Crafty/Crafty+ by Storz & Bickel

[ginolicious]

@joeblowssmoke

Thanks for being honest. I was contemplating buying one for portable use. Currently have a reliable Vapir rise desktop.

I agree with you. Should not have to send in a unit every month to be serviced. You buy something for $300 plus you don't want it to break and if it does you want it fixed only once.

 

[BioSector]

After my first week of using the crafty, I'm still disappointed. It's obvious that most people with a crafty overhype it..

I'm sorry that has been your experience but it is not a typical one. The Crafty works exactly like I want it to. I can get 4 ~10 minute sessions before needing to charge and am able to wait the 60-120 minutes it requires to charge between sessions. I have only had issues connecting to the app once or twice in over 25 hours of usage and simply closing the app and reopening it has resolved it.

It is a mini Mighty and it performs exceptionally at that task in my (and many others) opinions.

It's possible this is not the best vape for your specific needs but to blame the vape for that is silly.

 

[Mr. Me2]

@joeblowssmoke

Thanks for being honest. I was contemplating buying one for portable use. Currently have a reliable Vapir rise desktop.

I agree with you. Should not have to send in a unit every month to be serviced. You buy something for $300 plus you don't want it to break and if it does you want it fixed only once.

Knock on wood, so far my Crafty is trouble free. My only complaint/concern is poor battery performance. But I'm managing with that, so far. I put it on par with the firefly. At least with the Crafty you know when the battery is low so it doesn't die mid-session. And Puffitup gives a nice discount to FC'ers.

 

[joeblowssmoke]

I'm sorry that has been your experience but it is not a typical one. The Crafty works exactly like I want it to. I can get 4 ~10 minute sessions before needing to charge and am able to wait the 60-120 minutes it requires to charge between sessions. I have only had issues connecting to the app once or twice in over 25 hours of usage and simply closing the app and reopening it has resolved it.

It is a mini Mighty and it performs exceptionally at that task in my (and many others) opinions.

It's possible this is not the best vape for your specific needs but to blame the vape for that is silly.

I mean look around. People are sending these things in left and right. Everyone here just can't get over S&B. And I can probably get 40 minutes of use too but it's going to die on a heat up. I was just stating that it won't get 45 minutes on a charge. It's safer to say 30 minutes.

Edit: Also, 25 hours of usage is only a few weeks if you're using it everyday. So if the Bluetooth malfunctions 2 times in a couple weeks, that isn't acceptable. I've had it for a week and it's had a Bluetooth problem that I couldn't fix. I'm good at troubleshooting with computers and technology. Closing the app doesn't always fix it. It literally took half a day to connect again.

Knock on wood, so far my Crafty is trouble free. My only complaint/concern is poor battery performance. But I'm managing with that, so far. I put it on par with the firefly. At least with the Crafty you know when the battery is low so it doesn't die mid-session. And Puffitup gives a nice discount to FC'ers.

Mine hasn't broke or anything. But there's times when I can't even use it because of the issues I've mentioned. And I've seen enough on here to believe that I'll run into a problem with the unit since I'm always "overheating" it.

 

[UnshavenFish]

It's obvious that most people with a crafty overhype it

Think you missed an IMO there, my crafty works exactly as I have described it (which is great) none of my other battery powered vapes IMO can match it in performance, only thing for me that lets it down is the fixed battery.

And I've just finished my 2nd back to back bowl @210°c (my usual temp is 180 with 200 boost) without any heat messages, didn't try and charge it but I wouldn't charge any of my batteries straight after using without giving them a rest first (usually 5-10 mins) now maybe this is down to me being in a cooler country temp wise or maybe I just got plain lucky with the unit I got who knows

the fact that it won't charge when it's warm is pathetic.

This is a safety feature as well as being sensible for battery life/health (maybe it's a little on the cautious side but that's better than the careless side IMO) also most quality chargers have over temp cutoff even the nitecore chargers won't charge if the cells reach over something like 40°c.

As far as Bluetooth mine has connected every time (although not used that often) on iPhone or iPad, although I know android users have had issues.

I probably shouldn't say this but I have had no issues at all (will probably fall to bits now I've said that) and if I do have problems I will have to send from UK to Germany which I would guess isn't going to be quick or too easy, but IMO a two week turnaround isn't all that bad (I know better/faster is possible and happens) and I'm sure lots will disagree with me on this, but for other things in life (not vape related) two weeks is almost a standard and sometimes an improvement, IMO because of what the crafty is and is used for it makes the wait seem much worse than it is.

