chimpybits
Well-Known Member
But nothing (for me). DynaVap + IH is end game for me. It’s all I use. I’m free from VAS.
There may admittedly be some vicariously pleasure as I do enjoy following the various threads here.
Artisan Vapes... Novelty, Superior, or Douchebaggary? Discuss...
- Thread starter acstorfer
- Start date
There may admittedly be some vicariously pleasure as I do enjoy following the various threads here.
Arawfish
Tree climber
You know, I went from about 2016 until 2020 with the exact same train of thought “the dyna is all I will ever need” I had a M and Nona and I was set... but then something went horribly right (wrong?) and I got the fever for collecting handmade beauties... I definitely don’t regret any of my purchases.
Basically what I’m saying is, the Dynas are great but how do you know you wouldn’t also enjoy a different one?
GetLeft
Well-Known Member
I came around to independent vape crafters pretty early on mainly because they were able to meet my greatest needs at the time (stealth, quick to temp). At the time the standard corp fare couldn't compete. My og Air took over a minute to hit low temp and that was considered quick.
But things change! I currently keep my Edge right along side my Milaana 3 and use both quite contentedly. And to be honest (we like to use that expression in the northeast - cause we know you're not going to believe us if we don't : ), if the liquid live resin carts I'm using most at the present time had been available to me when I first came to this site (in pursuit of quick, discrete vaporizers), I may never have purchased a Milaana (or a Nomad or a Firewood or a Touch ...). The carts are as mass produced as it gets but they are are simple, well designed and dang effective. Two of them are standing next to my Mi and my Edge
I'm not sure who brought it up recently, but in my experience you don't see flower vaporists much in the wilds. I wonder if most casual users know much about dry vaping? Out of the total cannabis-using population, what percentage do you think primarily use flower vaporizers? 2% ? Had you told me at 18 years of age that I would spend $350 for a devise that allowed me to consume cannabis, I would have wanted what you were smoking.
Farid
Well-Known Member
Carts really have changed things. I think the type of people who may have gravitated to mainstream vapes like the pax or crafty are the type to just use carts. My friends for instance.
Flower vapes were getting pretty popular in like 2012 - 2016. Most people today know about dry herb vapes, but carts just make more sense for their needs, and I can't really blame them. I hope that means that the bigger companies that still make dry herb vapes start to cater more towards the enthusiast.
Flower vapes were getting pretty popular in like 2012 - 2016. Most people today know about dry herb vapes, but carts just make more sense for their needs, and I can't really blame them. I hope that means that the bigger companies that still make dry herb vapes start to cater more towards the enthusiast.
Arawfish
Tree climber
Carts have definitely changed the scene, but also all of the SHIT Vapes out there being sold at headshops all over the world that have given Dry Herb vaping a bad reputation of being cheap, bad for your health, and relatively inefficient compared to smoking when really vaping is anything but those 3 things. Of course you can find some good devices in some very select shops but those are sorta few and far between. Most people just like their joints or pipes. Though, I’d say it’s slowly catching on more and more with people like us spreading the good word.
One time I set up a booth of Vapes at a local farmers market. I had the VapBong, a Mango WoodScents, my Toad, a sticky brick junior and a flip brick. Lots of interested folks for sure, I talked a lot about the ones on display, the ones at home, this wonderful community, all the wonders and health benefits, etc. But as soon as I start talking about price, the eyes started to roll and the “holy fucks” started to get passed around. Folks really like the VapBong though, and the Toad of course. Some of the artist in the area definitely appreciated them for their craftsmanship but all of them say they wouldn’t ever buy one in favour of joints. I’d say less than 1% of cannabis users are full on vaporists.
Ps. At a local smoke shop they are ligit trying to sell a pax 3 for $454cdn shit like that will never get people on our side. I told the guy behind the counter how insane that was but of course they don’t care at all.
One time I set up a booth of Vapes at a local farmers market. I had the VapBong, a Mango WoodScents, my Toad, a sticky brick junior and a flip brick. Lots of interested folks for sure, I talked a lot about the ones on display, the ones at home, this wonderful community, all the wonders and health benefits, etc. But as soon as I start talking about price, the eyes started to roll and the “holy fucks” started to get passed around. Folks really like the VapBong though, and the Toad of course. Some of the artist in the area definitely appreciated them for their craftsmanship but all of them say they wouldn’t ever buy one in favour of joints. I’d say less than 1% of cannabis users are full on vaporists.
