Crafty/Crafty+ by Storz & Bickel

justcametomind · Jul 30, 2015

Terpstar said:
hello all. been lurking since november or so. thanks for all the knowledge and advice everyone has shared (i’ve read the volcano, mighty, and crafty threads).

i fucked combustion 4 years ago and have tried many different vaporizers along the way. i drive a solid valve volcano daily. used to travel with pax or firefly (hated both for different reasons). i got a crafty in november and fell in love with the extraction (and flavor) instantly. it’s the only portable that was able to get me to the level i want, how i want it. thats been my go to travel vape since.

i am here now to warn fellow crafty owners that their time to get a 'cheap' mighty upgrade is running out or may be over.

my unit CY0014XX, bought in november, crapped out last week (2.04 firmware and just under 40 hours of use). i emailed S&B and got a shipping label emailed to me. i sent over my packaged up crafty and asked for a mighty upgrade in a letter i sent with the unit.

a few days later, i got an email with this invoice attached:

this was my first crafty return not my second like stated on invoice. they also messed up and put a crafty instead of a mighty on the invoice.

i called. they told me there was a new return/exchange policy in place. i politely responded that i was a long term customer as well as an early adopter of the crafty and wanted a $30 upgrade like my 'friend' (thanks FC) received a few weeks ago. i told them i did not appreciate the different care i was receiving, and hoped they would make an exception for me since it was only a recent policy change. the agent said he needed to talk to others at headquarters and call me back. after 3 hours of waiting i got the call. they would upgrade me for $50 since i was one of the first customers to buy a crafty (november). $50 not $30 he said. sounded like a special one time thing. so i took them up on their offer, paid over the phone, and just got notice of shipment from them. agent confirmed i was getting the new housing without me even asking about it. he was proud of it. said no more cracking or issues from overheating.

what to take from this? i got lucky. you better try now if you want to do what i did. and it appears our $400 or the $340 they are now, are only worth $100 in S&B's eyes after a few months of light use.

not sure if i would have had to pay the whole $240 to get my crafty back if i didn’t get an early adopter upgrade. i had to sell hard to get my mighty deal. they weren’t budging at first.

i must add, and end with, that the S&B customer service today really took care of me and had my back with upper management. my agent was the man. he should get a raise.

i am excited to get my mighty.

peace!

In going to be hated saying this, but reading reports here, seems LOTS of people abused their policies, and for a post of something almost OK here, maybe there were 10 lurkers who sent Craftys in just to have fw updated or for a broken fin.
If I was S&B I would have done the same thing.

grokit · Jul 30, 2015

Terpstar said:
hello all. been lurking since november or so. thanks for all the knowledge and advice everyone has shared (i’ve read the volcano, mighty, and crafty threads).

i fucked combustion 4 years ago and have tried many different vaporizers along the way. i drive a solid valve volcano daily. used to travel with pax or firefly (hated both for different reasons). i got a crafty in november and fell in love with the extraction (and flavor) instantly. it’s the only portable that was able to get me to the level i want, how i want it. thats been my go to travel vape since.

i am here now to warn fellow crafty owners that their time to get a 'cheap' mighty upgrade is running out or may be over.

my unit CY0014XX, bought in november, crapped out last week (2.04 firmware and just under 40 hours of use). i emailed S&B and got a shipping label emailed to me. i sent over my packaged up crafty and asked for a mighty upgrade in a letter i sent with the unit.

a few days later, i got an email with this invoice attached:

this was my first crafty return not my second like stated on invoice. they also messed up and put a crafty instead of a mighty on the invoice.

i called. they told me there was a new return/exchange policy in place. i politely responded that i was a long term customer as well as an early adopter of the crafty and wanted a $30 upgrade like my 'friend' (thanks FC) received a few weeks ago. i told them i did not appreciate the different care i was receiving, and hoped they would make an exception for me since it was only a recent policy change. the agent said he needed to talk to others at headquarters and call me back. after 3 hours of waiting i got the call. they would upgrade me for $50 since i was one of the first customers to buy a crafty (november). $50 not $30 he said. sounded like a special one time thing. so i took them up on their offer, paid over the phone, and just got notice of shipment from them. agent confirmed i was getting the new housing without me even asking about it. he was proud of it. said no more cracking or issues from overheating.

what to take from this? i got lucky. you better try now if you want to do what i did. and it appears our $400 or the $340 they are now, are only worth $100 in S&B's eyes after a few months of light use.

not sure if i would have had to pay the whole $240 to get my crafty back if i didn’t get an early adopter upgrade. i had to sell hard to get my mighty deal. they weren’t budging at first.

i must add, and end with, that the S&B customer service today really took care of me and had my back with upper management. my agent was the man. he should get a raise.

i am excited to get my mighty.

peace!

