Herb Grinders

[SpiralArchitect]

Awesome. Yeah, I am really looking forward to a new grinder. I love my Mendo with all my heart but I just want something new.

Not to mention she is about as dirty as a whore in the streets of Nigeria. I mean, seriously, all her teeth are covered in golden resin and the black hashy residue is everywhere on the inside. When the new one comes I'll let it soak and clean it all up.

 

[Acolyte of Zinglon]

i wonder how big the holes are on the silver surfer grinder, they look pretty small, it makes since that because 7th floor is marketing this specifically for their vape that they would have it grind finer than usual

 

[vtac]

^ The one they gave me (over a year ago) has 5mm holes.

 

[Acolyte of Zinglon]

hmm i guess not then

 

[partially veiled]

AoZ I highly doubt SSV is manufacturing their own grinders. I'd even doubt that they're getting anyone to manufacture them specifically for them; it's probably just a grinder that they found and liked and that they then set up to have branded with the SSV logo... Does look like it's of good quality (I'm sure vtac could tell us), but it's really just one of many among "unbranded" grinders. Same sort of deal as what's being sold by KGP. Now where any of these grinders are actually coming from...that's anyone's guess. China perhaps?


Heard back from Kelly whose telling me that my order's shipped (he also said it should arrive in 5-6 days), and he also says: THANKS again for all the purchases and ENJOY (Especially the lack of inside threads!) heh funny guy...but he can be sure that I WILL enjoy! Can't wait.

It's funny that I just bought two grinders with screens, and yet I have no intentions of using the screens (probably) or in using the grinders to collect keif. All the work just for some holes...haha time and money spent questing after something and it's not even a something, it's the total antithesis of something--a hole!

Oh yes and I was thinking that 5mm on the SSV grinder was not really surprise; this seems to be the standard? Anyone have any thoughts or anything to say + or - on that point??

 

[max]

Now where any of these grinders are actually coming from...that's anyone's guess. China perhaps?

I think a lot are made in India. Pretty sure MixnBall has theirs made there, and considering the hand carved in India items in the KGP eBay store, I'd bet his are made there too.

Oh yes and I was thinking that 5mm on the SSV grinder was not really surprise; this seems to be the standard? Anyone have any thoughts or anything to say + or - on that point??

I'd agree it's the standard. 5mm is fine for most purposes. If it weren't for the PD I wouldn't even look for anything smaller.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Damn.

Well.

My huge grinder arrived today. I'm not exactly as pleased with it as I thought I would be, but before typing up a truly negative review, let me play around with it for a little bit......

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Well. I've been playing around with it for a while.

Washed her. She was dirty. Grinded up some loose leaf notebook paper to make sure it was super clean. Lots of gunk on the paper. I made sure that it was super clean before putting anything inside of it.

I'll start from the top and work my way down....

The grinder itself is fucking huge. Very shiny. The finish is nice but I fear it will get scratched to hell in time. The top compartment has a 'grip' on it, which I thought might be too small to grind with (as the surface is really flat and shiny, slippery) but it does the job.



And that takes us to the teeth.

They are shit.



I grind up the last of my bud and most of it just got smashed and a lot stayed in the top compartment.... The holes suck. It also could be I wasn't grinding up that much weed to begin with. *shrug* They seem pretty evenly spaced, which is good, but they are farther away than I would like, which is going to result in more 'grindage' before they eventually fall through.



The grind was consistent. I guess. It's smaller particles at least..... My biggest complaint though, which I can't really blame the vendor/maker for, just my error. Is their are teeth on the inside. I had read somewhere 'no teeth on the inside' in PV's post, and assumed. Well. that sucks, but oh well. The screen is extremely taunt, which I love! and although I think I am going to be having a bitch of a time avoiding small weed particles getting under the 'metal lip' I think I'll be ok.