Ps. At a local smoke shop they are ligit trying to sell a pax 3 for $454cdn shit like that will never get people on our side. I told the guy behind the counter how insane that was but of course they don’t care at all.
letter never sent
reckoner
Arawfish
Tree climber
Surprisingly not! But I think they were just being polite. First things my friends said was “looks like you’re sucking off a big ceramic cock”@Arawfish Vapes at a farmers market, that's so cool. Did anyone comment on the VapBong's phallic shape? Just curious since it's always a topic of discussion with that thing.
Vaporware
Well-Known Member
I get that vaporizers can be expensive, but damn, is their health and long term ability to breathe normally not worth a few hundred dollars?
In the US especially, the cost of treating anything more than a minor issue caused by smoking could easily cost more than the most expensive devices in the market. Not to mention how much they could save on flower if they take advantage of the efficiency vaporizing offers.
I agree that carts are in many ways a very appealing option, and I do use some despite preferring flower to everything but maybe hash rosin carts. I do have some concerns about the internals of most carts possibly contaminating the vapor with heavy metals or other things we don’t want to inhale though.
I am also really bothered by the fact that very few carts are refilled or even intended to be refilled which means a hell of a lot of waste compared to dry herb vaporizers.
All of this led me to look for the best dry herb options out there. I nearly bought a Volcano, but fortunately was convinced to try a FlowerPot instead. I think it’s a much better fit for me.
Next I went looking for a portable, and that was tough. I already had a DaVinci Ascent and I knew I wanted something in my pocket that worked on demand instead, so I didn’t have a lot of options. The Milaana looked good, but I really didn’t like the internal GonG connection and it sounded a bit hard to tame with a lot of people repeatedly pressing and releasing the button during a draw to avoid overcooking the load or combusting.
I looked at a few other options, but the clear standout for design and artistry while meeting all of my needs for on-demand pocket ability was the Nomad.
I didn’t choose it for novelty, douchbaggery, or even primarily artistry (although that was a great bonus), I chose it because it fit my needs better than anything else that I could find.
My main complaint is that it’s not quick to get…I think the TinyMight took some good ideas from the Nomad and brought them to more people faster, but apart from the temp setting being a possibly desirable feature I personally I prefer the Nomad I/II and Toad designs.
Since Dan is a one man shop and Nomads take some time to get though, I tried a couple of other options to fill in the gap.
VapCaps are fun and can deliver pretty well, but they do have some drawbacks for me. I don’t get the best flavor after the first draw or two, heating with a torch outside (or discreetly around a lot of people) is not ideal, and even the smallest induction heaters I’ve seen are a bit large and heavy.
I also picked up the Firewood 7 because it checked a lot of the same boxes as the Nomad/TM/etc. and it had a hybrid ceramic heater I was interested in trying.
I do still think it’s one of the best portables out there and it shares a lot of the temp adjustment advantage of the TM, but I still find that I generally prefer pure convection and there are a few things I don’t love about the design so it’s not my top choice overall.
Finally the Toad is the same heater as the Nomad in a bit of a different package. It’s simpler, a bit cheaper and not really customizable like the Nomads, but it still delivers solid on demand convection vapor in a beautiful little package! It’s a bit smaller than the FW7.
Both the Nomad and Toad have some advantages in their designs, but I think that apart from a lack of sleeve art (which is not even a disadvantage if you love the look of wood), the Nomad II is probably the closest to my ideal portable that anyone’s made.
So at least for me, some artisan vaporizers are clearly superior to the mass produced stuff that’s out there right now.
There’s plenty more to say about a lot of other desktop and portable artisan devices, but I think I’ve covered the important ones that I have personal experience with.
I also want to quickly list what I think are the highest quality, best QCed things I have though.
1. Nomad
2. Toad
3. FlowerPot
4. Firewood
5. VapCaps
6. DaVinci Ascent
…so even on the QC front the small shops are in my experience superior. If anyone’s wondering, my Ascent turned out to have a crooked screen, a small crack in the oven and other minor issues…the shop really should have exchanged it, but it’s worked anyway…just not my favorite and it has some issues.