From what I can see on the paperwork, another error they made is they never acknowledged that you sent them a failed unit; instead, the service order is phrased that you were merely complaining about battery life. The high price reflects a requested upgrade on a unit that was still working, rather than a warranty trade-in on a failed one. In this respect, they were actually quite accommodating.

Tezcatlipocà · Jul 30, 2015

Hello fellow vape-lovers

I've been reading this topic for some weeks, after I bought my Crafty (1st vaporizer).
I'm happy with it at the moment. The only downside is that it is a bit disappointing as it is quite difficult to use it with some friends. It gets too hot and the battery gets sucked dry in no time.

My concern is that I cannot really recharge it between those sessions, because the device is just too hot. Nevermind, I thought, I'll just use it while charging. But I quickly realized that I could not use my Crafty while it charges. The battery just doesn't last. It gets empty (a lot) quicker than it charges. :huh:

I asked S&B if it worked as intended and the person told me that yes it is, and no, I cannot use the unit while charging, although many reviews state that you can, provided battery is > 20%.

What do you think? Are you experiencing the same problem? They kindly proposed that I send it back to them but shipping fees are extremely high here, so I will send it only if I'm sure that it is broken.

JayDay · Jul 30, 2015

I usually put it against a fan, blow on it or put it in my hand outside a moving car after getting the Crafty's ABV to let it cool down. Then I charge it. I always do this after a load.

Questions,

Why is it difficult to use with friends? Hitting technique is non existent.

Gets too hot? Is this from you or the app?

Yeah battery really is a 3-4 load only, I can only do 5 when I do back to back loads. And that battery life is about enough for me, be it solo sessions or groups sessions. It only failed on me on a music festival, was too lazy to bring a powerbank wih me.

As for me, I bought this vape cause its super easy to use with friends.

Marky · Jul 30, 2015

Thank you Roth and Mr. Me2 for your suggestions. The battery life is the only thing that is a negative to me. 3 sessions is really low. My air gets 5 sessions but I have 3 batteries for it with a external charger that can charge 4 at once. With my arizer air (I barely use the solo anymore) I cut notches on all my stems with a diamond bur like found on the PVHES so the draw restriction is not as bad. I was going to buy the crafty last year but I decided to wait after hearing about the housing cracking by the bowl and purchased the air instead and pretty much retired my solo.

Anyway, I went ahead and ordered the crafty from SB for $339 shipped. I seen it for $318 but for $21 it's not worth buying from a reseller. I feel better getting it directly from the manufacturer. I will most likely end up getting either the mighty or plenty for at home use. I don't want to wear out my Crafty once I give away my solo and air.

Thanks again!

-Mark

Thcgos · Jul 31, 2015

Marky said:
Hey guys, I've been an arizer user since day 1. I have the extreme q, solo and air. I've been thinking about the crafty but not sure if it's worth it since I have the arizer air which does the job great. Any suggestions on what to expect coming from the solo and air? I'm also looking at the plenty but that of course would be my indoors vape since you need a outlet. I just need more research on it's performance.

-Mark

Oh btw, I'm looking at the crafty because I want to give my arizer solo and air away to my sister and best friend. I wanted to buy another air for myself but if the crafty is worth the price tag then I'll give it a shot. Thanks!

-Mark

Hey Mark,

I had the Arizer Solo, and it was my main portable vape of choice for the last 2 years.
I love it. But the Crafty really is much better in almost all respects.

