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Discontinued The Okin by D.M. Pipes

stickstones

Vapor concierge
Well from one point of view, this is fine craftsmanship and from another one this is just 3 or 4 small metal and wood tubes with a couple of screens and 4 prongs... (and no electronic whatsoever).
I too think $200 is quite on the high end of a "reasonable" price, mind you the case might be a killer one. At the same time, once this will be proven to be a working way to vaporize healthily I wonder for how much we'll be able to get some factory versions of it.

This vape is hand made by an artisan and will never be massed produced at this level of craftsmanship. This is not an attempt to figure out how to make a cheap charcoal vape for the masses. It's a vape Hugh Heffner would have...because he can. I would never take this vape on the road tucked into a pocket. This is one that requires the smoking jacket and all the kids removed. I want to get the lighting right, gently hit it and look down at it wondering what the craftsman went through for hours getting the details just right on what the casual observer would call a painted steel bowl. I want to enjoy the communion between artist and observer as I hit this thing. It's not going to be a daily driver. It's going to be an experience the vaporist is after. There will be a limited supply and few will get the pleasure of enjoying it. I hope I'm one of them!
 
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Dan Morrison

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
@stickstones

Right on the money my friend. ha.

I approach my work from the perspective of an artist and fine wooden pipe maker, I've spent 10+ years obsessively researching and experimenting with the nuances that separate a fine tobacco pipe, from a factory pipe.

Sure, you could go out and get a $50-$100 factory made tobacco pipe, and you could get the job done reasonably, but there is a world of difference between something like that, and the works of art coming out of the masters shops. These pipes are $300-$1000+ for a reason.

And, while part of the price difference is in the aesthetics, most of it is in how it functions. These are tools, and with a tool, every single tiny detail is designed to make the job easier and more pleasant. And far too often, these details are blurred in a factory setting, and a beautiful, functional object can quickly be reduced to garbage under the gaze of those seeking the bottom dollar.

Take a woodworking chisel for example. In our modern age, many are unaware of what a real chisel can do, instead, we have the 9.99 special at the bigbox store with plastic handles that give you blisters and crack when you hit them with a mallet, and steel that will never hold a keen edge or cut wood properly. Essentially, they are "mirage objects". They exist only to make you believe that you are buying chisels, when in reality, you are buying chisel shaped objects that are mere shadows of what they were originally intended to be.

My all-time perfect example of this is the mass-produced apple peeler. A simple object, and yet, I can't buy a decent one. It's because making them sharp takes those few extra manufacturing steps, maybe even some hand work... and for the "masses" that would be far too expensive.

Nothing I have done with my design is just for show or trying to be artsy. It's been refined so that every single aspect of it is functional.

The patina on the metal gives the tip an easy to grip texture so its not slipping between your wet fingers when you're out in the woods, have soft gloves on.... or have greasy pizza fingers...

The bronze springs, why bronze? why not steel springs? Phosphor bronze is longer lasting, corrosion resistant, and also because it's a copper alloy, it dissipates heat rapidly. You can always hold the tip by the prongs, because of the way they are arched above the surface of the steel, they hold the charcoal, yes, but they are also a heat sink. They cannot be factory made into one easy-to-produce piece and still retain this functionality.

The bamboo stem, why do I include the node? why not make it an easy to produce straight wooden stem? Why colour it dark brown in an oven? Why include the blackwood tip when you can make it all one piece and make it cheaper? On the surface, these could be confused with purely aesthetic design elements...

The node is where the bamboo has the most strength, putting it near the joint makes that connection extremely strong. The grain structure of bamboo insures that every piece has grain fibers running its entire length... with any other wood, a tube this size, with an airway this open, would be weaker, prone to moisture problems, and more likely to chip or get scratched.

The dark colour comes from heating the cane and solidifying the sugars inside. This cures the cane so that it reacts less to changes in temperature and moisture and makes the surface harder.

