Videos Archives - Page 16 of 43

Vaping Diaries #221: Vapor Liq Michael Carey Interview

Earlier this year, I checked out an e-liquid subscription box from Vapor Liq and was very impressed by what the company offered. Like several of its competitors, Vapor Liq offers top-quality vaping e-liquids from some of the best companies in the business. What makes Vapor Liq stand out is its customization and profiling system — one of the most detailed and user-friendly I’ve encountered. The profiling system is very visual and easy to use, while allowing you to make precise adjustments to your flavor profile. Vapor Liq’s packaging is also some of the best I’ve seen from a juice subscription service.

To get more details about what makes Vapor Liq different from its competitors, I spent some time chatting with company co-founder Michael Carey. He spoke about how the company got started, what makes his service unique, and where the company is headed. Check out the clip above to see why Vapor Liq is one of the best companies in the highly competitive field of vaping e-liquid subscription services.

Vaping Diaries #220: VLS Vulcan Rebuildable Atomizer Review

Here’s the short version of my VLS Vulcan review — the atomizer is one of best values in vaping today. I’ve been using a pair of pre-production VLS Vulcan atomizers for the last month and I was quite impressed by what this atomizer brings to the table. The VLS Vulcan is well made, looks great, has excellent features, and offers sweet performance. While there are some minor issues that prevent it from being perfect for everyone, I believe that the majority of vapers will be happy with what the VLS Vulcan offers — especially when they see the price. Let’s take a closer look.

Design: The VLS Vulcan is packed full of fantastic features. The two sets of heat fins are the most striking. Like the popular Tobh atomizer, the VLS Vulcan’s top cap has rows of deep fins that help dissipate heat. The bottom of the atomizer also has rows of heat fins, to help dissipate heat coming from your mod and atomizer. The usefulness of the bottom heat fins depends on how low you build your coils and what batteries you use; some vapers will find it useful, while it’s overkill for others. The bottom layer of heat fins makes the VLS Vulcan longer than most rebuildable dripping atomizers, which might be an issue for some vapers.

Similar to the Tobh, the base of the VLS Vulcan is made from one piece of stainless steel. The negative posts and base are cut from one piece of metal. What very cool and practical about the base is that the metal underneath the negative posts is also carved out, allowing the atomizer to hold more juice. This makes the VLS Vulcan an excellent choice for vapers that want the full flavor of dripping and minimal refilling.

The VLS Vulcan handles airflow in a unique manner. Instead of traditional air holes, this atomizer has stylized “Vulcan” text on each side of the main cap. The “V” in Vulcan is laser engraved, allowing air to enter the atomizer. It’s certainly unique, but it does present some potential issues. For my builds, I positioned the coils close to the side walls instead of centered; it wasn’t difficult, but it wasn’t as brainless as building coils for a standard atomizer. For certain types of vapers (I’m looking at you cloud chasers!), the “V” is somewhat liming, which I’ll talk about more in the performance section of this review.

All told, the VLS Vulcan uses a great three-piece design that’s an outstanding blend of handsome aesthetics and useful features.

Build Quality: According to Vapour Lifestyle, the VLS Vulcan is made by “a Japanese CNC perfectionist producer.” While the company isn’t mentioned by name, its work is exemplary. This is a very well-made atomizer. Out of the box, the machining is impressive and stands up to competing atomizers that cost $20 to $50 more. I was quite happy with both of the VLS Vulcan atomizers I’ve been using for the last month and I’m confident that most vapers will be pleased by how well the product is made.

Out of the box, the VLS Vulcan has brass thumb screws. Also included are stainless steel thumb screws and extra O-rings.

Performance: The VLS Vulcan uses a copper contact for high conductivity. As many of you know, copper is one of the most conductive metals used in vaping — more conductive than brass or stainless steel, but not as conductive as silver. If performance is priority for you then the VLS Vulcan should keep you happy. Naturally, there are many other factors that contribute to overall performance (mod, battery, coil, etc.), but this atomizer provides a strong link in the chain.