The screwing teeth are rather fine which I don't like. It takes an entire 4 rotations to get the fucking thing open. With my Mendo it's twist on, twist off. Plus the metal on metal grating sound is terrible. I think I might lube it up gently, I wish it had an O-ring, but o-well.



Next to the Mendo. Notice the difference in craftsmenship? This was manufactured semi-CNC (fuck) in India. The other Fully CNC'd in ol'US of A.



Made good kief though. I think I might use this grinder (if I decide to keep it and not sell it to, for no profit, a friend who is in the market for a new grinder, and would be happy as hell to have this, as he likes, and always thinks, *big*) for grinding up bud when I want to accumulate kief.

Because their is so much more surface area it accumulates really fast is my guess. I can't wait to fill up the bottom tray with kief. Its huge, deep and I know I could fill it up with this thing.



And an upclose of those shittily made teeth. A 9-year old India boy must've made this because fuck, their is absolutely no uniformity in the teeth design. Big, small, warped, rectangle, diamond.... *sigh* Oh well.



Well. I certainly don't regret buying this grinder. It's huge. It's decent. It does the job and is one of a kind.

My Mendo will def. stay my primary grinder. In fact, I am itching to just say 'fuckit' and upgrade to a Mixn'ball, as recommended by max. I'm just hesitant. Maybe I should just wash my dirty old Mendo, get her like new again and see what I think afterwards....

So, over all. 22 bucks. 4 inch grinder. I give it a C+ for the manufacturing quality. I see it as no gain, no loss. At least I have a huge fucking grinder.

This would be a good grinder for a grower or someone who just wants to grind up a shit ton of bud at once and leave it be. You could fit an entire grinded 8th into this thing I think.

 

[max]

Sorry to hear your new 4", $22 grinder doesn't measure up to your expectations or your 3", $60 Mendo. It's shocking that you can't get the same quality when getting a larger, $38 cheaper grinder. What IS the world coming to?

I was planning on emailing Kelly to prompt him to clean up some of his inaccurate descriptions (like stating that both 4" and 6" grinders are the largest on eBay), so I'll let him know he has a less than thrilled customer, which doesn't thrill me either, since I HAVE sent him some business. He does offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on his fully CNC'd grinders-hard to beat for an eBay buy. But obviously you can't expect Space Case/Mendo quality in a 4", $22 grinder. I'll see what he says though.

I have 3 of his grinders and I'm happy with the quality. My 2 yr. old 2" ($12) still does the job, as does my new 1 3/4". I like those two for the small holes. I've used them for both initial grinding and a final run through (initial grinding by MixnBall or Kelly's fully CNC'd grinder). All the teeth in the small ones aren't 100% identical, but they're close and I have no complaints. The fully CNC grinder I find to be excellent quality. He does have many variations, so it's possible your grinder has a different manufacturer.

Washed her. She was dirty.

Brand new and dirty? I always wash mine before initial use, but I've never had one that I'd call dirty, maybe just a few shiny leftovers of the manufacturing process that you could expect with any make.

The holes suck.

How can holes suck? A hole is a hole. If they're small you can expect to have more trouble getting the herb through them. If they're large you get a coarser grind. Grinding is about the design and sharpness of the teeth. I know for a fact that the Mendo has more teeth than any grinder on the market (too close together for my taste though), and therefore does a superb job of shredding herb. I can tell a big difference between my two 'small hole' grinders and my MixnBall and Kelly's fully CNC'd. The bigger ones, with larger holes, process a grind down through the holes almost 100% the first time through. With the smaller holes, I have to clear some clogged holes every time and sometimes regrind. I expect it. The holes are much smaller.

My biggest complaint.....Is their are teeth on the inside

Sorry. I don't know what you mean here.

The screen is extremely taunt, which I love! and although I think I am going to be having a bitch of a time avoiding small weed particles getting under the 'metal lip' I think I'll be ok.