I mean look around. People are sending these things in left and right. Everyone here just can't get over S&B

This is the nature of forums in general, if someone has an issue they usually want to let others know about it more than someone with no problems wants to share that everything's good, it's human nature.

And I don't think everyone here is a S&B 'fanboy' personally it's my first S&B product and my feelings towards S&B are neutral, but I am a fan of the crafty simply because of how it performs for me.

And the whole runtime thing is totally dependant on temp used, how long a session is and how hard or frequent you draw so, so some will get the claimed runtime and some won't even come close, similar to MPG claims with car companies it all depends on how each owner drives the car.

I don't intend any of this as an attack or argument simply stating my opinions

Also just curious as to how your crafty performs in terms of vapour production, is this somewhere your having issues? Or is it more the heat issues you have had mixed with price and worrys about returns?

 

[joeblowssmoke]

Think you missed an IMO there, my crafty works exactly as I have described it (which is great) none of my other battery powered vapes IMO can match it in performance, only thing for me that lets it down is the fixed battery.

And I've just finished my 2nd back to back bowl @210°c (my usual temp is 180 with 200 boost) without any heat messages, didn't try and charge it but I wouldn't charge any of my batteries straight after using without giving them a rest first (usually 5-10 mins) now maybe this is down to me being in a cooler country temp wise or maybe I just got plain lucky with the unit I got who knows



This is a safety feature as well as being sensible for battery life/health (maybe it's a little on the cautious side but that's better than the careless side IMO) also most quality chargers have over temp cutoff even the nitecore chargers won't charge if the cells reach over something like 40°c.

As far as Bluetooth mine has connected every time (although not used that often) on iPhone or iPad, although I know android users have had issues.

I probably shouldn't say this but I have had no issues at all (will probably fall to bits now I've said that) and if I do have problems I will have to send from UK to Germany which I would guess isn't going to be quick or too easy, but IMO a two week turnaround isn't all that bad (I know better/faster is possible and happens) and I'm sure lots will disagree with me on this, but for other things in life (not vape related) two weeks is almost a standard and sometimes an improvement, IMO because of what the crafty is and is used for it makes the wait seem much worse than it is.



This is the nature of forums in general, if someone has an issue they usually want to let others know about it more than someone with no problems wants to share that everything's good, it's human nature.

And I don't think everyone here is a S&B 'fanboy' personally it's my first S&B product and my feelings towards S&B are neutral, but I am a fan of the crafty simply because of how it performs for me.

And the whole runtime thing is totally dependant on temp used, how long a session is and how hard or frequent you draw so, so some will get the claimed runtime and some won't even come close, similar to MPG claims with car companies it all depends on how each owner drives the car.

I don't intend any of this as an attack or argument simply stating my opinions

Also just curious as to how your crafty performs in terms of vapour production, is this somewhere your having issues? Or is it more the heat issues you have had mixed with price and worrys about returns?

Vapor production seems normal. Nothing like its hyped up to be. It took me a few sessions to realize that it takes a pretty hard and long draw to get any clouds. I'm sure it works good with glass. But anyone with a little tolerance can't use this thing to get too high. (Without glass)

 

[UnshavenFish]

Vapor production seems normal. Nothing like its hyped up to be. It took me a few sessions to realize that it takes a pretty hard and long draw to get any clouds. I'm sure it works good with glass. But anyone with a little tolerance can't use this thing to get too high. (Without glass)

If it's taking a hard long draw to get any clouds started it could be a bud moisture issue, bud for vaping should be dryer than for smoking, try grinding then spread it out on a sheet of paper for 30-60 mins before vaping maybe this could help

And I know this sounds backwards but maybe try a lower temp there have been some reports of people getting better results this way, for me higher temps give better visuals but maybe this is strain dependant.

And I would class myself as a heavy user with a pretty high tolerance (2-5g per day (not just through crafty) last tbreak was almost 14 year ago) and the crafty can get me as high and higher than my other battery portables IMO because of how hard/fast I can hit it while the heater hold temp the way it does, only my butane vapes can IMO get me higher, possibly down to butane having more energy and being able to hit harder and faster or maybe hotter.