For many vapers, the VLS Vulcan’s airflow is more than adequate. One possible exception is extreme cloud chasers. Vapers that drill out their atomizer holes to bullet-sized proportions will want more airflow. A potential issue with the VLS Vulcan is that its air holes are laser-engraved and stylized. Drilling it out can be tricky and vapers that do will be left with an “ulcan” instead of a “Vulcan,” ruining the aesthetics of the atomizer.

Verdict: On its own, the VLS Vulcan is a fantastic rebuildable dripping atomizer. The build quality is great, it performs nicely, and it has lots of versatility. The only issues with the VLS Vulcan are for people that prefer relatively short atomizers and those that like extreme airflow. If you don’t fall into either category then I’m certain that you’ll be happy with the VLS Vulcan.

When you consider that the VLS Vulcan has an MSRP of $60, this atomizer is a brilliant deal. It’s as good for better than most rebuildable atomizers in the $80-$100 range. After using the VLS Vulcan for roughly one month, it has become one of my favorite atomizers in my collection. I love the way it looks, the amount of juice it holds, and the way it performs. If you’re cool with the atomizer’s atypical height and the airflow that it offers, you’ll be thrilled by what the VLS Vulcan offers for a very fair price of $60.

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Vaping Diaries #219: AmeraVape Erik Hutchinson Q&A

This video interview with AmeraVape founder and owner Erik Hutchinson is very different from the usual RPadTV vaping interview. It’s mostly unedited and much longer than the video content that I usually post. As many of you know, AmeraVape — creator and manufacturer of the popular Manhattan mechanical mod — has been embroiled in several controversies. There are a lot of strong opinions about the company. Some of the opinions are justified, while some are the result of misinformation. Given AmeraVape’s controversial position, I jumped at the opportunity to film Erik answering some user-submitted questions.

The focus of this piece is all about your questions. That’s why the video is mostly unedited and that’s why it’s so long. Overall, I think it’s a very interesting piece. Erik clears up some of the misinformation that’s floating around out there and explains why AmeraVape does some of the things it does. Having said that, there are a few bits that will probably result in some more controversy for AmeraVape.

Just so you know, Erik was not given the questions prior to the interview. I wanted to get his spontaneous reactions to the questions. For the most part, I stayed out of the way and let him answer as much as he wanted to. I started and ended the video with some topics to add some context, and I did follow up on one of the user-submitted questions (and yes, I did crack some goofy jokes a few times because…I can’t help myself). At the end of the day, the vast majority of the video is Erik answering the questions that were submitted.

While I was conducting the interview, I found myself learning more about the company and learning new information about some of its controversies. That’s what I hope the video does for you; I’m not trying to change your opinion about AmeraVape — just trying to help you get additional information to come to your own conclusion. Naturally, I’d love to get your thoughts on this AmeraVape interview and Erik’s answers. Please leave a comment and share your thoughts when you have a chance!

Special thanks to Monster Vape Lounge for letting us shoot at the shop and hang out!

Vaping Diaries #218: Wu Tang House of Mods El Sigilo Review

One of the latest offerings from Wu Tang House of Mods — one of my favorite Filipino modders — is the El Sigilo. This mechanical mod features a unique design and fantastic aesthetics. The standard model available in brass and stainless steel, as well as a torched steel “special edition” covered in this review. It’s also available in copper, but with zodiac sign aesthetics rather than Filipino-style engravings. All models come with 18650 and 18350 tubes. The El Sigilio ships in a treasure chest that contains the mod, as well as tools for unscrewing the caps.

While I was enamored by the El Sigilo’s aesthetics and admired the minimalistic design, there were a few aspects of the mod that could have been a little bit better. Here’s the breakdown.