You mean you have a lip in the screen section where fine ground herb and kief can hide? The three I have do not have this design. In fact, that's a big part of what I don't like about the Mendo-it has a grommet in the screen section, below which herb can hide.

I wish it had an O-ring, but o-well.

You get those on his fully CNC'd grinders. Again, you can't expect premium features on a budget grinder.

Sorry, I can't tell much of anything from your A-B pics with the Mendo. It's hard to judge teeth in grinder pics because of angle issues.

And an upclose of those shittily made teeth.

From what I see, not uniform, no, but they're not cut from a computer controlled machine either. I certainly wouldn't describe them as "shittily made" though. As I said, the teeth on my small grinders aren't identical either, but they do the job, and the small holes are my primary concern. If he had a premium grinder with 3-3.5 mm holes I'd buy it in a flash.

I haven't tried any other generic, low priced grinders. There may well be some really good ones available from other eBay sellers. I'm happy with what I've got. He's the only source of small hole grinders I know of. I do plan to try a Chromium Crusher-a 2.25" 4 piece for $25 is too tempting for me to resist. They do have a 3 yr warranty so at least I won't get screwed with a defective one like I did with the TrueBlendz I bought.

Like I said, I'll pass on your complaints. Kelly does have excellent customer service. After all, he did replace my 2.5" $14 grinder (it had nothing wrong with it-just not quite 'as described' on his auction) with a $40 model AND refund my return shipping. I'll let you know if he's willing to cut you a deal. Can't hurt to ask, right?

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Brand new and dirty? I always wash mine before initial use, but I've never had one that I'd call dirty, maybe just a few shiny leftovers of the manufacturing process that you could expect with any make.

There is a black substance, oil? that I had to wipe off all the screwing teeth. Not to mention the bottom kief compartment was covered in metal shavings, and when I 'scraped' up some kief, it seemed to also shave off some metal, I could tell because of little tiny metal flakes I saw, good thing I didn't load any into the vape..... I wasn't' even applying much pressure. I poured out the kief into the Mendo and scrubbed it, again, with a toothbrush and some soap. Seems to have fixed it. I'll have to be careful. I'm not sure if I even wanna toy with that kief ATM.

How can holes suck?

The combination of the teeth and holes simply don't work. It ended up just mashing and spinning around my bud, instead of grinding and falling through. If the holes were either slightly bigger, or more of them were put in, it would probably work just fine. Too few and far between IMO

Sorry. I don't know what you mean here.

The inside wall of the bud compartment has threads.

Yeah. At this point, I really don't care. It was like 22 bucks. The grinder is alright, it's not snazzy, but it does the job. I plan on using it for kief accumulation, rather than my main grinder.

And yes, I would say the teeth are shittily made. There is absolute no consistency, order or uniformity in their placement. *shrug*

You can ask him, go ahead, I doubt I will take him up on the offer, seeing as I have used the grinder, but it would be nice for him to at least take some better pictures and update the info on the product so people know what they are getting into. The picture on the ebay site is a little bit deceiving. Thanks max.

But obviously you can't expect Space Case/Mendo quality in a 4", $22 grinder.

Why not? from the Ebay bid site:
Made of prime quality aircraft grade aluminum on C.N.C. lathes, this grinder has very sharp well shaped teeth which really mulches up the product.

Made of prime quality aluminum. Not a prime quality grinder. And the teeth are def. not well made. One of them is almost like a squiggly.

 

[max]

That does sound like it's inferior to the ones I bought from him. From the dirt to the grinding section design to the teeth.

The inside wall of the bud compartment has threads.

Mine have threads in the bottom screen section, so I get a little kief in the threads there-preferable (for me) to threads in the top part, and you gotta have threads somewhere.

But obviously you can't expect Space Case/Mendo quality in a 4", $22 grinder.

Why not? from the Ebay bid site:

He claims high quality for his all CNC grinders-

"Made of the highest quality aluminum we have ever seen in an imported item, the craftsmanship on this item is impeccable! The lid slides smoothly onto the unit with NO wiggle. The magnets are strong. The teeth are RAZOR SHARP!

