I recieved my order of custom Vapcap stems from
@stardustsailor quuuite a while ago now.. My order was for a 63-BRK-02 and 80-STN-08. But due to a long and uninteresting tale I have not been able to post about them until now. So here is my review!
As always Prolusio posts are long so strap in OR,
TL : DR Have you seen the pics of his creations? Do you use/love vapcaps? Get one of these stems, you will not be disappointed!
Pics first! 63BRK02 is the barky top one, the 80STN08 is the lower pink one.
This one you can really see the golden hues of the stem on the edges. I do have 3000K bulbs so my house has the typical yellowish warm light; but the stem itself does have golden tones as well which really makes it shine at the right angle.
Brown BRK
Not so Brown
I dunno really hard to get the full scope of the BRK in pics.
Let me start off by saying
@stardustsailor is excellent to work with. Response was immediate and he started work on my order just as quickly. Contacted Thursday and he had my stems finished over the weekend, shipped start of the following week. Can't ask for more!
Everything about the process was clear due to his numbering system; I was able to describe what I wanted with a single line. It's sometimes tricky trying to describe what you want with custom orders, but that naming system takes a lot of the confusion out.
SDS sent me pictures of the stems and made sure the finish and colour came out to my liking, before accepting any payment. The hue of the BRK came out between two shades, an 02/03. Nothing wrong with it, I actually think it looks even better than the original shade I had imagined.. but SDS is such a perfectionist that "almost" was not good enough. He sent me several pictures of the stem and made it clear what I was looking at because it's hard to translate into an image.
@stardustsailor really wants the item you get to be the one you wanted, no shenanigans here! He also included some brown O-rings because he thought it would look sharp with my infra pink 08 stem.
Package arrived very quickly, like well over a month ago
. No customs either! Each stem was wrapped securely shipped in a small padded envelope.
The stems themselves are fantastic, stunning and most importantly exactly as described
.
I am absolutely thrilled with the colour of the infra pink stem. Pink is one of those colours that can easily look tacky but the anodizing of my stem has golden hues that make it feel full and rich. More like a stunning gem than cheap coating.
What I wanted from the 80STN08 was to a stem that stands out with a bright metallic shine, but isn't too slippery. My main use for this stem is to keep on me when working in the snow. I wanted something with a finish that grips so it won't fall out of frozen fingers, and I wanted it bright so I can find it easily when it slips out anyway
. This stem accomplishes all of this perfectly.
The 63BRK02/03 stem is really, really hard to describe. Sitting on the table it looks plain and unassuming, its hue a dark antique bronze, almost brown. A fragment of an ancient tree.. but the second you pick it up the light hits the peaks and valleys of the BRK texture so that it practically becomes an optical illusion!
The bronze/brown quickly fades to a more coppery/purple undertone as the gleaming dark grey/silver of Ti shines through overtaking everything else.. as you turn it further the light fades to an almost purple hue. Depending on the light and angle the stem can look just like textured Ti, or slightly lavender purple Ti, or deep antique brown; and it blends between each hue as you move it. It really is impressive how the blended anodizing turns out. It's just like owning a unique wooden piece that's grain only becomes more appealing the more you handle it. But because it requires handling to really get the full scope of it's spectrum, it's also pretty classy! I think. Doesn't look ostentatious from a distance at all. Which was my main goal for this piece.
I was a little surpised to find the BRK finish wasn't much grippier than the STN.. STN might be better in that respect actually! Not an issue at all just an observation that was interesting to me.
The Ti material itself is very nice quality. Or it feels like it at least! I dunno how to test or grade Ti, but it is extremely lightweight and strong. I really like the feel of this tubing. Especially the MP end! When I first got the stems I was worried the tapered MP end might be too thin/sharp but it did not feel this way to me. Makes it clear which side to put the tip on.
My tips fit perfectly in both stems. The fit is very similar to the M. It's easy to swap the tip but it also holds very securely with no wobble or worry it'll come loose. I think the ID is pretty near perfect. I was pleased to see the insides of the tubing were clean and smooth as well.. one thing I dislike about Dynavap is the occasional black manufacturing residue left behind at times. I think my stems were ready to go out of the box! But I gave them a seemingly unnecessary wipe regardless.
One thing I've been enjoying a lot is using them outside I get super cool hits from how well the Ti stems conduct heat. I took the condenser out because it's not really necessary IMO with this carbless construction, so all that vapour spreads out and hits the cold TI walls.. Mmm, smooooth. Very pleasant during this snowy winter!
In summary I am very pleased with every aspect of my transaction with
@stardustsailor. He worked really hard, and quickly, to create something unique for me according to my specifications. The product I recieved has met/exceeded all of my expectations. His craftsmanship is excellent, These stems would make an excellent gift for any vapcap enthusiast (or in my case makes a really unique piece to add to an ever expanding collection
)
I had one suggestion for improving the stems which was to make a more defined MP region, SDS's take on the M taper.. But SDS had already thought of that! Before I even suggested it he's already turning out a new banded design that incorporates that feature.
Super excited to get my hands on the new style some day.
Anyway, thanks for reading! And thanks to
@stardustsailor for their excellent work and impeccable service.
The metal that the cap is made of is so very thin, it cools quickly. Hope this is all clear mate. This internets communication can be difficult without miscommunication regardless of ones native language. 