Design and Ergonomics: The most unique aspect of the El Sigilo is its physical design. Instead of using end caps that screw onto the main tube, this mod uses end caps that screw into the main tube. This gives the El Sigilo a wonderfully minimalistic look and makes it shorter than most competing mods. While I found it easy to manage the caps with my fingernails, Wu Tang House of Mods includes two sets of clips for unscrewing the caps.

The main tube features Baybayin engravings, while the special edition has an additional set of engravings on the opposite side (check the video for details). For those of you not familiar with Baybayin, it was the primary script used in the Philippines prior to Spanish colonization.

The El Sigilo’s button has a medium feel and throw. As someone that likes a short throw and light feel, I liked this mod’s button action, but didn’t love it. That said, I think that most vapers will be satisfied with the button feel.

With its uniquely Filipino aesthetics and minimalist, I love the way this mod looks. The physical design also keeps the mod shorter than most, whether you’re rocking 18650 or 18350. Wu Tang House of Modz knocked it out of the park with the El Sigilo, as far as design goes.

Build Quality and Construction: The build quality of the El Sigilo is very good, but a tad shy of great. On the outside, everything looks wonderful, with smooth lines and excellent engravings. On the inside, things could have been a little bit better. The threads on the caps and tubes feel smooth, but there are some visible burrs. Some vapers won’t mind that at all, but those that place a premium on impeccable build quality and top-notch performance might have an issue with the machining.

Performance: For a stainless steel mod, the El Sigilo is a strong performer. The silver-plated contacts and brass caps help conductivity. However, there are a few factors that prevent this mod from being an outstanding performer. Obviously stainless steel isn’t as conductive as brass or copper, but the (slight) performance issues go beyond that. As I mentioned before, the threads are good, but not great. Finely machined threads with high tolerances are an important aspect of maximizing conductivity.

If you like the El Sigilo’s design and want top performance then you should go with the brass or copper models over the stainless steel or torched steel models. Even then, there are a number of mods out there with better machining that translates to better performance.

Verdict: The El Sigilo is another hit from Wu Tang House of Modz. As a Filipino-American, I absolutely love the way the mod looks. I’m a fan of minimalistic mods and the El Sigilo can certainly be classified as such. The baybayin engraving is awesome and looks especially sweet on torched steel. As far as aesthetics go, this is easily my favorite-looking mod in my collection.

Having said that, there are a few things that prevent it from being my favorite overall mod. The performance is very good for a stainless steel mod, but the El Sigilo doesn’t hit as hard as various brass and copper mods I’ve used. The workmanship is also very good, but not quite great. Certainly Wu Tang is competitive with the majority of mod makers out there, but companies like Vapour Art, Super-T Manufacturing, and others are in another league.

I’m happy to own the El Sigilo from Wu Tang House of Modz. Looking at it always makes me happy and it always gets a fair amount of attention when I bring it to vape shops. Aesthetically, I adore it, but I just wish that the threads were perfectly smooth and that it hit a bit harder.

Vaping Diaries #217: The Force Vapors Eric Trotter Interview

It was excellent catching up with The Force Vapors CEO Eric Trotter at Evaporate Los Angeles. As a Star Wars nerd, I absolutely love the company’s theme and style. As a vaper, I’ve enjoyed several of The Force Vapors’ juices. The owner of Evaporate LA turned me onto Leia’s Creamy Cookie and I’ve been a fan ever since. More importantly, Eric is a cool guy that runs an honest company that has longterm goals in vaping, as opposed to numerous cash-in-now ventures that I’ve encountered. In the interview above, Eric talks about how he got started, The Force Vapors’ e-liquid philosophy, the company’s current flavors, upcoming flavors, and more. And yes, as a Star Wars nerd I totally used this interview as an opportunity to make several dorky Star Wars references. For that, I thank (and apologize to) The Force Vapors. Ha!