Also is it the same strain you're using? As some will give different visuals, maybe another could be worth a try if you haven't already, if available.

Keep us informed whether good or bad, Hope some of this helps get you better results, good luck and happy testing

Edit: a slower draw should help with visuals, like you talk about with glass think of your lungs as the bong, a slower draw should give better vapour to air ratio.

 

[Astedra]

I hated my crafty the first time I had it too, twice I had to send it back but I can't wait for it to be here.

 

[joeblowssmoke]

If it's taking a hard long draw to get any clouds started it could be a bud moisture issue, bud for vaping should be dryer than for smoking, try grinding then spread it out on a sheet of paper for 30-60 mins before vaping maybe this could help

And I know this sounds backwards but maybe try a lower temp there have been some reports of people getting better results this way, for me higher temps give better visuals but maybe this is strain dependant.

And I would class myself as a heavy user with a pretty high tolerance (2-5g per day (not just through crafty) last tbreak was almost 14 year ago) and the crafty can get me as high and higher than my other battery portables IMO because of how hard/fast I can hit it while the heater hold temp the way it does, only my butane vapes can IMO get me higher, possibly down to butane having more energy and being able to hit harder and faster or maybe hotter.

Also is it the same strain you're using? As some will give different visuals, maybe another could be worth a try if you haven't already, if available.

Keep us informed whether good or bad, Hope some of this helps get you better results, good luck and happy testing

Edit: a slower draw should help with visuals, like you talk about with glass think of your lungs as the bong, a slower draw should give better vapour to air ratio.

Thanks for all of your input. I'll get used to it eventually but I may upgrade again soon. I'm waiting for more reviews of the Grasshopper to get put up. And yeah, slow draws should help keep the clouds denser I'd say. I'll try slow long draws and mess around with it a little more. As far as the unit goes, it's obvious a lot of thought went into designing it. I just feel that with some simple software changes it could be a lot better. How many bowls do you need to put through the crafty to get where you want to be? Thanks again.

 

[Stinky]

After my first week of using the crafty, I'm still disappointed. It's obvious that most people with a crafty overhype it. I honestly wouldn't recommend this vape to anyone. If it's in use for 5 minutes or more then it's too hot to charge. It already charges slower than it puts energy out, so the fact that it won't charge when it's warm is pathetic. When people say that this thing can last 45 minutes on a charge, it's closer to 30 minutes. On top of that, my crafty has had Bluetooth problems more than once. It'll just not connect to the app for a day at a time then when I wake up the next day it'll finally work. All of these things are issues that need to be worked out, but I don't want to send in my $350 vape. I bought it to use it. Not have it serviced for 2 weeks at a time. I'm sorry, but you should never have to send in any quality electronic device more than once for a repair. I know I'll be sending this thing in quite a bit. Wish I could just get a refund.

You can get a refund. Just email S&B and tell them you are not happy and want your money back.

 

[joeblowssmoke]

@UnshavenFish I just ran half a bowl at 356 and got no clouds. Could barely even see anything with my iPhone flashlight. Is this right?

Edit: If anyone could answer this I'd appreciate it. I just mentioned him because he's been helping me.

 

[justcametomind]

Maybe you have gunk in the mouthpiece or misplaced seal or rings.

 

[joeblowssmoke]

Maybe you have gunk in the mouthpiece or misplaced seal or rings.

I just let it sit in ISO for 45 minutes. I might get some decent reclaim from it. It's looking good.

 

[UnshavenFish]

@UnshavenFish I just ran half a bowl at 356 and got no clouds. Could barely even see anything with my iPhone flashlight. Is this right?

Edit: If anyone could answer this I'd appreciate it. I just mentioned him because he's been helping me.

I don't normally do half bowls (normally full with a little extra then tamp down) but I do like to play, both were at 180°c/356°f, the top bowl was a little short of half full, and also a little too fine a grind (even after tamping down it didn't stay put, which won't give good results) there was some visible vapour but very little (just normal lighting)

The bottom bowl was roughly half filled (also tamped down) but done in a Santa Cruz shredder (also different strain) this one worked better, still not quite the clouds I'm used to but IMO on par with my arizer air set to green (200°c I think) in terms of visuals anyway.

Both loads worked, hard to tell how much right now as I had just had a few bowls in my Daisy before so right now my eyes are like piss holes in the snow Still I'm thinking I should do one of my usual bowls in the name of science just to compare.