This item matches up with ANY of the "name brand" items that are available at about half the cost!"

He doesn't make those claims for the 4" you bought.

Made of prime quality aluminum. Not a prime quality grinder.

Exactly. The material is one part of it. The way it's made is the other part. He claims neither the "highest quality aluminum", nor an all CNC process. Cheaper to make means you can sell it for less.

Sounds like your description of the teeth may qualify it as a defective grinder. Like I said, can't hurt to ask. If he'll refund or exchange, in my experience he'll also refund your return shipping. I'll let you know what he says.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Yeah, please do. FYI, I have used it. So I'd have to give it a very good scrubdown before sending it back, if that is even kosher. Maybe he could just give me a little discount on his fullyCNC'd grinders? hehe, that is prolly asking too much though. (I admit, I am sometimes a turd).

Which ones do you specifically have?

Like I said though, I mean, I kind of expected a sub-quality grinder. I wasn't expecting true quality, but I guess I was setting my standards a little high.

So max, know anywhere I can get a killer deal on a pollen press and high quality grinder? I see your also contemplating the Chromium Crusher.... IIRC, that grinder had some sort of deal, right?

ebay would be nice too, I can get 30% off anything for a few more days..... (check the ebay thread in general discussion).

Maybe I should just invest in a kief box. Fuck. So many choices. I think I should just clean my Mendo before deciding on anything else. With the PD purchase pending today, I don't think I need more toys.

 

[vtac]

If he had a premium grinder with 3-3.5 mm holes I'd buy it in a flash.

I'm sure you aren't alone there.

You must hate these 'pick one' questions by now, but how would you compare a mixnball to a KGP premium fully CNC'd?

Spiral, looks like that grinder needs to see a dentist.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Ooooooo

I found a nice one

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-5-ALUMINUM-PO...263209217QQihZ010QQcategoryZ133QQcmdZViewItem

20 bucks. 3.5". No threads on the inside. Fully CNC'd. Gasket. Free acrylic grinder.

These are also really nice.

Black. Big holes. Now those are some well machined teeth!! The rounded bottom edges are also a plus.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...o=CRX&its=S%2BI%2BSS&itu=ISS%2BUCI%2BSI&otn=4

Oh, I re-read the first page. It looks like Clear-Dome ordered this guy.... maybe I'll pester him for some upclose snaps of the grinder before a purchase!

I've taken the liberty and messaged the vendor about the hole sizes. Since I figured inquiring minds might like to know...



oooooo fuck.
Chromium Crusher has a 4 inch model. Now this is Quality..... it can be found on ebay for 40 bucks, and smaller ones with a pollen press included.

http://www.vaporizerdealer.com/coll...r/products/4-4-piece-chromium-crusher-grinder

"Since we opened in late 2007, thousands of units of Chromium Crushers has been sold with zero complaints, zero returned products, and zero warranty claimed."

Well that is good. I'll be ordering from an ebay vendor, and probably wont get a 4 inch model. I have a sort of 'system' on my desk, and 3 inches is perfect. It fits right on top of my AVB jar in my cubby. 4 inch is too big.

Hehe.... I think I'm just going to get my money back my passing it on for no profit to a friend who would absolutely kill for this grinder.


// late night edit

So I met up with my buddy. I told him I had gotten an awesome grinder at a wicked price online. He said cool, take it out. I took it out and you should've seen his eyes. I was like here dude, 20 bucks. He was sooo happy. And he smoked me out.... yes, smoked >.< We smoked a blunt, and it wasn't...that. bad. He loves the grinder, he's never had one before and he's one of those dudes who drives a gigantic truck, shoots big guns, has giant bongs and is rather big himself. Suits him well. In the short time I was with him the bottom was already filling up with kief. I just need to turn him onto vaporizing but he finds it 'feminine' it seems.... IDK.

