Tobh atomizers in the near future. Watch my chat with Phillip to learn more about his company, as well as to see several of his awesome glass atomizer caps and drip tips.

Vaping Diaries #245: High Roller Sweets Nick Bautista Interview (ECC 2014)

High Roller Sweets e-liquids immediately catch your eye with their packaging. The juices come in glass bottles shaped like dice. The bottles are placed in a round box lined with uncirculated money. Inside the bottles are rich and sweet flavors, with complex recipes. CEO Nick Bautista’s background includes formulating ice cream and yogurt flavors. His experience — along with an ardent passion for gambling — helped shape High Roller Sweets into the company it is today. At ECC 2014, I spend some time with Nick to get to know more about him, his company, and e-liquids.

There are a few pleasantly atypical things about High Roller Sweets e-liquids. While most “large” bottles found in vape shops are 30 milliliters, Nick opted to go with 35 milliliters in order to stand out from the crowd. While most e-liquids come in nicotine increments of six milligrams, Nick opted to go with increments of five milligrams, kind of like how you’d bet in a casino — 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. From what I gathered, Nick tries to add an edge to his juices by putting in extra ingredients. Take the customary RY4 formula of tobacco, vanilla, and caramel. The High Roller Sweets version (Roulette) of this hugely popular juice takes those three ingredients and adds two more to the mix — butterscotch and custard. While High Roller Sweets certainly isn’t for everyone (no e-liquid company is), you have to appreciate the company’s efforts to stand out.

Check out my ECC 2014 interview with Nick Bautista to learn more about High Roller Sweets and see what the company’s next flavor will be.

Vaping Diaries #244: 2Puffs Arnel Ang & Charles Tan Interview (ECC 2014)

It’s always a pleasure catching up with the 2Puffs guys. Partners Arnel Ang and Charles Tan are really cool people that make some sweet vaping products. At ECC 2014, I chatted with them about the Munstro v2 mechanical mod, the Quicksilver rebuildable dripping atomizer, and the latest 2Puffs drip tips. When I caught up with Charles and Arnel earlier in the year at Vapers Exhibit, the original Munstro was about to launch. Since then, the mod has become a smashing success. The updated version comes with new tube colors — including a sexy white one — and a bad-ass vaping bag.

Some of the latest 2Puffs drip tips use quartz glass. As glass is, by far, my favorite drip tip material, I was happy to see that from the company. The drip tips are just the start. 2Puffs has been experimenting with quartz glass and hopes to be able to make a sleeve out of it for the next version of the Munstro. That…would…be…awesome! A mechanical mod with a glass sleeve sounds brilliant and I hope 2Puffs is able to pull it off. It would also be cool to see a quartz glass cap for the Quicksilver atomizer.

Check out the ECC 2014 interview above to listen to what’s new and what’s next from 2Puffs.

Vaping Diaries #243: Bare Naked Elaine Ruggieri & Chris Strawn Interview (ECC 2014)

Bare Naked takes a unique and all-natural approach to vaping e-liquids. While several companies list their juices as “All VG,” (vegetable glycerin) in many cases that’s simply not true, as most flavoring ingredients contain PG (propylene glycol). Bare Naked confidently makes the claim that its juice are actually all VG. It uses pure vegetable glycerin, natural flavoring extracts, and (optionally) nicotine for all of its e-liquids. Whether you’re searching for an all-natural vape or are one of the many people allergic to PG, Bare Naked has some compelling e-liquids for you.

In addition to attracting vapers that want natural e-liquid, Bare Naked has become attractive to cloud chasers as well. Since vegetable glycerin is the component in e-liquid that produces big vapor, cloud chasers have developed an affinity for Bare Naked.

At ECC 2014, I caught up with owners Elaine Ruggieri and Chris Strawn — they own the company and were not actually bare naked during the interview — to learn more about Bare Naked. They spoke about the natural approach to making e-liquids, some of the company’s popular flavors, and what’s coming next.

Check out the interview with Elaine and Chris to learn more about what Bare Naked does and what the company offers. There’s a good chance that you’ll even learn a fancy new word!

