Herb Grinders

[Cappella Sistina]

The old Sharpstone were in fact, NOT CNC machined fromed a solid block. However over the last 12 months, they have all gone the route of CNC machined. This is true with their entire line. The only unit of Sharpstone that I would personally stay away from, ESPECIALLY if you are going to use it a lot is their Reeling handle untis. The screw, and mechanical parts in them tend to get caked up with kief, thus cause the screws to lock up, or the reeling handle to fail.

 

[panasonic]

Can never go wrong with a Space Case.

True, but in the case of their screen grinders, you don't have to pay anywhere near that much to get quality. I've proven that to my satisfaction multiple times, with multiple brands.

Personally, I would reccomend AGAINST getting a Chromium Crusher. I know for a fact, that use unit often times have a thing layer of grease/residue that gets left on them. Often times hard to see, but if you take your small finger, or a q-tip and swab the edges you will get a dingy yellowish build up.

You should clean any new grinder with ISO before using it anyway. Some of them may have leftovers hanging on from the build process. Whether a new grinder has small metal particles clinging to the magnet, or any kind of residue on it, that stuff is gone after cleaning.

Also, Kannastor and Sharpstone are the same product. Well made in the same factory, by the same company. The makers of sharpstone were just contracted to make Kannastor, and had to include the removal screen to avoid patent issues. Both, are solid products for the money.

I've seen quite a few reports of Sharpstones breaking or bending teeth, including pics. I'm not convinced they're 100% CNC made, and the teeth are the part that aren't, if the grinder isn't cut completely from a solid block of aluminum. The latest Sharpstone version I'd stay away from is the one with the clear top. One of our members here, Vicki, bought that one and promptly had a tooth failure. You can certainly get a Sharpstone and get good service out of it, but the number of complaints I've seen is enough for me to avoid the brand. There are other brands, some cheaper, that are 100% CNC made, and therefore a better choice IMO.

Okay, given that Mixnball might be SOL, is there a 3 piece or 4 piece grinder that is reasonably priced ($30) and not very big (~50mm).

I have no interest in huge grinders (I use like...0.75g per month), or screens (it would take me years to build up a significant amount of kief).

If you're not interested in a screen grinder you should only be looking at a 3 pc. (for storage after grinding), or a 2 pc. A 4 pc. grinder always has a screen. My choice on a 2" 2 pc. would be the MixnBall Classic (2"). I have one and like it a lot for the scratch proof anodizing and the 'fewer teeth design'. You can get one from EDIT for just under $20, including shipping (only $1.49 to the US). The small 2 pc. Space Case (2") is also under $20 from gratefulbuys or vapeworld, using the 15% FC discount. The cheaper grinders, like Chromium Crusher, will cost you over $20 in the 2 or 3 pc. versions. Not a good buy when you can get MnB or SC for less.

For even less than the 2 pc. MB or SC, you can get a 4 pc. Sharp Crusher (2.5" is $15 including shipping) and just take out the screen section if you don't want to screen kief. Then you have a 3 pc. for storage. I bought one of these and I think it's the best bargain you can get right now in a 4 pc. grinder (the Aero Space is also good, at 2.25"). The same 2.5" Chromium Crusher (CNC) will run you $10 more and it's not really an upgrade.
http://merchantswholesale.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=6793705
http://merchantswholesale.ecrater.com/

Er, I mentioned 4 pc ones because sometimes they're cheap enough that removing the screen portion to turn it into a 3 pc is worth the extra cost to get a nicer one. That and the 3 pc model doesn't seem to be a popular model amongst manufacturers.

2 pc is kind of inconvenient. 3 pc or converted 4 pc would allow me to load directly from the grinder (PD).

 

[max]

I mentioned 4 pc ones because sometimes they're cheap enough that removing the screen portion to turn it into a 3 pc is worth the extra cost to get a nicer one. That and the 3 pc model doesn't seem to be a popular model amongst manufacturers.