The African blackwood mouthpiece protects the stem from teeth marks and saliva. African blackwood has been used to make bagpipes for generations. Now...why would they choose African Blackwood, when it's one of the most expensive woods available? Well, it has a natural resistance to human saliva, making it that much more perfect for a wind instrument... and also a vaporizer stem. And lets not forget the hand filing work at the tip, to taper the airway as it exits the mouthpiece..making the vapor stream less hot on your tongue...

And using wood, in general, along with a thread O-ring, allows the entire body of the pipe to remain perfectly cool in your hand, a lot less heat is transferred from the metal tip, into the wood. And consequently, less heat means glue joints that last a generation, instead of a month. The wood also helps to draw moisture out of the vapor, cooling it and giving it less bite.

Hell, maybe it's all too much, maybe I've gone a bit mad... Maybe all that anyone wants is an object that fulfills the bare minimums... But.. I can't help but feel like I have grown up in a society that surrounds itself with dead husk products, shells that have no soul inside, because no one took the time to put their soul into them.
 

°k

The sound of vapor
Alright, I think I should clarify my previous post a little cause it might have came out a bit blunt or even rude which was in no case my intention here.

I definitely realize that @Dan Morrison is more than a fine artist who masters his discipline, me saying his work was fine craftsmanship was an understatement. And believe me when I say that I totally understand the price of his precedent creations, I never stop being amazed every time I look at his pipe of the psilocybe for instance (I was even praising his blog to someone at work today, no lie!)

What I was trying to express was that I understand the collector/amateur point of view as well as the more pragmatic one's. For some people $200 is nothing, for others it's an investment that isn't justified next to let's say a less classy, less artistic, less flattering but cheaper and still working version of an object.

I've never implied either that the design here was not well thought (but I'm glad that we've just got more info about it! :D) and I wouldn't dare bashing the work here either (fuck if I was to try to carve anything all I would end up with would be a finger with less flesh on it).

Now let's carry on with updates here shall we? I'm eager to see more of it as this prototype keeps on shaping up beautifully!

Again only expressing my point of view here, I kinda preferred the stem on one of the early pictures compared to the bamboo one.

Edit: that one
C6NEeXv.jpg
 

Dan Morrison

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
Hahah, oops, i should have said that my post was more of an off-tangeant rant, less of a response to you, K, specifically.

I also like that stem! Its a bit less robust, but probably just fine, to be honest. I would be into offering a couple different stem options for those who want a more streamlined look, the time it takes to make a stem like that, vs. the bamboo stem, is about the same.

Edit: I am just curious, but how would you guys like to see this come to market? My plan is to send out a few beta models to some objective forum members so that they can test it out and give me their thoughts and let me know if there is anything that needs tweaking... there are people here with MUCH more vaporizer experience than myself, I have only tested a couple portables and stationary devices in my past...

I am curious to know if a pre-order system would be a good idea. It would give me a better idea of what the demand will be like before i go and sink a fair bit of money into making hundreds of thousands of charcoals, ha. If it turns out that only 20 people want to place an order, I dont want a pallet of 5000 bamboo canes sittting around...

Of course, all this is dependant on whether or not the reviews are positive.
 
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pakalolo

Toolbag v1.1 (candidate)
Staff member
I am curious to know if a pre-order system would be a good idea. It would give me a better idea of what the demand will be like before i go and sink a fair bit of money into making hundreds of thousands of charcoals, ha. If it turns out that only 20 people want to place an order, I dont want a pallet of 5000 bamboo canes sittting around...

It might work if you don't take money up front, but you must be able to deliver on time. If you can't, you'd better have a damned good explanation. TET got burned when they couldn't meet their delivery estimate for the Cera. So did DaVinci with the Ascent and VXL with the Cloud Evo. It's not without risk.
 

