Tstat- I'm sorry to snag that Itza if you were interested. I'll have to make it up to you somehow?
Pappy- That Starm is so cute, yet still looks very comfortable. Just so many toys, I want them all.
I will let everyone know how the Itza 5arm to 8 arm stacks up to the competition I mean collection.
To put the icing on the cake, I hopefully just got one of the coolest pieces I have ever seen; if life decides to smile upon me, I will hopefully have pics of a new Itza and mystery piece sometime soon.
All I want to say about the piece is "Cirbine" is an awesome combination; circ, turbine, I mean really; just imagine the gridded possibilities at 13"tall...
About this Puckolator stuff; that is one bad-ass bubble machine! I really wish I could afford to order a custom Puckolater from them right now, but I am waiting to see more of the type 4 they have been working on to see if I really need to order a custom on a tube I want clear?
Now for this Smoke and water debate; I have most definitely had a tube which had a permanent smoke taste, to the point I gave it away! With that said, I have purchased a brand new piece with this taste when I got the brand new tube home and first tried it; that was from a LHS. A little pissed at first, a quick ISO rinse followed by triple rinse with water then finally R/O water I am lucky enough to have on tap and no smell ever again...
I think part of the variance can be attributed to effective ash catcher use, sanitary practices, and whether left even overnight with dirty water... I have no proof, just my opinions after first experiencing this back in the rubber grommet slide days; rubber grommets if used seem to permanently absorb the smell...
Lastly, I have found that although I purchased a dedicated oil rig, using a glass/Titanium nail, or even a Ti-skillet has not left any discernible aftertaste if the piece is properly cared for....
Everyone's definition of proper is different; my routine is rinse with R/O before and after use. 91% alcohol rinse at least once per week, most of the time every other day or so if I decide to use the same piece exclusively.
gotta run... be back with pics soon.
H