Exactly. 4 pc. grinders are obviously the most popular, and a much better deal in the low priced brands. When you can just remove the screen section and turn it into a 3 pc. (2 pc. with storage), what's the point of even having a 2 pc. model in your lineup?

 

[Lean]

I have a Chromium Crusher, very quality. I love it, nothing beats freshly grinded bud in your vape.

 

[jimbo]

Anybody try the Cosmic Case grinders they sell at Aqua Lab Technologies site?
http://www.aqualabtechnologies.com/supplies/grinders.html

 

[Cappella Sistina]

Cosmic Case are solids units. Made in the U.S.A, CNC machined, sharp teeth, strong magnets. The ONLY thing I dont really care about Cosmic Case, is the stickers they put on their units. I.M.O it makes the units look cheap(in quality).....which they are not.

They're the same guys who used to make Space Case, before it was sold.

 

[jimbo]

Cosmic Case are solids units. Made in the U.S.A, CNC machined, sharp teeth, strong magnets. The ONLY thing I dont really care about Cosmic Case, is the stickers they put on their units. I.M.O it makes the units look cheap(in quality).....which they are not.

They're are the same guys who used to make Space Case, before it was sold.

Awesome, thanks! Thinking of picking one up for a friend and maybe one for myself... You're right, the sticker does make it look kinda cheap...

 

[max]

Cosmic stickers? I don't recall whether the one I bought had one or not, but if it did, it peeled off easily. If it hadn't, I would have remembered. What I don't like about 'em is that they have really large holes. The one I have (the really small 1.5" 4 piece), has the largest holes I've ever seen on a grinder. Normally a grinder this size has 3mm holes. I looked at a larger size and it too had huge holes. Not a good brand if you want a fine grind. Otherwise it's excellent quality. Overpriced though IMO.

 

[captainhits]

Cosmic Case are solids units. Made in the U.S.A, CNC machined, sharp teeth, strong magnets. The ONLY thing I dont really care about Cosmic Case, is the stickers they put on their units. I.M.O it makes the units look cheap(in quality).....which they are not.

They're are the same guys who used to make Space Case, before it was sold.

Awesome, thanks! Thinking of picking one up for a friend and maybe one for myself... You're right, the sticker does make it look kinda cheap...

There was a falling out between the owners of Space Case years ago and the person who left created Cosmic, while Space Case remained Space Case.

 

[max]

There was a falling out between the owners of Space Case years ago and the person who left created Cosmic, while Space Case remained Space Case.

Thanks for the straight story on that.

 

[DeepFried]

I actually like the stickers, especially the one on the bottom LOL, you at least feel like you got the real deal and not a knock off. As for the quality Cosmic Case is the BEST IMO. Yes better than Space Case... why, because they cost less, no coating to ever chip off, the magnet on the bottom piece is at the top of the post so herb won't cover it preventing the grinder from closing properly and most important the superb grind quality.

Most vapes I use really benefit from a fine grind, that is why you need a 2 piece. I have many 3 and 4 piece grinders and turning them upside down to grind finer does not work well because the machining tolerances between the bottom blades and lid are too great causing herb to get jammed up and not grind.

The Cosmic Case grinder has extremely sharp razor teeth that grind so nicely, the top lid has a curved shoulder so it feels nicer in your hand, the magnet is a good strength and it is made in the USA!

 

[FEAR420]

I actually like the stickers, especially the one on the bottom LOL, you at least feel like you got the real deal and not a knock off. As for the quality Cosmic Case is the BEST IMO. Yes better than Space Case... why, because they cost less, no coating to ever chip off, the magnet on the bottom piece is at the top of the post so herb won't cover it preventing the grinder from closing properly and most important the superb grind quality.

Most vapes I use really benefit from a fine grind, that is why you need a 2 piece. I have many 3 and 4 piece grinders and turning them upside down to grind finer does not work well because the machining tolerances between the bottom blades and lid are too great causing herb to get jammed up and not grind.