The CU clean is always a good idea, and have you ever cleaned under the oven screen?

 

[joeblowssmoke]

I don't normally do half bowls (normally full with a little extra then tamp down) but I do like to play, both were at 180°c/356°f, the top bowl was a little short of half full, and also a little too fine a grind (even after tamping down it didn't stay put, which won't give good results) there was some visible vapour but very little (just normal lighting)

The bottom bowl was roughly half filled (also tamped down) but done in a Santa Cruz shredder (also different strain) this one worked better, still not quite the clouds I'm used to but IMO on par with my arizer air set to green (200°c I think) in terms of visuals anyway.

Both loads worked, hard to tell how much right now as I had just had a few bowls in my Daisy before so right now my eyes are like piss holes in the snow Still I'm thinking I should do one of my usual bowls in the name of science just to compare.

The CU clean is always a good idea, and have you ever cleaned under the oven screen?

So I let my cu soak a bit ago. I'm finishing up my first bowl now and it's completely different. Feeling good for the first time in a few days. I guess I had a higher tolerance (I puffed all my kief while the crafty shipped) whenever I first got the crafty and then by the time my tolerance came down I had already clogged up my cooling unit. Will I have to clean this thing every week or more?

 

[OMEiAM]

Well, you don't have to, but for optimal performance you should once a week or every dozen or so sessions. I'd recommend getting a 3-pack of cooling units when it's convenient for you.

 

[UnshavenFish]

Thats better (normal load) tamped it down a little and cloud city (if I exhale straight away and don't hold it and rebreath)

I'm finishing up my first bowl now and it's completely different

Glad you got it working better how often you need to clean it will depend on how often you use it and how much you put through it, I do mine once a week but it's not my most used vape (used daily but normally just a couple bowls per day) I could probably leave it longer but I like to keep it clean same as my bowl.

Oh and I got a pop up on the app finally....charge your crafty lol, so guess that's me all crafty'd out for the night.

 

[joeblowssmoke]

Well, you don't have to, but for optimal performance you should once a week or every dozen or so sessions. I'd recommend getting a 3-pack of cooling units when it's convenient for you.

Thats better (normal load) tamped it down a little and cloud city (if I exhale straight away and don't hold it and rebreath)



Glad you got it working better how often you need to clean it will depend on how often you use it and how much you put through it, I do mine once a week but it's not my most used vape (used daily but normally just a couple bowls per day) I could probably leave it longer but I like to keep it clean same as my bowl.

Oh and I got a pop up on the app finally....charge your crafty lol, so guess that's me all crafty'd out for the night.

I was having to draw very hard to get any vapor. I think I figured out why mine wasn't working. After I first got it, I used it twice or so and took the cu apart to check it out. That's when I realized how much oil builds up in there. The problem I think came from me putting it back together. The oil is thicker than honey and I think it just clogged the air path when I pushed it back in. That's the only thing I can think of. So the lesson I learned is that I should only take the cu apart if I'm going to clean it. Thank you guys for the help.

Edit:

@ginolicious So this solved the problem of poor vapor. I would say that this thing can get you pretty medicated. I stand behind some of what I said earlier but this fixed the vapor problem.

 

[gmaines]

I have a pax1 and a pax 2.. I also bought a crafty about a month and a half ago. It uses a less herbs then the pak2. The crafty has much better flavor and I get more enjoyment from the crafty. I keep mine clean and it taste so good.. All I can say so far is the crafty has better flavor than anything else I have....

 

[Thcgos]

Hi all,

Just wanted to give a ~7 month update. CY1XXX (1 thousand range) on just 30+ hrs (not a heavy user lol).
I have to say, this thing has been rock solid. No issues what so ever, (apart from the Android V5 lollipop issue).


The Solo, flowermate and indica... effectively retired.


The only one that sees occasional use is the Solo, usually for parties at other people’s houses, used in conjunction with the crafty (The crafty is not suited for this occasion).


The Crafty puts other portables to shame. I have converted a few of my friends from combustion and some from other portable vapes. A few have bought it and not been disappointed either.


I’m not a fan-boy, this is my first S&B product, but have got to give credit where it’s due.


Things I have noticed over my use:

1) This thing is very effective compared to my other vapes. Same material in a Indica vs Crafty, is VERY noticeable. Don’t get me wrong, the solo and flowermate get the job done, but if you have the money, Crafty all day every day.