Things I have noticed that are better:
- Solo has better flavor, for the very first draw, after that it goes downhill quickly and becomes almost unbearable towards the end. The Crafty holds the flavor much better and is much better towards the end of the session.
- Cooler vapor from the Crafty. The cooling unit really works
- Crafty gets me more medicated for the same material (not hugely, but definitely noticeable to me and all my friends).
- Crafty is easier to reclaim. The cooling unit can be opened up and the reclaim literally scooped out and put onto a liquid pad (after sufficient use). Much easier than ISO reclaim, which I was always worried about.
- Crafty has Micro usb charging port, I have micro usb chargers EVERYWHERE, my phone, e-cig-mods, powerbank(portable battery pack), crafty, all use the same charger. It’s brilliant.
- Crafty App is pretty cool, being able to turn off the LED for stealth mode, temp control, etc etc.
- Super free flowing, unrestricted draw... as fast as you can rip, it can deliver!

Things the Solo does better:
- Solo has better battery life. Crafty only gets 3 big bowls or 4 lightly tamped bowls
- Solo has a glass mouthpiece. I love the feel of glass on my lips, but its fragile and less stealthy though (trade off).
- Much more appropriately priced. Admittedly the crafty is very expensive.

It’s a no brainer if you have the money and are willing to part with it.
The plenty is also very good and probably a good choice if you want a main driver to run through a lot of hrs.

Tezcatlipocà said:
Hello fellow vape-lovers

I've been reading this topic for some weeks, after I bought my Crafty (1st vaporizer).

I'm happy with it at the moment. The only downside is that it is a bit disappointing as it is quite difficult to use it with some friends. It gets too hot and the battery gets sucked dry in no time.

My concern is that I cannot really recharge it between those sessions, because the device is just too hot. Nevermind, I thought, I'll just use it while charging. But I quickly realized that I could not use my Crafty while it charges. The battery just doesn't last. It gets empty (a lot) quicker than it charges.
$C:\Users\wand\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif$

I asked S&B if it worked as intended and the person told me that yes it is, and no, I cannot use the unit while charging, although many reviews state that you can, provided battery is > 20%.

What do you think? Are you experiencing the same problem? They kindly proposed that I send it back to them but shipping fees are extremely high here, so I will send it only if I'm sure that it is broken.

This is normal. It is a limitation of the crafty’s small size and performance (That no other portable vape can really match, see the reviews to confirm my statement).

The batteries unfortunately get me 3 to MAX 4 bowls.

If you have a portable powerbank…. Between bowls let it charge (leave it plugged in even if it says “too hot” it will commence charging once its cool enough).
Otherwise if this still isn’t enough… maybe it’s time some of your friends bought a vape too, to support a group session, it’s only fair.
In my group of friends we have >8 vapes between us lol. Never short on battery or choice ahhaah.

Marky · Jul 31, 2015

Thanks thcgos! Thats a great list there. I always loved the first hit off the solo/air. You get that fruity fuel flavor, it's amazing.

I was looking at the glass mouthpiece for the crafty. Anyone think it's worth using over the plastic one? Does it actually make a difference since the vapor travels through the cooling unit which is plastic before it gets to the mouthpiece?

Tezcatlipocà · Jul 31, 2015

Jayday, well, it's too hot for my hands! I think this is normal that the device becomes quite hot, but sometimes it's just too hot for grabing it.
I guess maybe we should take some repeated draws within a few minutes and then switch it off. In other word, finish the bowl much more quickly... Maybe it's just that it stays on for too long, after all.

Mr. Me2 · Jul 31, 2015

Tezcatlipocà said:
Jayday, well, it's too hot for my hands! I think this is normal that the device becomes quite hot, but sometimes it's just too hot for grabing it.
I guess maybe we should take some repeated draws within a few minutes and then switch it off. In other word, finish the bowl much more quickly... Maybe it's just that it stays on for too long, after all.

That doesn't sound right to me. Although I usually am solo, mine never gets too hot to hold. But I never do back to back sessions

justcametomind · Jul 31, 2015

Also doing back to back sessions you risk to damage your cooling unit IMHO. It gets hot and screwing/unscrewing is bad for it.

Marky · Jul 31, 2015

justcametomind said:
Also doing back to back sessions you risk to damage your cooling unit IMHO. It gets hot and screwing/unscrewing is bad for it.

