Herb Grinders
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bizwaxzion
Enigmatic Cannabist
I've never had the screen in mine - prefer 3pc grinders. I don't find it difficult to get the herb out, however, I do have to brush kief off the ledge pretty frequently. I'd love to see ID create a one piece straight side bottom to [optionally] make the SWII a true 3pc...
Summer
Long Island, NY
roonsy
Well-Known Member
Oh cool thanks for that search suggestion, I uh... didn't know you could do that
On it now.
anycolouryoulike
Active Member
Having read more pages of this thread than I care to admit I've realized the budget I started with has doubled and I've found myself looking at the BCG and the HerbRipper longingly. I have a feeling it'll be one or the other for me, or possibly the GR8TR. We'll see what Black Friday brings 
Hey everyone, just wanted to post a few pics of our new Stainless Steel grinder over here..
Some details -
-100% US Sourced 316 Stainless steel - Including Screen + Kief scoop.
-Unique 6 Point Tooth Design, gives a fine, consistent grind
-Designed, Machined, and Assembled in Worcester, MA.
-Thread-less design utilizing Neodymium magnets.
-2" (51mm) Outer Diameter x 1.160 (29.5mm) Tall
https://www.unitedmachining.us/collections/grinders/products/united-stainless-steel-herb-grinder
Some details -
-100% US Sourced 316 Stainless steel - Including Screen + Kief scoop.
-Unique 6 Point Tooth Design, gives a fine, consistent grind
-Designed, Machined, and Assembled in Worcester, MA.
-Thread-less design utilizing Neodymium magnets.
-2" (51mm) Outer Diameter x 1.160 (29.5mm) Tall
https://www.unitedmachining.us/collections/grinders/products/united-stainless-steel-herb-grinder
Last edited:
cybrguy
Putin is a War Criminal
How much?
$95, currently. Free shipping within the U.S.
anycolouryoulike
Active Member
So I received my 3-piece Herb Ripper steel grinder and I've been testing it a little bit. Figured I'd share something like a mini-review in case someone's thinking about getting one.
I was slightly surprised by how small it is so I included coaster in the photos for reference. Click the thumbnails for bigger photos.
Loaded with about 0.15g of Jack Herer.
Two quarter turns later we get this:
Same material spread out a bit. I'd call this a medium grind.
I put the ground material back in, turned the grinder upside down and ground it some more to see if it'll grind finer. The grinder snags a little bit, could be there's material in the middle or between the body and the edge of the lid.
Twice ground material spread out. It's marginally finer but I'd still call it medium.
There's a spot in the middle where it's possible for some material to accumulate.
The knurling feels a bit rough
I like the logo, although I would slightly prefer an even, matte black surface. I cannot say whether the horizonal lines etc. are an intended effect or a byproduct of the manufacturing process.
This grinder certainly feels like a tool, not a luxury product. It's not unpleasant to hold but it's also not the kind of object you want to hold just for the texture and feel of it. The knurling feels slightly sharp, I'm actually wondering if I could sand it a little bit. The bottom piece only takes about a quarter turn to close and the threads align very easily, but the downside is it can open accidentally if you turn the grinder back and forth. I think I'll stick to only turning it clockwise because the grinder is too small to comfortably grab the middle part. Note that some force is required to open the grinder and to turn it. Might be a downside for someone with hand problems or pains.
The lid closes very smoothly, but there is a little bit of play if you go out of your way to try and rattle it. In the beginning it felt as if the tolerances inside might be a tiny bit too tight. It appears there's one or two spots per full turn that graze each other, resulting in slightly increased turn resistance. That being said when there's material inside, the grinder cuts through it like butter. It could be my imagination but it feels like the snags are getting less frequent the more I use it.
Considering what I know now - would I still have bought it? Well, maybe. There aren't many steel options available. On one hand it's a well made piece with what are admittedly pretty small imperfections. On the other it doesn't necessarily feel like a $100 product..yet. If it wears in use just enough that you can complete a full turn with consistent resistance I'll probably be more than happy with it. It does have the feel of something that will last you a long time that you'll love more and more as time goes on. In order not to turn people away from this I will point out that my complaints are essentially nitpicking because I am a difficult customer to please, but I feel justified doing so considering I spent over $100 on it and there are other well-loved, similarly or lower priced grinders on the market. It would help if I had one of them to compare, but I don't, so this is what I have to give
I was slightly surprised by how small it is so I included coaster in the photos for reference. Click the thumbnails for bigger photos.
Loaded with about 0.15g of Jack Herer.
Two quarter turns later we get this:
Same material spread out a bit. I'd call this a medium grind.
I put the ground material back in, turned the grinder upside down and ground it some more to see if it'll grind finer. The grinder snags a little bit, could be there's material in the middle or between the body and the edge of the lid.
Twice ground material spread out. It's marginally finer but I'd still call it medium.
There's a spot in the middle where it's possible for some material to accumulate.