Vaping Diaries #216: River Bottom Fog Sauce Review I

Vapers that love authentic tobacco are in for a real treat with River Bottom Fog Sauce. This relatively new e-liquid company specializes in juices made with naturally-extracted tobaccos (NETs). While River Bottom Fog Sauce is one of the newest NET e-liquid companies in the business, it has already established itself as a top-tier juice maker, as far as NETs go. I’ve been vaping three of the company’s juices for the last few months: Fabulous & Burley, St. James Parish, and Poet & Scholar. I was very, very impressed by these juices and surprised by the quality.

River Bottom Fog Sauce juices are available through VapingWatch for $22 for a 30ml bottle. While the price is more expensive than competing online NET vendors, the prices are inline with retail offerings. The juices come in glass bottles, but don’t have a dripper. If you’re into NET juices or are looking for an authentic tobacco taste then I highly recommend checking out River Bottom Fog Sauce’s offerings and giving the company a shot. As for the three flavors I’ve vaped, here are my tasting notes.

Fabulous & Burley: This is a mix of burley tobacco and a light vanilla flavor. Burley is one of my favorite tobaccos for vaping e-liquids and I really enjoyed River Bottom Fog Sauce’s burley extraction. It’s flavorful and smooth — a great tobacco choice for an all-day vape. The vanilla was good for me too, but not great. There are some fantastic burley and vanilla blends on the market, such as Vurley from Ahlusion and Vita Bella from Goodejuice. While I really enjoyed Fabulous & Burley, I like the two aforementioned juices a bit more. That said, this juice is certainly in the same league and I would totally understand someone that prefers Fabulous & Burley over Vurley and Vita Bella.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, Custom PG/VG

St. James Parish: This is River Bottom Fog Sauce’s perique offering and my favorite juice covered in this review. I love perique tobacco, but juices made with it can have a certain “funk” that turns off some vapers. (Some equate the funk to a wet sock…but in a good way.) Even as a perique lover, most perique e-liquids aren’t something I can enjoy as an all-day vape. St. James Parish surprised me with its approachability. It has the rich, strong, and distinct flavor of perique, without the funk. That’s pretty remarkable. If I met someone that was interested in the type of flavor that perique offers, St. James Parish would be my first recommendation. It’s wonderfully flavorful, but much more approachable than other perique e-liquids on the market and, unlike many of its competitors, it’s a juice I can vape all day.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, Custom PG/VG

Poet & Scholar: Out of the three juices in this review, this is the one that needed the most steeping. Initially, I wasn’t high on this honey-cigar blend; out of the mail, it had a floral quality about it that I didn’t enjoy. After a month of steeping, the floral taste backs off and the earthy cigar comes to the forefront. From that point on, the juice was much tastier to me and became something I enjoyed quite a bit. It’s a nice blend of earthiness and light sweetness. While I didn’t enjoy it as much as the other two juices in this review (I prefer pipe tobaccos over cigar tobaccos), it’s very well done and certainly a juice I’d recommend to vapers looking for an authentic, high-quality cigar e-liquid.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, Custom PG/VG

Steeping and Review Notes (Updated December 29, 2013)
On the advice of Wlad from Ahlusion, I’ve been trying a new steeping method as of 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.

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 a bottom-coil silica atomizer (The Russian and Aqua), various rebuildable dripping atomizers, and a clearomizer.

Vaping Diaries #215: 4Kast Vapor Drip Tip Interview

Several weeks ago I met Justin Kelley, co-owner of 4Kast Vapor, and was surprised by his drip tips. 4Kast Vapor has launched with drip tips made from bullet shells, with a pressed delrin core. Drip tips made from 9mm and Smith & Wesson 40 caliber bullet shells are obviously cool, but the pressed delrin core makes these drip tips unique. 4Kast Vapor drip tips are fantastic for sub-ohm vapers; the delrin core is great at dissipating heat and also features wide bores for maximum airflow.