In the US especially, the cost of treating anything more than a minor issue caused by smoking could easily cost more than the most expensive devices in the market. Not to mention how much they could save on flower if they take advantage of the efficiency vaporizing offers.
I agree that carts are in many ways a very appealing option, and I do use some despite preferring flower to everything but maybe hash rosin carts. I do have some concerns about the internals of most carts possibly contaminating the vapor with heavy metals or other things we don’t want to inhale though.
I am also really bothered by the fact that very few carts are refilled or even intended to be refilled which means a hell of a lot of waste compared to dry herb vaporizers.
All of this led me to look for the best dry herb options out there. I nearly bought a Volcano, but fortunately was convinced to try a FlowerPot instead. I think it’s a much better fit for me.
Next I went looking for a portable, and that was tough. I already had a DaVinci Ascent and I knew I wanted something in my pocket that worked on demand instead, so I didn’t have a lot of options. The Milaana looked good, but I really didn’t like the internal GonG connection and it sounded a bit hard to tame with a lot of people repeatedly pressing and releasing the button during a draw to avoid overcooking the load or combusting.
I looked at a few other options, but the clear standout for design and artistry while meeting all of my needs for on-demand pocket ability was the Nomad.
I didn’t choose it for novelty, douchbaggery, or even primarily artistry (although that was a great bonus), I chose it because it fit my needs better than anything else that I could find.
My main complaint is that it’s not quick to get…I think the TinyMight took some good ideas from the Nomad and brought them to more people faster, but apart from the temp setting being a possibly desirable feature I personally I prefer the Nomad I/II and Toad designs.
Since Dan is a one man shop and Nomads take some time to get though, I tried a couple of other options to fill in the gap.
VapCaps are fun and can deliver pretty well, but they do have some drawbacks for me. I don’t get the best flavor after the first draw or two, heating with a torch outside (or discreetly around a lot of people) is not ideal, and even the smallest induction heaters I’ve seen are a bit large and heavy.
I also picked up the Firewood 7 because it checked a lot of the same boxes as the Nomad/TM/etc. and it had a hybrid ceramic heater I was interested in trying.
I do still think it’s one of the best portables out there and it shares a lot of the temp adjustment advantage of the TM, but I still find that I generally prefer pure convection and there are a few things I don’t love about the design so it’s not my top choice overall.
Finally the Toad is the same heater as the Nomad in a bit of a different package. It’s simpler, a bit cheaper and not really customizable like the Nomads, but it still delivers solid on demand convection vapor in a beautiful little package! It’s a bit smaller than the FW7.
Both the Nomad and Toad have some advantages in their designs, but I think that apart from a lack of sleeve art (which is not even a disadvantage if you love the look of wood), the Nomad II is probably the closest to my ideal portable that anyone’s made.
So at least for me, some artisan vaporizers are clearly superior to the mass produced stuff that’s out there right now.
There’s plenty more to say about a lot of other desktop and portable artisan devices, but I think I’ve covered the important ones that I have personal experience with.
I also want to quickly list what I think are the highest quality, best QCed things I have though.
1. Nomad
2. Toad
3. FlowerPot
4. Firewood
5. VapCaps
6. DaVinci Ascent
…so even on the QC front the small shops are in my experience superior. If anyone’s wondering, my Ascent turned out to have a crooked screen, a small crack in the oven and other minor issues…the shop really should have exchanged it, but it’s worked anyway…just not my favorite and it has some issues.
Lots of great points brought up already!
I think any product is only as good as the people behind it and whether or not the product is more driven by profit or passion. Enthusiast makers are more likely to give up profit in order to design something that they're passionate about.
Low overhead and investment allows small makers to take gambles with unique designs, where as a more traditional start-up or established company may not be able to take the risk of a failed product launch.
The typical mass produced vaporizers today are born out of combination of profit driven design by people who may not have the experience needed to acheive good function or aesthetics. These projects typically survive through heavy marketing, relying on the consumer to not be aware of the better alternatives available.
But, that isn't to say that mass production is bad. Even for the small makers, I think the ultimate goal is to grow to the point where you can get your creations into as many hands as possible, to share with everyone what you've put your heart and soul into.
That's how you end up with brands like Rolex. It's a balance between artistry and mass production. Ideally the end product remains as high quality as it ever was, but the manufacturing processes and the skilled people who run them are able to match or succeed the hand craftsmanship of the past.