So, in the meanwhile, I have been looking up info on the Chromium. There are a few peeps who are dissin on it but I think they are blowing smoke. I read some false claims of 'breaking teeth and chipping paint'.

The teeth are individual attached to the top. It isn't 'machined out'. It's made of Zinc and Steel. I really like the design, and it has no inside threads. It is apparently practically 'scratch free', and it isn't paint, I guess the metal just is that color?... anyways, yeah. Food for thought.

oh yeah, and on more thinking, i think the aerospace is a chromium 'rip-off'.... thoughts? we need clear_dome in here to share pics

//edit
god this post is huge, my bad

 

[max]

how would you compare a mixnball to a KGP premium fully CNC'd?

Kelly's have the shiny aluminum that will show even the tiniest scratches (even swirl marks from polishing), while MixnBall has that gray, non-slick, annodized coating that's unique to the market, AFAIK. Is the MB coating indestructable-no. But with care it'll keep the 'new look' much better than the shiny surface.

Comparing the MB Classic screen grinder (which I think is the best buy) to what Kelly has in stock now (CNC are 15% off):
MB Classic- 56mm (2.2")- $30 + 10 shipping
Kelly's CNC- 50mm (~2")- $20.40 + 4.50 sh.
Kelly- 63mm (~2.5") $34 + 4.50 sh.

I've seen Kelly list a 55-56mm and a 60mm before, but those sizes aren't currently listed. If the 50mm is big enough for you, you save about $15 vs. the 56mm MB. The 63mm is only slightly cheaper than the MB, and the additional .3" isn't enough for me to go with Kelly's over the MB.

Kelly's have the O ring so you get no squeaks when grinding. The metal to metal sound on the MB doesn't bother me at all though. It doesn't seem to get the ground up herb stuck to the metal where you get that squeaking noise from the two grinding sections, so it's easier to clean too. I don't know how the O ring on Kelly's will hold up long term. MB has a grinder that uses an O ring (Combat grinder), and they sell a pack of 5 replacement rings for $5, so I guess the rings don't last forever.

I would rather have the MB, but I don't think there's a big difference in grinding functionality, and I haven't used them long enough to see if one has an edge over the other long term. Kelly's are a little better buy, more so if you add a 2nd or 3rd screen. You can get a 50mm 5 piece (use 2 screens or your choice of mesh size) for $28.29 (on sale) delivered, while MB's double screen will set you back $55 + shipping. A choice of screen size is nice, but it's no big deal to me.

MB has the edge, IMO, in metal quality. They also have a 5 year warranty.
"Mix "N' Ball products are some of the most consumer safe and environmentally friendly products on the planet. Along with never adding colors of any kind, Mix 'N' Ball uses a special electrical process and procedure - known as organic anodizing - to layer a toxin-free, protective coating on all of our products."
http://store.mixnball.com/cubecart/index.php/mix-n-ball-safe-coating/i_16.html

So it depends on your priorities. Kelly has good stuff, and despite Spiral's lemon of a 4 incher, I'm perfectly happy with my 2 cheapies for the small holes. I like the MB or Kelly's CNC (MB is all CNC too, BTW) for the initial grind, since both will shred and process 99.5% of the herb the first time through, but I'll continue to use the smaller cheapies for a final run through (or start to finish if I'm not grinding a big supply) because I really like the 3-3.5mm holes for the PD's small bowl.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

I just looked at the MixNBall site.... 4 week pre-order for the Classic Screens. Ouch.

I do love how they have the magnets on the side, as oppose to the middle. That's unique.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Well, I went ahead and ordered a Chromium Crusher. 18 bucks, with the 30% discount (27 origionally). Free shipping.

I talked to the vendor, called him up, and asked about if they are the 'newer' ones ore the older prototypes.

He said that the 2-piece and 3-piece grinders are the older prototypes but the 4 and 5 pieces are the newer ones with a lighter outside and different logo.

