Tag: Vaping Diaries

Vaping Diaries #112: Poet Electronic Nectar Randy Freer Interview

Out of all the e-liquid companies I chatted with at ECC 2013, POET (Pursuit of Excellent Taste) was one of the most impressive. The company takes a complex and culinary approach to making e-liquids. POET juices are not single-note flavors, but complex blends of multiple tastes. For example, POET CEO Randy Freer described his Americano Ciambella as his “morning drive.” It features maple, coffee, and tobacco flavors, as if you were munching on a maple bar, sipping a cup of joe, and smoking a cigarette during a commute.

In the video interview above, Randy talks about the company’s start, his philosophy on juice making, the POET lineup, and what’s next for the POET. I tasted several new e-liquids at ECC 2013 and POET’s were some of the most memorable. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this new company develops.

Vaping Diaries #111: Marie Alvarez ECC 2013 Interview

While I was filming an interview on the Vapor Bombz Omega, I noticed that my buddy Marie Alvarez was working at the booth. Naturally, I had to get her on camera for one of my favorite interviews of ECC 2013. Marie Alvarez is a model that has done a lot of work for vaping companies. Some vapers see her photos and don’t believe that she’s really a vaper. I promise you that she’s a vaper. She rocks a bedazzled Innokin iTaste MVP and loves pastry juices. Watch the video above to learn more about Marie Alvarez, where you can see her, what types of juices enjoys, what types of e-liquids she hates, and her current favorite (hint: it’s from Epic Juice).

It was fun goofing off on camera with Marie Alvarez (btw Marie, I won!) and chatting with her. However, being on camera with a beautiful Latina gave me flashbacks of working with Ruby Lopez at Yahoo! *sniff* (I miss you Ruby!) So yeah, check out the interview above and be sure to follow Marie Alvarez on Instagram. She’s cool peeps!

[B-roll photos by https://www.facebook.com/bgatebphoto]

Vaping Diaries #110: Cartel Mods Gino Litonjua Interview

Cartel Mods is a relatively new maker of mechanical mods that’s taking a luxurious approach to vaping. At ECC 2013, I caught up with Cartel Mods’ chief mod maker Gino Litonjua to talk about how the company got started, its philosophy of mod making, the unusual quality of its stainless steel, and upcoming additions to the Cartel Mods lineup.

While most stainless-steel mechanical-mods are made with 303, 304, or 316L stainless steel, Cartel Mods uses the more expensive 904L stainless steel. This is the stuff that Rolex uses to make its watches. When you hold the Cartel Mods v1 in your hand, you can immediately feel the difference between it and a mod made from 300-grade stainless steel. It feels posh and menacing at the same time. It’s obviously an exquisitely crafted mechanical mod, but the heft…kind of makes you want to punch someone while it’s in your hands (remember, one of my fantasies is beating someone up with a Maglite).

Anyway, it was fun chatting with Gino and learning more about Cartel Mods. He’s a cool guy and a skillful DJ. Check out the video above to learn more about his up-and-coming company from Southern California.

Vaping Diaries #109: Dr. Mike’s Rad Vapors Interview

Dr. Mike’s Rad Vapors makes some really inventive juices and has a cool story behind. At ECC 2013, I caught up with Dr. Mike’s Rad Vapors CEO Strek Gauthier and COO Dr. Mike Gauthier. The company offers some unique combinations like Honey-Q (honeydew and cucumber) and Chocolate Bacon. The story of Dr. Mike’s Rad Vapors starts with a traumatic event; Strek had a stroke due to cigarette smoking. He changed his lifestyle and turned to vaping. His father is a doctor with extensive aerospace experience. Strek worked for his father in aerospace for years. Father and son have teamed up together for Dr. Mike’s Rad Vapors.

In the interview, Strek and Dr. Mike talk about the company’s history, the Dr. Mike’s Rad Vapors approach to making juices, the sophisticated branding that was inspired by wine, and more. It was great meeting them and getting to learn more about the company’s juices, but to be honest, I was biased going into the meeting. Anyone that’s enough of a genius to combine chocolate and bacon is cool in my book.

Vaping Diaries #108: Electric Angel Owner Mika Kananen Interview

Here’s an interview with Electric Angel Owner Mika Kananen from ECC 2013. Kananen talks about the special edition EA Mods and the upcoming Invictus vaping device. The limited edition Electric Angel EA Mods include an adorable owl model, a Movember edition, and a brass leopard-print mod. The Invictus is a very different vaping device that combines features of mechanical and digital mods. It doesn’t follow Ohm’s law and it works with atomizers as low as 0.3 ohms. The Electric Angel Invictus aims to offer the power and versatility of mechanical mods with the safety, regulated power, and variable voltage/wattage features of digital mods. As a fan of Electric Angel and the Finnish sense of humor, it was fun chatting with Mika and hearing about EA’s upcoming products.