°k

The sound of vapor
It might work if you don't take money up front, but you must be able to deliver on time. If you can't, you'd better have a damned good explanation. TET got burned when they couldn't meet their delivery estimate for the Cera. So did DaVinci with the Ascent and VXL with the Cloud Evo. It's not without risk.
Well maybe Dan could help the grasshopper guys getting a break? :p
 

Mister G

Deceptively Old Fart
I am curious to know if a pre-order system would be a good idea. It would give me a better idea of what the demand will be like before i go and sink a fair bit of money into making hundreds of thousands of charcoals, ha. If it turns out that only 20 people want to place an order, I dont want a pallet of 5000 bamboo canes sittting around...

Of course, all this is dependant on whether or not the reviews are positive.

@Dan Morrison I would humbly suggest you do a very small private beta (3-5 users) with well known, experienced vaporists here at fc, maybe the mods could help you make the smartest picks. This would allow you to have a broader base of user experiences from customer field usage to make any final changes prior to a wider release and also uncover any unknowns or surprises. I don't think it would delay you much. Maybe only charge the beta users at-cost as a way to reward them if complimentary test units were not economically feasible, although this may shrink the candidate pool.

Just a thought.

Edit: I just re-read the rules, I don't think I broke any with this post, but mods let me know if I did.
 
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Dan Morrison

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
@Dan Morrison I would humbly suggest you do a very small private beta (3-5 users) with well known, experienced vaporists here at fc, maybe the mods could help you make the smartest picks. This would allow you to have a broader base of user experiences from customer field usage to make any final changes prior to a wider release and also uncover any unknowns or surprises. I don't think it would delay you much. Maybe only charge the beta users at-cost as a way to reward them if complimentary test units were not economically feasible, although this may shrink the candidate pool.

Just a thought.

Oh that was my plan, exactly. I will be PMing some members of the forum to ask if they would be interest, but I welcome you to private message me with some suggestions as well. Cost would be shipping, plus maybe a plug on the forum or on reddit if they genuinely like the product, ;) haha...just kidding....kinda...

As for the crowdfunding, not really interested. I already have the workshop and tools I need to begin production.

I would be taking the pre-orders with, say a $5 non-refundable deposit, just so I know they are serious. I would be opening a pre-order list only after beginning production, with actual complete units ready to ship, and all the detailed photographs, information, and reviews to back them up. This would help me in making decicions about bulk raw material orders, steel, bamboo, bronze, african blackwood..etc..
 
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420time

Well-Known Member
well. would you try to make a cheaper version in the future? itll make me feel better not having to spend so much.
 
420time,

Dan Morrison

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
well. would you try to make a cheaper version in the future? itll make me feel better not having to spend so much.

It depends on a lot of different things, I really can't say at the moment.

I thought everyone might like to see my workshop, or at least.. the outside.. Just to give you some context and an idea of where I operate from. I live in a remote part of Ontario, minutes outside of the boundary to Algonquin park. This is where every single Ōkin will be born. haha.

3uL7ovt.jpg
 

mixchu69

Well-Known Member
Sorry for breaking the rules guys. Won't happen again. Sorry if this a double post too.
 
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mixchu69,

Dan Morrison

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
For all wondering, Beta testers have been chosen, and there will be no more. I simply can't afford the time to do more than a few in these early stages of development.

That said, I am really excited to hear their thoughts!

I've been testing this prototype, obviously, and there IS a learning curve to it. But once you learn the techniques, it feels very intuitive. I vaporized a chamber load full of tobacco, in the car, hands free, on snowy Canadian backroads, at night. No problem, it felt like a cigarette. This is what I've been searching for!

Also, the charcoals seem to make a difference in temperature. When I order the cane, there will be a variance of a few millimeters, the smaller the inside diameter, to more concentrated the heat stream, and the hotter it burns. You can compensate for this with your inhalation, inhale slower with smaller diameter charcoals.