Looking forward to it and I'll write up a review when it arrives. I got the 5 piece. It was only a few bucks more than the 4 piece and I figured, why not?

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Chromium arrived. I'll get some pics and a review up later. I'm totally loving it right now. Such a sleek, well machined design. The fact that it is gunsmoke black and scratch proof is awesome too.

 

[max]

18 bucks, with the 30% discount (27 origionally).

30% discount? Am I missing something?

 

[vtac]

18 bucks, with the 30% discount (27 origionally).

30% discount? Am I missing something?

http://www.fuckcombustion.com/viewtopic.php?id=266 Doesn't seem to work for me.

Spiral, I think we need to talk about your grinder habit.

 

[max]

Thanks for the link vtac. I remember that now. Looks like the discount is down to 25%. Also looks like a complicated process. Probably worth it if your eBay purchases add up to enough $. No eBay Herbos and it's not like I'm trying to find stuff to spend money on.. :/

 

[SpiralArchitect]

It's actually a very simple process. And it does work. I'm not sure about Canadians however. If you have any ?'s, just ask, I can hold your hand through it -- it's well worth it. And yes, last I checked, it's down to 25%.

And vtac, my old, big grinder from Kelly's, I had given to a friend who was moving away. He loves it and right now it's sitting in Montana grinding up some big buds -- I know it.

Review later today, pending me finding batteries for pics.

 

[partially veiled]

Quick update:

So I've been getting the run-around re: my Mendo Mulcher. I've corresponded with the Mendo Mulcher Warehouse, and basically after some back and forth they've told me I can return the unit any time I want, as it has a full lifetime warantee. Now, they were nice enough...but they took FOREVER to get back to me (it was always a gentleman named Wes Dixion) and when they did respond, it was basically to tell me what I already knew in different words and then point me towards the manufacturer. So that's who I've turned to: I've sent info@mendomulchers.com a few e-mails, and have recieved no response. It's been over a week. I don't want to make a judgment call just yet, and I have sent them another letter so I'll keep waiting for a response...but I just don't get a good feeling about this. My instincts say it's the winds of shifty dealings which are ruslting my feathers...but I suppose we'll have to wait and see. At the VERY least, if you're buying through www.mendomulcherwarehouse.com or www.mendomulchers.com, it seems as if you should NOT expect quick service and a speedy response to your problems, if they should ever arise...and mine were there from day one, so what does that say. Anyways, I know there's lots of happy Mendo owners out there, so this is just my ...but it's an honest , I do assure you that.

Further, my KGP grinders have not showed up yet That ticks me off a bit, he told me 5-6 days for delivery and as of yesterday it will have been 9 business days. Whatever...I guess we know who lives closer to Kelly, eh Spiral? Bummer about your grinder BTW dude, but it was very different from the ones I'm getting. He's got so much different stuff on that page, you really have to read through it carefully. That one didn't mention anything about the "new" screen compartments, so that's why you ended up with one with threads. Anyways, it seems as if you're problems solved, but now you've got me worried about what the teeth are going to look like on my new grinders. Oh well...I guess I'll have to keep waiting and find out

Yes and Spiral, it would be awesome if you could review your Chromium Crusher...I was actually looking at those as well, as I still need a "larger" grinder with standard holes, and that one looks quite nice. Right now it's between that and a Mix N' Ball for me, and the Mix N' Ball only looks appealing because of the adaonized coating (the experience with my Mendo has me all paranoid now...). Oh, and I recieved my Shaker box today....but it showed up with no screens!!!??? Double I've contacted the company so we'll see what happens...but that REAAAALY ticked me off.

What a freaking day. Time to kiss my PD and let her warm me up. Have a good weekend boyos.

 

[max]

It's actually a very simple process. And it does work. I'm not sure about Canadians however. If you have any ?'s, just ask, I can hold your hand through it -- it's well worth it. And yes, last I checked, it's down to 25%.