4Kast Vapor drip tips are currently available in brass and nickel finishes. In the interview above, Justin details an upcoming drip tip called The Gambler. It also features a pressed delrin core, but has a copper shell. The outside features the four suits of playing cards, as opposed to a laser etching of Kenny Rogers’ face.

Check out the interview above to learn how 4Kast Vapor got started, the labor-intensive process of making the company’s drip tips, and other details. 4Kast Vapor drip tips are currently available at Vape Citi and other fine stores. Special thanks to Vape Star Koreatown for letting Justin and me film at the shop!

Vaping Diaries #214: Vapour Art GP Paps X Lux Preview

Vapour Art is one of my favorite mod makers in the world. The company uses top-quality metals like 316 stainless steel and aluminum bronze. Vapour Art’s craftsmanship is some of the finest in all of vaping; the threads on its mods are exceptionally smooth and the overall workmanship is brilliant. The Vapour Art GP Paps X was my favorite mod of 2013. As you can imagine, I was incredibly psyched to receive the GP Paps X Lux. This mod has everything I love about the GP Paps X, but with heavy use of aluminum bronze.

While many vapers are familiar with brass and copper mechanical mods, some are unfamiliar with aluminum bronze. According to Vapour Art, aluminum bronze is “four times more expensive than the 316 SS with high percentage of copper, ” and, “Admiralty brass has 71% Cu and naval brass has 60% Cu, while the aluminium bronze goes to 91% Cu plus 7% Al.” Some vapers I know love aluminum bronze because it offers higher performance, while others love it because it’s uncommon. Whatever the case, the aluminum bronze GP Paps X is a more luxurious and, on paper, a harder hitting version of it stainless steel counterpart.

To see why I was so impressed by the 316 stainless steel GP Paps X, be sure to check out my review. I have a strong feeling that the GP Paps X Lux will be one of my favorite mods of 2014, with a great chance of being my favorite mod released all year. Of course I’m going to have to spend more time with it before writing and filming a full review. For now, please check out the preview video above and the packing list below to see everything that comes with the Vapour Art GP Paps X Lux.

1x Main body OD 23 mm with two male threads made from Aluminium bronze in polished finish.
1x Long eXtension OD 23 mm with one male and one female thread made from Aluminium bronze in polished finish.
1x Short eXtension OD 23 mm with one male and one female thread made from Aluminium bronze in polished finish.
1x X ring made from Aluminium bronze in polished finish.
1x AFC ring made from Aluminium bronze in polished finish.
1x button made from EU certified 316 SS in polished finish.
1x top cap made from EU certified 316 SS in polished finish.
1x locking square nut made from EU certified 316 SS.
3x brass springs of different hardness.
2x food grade plastic insulators.
1x silver plated brass negative post screw with 15+ micron silver coating.
1x silver plated brass GPin with 15+ micron silver coating.
2x food grade O-ring 19×1,2mm for the AFC ring.
1 GP® Fork
1x short silver plated brass pin with 15+ micron silver coating for 18650 IMR batteries with 64,48 mm length (out of specs).
1x 15+ micron thickness silver plated spring.
1x double GP® Holster from cordura fabric 1000 den manufactured in EU by a company specialised in weapon holsters, made exclusively for Vapourart.

Vaping Diaries #213: Beyond Vape/Aria Interview

Last week I dropped by Beyond Vape to chat with company co-founder Billy Chen. In addition to running several successful stores around the country, the company has a number of products under the Beyond Vape and Aria brands. In the interview above, Billy talks about some of the company’s upcoming vaping devices and accessories. From mechanical mods, DNA 30 devices, and protective cases, Beyond Vape has a ton going on. Prototypes of the upcoming Oros, Hyperion, Sage, and Luna vaping devices are discussed and shown in the video. Here are some of the highlights:

Neptune (Beyond Vape) — This hybrid dripper features strong performance and solid build quality at a relatively inexpensive price.
Sage (Beyond Vape) — This mechanical mod retails for $85 and is aimed towards vapers that want high performance without a high price.
Luna (Beyond Vape) — A sleek DNA30 vaping device, the Luna should retail under $200, making it less expensive than competing DNA30 devices. One cool and practical features is its MicroUSB port, which lights up to let you know when the battery is being charged.
Oros (Aria) — This copper mechanical mod is made-in-the-USA and offers killer performance. A well-known gentleman from the popular CaliVapers forums tested the Oros and found that it had extremely low voltage drop.
Hyperion (Aria) — A hybrid dripper, the Hyperion is like the Neptune’s more luxurious cousin. If the Neptune is a great Honda then the Hyperion is a slick Acura. The Hyperion’s tube, atomizer cap, and drip tip are plated in 24-karat gold.

Beyond Vape and Aria have a wide range of products in its 2014 lineup, aimed towards novice and veteran vapers alike. Whether you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, a mod with unmatched performance, or a hybrid the screams luxury, the company has you covered. Be sure to check out the interview above and when you have a chance, please let me know which Beyond Vape/Aria product you’re most excited for.

Vaping Diaries #212: VLS Crest Cap Review (IGO-W5)

The IGO-W5 by Youde is a nice rebuildable dripping atomizer for vapers on a budget. It’s arguably Youde’s best dripper to date — very well built for a mass-market atomizer. That said, it’s a spartan offering and lacks some of the features today’s vapers want in an atomizer. That’s where the VLS Crest Cap comes in. This third-party accessory is made for the IGO-W5 and adds features that many vapers expect from a dripper in 2014. The VLS Crest Cap elevates the IGO-W5 from a good budget atomizer to a great one.

The VLS Crest Cap is made primarily from 304 stainless steel. It’s a two-piece top-cap that’s reminiscent of the one featured on the popular TOBH atomizer, as well as Cap-it-All Vapes’ Halo top cap for the IGO-W3 and Patriot atomizers. The heat fins aren’t as long as the ones on the TOBH, so it doesn’t dissipate heat as quickly, but still does a good job. Compared to the Halo, the VLS Crest Cap has better build quality.

In addition to the heat fins, the VLS Crest Cap features cyclops-style airflow controls. I was able to achieve a wide variety of airflow options by playing around with the positioning of the top portion of the cap. It can be closed off enough to satisfy vapers that prefer a firm draw and more intense flavor. It can also be opened up wide enough to satisfy vapers that prefer big clouds and an airier draw. Naturally, extreme cloud chasers — you know, people that appear to have bullet holes in their drippers — will want even bigger holes. That said, the airflow options on the VLS Crest Cap are broad enough to satisfy the majority of vapers.

The two-piece design of the VLS Crest Cap allows for easy and convenient dripping. With conventional drippers, you have to be mindful of realigning the air holes every time you remove the cap. While some vapers don’t mind dripping through the drip-tip hole, many prefer dripping juice directly onto the wick and coils. Since you don’t have to take off the bottom portion of the VLS Crest Cap, you don’t have to worry about lining up the cyclops-style slots.

To my eyes, the VLS Crest Cap looks better than the stock cap on the IGO-W5. I’m not a fan of the stock cap’s looks, especially the way it thins out towards the top. The VLS Crest Cap is 22mm most of the way, with a slight flare to 23mm at the top. The logo is generally handsome, though personally I would have preferred a blank model. Looks are, of course, subjective; most of my vaping friends preferred the VLS Crest Cap’s design over the stock cap’s, but a few liked the stock cap better.

The VLS Crest Cap is available for around $20 online and at retail. I’ve seen the IGO-W5 available for around $20 online and $30 at retail. When you put these products together, you have a great dripping setup for the money. For $50 or less, you get a nice and versatile dripper that’s not a clone. If you’re looking for a great dripping setup that’s reasonably priced then I highly recommend the combination of the IGO-W5 and VLS Crest Cap.