I hope that we are currently seeing the rise of artisan brands that will some day become well known in the wider cannabis consumer world as being producers of high end vaporizers. There is definitely a market out there, the cannabis market is HUGE.
I think any product is only as good as the people behind it and whether or not the product is more driven by profit or passion. Enthusiast makers are more likely to give up profit in order to design something that they're passionate about.
Low overhead and investment allows small makers to take gambles with unique designs, where as a more traditional start-up or established company may not be able to take the risk of a failed product launch.
The typical mass produced vaporizers today are born out of combination of profit driven design by people who may not have the experience needed to acheive good function or aesthetics. These projects typically survive through heavy marketing, relying on the consumer to not be aware of the better alternatives available.
But, that isn't to say that mass production is bad. Even for the small makers, I think the ultimate goal is to grow to the point where you can get your creations into as many hands as possible, to share with everyone what you've put your heart and soul into.
That's how you end up with brands like Rolex. It's a balance between artistry and mass production. Ideally the end product remains as high quality as it ever was, but the manufacturing processes and the skilled people who run them are able to match or succeed the hand craftsmanship of the past.
I hope that we are currently seeing the rise of artisan brands that will some day become well known in the wider cannabis consumer world as being producers of high end vaporizers. There is definitely a market out there, the cannabis market is HUGE.
coolbreeze
Well-Known Member
Cannabis consumption is largely about mood alteration and we all know the importance of set and setting. I feel like these often simple, beautiful devices made with all the cleverness and care some creative person can muster help create a conducive experience, it's that simple. For me exclusivity has nothing to do with it; a gorgeous device that keeps its heart and soul while reaching more hands is all the better. It helps that the evolution is part of a participatory experience in which we get a say in making a thing we love even better.
Edit: I've just had the remarkable experience of buying a classic artisan vaporizer whose very purpose was to take a dominant, sophisticated vaporizer of its day, simplify it to its core operations, and rehouse it in a beautiful wooden body. Not only did it make the vape a more more human and humane creation, but its drive toward simplicity made it a better working vape.
Edit: I've just had the remarkable experience of buying a classic artisan vaporizer whose very purpose was to take a dominant, sophisticated vaporizer of its day, simplify it to its core operations, and rehouse it in a beautiful wooden body. Not only did it make the vape a more more human and humane creation, but its drive toward simplicity made it a better working vape.
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I should take out my Milaana...did not use it in a long time. Your photo made me do itA little douchebaggary…
Squidge
Butane powered
Different woods can impart different flavours to the vapour.
(owner of four Vapmans in different woods
)
Arawfish
Tree climber
I never really experienced this myself! And I have 5 different Vapmen. Maybe from Walnut, but that’s it.Different woods can impart different flavours to the vapour.
(owner of four Vapmans in different woods
Maybe you need to char the wood.
coolbreeze
Well-Known Member
I was a bit nervous about the Olive but I've never even noticed any taste with it. Until I got an olive mouthpiece; it's very light though and just barely noticeable.
Arawfish
Tree climber
.... never would I ever.
it was a joke...to get the wood flavor
coolbreeze
Well-Known Member
gordontreeman
Everythings coming up Milhouse!
acstorfer
Take My Money Dammit!
I see the douchebag gauntlet has been raised. Sir, I call your vapcap douchebaggary!Some doucheboxery:
coolbreeze
Well-Known Member
Very nice!I see the douchebag gauntlet has been raised. Sir, I call your vapcap douchebaggary!
Yeah, some are a little out of reach for me, but man, the handiwork is off the hook! Also, Ed's straight wooden stems so elegant, esp for the price.
Arawfish
Tree climber
Any room for some Douche-Loggery?
Logs are, by a wide margin, my favourite style of device for plug-in at home home usage. Beautiful to look at, great to handle, and act like nice little hand warmers during the winter months.
Getting to know the newly arrived Enano XL, but as it stands the Underdogs are my favourites to use. Ed’s WPA for the XL may change that though... we’ll see.
Logs are, by a wide margin, my favourite style of device for plug-in at home home usage. Beautiful to look at, great to handle, and act like nice little hand warmers during the winter months.
Getting to know the newly arrived Enano XL, but as it stands the Underdogs are my favourites to use. Ed’s WPA for the XL may change that though... we’ll see.