2) The quality of the flower used, makes a huge difference. I know this is true with my other vapes but just thought I would mention it to people here who might be not used to vaping. A few times


3) The cooling unit becomes harsh and introduces poor flavor if not cleaned at reasonable intervals, you will know when it needs cleaning (for me every 6 hours seems to be ok).


4) Heat up time seems to be ~2mins @ 30hrs use (it has gone up from about 1.50 but its winter now, so I’m thinking ambient temperature being 10c lower might slow down heat up time).


5) Its worth having 2 cooling units around. Im glad I always have a fresh clean one on hand at all times.


6) I put a finer screen in the top unit which seems to help keep the cooling unit clean, but you have to brush it after every use or it gets clogged up after time.


7) The Liquid pad seems to make it harsher for half packs and in some cases introduce a very very faint flavor, Metalic if its new? But it does help in vapor production I feel. Im going to try the screen method and see how that goes.


Enjoy your Crafty;s all.

 

[Thcgos]

I can confirm that the battery charge indicator was as you describe you.
I think the software (2:05) is not prepared for battery changes.

You my friend are a smart cookie....
If someone built a new case/shell for the crafty it would be a game changer.
You could make a magnetic door lid and a spring loaded 18650 Bay to coldswap batteries... This would make the crafty a mighty killer.

If a company were game enough they could sell zinc shells/cases or 3d printed plastic shells/cases to replace the existing one. And incorporate a battery door and compartment.

User could just buy the shell and transfer the innards to the new shell and get a crafty that could be metal or at the very least make it battery swappable.

S&B take note....

 

[alecsys]

Crafty maintenance features . . .

I love how S&B builds in the little "notches" so you can use the included vape tool to get the o-rings out. Most of you are familiar with the one in the cooling unit but I found another one that is not so obvious. I was attempting to remove the o-ring from around the filling chamber and was having difficulty. Then I noticed that both sides of the design are not the same. On one side of Crafty the ribbing doesn't connect straight, it slopes downwards. By inserting the vape tool and using that slope as a sliding guide, it popped that o-ring right out of there. Amazing attention to detail . . .

Edit: Looks like the fasteners are a torx T-6

on my crafty it doesn´t slope downwards, looking at your pic it seems that yours is broken at that area.

 

[bigmouth]

@UnshavenFish I just ran half a bowl at 356 and got no clouds. Could barely even see anything with my iPhone flashlight. Is this right?

Are you using a screen on top of the herb to keep it tamped down/compressed? Also, have you tried a slightly higher temperature? I get better results at 374F.

 

[justcametomind]

So I let my cu soak a bit ago. I'm finishing up my first bowl now and it's completely different. Feeling good for the first time in a few days. I guess I had a higher tolerance (I puffed all my kief while the crafty shipped) whenever I first got the crafty and then by the time my tolerance came down I had already clogged up my cooling unit. Will I have to clean this thing every week or more?

If you want to get the most out of your herbs you should.
I bought a wear and tear set and having 2 CU is easier to clean one while using the other.
Also make sure the little rubber ring inside the CU is perfectly down to its place to ensure proper seal.

I'm also experiencing a bit what @joeblowssmoke is. Performance going down a bit.
I cleaned the CU, the chamber and under the chamber. Changed fine screen on the bottom of the chamber.
The reason of worse extraction is poor manteinance I think, I vaped oil on the liquid pad but it leaked on the chamber walls and (I think) also down under the fine screen to those holes at the bottom of the chamber.
The holes seem to be ok, but maybe some gunk is still there.
Only thing I could do was using a q-tip+ISO but to clean under those holes is impossible without dismantling the unit.

Still looking for a USA or CA FC fellow willing to buy and send me to EU the cheaper spares from McMaster.com
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/the-crafty-by-storz-bickel.15984/page-207#post-807724
They don't ship over here.

 

[justcametomind]

I’m not a fan-boy, this is my first S&B product, but have got to give credit where it’s due.


Things I have noticed over my use:

1) This thing is very effective compared to my other vapes. Same material in a Indica vs Crafty, is VERY noticeable. Don’t get me wrong, the solo and flowermate get the job done, but if you have the money, Crafty all day every day.

I thought of getting a flowermate mini. How do you compare the 2?
Is it worth getting a mini or I will be spoiled by the Crafty being superior to it? tnx.