The Cosmic Case grinder has extremely sharp razor teeth that grind so nicely, the top lid has a curved shoulder so it feels nicer in your hand, the magnet is a good strength and it is made in the USA!

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu325/DeepFried_pics/DSCF3406.jpg

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu325/DeepFried_pics/DSCF3404.jpg

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu325/DeepFried_pics/DSCF3409.jpg

I actually have the Large CC and LOVE,LOVE,LOVE IT!!!! The ONLY issue i have with it is the lack of grips on the bottom half. I fixed that with some cloth medical tape Now I have full grip and super fine grinds! Oh,and I also have a small & large Ti SC...the large SC is tremendous,but the teeth arent as close together as the CC are and therefor it doesnt grind as fine. The small SC has the teeth closer together,but its too small to handle,so this put the CC in first place as far as preferred grinder.

 

[lwien]

I actually like the stickers, especially the one on the bottom LOL, you at least feel like you got the real deal and not a knock off. As for the quality Cosmic Case is the BEST IMO. Yes better than Space Case... why, because they cost less, no coating to ever chip off, the magnet on the bottom piece is at the top of the post so herb won't cover it preventing the grinder from closing properly and most important the superb grind quality.

Have you ever heard any reports about the coating chipping off of a ti SC? I haven't. I've had the small 2pc ti SC for about a year now........no chipping whatsoever, but believe me, I'm really picky about shit like this and if I heard of any reports of this happening, I never would have bought it. And regarding the placement of the magnet, I just load up my bud in the top piece where the post is, close up the grinder turn it right side up and grind away. No problem with having it close properly.

Most vapes I use really benefit from a fine grind, that is why you need a 2 piece. I have many 3 and 4 piece grinders and turning them upside down to grind finer does not work well because the machining tolerances between the bottom blades and lid are too great causing herb to get jammed up and not grind.

Yeah, I agree here. I had a small 4pc ti SC and because I wanted a finer grind, I tried turning it upside down, but when I did, I noticed that the teeth had a tendency to rub against each other. The only reason that I could come up with as to why this happened is because before I turned it upside down to grind, I took off the bottom piece that was the kief collector so the the kief wouldn't fall back thru the holes when I turned it upside to grind. Apparently, that bottom piece adds a bit of rigidity to the whole grinder and without it, things don't quite match up as well, and because of this, I am no longer using my 4pc, but using my small 2pc ti SC instead. Love it, but the only other grinder that I would contemplate getting if I couldn't get the ti SC would be the Cosmic. Both great grinders, imho.

 

[panasonic]

Do curved corners (well that's kind of an oxymoron) on the bottom plate between the wall and the 'floor' really help material from sticking? How much of a contour is necessary, if so? This is one of the reasons why I found the mix n ball grinders so attractive.

 

[DeepFried]

Have you ever heard any reports about the coating chipping off of a ti SC? I haven't. I've had the small 2pc ti SC for about a year now........no chipping whatsoever, but believe me, I'm really picky about shit like this and if I heard of any reports of this happening, I never would have bought it. And regarding the placement of the magnet, I just load up my bud in the top piece where the post is, close up the grinder turn it right side up and grind away. No problem with having it close properly.

Sure there are lots of reports, actually even right in this thread, post 978

My grinder came in the mail today! It is a two-piece small (2 inch) space case grinder with the titanium coating.

The coating is already coming off just by a few bumps of the blades inside (blade against blade).

There are also reports of black color coming off when cleaning with iso etc. You might not have issues with yours but I would rather be safe than sorry and save money to boot!

Also most grinders have a shallow lid compared to the base, so when loading herb into the lid to avoid the magnet issue it always makes a mess. Just better to avoid the issue in the first place and get a grinder with the magnet on the top of the post of the base... like the Cosmic.