The knurling feels a bit rough
I like the logo, although I would slightly prefer an even, matte black surface. I cannot say whether the horizonal lines etc. are an intended effect or a byproduct of the manufacturing process.
This grinder certainly feels like a tool, not a luxury product. It's not unpleasant to hold but it's also not the kind of object you want to hold just for the texture and feel of it. The knurling feels slightly sharp, I'm actually wondering if I could sand it a little bit. The bottom piece only takes about a quarter turn to close and the threads align very easily, but the downside is it can open accidentally if you turn the grinder back and forth. I think I'll stick to only turning it clockwise because the grinder is too small to comfortably grab the middle part. Note that some force is required to open the grinder and to turn it. Might be a downside for someone with hand problems or pains.
The lid closes very smoothly, but there is a little bit of play if you go out of your way to try and rattle it. In the beginning it felt as if the tolerances inside might be a tiny bit too tight. It appears there's one or two spots per full turn that graze each other, resulting in slightly increased turn resistance. That being said when there's material inside, the grinder cuts through it like butter. It could be my imagination but it feels like the snags are getting less frequent the more I use it.
Considering what I know now - would I still have bought it? Well, maybe. There aren't many steel options available. On one hand it's a well made piece with what are admittedly pretty small imperfections. On the other it doesn't necessarily feel like a $100 product..yet. If it wears in use just enough that you can complete a full turn with consistent resistance I'll probably be more than happy with it. It does have the feel of something that will last you a long time that you'll love more and more as time goes on. In order not to turn people away from this I will point out that my complaints are essentially nitpicking because I am a difficult customer to please, but I feel justified doing so considering I spent over $100 on it and there are other well-loved, similarly or lower priced grinders on the market. It would help if I had one of them to compare, but I don't, so this is what I have to give
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Copacetic
Somewhere North of The Wall
Has anyone seen the 'Steely Dan' stainless grinders available from Verdampftnochmal?:
This is the largest/most expensive model they do (59mm-€60).
https://verdampftnochmal.de/products/en/Steely-Dan-BL-Stainless-Steel-Grinder-4tlg-R-59mm
They all seem to come with a case:
<a href="https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/NVmYL2r/products-en-steely-dan-bl-stainless-steel-grinder-4tlg-r-59mm.jpg" alt="products-en-steely-dan-bl-stainless-steel-grinder-4tlg-r-59mm" border="0" /></a>
They also do a smaller 4-piece, and two 2-piece grinders in similar sizes.
I don't plan in getting one myself, but thought I'd pass this on in case it's of interest.

This is the largest/most expensive model they do (59mm-€60).
https://verdampftnochmal.de/products/en/Steely-Dan-BL-Stainless-Steel-Grinder-4tlg-R-59mm
They all seem to come with a case:
<a href="https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/NVmYL2r/products-en-steely-dan-bl-stainless-steel-grinder-4tlg-r-59mm.jpg" alt="products-en-steely-dan-bl-stainless-steel-grinder-4tlg-r-59mm" border="0" /></a>
They also do a smaller 4-piece, and two 2-piece grinders in similar sizes.
I don't plan in getting one myself, but thought I'd pass this on in case it's of interest.
Skunkport
Well-Known Member
Yup I got one and reviewed it, fluffy medium grind imo.
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/black-leaf-steely-dan-ss-grinder.33002/
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/black-leaf-steely-dan-ss-grinder.33002/
Has anyone seen the 'Steely Dan' stainless grinders available from Verdampftnochmal?:

This is the largest/most expensive model they do (59mm-€60).
https://verdampftnochmal.de/products/en/Steely-Dan-BL-Stainless-Steel-Grinder-4tlg-R-59mm
They all seem to come with a case:
<a href="https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/NVmYL2r/products-en-steely-dan-bl-stainless-steel-grinder-4tlg-r-59mm.jpg" alt="products-en-steely-dan-bl-stainless-steel-grinder-4tlg-r-59mm" border="0" /></a>
They also do a smaller 4-piece, and two 2-piece grinders in similar sizes.
I don't plan in getting one myself, but thought I'd pass this on in case it's of interest.
I hate to play devils advocate here, but that looks like it’s just an unanodized version of the standard mass produced cheap aluminum grinder...
How much did it weigh?
DeeCee5
Livin' La Vida Loca in FL
I believe that @Skunkport did a review on that grinder back in August; http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/black-leaf-steely-dan-ss-grinder.33002/. Don't know the weight, but it is stainless steel.
Copacetic
Somewhere North of The Wall
Looka like SS to me, seems unlikely that a fairly big retailer would mislead in that way.
@Skunkport s review seems to confirm SS construction too.
It does look fairly conventional in design and features to me, but not in a bad way.
If I didn't own a decent grinder already I'd consider one, but I have an SLX 303, and this grinder doesn't avoid my minor gripes with the SLX (threads, minor sticking which I suspect might also happen in the SS grinder as it's VERY similar in design to my SLX).