The advantage to this, I think, is that if you want to use concentrates that require a higher temperature, you can select a smaller charcoal (or adjust chamber-to-charcoal distance and inhalation rate if you only have larger charcoals) to burn hotter, if you desire a slower inhale.

Also, with these updates, I am not trying to toot my own horn or anything... just keeping people informed of my progress and findings. Who knows, when the experts get their hands on it, it may turn out to be no good! I have developed this product in complete isolation, pretty much no one else has tried it but me.. so, I am probably bias, haha.
 
This is my favorite thread on here for a while!

Great updates Dan!

The pic of your workshop gives me a similar feeling of serenity as your beautiful pipe creations :) hadn't seen that cubensis pipe before, really amazing work!

Love everything about the Ōkin, including the name. Can't wait to one day enjoy vaping with it myself.

good vibes :)
 

Dan Morrison

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
This is my favorite thread on here for a while!

Great updates Dan!

The pic of your workshop gives me a similar feeling of serenity as your beautiful pipe creations :) hadn't seen that cubensis pipe before, really amazing work!

Love everything about the Ōkin, including the name. Can't wait to one day enjoy vaping with it myself.

good vibes :)

Awesome!

Many more updates to come!
 

tennstrong

Well-Known Member
It depends on a lot of different things, I really can't say at the moment.

I thought everyone might like to see my workshop, or at least.. the outside.. Just to give you some context and an idea of where I operate from. I live in a remote part of Ontario, minutes outside of the boundary to Algonquin park. This is where every single Ōkin will be born. haha.

3uL7ovt.jpg
As a fellow canadian this is great news- no customs! This means this is definitely on my radar + the bonus availability of the specialized charcoal b/c of availability/location! Good luck with the winter friend. haha
 
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Dan Morrison

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
As a fellow canadian this is great news- no customs! This means this is definitely on my radar + the bonus availability of the specialized charcoal b/c of availability/location! Good luck with the winter friend. haha

Thanks! So far winter isnt too too bad... but its getting colder.... Im currently infront of the woodstove, heh.

As for customs, I don't think anyone will have to worry about that in north america, since it will be made in Canada, and doesn't use any parts from other countries..

A little update.. I've been thinking a lot about the case, and to keep the price down, I think I have settled on a thick brown paper box, with a single wooden divider on the inside. Charcoals on one side, vaporizer on the other.

Now I know what you are thinking, paper doesnt sound very robust. And well, it isn't. Compared to wood or metal boxes or tins, they are less wear resistant. BUT, I think that I can get the vibe I am going for, without inflating the cost $50 or so. I've realized that not a lot of people will recognize that the price reflects the work into the case... people will mostly just see the price, and say...that's a lot for a vaporizer...

My inspiration for this comes from a package of Japanese tobacco that came in a small thick paper box. The texture, feel, and sound of opening the box is surprisingly nice, and I've been carrying it around as a tobacco box for a year now, it only looks better with age.

The advantage of thick paper is that its super lightweight, and the wall thicknesses possible really cut down on bulk, every little bit helps when youre putting something in your pocket. The look and feel is very natural as well, almost as good as a wood box.

I will be using very solid and natural feeling brown paper, and then printing the branding onto the box using a traditional woodcut stamp and inks so that each one is slightly different.

I will be experimenting with different finishes, such as wax and glue impregnating to make the box more wear and water resistant. The wood divider will most likely be topped with a thin strip of felt to keep any charcoal dust seperate from the vaporizer side.

I looked for a nice picture of the tobacco box I am using for inspiration, but I found this box which is even closer to what I am going for...

IMG_8012.JPG


IMG_8028.JPG


EDIT:

Here is some vintage match box art to wet your ocular whistles...

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axakal

Well-Known Member
with your dedication to every little detail the Okin is becoming more and more of a heirloom piece. a kind of present a vaporizer aficionado gets for his round birthday. but the Hugh Heffner reference some topics earlier wasn't bad either. :) thanks for sharing your solution finding process with us.
 
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