Vaping Diaries #242: Blow Angel Mod and Goodfellas Vapors at ECC 2014

Known for its beginner vaping products, Blow aims to reach enthusiasts vapers in a major way with the Angel Mod. Designed in Belgium, made from 99.9-percent pure Japanese copper, and assembled in America, the Angel Mod is one of the most striking mechanicals I’ve ever seen. The engravings were done by renowned tattoo artist Steve Soto and they’re absolutely gorgeous. Getting past its fantastic aesthetics, the Angel Mod features a magnetized switch and a polymer lining inside the tube. The latter feature helps keep the battery cool while you’re vaping. When you put it all together, the Angel Mod appears to be a brilliant vaping device that offers top-notch performance and stunning looks.

In the video above, I chat with designer Anand Gupta and artist Steve Soto about the Angel Mod. Steve has more plans for vaping beyond the Angel Mod. He recently started an e-liquid company called Goodfellas Vapors. The company has launched with three flavors and uses bottles with a unique twist-and-drip cap (similar to a glue bottle).

While I don’t know how well the Angel Mod works (yet), I can confidently say that it’s one of the most beautiful mechanical mods I’ve seen all year. Check out my ECC 2014 interview with Anand and Steve to learn more about the Angel Mod, as well as the juice Steve has cooking with Goodfellas Vapors.

Vaping Diaries #241: Witchers Brew Jourele Macalino & Harold Fong Interview (ECC 2014)

As a huge fan of naturally-extracted tobacco e-liquids, I was looking forward to chatting with Witchers Brew at ECC 2014. My buddy Jessie from Vapors.com stopped by the booth and told me that it was a “must see.” Company president Jourele Macalino told me how Witchers Brew got started, its launch at ECC 2013, its current lineup, what kind of naturally-extracted tobaccos the company uses, and the freshly launched Moondust e-liquid. Chief financial officer Harold Fong popped in to talk about the next e-liquid Witchers Brew is working on.

According to the company’s Facebook page, “Our ingredients are custom made to our specifications and one of a kind. None of our extracts are available on the market.” While I wasn’t able to get the precise details on Witchers Brew’s naturally-extracted tobaccos (heat extract, soak, CO2 extract, etc.), I was happy to get to know a local NET vendor. If you’re familiar with the Southern California vape scene then you know that fruit e-liquids dominated 2013, while dessert juices became more popular this year. As a NET fan, there aren’t many local companies for me to enjoy (and pester).

I’ll be reviewing some Witchers Brew e-liquids in the near future. While my review will focus on flavor, I will be mindful of the company’s claim that its juices aren’t as harsh on coils as other naturally-extracted tobacco e-liquids. For now, please check out the video above to learn more about Witchers Brew and the e-liquids the company offers.

Vaping Diaries #240: Convict Vapors Brian Grow Interview (ECC 2014)

There is a lot to love about Convict Vapors. The company offers high-performance and high-quality vaping hardware that’s made in the USA and backed by an extremely generous one-year warranty. Convict Vapors hybrids are stylish and made from top-notch materials too. Lastly, the company does a lot of charitable work, employing convicts, donating mods and money to veterans, and more.

Several months ago, Alex from Vape Maps suggested that I contact Convict Vapors to learn more about the company and help vapers learn about its products. At ECC 2014, I finally caught up with Convict Vapors owner and head of product development Brian Grow. He spoke about how his company operates, how his products emphasize performance, the build quality behind his products, the one-year warranty he offers, and more. In addition to The Convict genesis hybrid (Convict Vapors’ first product), Brian talks about The Warden 26650 hybrid dripper, The Service Hybrid, and some upcoming atomizers.

In a very short time, Convict Vapors has grown into a top American vaping company. I’m really impressed by the product quality and design, while I find the company’s warranty policy extraordinary (to the point where I’m thinking, “Wow! These guys are too generous.). Check out the video above to hear the Convict Vapors story, learn about its current products, and hear about what’s coming next.