Finally got a Sticky Brick Jr and finally caught up on this thread.
First and foremost, have to shout out a loud thanks to
@Other Side for initiating me into the torch and wood club, and for much more. One of the truly cool souls on FC.
Also heartfelt thanks
@kimura for the care given to the SBJ that would eventually be mine.
I'm such a fan of the high tech end of portables that I ignored this simple but oh so powerful side.
Well, Ka-POW!, the Sticky Brick Jr would be an eye opener for any vaporist who hasn't tried a torch and wood vape.
Pros:
It's easy to use.
Yes I have combusted once, charred a couple of times, but as long as you catch it quick and dump the char, it won't foul the piece, but it's rare.
The technique is fairly straight forward. Cover carp with ring fingertip, .5-1 inch flame rotated/swiveled just licking the interior of the intake, even draw(listen for the telltale roar of the heat channelling thru the intake tube) until heat and then pull flame back off intake to control, uncover carb to clear. Open, rotate lid to dock the opposite ends of the top magnetically(as suggested earlier), stir with metal spoon provided( to dock in the hole I clipped approx 1/4 inch off the end of the handle of the spoon with a needle nose pliers, to fit when the unit is closed. Love this convenience!!), and draw again. Repeat 2-7 times depending on length of draws, strain, and freshness/dryness of strain.
<On that note, being in So Cal, access to high quality material can be taken for granted. The quality of the material you vape will make the biggest difference. So for context sake, when I reflect on a vape like this, it's under the best conditions regarding material.>
It's cool.
Simple, elegant design and fun to use. The breakdown and build back process while loading and dumping is enjoyable. Love that it is entirely enclosed, love the form factor both open and closed.
Enviably simple design. The motto less is more is on full display here.
Flavor is, as stated, amazing.
It's just your material, nothing in the vapor path, and in the case of my spalted Maple, little to no wood taste. Back to basics, material + heat = joy.
It's powerful
As
@Other Side taught me, the power of the torch, once you learn to use it(simpler than you may think) deserves some reverence. May be the closest vaping experience to smoking I've had.
The raw nature of flame roasted material made a difference that was new to me.
No 18650s(love you guys) to carry, you can get a torch and butane almost anywhere on the planet so all you have to worry about is material and your SBJ(be sure to clip and dock your spoon).
Cons:
This may have been mentioned, it's a material hog....
I think it was also mentioned that maybe it's just so enjoyable to use that the weaker willed of us get carried away(I'm looking at you Adobewan!). Once you get your technique down, it's as efficient a vape as I can imagine. You have total control over extraction. And as previously mentioned, it doesn't distinguish between load size as long as the screen is covered. So...
...it is NOT a material hog.
Guess I've yet to run into any cons other than "too likable"?.
Tip: This may sound nuts but make sure your flame is aiming into the intake. That can be hard to tell when the intake is positioned perpendicular to your eye-line, as in looking directly across the intake opening. I angle the intake 10° or so, so I can see that I'm aimed in as opposed to missing the intake.
As mentioned previously in the thread, there is a soft roar when the heat has a clear channel thru the tube and is roasting. Listen for it as you rotate/angle your flame in toward the intake.
Not sure who the original designer of this piece is, I believe
@RastaBuddhaTao and Trilhouse were somewhere at the beginning of the process, and I see another company picking up the format on a new vape, but the original thinker behind this deserves some credit, some reward, or at least some love.
Sending love,
Adobewan