Cosmics are sold at ALT and ebay

 

[lwien]

Have you ever heard any reports about the coating chipping off of a ti SC? I haven't. I've had the small 2pc ti SC for about a year now........no chipping whatsoever, but believe me, I'm really picky about shit like this and if I heard of any reports of this happening, I never would have bought it. And regarding the placement of the magnet, I just load up my bud in the top piece where the post is, close up the grinder turn it right side up and grind away. No problem with having it close properly.

Sure there are lots of reports, actually even right in this thread, post 978

Thanks, DF. I missed that one. Kinda odd though. I've never read of this happening with the ti SC before and believe me, I read a shit load of threads on different sites. Lots of reports of bent and broken teeth on SharpStones and customer service issues with MixNBall as well as some issues with other grinders, but Aero's was the first that I've heard of any chipping going on with the SpaceCases. He said that he got it that way and that it was previously damaged, so one has to wonder how in the hell it got that way in the first place. When you say that there have been LOTS of reports on this issue, could you direct me to just a few. Other than the one in this thread, I've never seen any others.

Regarding the shallow lid compared to the base, on the small 2pc ti SpaceCase, the depth on both is the same.

 

[coma-boy]

I love the ti-SC grinders. My first 2 piece was an odd purple colour, which I assumed to be the natural colour of titanium alloy, despite it being described and sold as black, but just bought a second 2 piece ti-SC and it's actually black. Now I hate the purple-ish one!

 

[max]

I actually like the stickers, especially the one on the bottom LOL, you at least feel like you got the real deal and not a knock off. As for the quality Cosmic Case is the BEST IMO. Yes better than Space Case... why, because they cost less, no coating to ever chip off, the magnet on the bottom piece is at the top of the post so herb won't cover it preventing the grinder from closing properly and most important the superb grind quality.

Any grinder costs less than a SC. SC grinder do come in plain aluminum. The only real world advantage to the ti version is that herb doesn't stick to it as much. You're not going to wear out the plain aluminum version. As for an anodized coating that doesn't chip, or even scratch, MixnBall apparently has the market cornered on that feature. Not that you can find a 4 pc. MnB these days. :/ MnB also has the post in the bottom grinder section, since the magnets are in the rim. Having the post in the bottom section, for easier closing, is also overrated. Since the top and bottom teeth have to be offset, any time you load herb in either section, the teeth in the other section are likely going to come down on herb when you close. The method I use, to avoid squashing herb, is to load herb, then line up the two sections and start grinding BEFORE you try to completely close the grinder.

As for superb grind quality with the Cosmic, it uses the standard diamond shape for the teeth, the same as almost all aluminum grinders (the CNC Chromium Crusher and MnB have better tooth designs IMO), and the large holes certainly aren't good for a fine grind. So in my experience the Cosmic doesn't provide any real world performance you can't get from any number of grinders for half the price, and is below average for a fine grind, due to the size of the holes. The 1.5" 4 pc., which you'd think would have the smallest holes of their models, has as much open space (holes) in the bottom grinder section, as it does metal. Like SC, I find Cosmic to be a beautifully finished product, but that doesn't translate to any significant advantage in performance. I've also noticed that, unlike any other brand I've used, my Cosmic can't be converted from a 4 pc. to a 3 pc., since the threads don't line up.

Yeah, I agree here. I had a small 4pc ti SC and because I wanted a finer grind, I tried turning it upside down, but when I did, I noticed that the teeth had a tendency to rub against each other. The only reason that I could come up with as to why this happened is because before I turned it upside down to grind, I took off the bottom piece that was the kief collector so the the kief wouldn't fall back thru the holes when I turned it upside to grind. Apparently, that bottom piece adds a bit of rigidity to the whole grinder and without it, things don't quite match up as well, and because of this, I am no longer using my 4pc, but using my small 2pc ti SC instead. Love it, but the only other grinder that I would contemplate getting if I couldn't get the ti SC would be the Cosmic. Both great grinders, imho.

I disagree that the grinder needs the kief collector section for sufficient rigidity. I have the medium 4 pc. and have no problems with removing the bottom and grinding upside down. The small should be even more rigid than the medium. Haven't had the problem with other brands either (even the cheapies), from 1.5" to 3".