Vaping Diaries #107: Vape Syndicate Interview (ECC 2013)

Watch Vape Syndicate CEO Adam Tout talk about the new Guardian titanium hybrid mod, the company’s drip tips, and the Vape Syndicate juice lineup in this ECC 2013 video. This interview was suggested by my pal “Uncle” on ECF and I’m super-happy that he hooked me up with Vape Syndicate. The company’s juices have a loyal following, with lots of people saying that Vape Syndicate’s Throat Yogurt is one of the most unique RY4s on the market. The titanium and brass drip tips looks sweet. And the Vape Syndicate Guardian hybrid is just…wow. My favorite way to describe this made-in-the-USA titanium hybrid is star-spangled awesome. To top it all off, Adam is just a really cool guy and it was fun hanging out with him at ECC 2013. Thanks again “Uncle”!!! Continue reading “Vaping Diaries #107: Vape Syndicate Interview (ECC 2013)”

Vaping Diaries #106: Epic Juice Interview (ECC 2013)

Here’s an interview with Epic Juice CEO Arthur Han from ECC 2013. The company’s juices are super-popular at the Los Angeles vape shops I go to and its Airheadz flavor is a favorite over RPadholic N8R. Arthur goes over the company’s history, the Epic Juice approach to making e-liquids, the Epic Juice menu, and what flavors are coming next. Stay tuned for an Epic Juice review in the near future. Continue reading “Vaping Diaries #106: Epic Juice Interview (ECC 2013)”

Vaping Diaries #105: Black Cloud Vapor Review

Black Cloud Vapor is an up-and-coming e-liquid company that serves up some interesting e-liquids available for low prices. I recently vaped Black Cloud Vapor’s RY4, Cell Block 6, and Gluttony. While some of the flavors weren’t quite what I was looking for, the combinations were definitely different. At $10.99 for a 30ml bottle — and only $0.25 more for extra flavoring — Black Cloud Vapor is certainly worth a look. The juices are mixed well, the company has some atypical flavors, the customer service is strong, and the price is inexpensive.

Here are the flavor breakdowns and steeping notes of the Black Cloud Vapor e-liquids I tried.

RY4: Black Cloud Vapor doesn’t follow the traditional RY4 formula of a neutral tobacco, caramel, and vanilla. Instead, it mixes a somewhat bolder tobacco with caramel and cocoa. This juice wasn’t what I expect and enjoy in an RY4. I’m not saying it’s bad, but I wouldn’t call it an RY4. It’s more like tobacco accompanied by candy bar flavors — chocolate and nuts, with a bittersweet taste that reminded me a bit of licorice. If that combination sounds good to you then this juice is worth trying, but if you’re looking for a traditional RY4 then you’ll be in for a shock.

Despite its dark color, this juice vapes relatively cleanly. It’s suitable for any type of juice delivery system, but will gunk up coils over time It’s good out of the mail, but two weeks of steeping or more will help the overall mix.

Cell Block 6: This juice is described as, “RY4 to the next level.” It’s definitely “to the next level,” but like its sister juice, I wouldn’t call it an RY4. That said, I enjoyed Cell Block 6 more than Black Cloud Vapor RY4. In addition to having stronger flavors, the balance is different. The sweet notes are stronger and counteract the bittersweet taste that was a bit funky in the company’s RY4. It’s still there, but much less pronounced. Again, I wouldn’t call this juice an RY4, but it’s a nice dessert vape that blends caramel, cocoa, and tobacco.

Like its sister juice, despite its dark color, Cell Block 6 vapes relatively cleanly. It’s suitable for any type of juice delivery system, but will gunk up coils over time. It’s good out of the mail, but two weeks of steeping or more will help the overall mix.

Gluttony: My favorite Black Cloud Vapor juice of the bunch was this interesting mix of vanilla bean, coconut, peach, and pineapple. I enjoyed the melange of creaminess, sweetness, and tartness. The fruit flavors aren’t quite natural, but they’re not disturbingly artificial either. It would have been easy for this juice to end up a sickeningly sweet and artificial mess, but Black Cloud Vapor did a good job at balancing the different flavors. The end result is something similar to a virgin pina colada, but with an additional fruit flavor. The juice didn’t dazzle me, but I enjoyed the unique blend and complexity.

This juice vapes very cleanly and is suitable for all types of juice delivery systems. It’s ready to vape straight out of the mail, with only slight changes happening with steeping.

Steeping Notes
On the advice of Wlad from Ahlusion, I’ve been trying a new steeping method starting December 27, 2012. When the e-liquids arrive, I leave them uncapped for five minutes. Previously, I left them uncapped for about two days. After the liquids are given a few minutes to oxidize, the caps are put back on. The bottles are shaken every day for at least two weeks before vaping.

RY4
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: July 26, 2013 3:40PM
Vaped: September 7-18, 2013

Cell Block 6
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: July 26, 2013 3:40PM
Vaped: September 7-18, 2013

Gluttony
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: July 26, 2013 3:40PM
Vaped: September 7-18, 2013

Review Process (Updated February 17, 2013)
RPad.TV e-liquid reviews focus on the flavor of the e-liquids, since throat hit and vapor production can be altered by the PG/VG ratio and nicotine level selected. Each juice is vaped over a period of days in an atomizer, a cartomizer/tank setup, and a clearomizer. The exception is naturally-extracted tobacco (NET) juice; since those are known to clog up cartomizers quickly, those are vaped in atomizers and clearomizers.