Yeah I gave it a few more minutes of study and tried it out. I wouldn't call it "very" simple, but then we're not all as smart as you are Spiral . Knowing what the hell 'Live search' is a helpful starting point. Once I got signed up there the path was pretty clear. Decided to try out a 2.25" 5 piece Crusher myself. Supposedly saved $5. I'll find out in 2 months I guess. Now if you were wanting to pick up an SSV (buy it now at $230), the 25% discount, plus a 10% coupon (good through 10-30) that at least some eBayers have been sent, gets you the SSV for $149.50. Not bad.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Damn, DD, sounds like a rough time. Hopefully the Mendo people get back to you. I'm not sure if its the original manufacturers/people running the show now. When I ordered mine they were very kind and I couldn't have been happier about it. Sorry to hear about your troubles.

That also sucks about your other grinders not arriving! That worries me! Mine arrived like.... last week. I think it shipped from the east coast too.... Maybe it's lost in inner-city mail, assuming you live in a large urban area, that can happen....

Alrighty then, here is the review of the Chromium Crusher. (Click images for larger, hi-res pics. 56k warning)



First off, the teeth. Oh they are beautiful. They are very well machined and *sharp*. When I first grinded up an entire sheet of notebook paper in this thing to clean it, it tore right through it with the greatest of ease. My only complaint is that the edges, where you can see a sort of indentation around the outer perimeter of the inside grinder top, sometimes lil' pieces of bud get stuck their and don't always fall through. No biggie however.



The magnet is really strong, and the 'triangle' on the top piece is effective at keeping bud from getting jammed in between.



As you can see, the holes are nice and big. The grinder works effortlessly. It has a very small, clear o-ring/gasket so you don't get any annoying squealing and a smooth, consistent grind.

Let's move on.... kinda backwards, but I digress.



Sorry for the blurry picture. I would've re-took it, but batteries kaput after uploading (stole TV the ones from the TV remote)

Anyways, the outside is a nice metallic, shimmering gun smoke metallic color. It has almost 'microscopic' ridges, similiar to those on the top (first picture). I think it's going to be pretty much scratch proof. It gets smudges from oils on your fingers and what not, but I wipe it with my shirt and it's so shiny. The top and bottom have lil' ridges for grip-action.

Now onto the screens....



They are very nice. Extremely taunt. I'd say they are about the same, or smaller mesh than the Mendo. I got the 5-piece, so it came with 2 screens, but they are both the same micron size. :/ Oh well. I decided because i often have 2 kinds of bud, they will be sort of like 'separate serving trays', and god forbid, I have an extra just in case something breaks or whatever.... Another little complaint, the walls of the herb compartments are so small. :/ I have to open it carefully so I don't spill. Other than that it's not really a problem though.



Underside of screen *shrug* Figured why not.


And perhaps the most important part; the kief production



So far I haven't given it much agitation, but it has already produced a decent amount of kief. It's really fine and blonde. The kief compartment has very high walls. Mine has kinda a nick in the metal, probably from when it was machined (BTW, Made In China), it's simply aesthetics, but still...

Comparisons to Mendo


Well, there you have it. Overall, I am extremely pleased with this grinder.

I love the shiny gunsmoke color. I love the high quality, taunt, very fine mesh screens. I love the big holes, well machined, sharp teeth and not to mention no threads on the inside.

I'm not sure what my Mendo thinks of it becoming my main grinder/replacement. They may have to duke it out, but, to be honest, I think the Chromium is going to give it a run for it's money. Right now they are sitting stacked on top of each other and they don't like it one bit.

All in all. I give it a solid A. It's still growing on me , and I've probably only put a gram or two through it, but I've already fallen in love.




oh, and max. Glad to see you took advantage of the rebate thing. Now that you have it all setup, it might be worth your time to do some x-mas shopping. Your allowed up to 12 transactions.