So your saying not to do more than one session at a time because it's not designed to stay on consistently? How long should one wait between sessions? I wish I knew this before I placed my order last night. I vape back to back almost all the time with my arizer air. Sometimes I need 2 sessions just to fully extract one bowl pack.

-Mark

UnshavenFish · Jul 31, 2015

Marky said:
So your saying not to do more than one session at a time because it's not designed to stay on consistently? How long should one wait between sessions? I wish I knew this before I placed my order last night. I vape back to back almost all the time with my arizer air. Sometimes I need 2 sessions just to fully extract one bowl pack.

-Mark

Don't worry I have crafty and air and my crafty can fit 3 or 4 air stems worth of herb in its bowl and extraction is much faster than the air can handle due to the heater and no draw restriction.

I have ran back to back sessions without any cracking of my cu but generally one full bowl is enough, but even 5 minutes between bowls should be enough time for things to cool down enough.

Personally I always remove my cu straightaway after a bowl (unless outdoors) as this will help with cooling, but I'm careful when doing so by twisting just the fatter end slowly of the cu (the bit that actually has the threads) so as not to add extra stress on the parts, I have tried putting it straight back on but it seems a little harder while hot so I normally give it a few minutes before refitting the cu.

Mine has the older case with fw 2.05 and still runs like new (still on my first crafty problem free, maybe I should not have said that :rolleyes:

)

Kingly · Jul 31, 2015

My Crafty is firmware 2.08 I don't know if that is new or not but some guy said his was 2.07 a page or two back.

UnshavenFish · Jul 31, 2015

Kingly said:
My Crafty is firmware 2.08 I don't know if that is new or not but some guy said his was 2.07 a page or two back.

New indeed :tup:

I have firmware envy

Free time has been hard to come by lately so I'm still catching up on a few threads, but I just read your 7day turnaround from the UK and this has put my mind at rest a bit more (if/when I need to use it) also being in the UK, good stuff.

Interested to hear if you notice any changes with the usual suspects...heat up time, bowls per charge, charge time...

Kingly · Jul 31, 2015

UnshavenFish said:
Interested to hear if you notice any changes with the usual suspects...heat up time, bowls per charge, charge time...

I can't really compare, I have only ever used a MFLB before upgrading to the crafty and for the first couple of months it pretty much just blew my mind. My old crafty was one of the first units bought in november (30/11/14) and it went through some heavy use until late july 2015. Parts of the heating had broken off and the firmware never did interact with my phone. I have only really used the new crafty a couple of times now and today I have finally gotten an opportunity to vape more than I have been.

Marky · Jul 31, 2015

Just got the email from fedex. My crafty has been shipped via priority overnight mail for Saturday delivery. I am getting it tomorrow by 12pm according to the tracking info. I wasn't expecting SB to pay for Saturday delivery so that's a nice surprise. I can't wait!

-Mark

UnshavenFish · Jul 31, 2015

I probably worded that a bit wrong, I just meant compared to your old crafty not other vapes.
Just in general once you have had a chance to get to know your new unit if you notice any improvements.

I would guess it's just small tweeks but you never know :shrug:

Edited to correct my piss poor sle...sple...spelling

justcametomind · Aug 1, 2015

Marky said:
So your saying not to do more than one session at a time because it's not designed to stay on consistently? How long should one wait between sessions? I wish I knew this before I placed my order last night. I vape back to back almost all the time with my arizer air. Sometimes I need 2 sessions just to fully extract one bowl pack.

-Mark

Exactly, for sure it's not designed to stay on constantly. I follow the most cautious advice heard here, that's un/screwing only after the unit is under 70°C.
That's always the time when I do a back to back bowl, but for example I avoid looking if a bowl is cooked or not when the unit is hot. Taking a hit is more than enough to judge.

Marky · Aug 1, 2015

justcametomind said:
Exactly, for sure it's not designed to stay on constantly. I follow the most cautious advice heard here, that's un/screwing only after the unit is under 70°C.
That's always the time when I do a back to back bowl, but for example I avoid looking if a bowl is cooked or not when the unit is hot. Taking a hit is more than enough to judge.