My grinder accumulates kief between the two grinder parts like a 'plaque' where the parts aren't coated with the ceramikote surface which covers the entire second SLX 2.0 model.
This causes some minor sticking unless the owner goes to the trouble of occasionally removing it with ISO or by picking it off.
The interior, coated surface of my SLX never needs cleaning, but this SS grinder might eventually, I don't know.
But if it does, at least the owner can just stick it in the dish washer, or Powdered Brewers Wash, neither of which I can do with my grinder.
So swings and roundabouts I think.
I think I'd rather have an SLX 2.0, or a Grinders For Life threadless model.
I wonder what one of these SS grinders would be like with the molten salt finish that Dynavap are applying to their new 'Shadow M'?
Anyone know if it's low friction?
My perfect grinder would be an SLX 2.0 design from SS (or Ti!$$$$$) with either a Ti nitride or similar low friction coating on the grinder teeth and sliding surfaces.
Threadless would be good too, but I've read that the thread on the SLX 2.0 is a steep pitch which only takes a three quarter turn to undo.
And I also LOVE the kief screen design of the SLX 2.0.
Sorry, just daydreaming (not even 'highdeas' as I'm dry
).
The way I read Skunk's review, it's probably not SS… No where did he mention that it was noticeably more heavy… but he did say it was relatively cheap in comparison to others.
The unfortunate reality is that most retailers don't care. They are in it to make money. And most manufactures really are not any better. Thats why why you have grinders being confused as being titanium or Stainless Steel when the grinder itself is aluminum. But they call the color titanium/steel. Or the Screen is steel. Or the pick is steel…
I really hope it is stainless steel. But I don't believe it is.
Skunkport
Well-Known Member
I have it right here in my hand, it's definitely not aluminium, it's 22g and while I'm not a metallurgist it certainly seems like stainless steel to me.
Also it has '100% high quality stainless steel' actually engraved onto the bottom and it's not from some small or unreliable retailer, it's a Black Leaf product I bought direct from Black Leaf in Germany.
Copacetic
Somewhere North of The Wall
No offence, but Skunks review mentions SS in the first sentence , and both Verdampftnochmals page, and the manufacturers site both explicitly claim SS construction.
I don't own one, so I'm not going to say they are deffo SS, but judging by the above, and by the appearance in all the pic's I've seen, I'm prepared to bet you my SLX that it's genuine stainless
Fancy a wager?
Edit:
Looks like Skunk has confirmed SS while I was typing ^
How many grams? There's no way its 22. The SWII is 216g.
No offence, but Skunks review mentions SS in the first sentence , and both Verdampftnochmals page, and the manufacturers site both explicitly claim SS construction.
I don't own one, so I'm not going to say they are deffo SS, but judging by the above, and by the appearance in all the pic's I've seen, I'm prepared to bet you my SLX that it's genuine stainless
Fancy a wager?
Edit:
Looks like Skunk has confirmed SS while I was typing ^
A claim doesn't make something true…
I'm skeptical that it's stainless steel because:
- This grinder is designed like the standard mass produced aluminum grinders
- Aluminum is the material of choice and not steel is because steel is harder to CNC
- That's why actual steel grinders (1) cost so more than aluminum (2) are not the mass produced design and (3) usually don't have threads.
- Steel is 2.5 times denser than aluminum. So it's significantly heavier than aluminum.
Anyways, I hope it's true. I hope it is Stainless Steel. I'm going to see myself out of this thread now.
Copacetic
Somewhere North of The Wall
Fair enough, like I say, I don't own one so can't swear on it.
I'm still willing to bet my SLX they are SS though, ante-up IT
I’m in.Fair enough, like I say, I don't own one so can't swear on it.
I'm still willing to bet my SLX they are SS though, ante-up IT
I don’t want you SLX though. Just knowing if it’s axtually stainless steel or not is good enough for me. - But if it is SS, I’ll ship you your choice of ID products, along with a crisp $100 bill to cover the cost of the grinder you bought.
Skunkport
Well-Known Member
220g, I'm high and missed the typo. Mine is the 49mm model. It is definitely heavier than aluminium, I have a larger ally grinder that's 150g and a smaller that's 75g.
It is 100% not aluminium. I can't guarantee it's stainless steel, I'm not an expert, but I will bet my beloved car that it's not aluminium, no matter how skeptical you are.
Black Leaf are a 20+ year old well-known company that supply headshops all over Europe with their own brand of bongs, pipes and even their own vaporizers, wholesale. We're not talking about some shit off dhgate here, it's a reputable German manufacturer and headshop.
No European online retailer has more grinders on offer than Black Leaf, with most grinders in our offering coming from our own production. For our customers this means: guaranteed quality directly from the manufacturer.
https://blackleaf.de/en
http://www.neardark.de/en/