 

Vaping Diaries #104: Doc Dave Cloning Controversy

Doc Dave, creator of the popular Steam Turbine atomizer, is angry about Chinese clones of his product. His anger is completely understandable. He worked hard on creating a unique and well-designed atomizer, and is upset that Chinese companies like Hcigar have flat-out copied his design. The Hcigar copy is available for a fraction of the cost of the original and the Chinese manufacturer’s capacity is tremendous; it’s impossible for Doc Dave to match the output and price of Hcigar. As I said, his anger is completely understandable.

Unfortunately, he’s going about his anger the wrong way. Instead of focusing his efforts to combat companies like Hcigar, he’s going after individuals that are buying Steam Turbine clones and people organizing “group buys” for the clones. For those of you not familiar with group buys, they are consumer-initiated purchases where a group of vapers gets products at wholesale prices. Essentially, Doc Dave is attacking consumers.

Doc Dave recently posted that he is, “the legal owner of U.S. Design Patent Application Serial No. 29467157.” While it’s nice to see an American vaping company pursue a vaping patent, it doesn’t mean much yet. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), “Some persons mark articles sold with the terms ‘Patent Applied For’ or ‘Patent Pending.’ These phrases have no legal effect, but only give information that an application for patent has been filed in the USPTO. The protection afforded by a patent does not start until the actual grant of the patent.”

In a Facebook message to an organizer of a Steam Turbine clone group buy, Doc Dave wrote that he filed his patent application on September 16. According to the USPTO, “Currently, the average patent application pendency is 24.6 months.” The letter threatens the organizer with legal action if he continues with the group buy. You can check out the threat below.

Forget that Doc Dave is using a patent application and not an actual patent to back his threats. Forget that it will likely be more than two years before the patent is granted, if it’s granted at all. What’s alarming is that Doc Dave is attacking consumers. Never mind that some of them will never purchase an authentic Steam Turbine because of the cost. Never mind that some of them want to experiment with an inexpensive clone before committing to a real Steam Turbine. An atomizer creator picking on consumers is straight bullying.

Due to Doc Dave’s threats, some Steam Turbine-clone group-buys are in disarray. Some organizers are afraid of the threats and have group-buy participants that are afraid to pay. Remember, organizers of group buys aren’t stores or corporations. They’re people that are trying to help other people save money on vaping products. Perhaps I’m being naive or I’ve just had extraordinary luck in group buys, but in my experience most organizers aren’t doing this to make a buck. They’re doing it help people stick with vaping and stay away from smoking.

The Doc Dave situation reminds me of the Style of Mojo situation. In both cases, the creators are attacking consumers instead of the companies that are copying their products or retailers selling these copies. That’s just misguided. While fans of these companies applaud the bullying tactics, it turns off many potential customers. It’s just bad business and doesn’t address the real issue — the Chinese companies that are leeching off creators’ product designs. Perhaps Doc Dave and Style of Mojo believe that pursuing legal action against large Chinese companies is an expensive venture that would result in nothing, but does that mean that they should lash out at consumers instead?

I simply don’t see why Doc Dave and Style of Mojo are taking their (again, totally understandable) frustrations out on consumers. What good does that do? It makes them look like bullies, kills some potential sales, and encourages some people to buy clones as retaliation. If you can figure out their actions, please explain it to me in the comments section. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

Vaping Diaries #103: Vapor Stands Trek-E v2 Review


The Vapor Stands Trek-E v2 is a beautiful and versatile holder that accommodates up to four vaping devices. This handcrafted stand is made in America and very affordable. If you’re looking for a mod holder that looks classy on your desk and is also functional enough to use in your car’s cup holder then the Trek-E v2 is a fantastic choice.

The Trek-E v2 has four holes — two 1.0-inch holes for larger devices and two 0.75-inch holes for eGo-style devices. In the video above, I show the stand holding a Phantom v2, Precise Simplicity 18650, Innokin iTaste VV 3.0, and a Vapor4Life Vapor Zeus. The holes are 2.25-inches deep to hold your vaping devices securely, while the bottom of the holes are covered with felt to prevent scratches. The bottom of the holder itself is also covered with felt. The Trek-E v2 fits into a car’s cup holder, but its handsome looks make it suitable for home or office settings.

The workmanship behind the Trek-E v2 is fantastic. The wood is cut perfectly and is sanded to a smooth finish. For protection and aesthetics, the wood is coated with three layers of polyurethane. The Trek-E v2 is available in three types of woods: cherrywood, oak, and walnut. The model used for this review and featured in the video is the cherrywood version. Vapor Stands’ Etsy store has photos of all three for your perusal.

Beautiful, functional, versatile, and inexpensive — that’s the Vapor Stands Trek-E v2 in a nutshell. While I like the way this holder works in a car, I love the way it looks on my desk. It’s a simple and straightforward product that does what it’s supposed to do, but looks elegant while doing so. The Vapor Stands Trek-E v2 is reasonably priced at $25. Not only do you get a great product, but you also support an American small business.