I think that's more paranoia rather than a necessity. I doubt a german made device that's $400 cannot be used back to back. Thats a bit ridiculous. And the CU was designed to be screwed on and off to pack and empty the bowl and clean the unit. I don't see why SB would design something that fails if you do what it was designed to do. I heard they fixed the issue with the cracked housings. I get my crafty in a couple hours hopefully so I'll see for myself whether it's safe or not. I know many people state something on the forums and others go by it like it's the law of the land.

-Mark

Roth · Aug 1, 2015

I've taken my cooling unit off within 2 minutes of finishing the bowl nearly EVERY TIME. Never waited for it to cool, and haven't had any cracking issues. OG 2.04 firmware unit too, 46 hours.

I like to clean the bowl when it's warm, keeps it cleaner.

bigmouth · Aug 1, 2015

Roth said:
I've taken my cooling unit off within 2 minutes of finishing the bowl nearly EVERY TIME. Never waited for it to cool, and haven't had any cracking issues. OG 2.04 firmware unit too, 46 hours.

I like to clean the bowl when it's warm, keeps it cleaner.

Yep. I have no idea what the correct best practice is, but this is what I do, too. Out of curiosity, does anyone know where the advice NOT to remove the cooling unit too quickly comes from?

Kingly · Aug 1, 2015

UnshavenFish said:
I probably worded that a bit wrong, I just meant compared to your old crafty not other vapes.
Just in general once you have had a chance to get to know your new unit if you notice any improvements.

I would guess it's just small tweeks but you never know

Edited to correct my piss poor sle...sple...spelling

No worries, I'll try to see if I notice any differences but I do vape mostly strong indicas which just floor me after a couple of hits.

Stinky · Aug 1, 2015

Marky said:
I think that's more paranoia rather than a necessity. I doubt a german made device that's $400 cannot be used back to back. Thats a bit ridiculous. And the CU was designed to be screwed on and off to pack and empty the bowl and clean the unit. I don't see why SB would design something that fails if you do what it was designed to do. I heard they fixed the issue with the cracked housings. I get my crafty in a couple hours hopefully so I'll see for myself whether it's safe or not. I know many people state something on the forums and others go by it like it's the law of the land.

-Mark

The new casings are cracking also.

bigmouth said:
Yep. I have no idea what the correct best practice is, but this is what I do, too. Out of curiosity, does anyone know where the advice NOT to remove the cooling unit too quickly comes from?

I always take my CU off as soon as I am finished. It allows the unit to cool down a lot quicker.

Marky · Aug 1, 2015

Hey guys. My crafty arrived at 11am (it's now 6pm) and I already put 12 sessions on it with my best friend and we are both amazed by it. I must say, you can't beat that german engineering . The free flow of the draws and the cool vapor (it's like hitting a hookah bong, you don't feel it) along with the dense clouds is just wow. Everything works perfectly all around. SB put thought into a lot of things. I love how while you take draws the heater kicks into high gear and heats the bowl up as your taking your draws (watch the temp on the app as you take draws). I felt my solo and air were lacking that (every hit cooled down the vapes noticeably). The high is def better too. Me and my friend both noticed we get higher with the crafty. The waste is also a nice brown shade and very even and consistent with every session. I can go on and on lol. Point is I love it! I'm glad I purchased it. I'm also very happy with SB's service. I received my crafty 29 hours after I placed my order. I was not expecting to receive it until Monday at least. I'm a happy camper

-Mark

justcametomind · Aug 1, 2015

Marky said:
I think that's more paranoia rather than a necessity. I doubt a german made device that's $400 cannot be used back to back. Thats a bit ridiculous. And the CU was designed to be screwed on and off to pack and empty the bowl and clean the unit. I don't see why SB would design something that fails if you do what it was designed to do. I heard they fixed the issue with the cracked housings. I get my crafty in a couple hours hopefully so I'll see for myself whether it's safe or not. I know many people state something on the forums and others go by it like it's the law of the land.

-Mark

I can see that when my Crafty is on at high temp, the CU is "softer" and I can comprehend that abusing the mechanism can be dangerous.
BTW here is my home made glass adapter.
Male to male glass adapter, medical grade silicon tube, O ring.
http://www.imgur.com/L6h9MuT

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