Sure there are lots of reports, actually even right in this thread, post 978

"The coating is already coming off just by a few bumps of the blades inside (blade against blade)."

If the teeth are making contact when the grinder is closed, it's defective. The post doesn't say that though. You could make tooth to tooth contact if you're trying to knock herb loose from the teeth by knocking the top grinder section against the bottom (top removed). That would be user error/abuse though. It's hard to believe that an all CNC grinder like the SC would have misaligned teeth, since they're carved from the aluminum block by computer program. I guess screw-ups are always possible though.

 

[jeffp]

I'm in agreement with Max all around, and I would only add that you ought to consider adding an inexpensive wood two piece grinder to your toolbox, especially if you want to be able to control the fineness of the grind. If you want a light grind, just turn it a little bit. If you want a very fine grind, turn it around a few rotations. Turn it upside down and you get it all, at your desired consistency, kief included. Check out Ed's TNT for really good rosewood grinders that are ten bucks or less. They're not perfect, sometimes it jams up a little as you're turning, but you can apply a little buzz butter or something like that around the rim and it smooths it out pretty good...

 

[lwien]

Yeah, I agree here. I had a small 4pc ti SC and because I wanted a finer grind, I tried turning it upside down, but when I did, I noticed that the teeth had a tendency to rub against each other. The only reason that I could come up with as to why this happened is because before I turned it upside down to grind, I took off the bottom piece that was the kief collector so the the kief wouldn't fall back thru the holes when I turned it upside to grind. Apparently, that bottom piece adds a bit of rigidity to the whole grinder and without it, things don't quite match up as well, and because of this, I am no longer using my 4pc, but using my small 2pc ti SC instead. Love it, but the only other grinder that I would contemplate getting if I couldn't get the ti SC would be the Cosmic. Both great grinders, imho.

I disagree that the grinder needs the kief collector section for sufficient rigidity. I have the medium 4 pc. and have no problems with removing the bottom and grinding upside down. The small should be even more rigid than the medium. Haven't had the problem with other brands either (even the cheapies), from 1.5" to 3".

Just relaying my experience, Max and came up with a possible explanation although the explanation could be wrong. What isn't wrong, however, is that when I grind with all sections attached, right side up, everything is smooth, but when I take off the bottom kief collector and try to grind upside down, I can sometimes feel and hear the teeth hitting each other.

 

[max]

I should have said that it shouldn't need that section attached. That's really weird.

You have that SC lifetime warranty. Why don't you see what they have to say about the problem?

sales@spacecasecutlery.com

 

[lwien]

I should have said that it shouldn't need that section attached. That's really weird.

You have that SC lifetime warranty. Why don't you see what they have to say about the problem?

sales@spacecasecutlery.com

Because of two reasons. One, is being that I like a fine grind AND I no longer want to separate the kief from my bud, I am now using the 2pc exclusively, so it's really a moot point and no longer a problem. Secondly, in using the 4pc as it's intended to be used, it works flawlessly. It's only when I took off the bottom piece and use it upside in an unconventional manner, does the problem show up. The only logical explanation that I could come up with is the rigidity issue that I brought up, but that you disagree with. I can't fathom that they would come up with any other answer but again, not using the 4pc anymore, so it's no longer an issue.

 

[max]

it's no longer an issue.

But it is to me. I demand that you contact SC and jump through whatever hoops are necessary to solve this mystery.

 

[lwien]

it's no longer an issue.

But it is to me. I demand that you contact SC and jump through whatever hoops are necessary to solve this mystery.

Naw, I'll just go on my first assumption that it's a rigidity issue, but being that you don't agree with my FLAWLESS logic, you are more than welcome to contact them for a second opinion.

 

[max]

I might do that. I'm curious about the titanium version too-some black and some with a purple hue. And you may well have the most logical explanation for the bottom off, upside down situation. Not only do I not have a better explanation, I don't have one at all.