The Dani by Battery-free Ganz

[Grover]

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The Lotus was a classic, and once technique was dialed in, nothing but smiles followed. Gave mine away years back, wish I wouldn't have now.

The Castle I believe was BFG's first vape release before the V1 Dani. It was discontinued because of dwindling demand likely due to limited regional market reach. Since their focus has broaden to global distribution, the numbers should be there to reintroduce the Castle to a new audience. I do think the Castle will gain a whole new following as the west becomes more familiar with their products.

The photos below are of the no longer available V 2 Castle. Looking forward to the release of the new V 3 and new additions in the coming months. 2022 is turning out to be even a better year for vape enthusiasts!
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Great information...thank you. Colour me excited about the V3 Castle!

 

[BingsBuddery]

V3 on Deck! Just arrived yesterday afternoon, so these are just some early impressions based on ~12hrs in hand:

The improvements over the V2 are quite apparent out of the box:

The cap:
The extra silver in the form of a larger band is a welcome improvement. I have been heating my V2 below the OG narrow band, so now I'm at about halfway between the new silver band and below it, which puts the flame right above the intake holes, essentially. Regarding the intake holes, they are definitely larger, and there is a marked difference in airflow between this and a stock V2. The V3 performs much closer out of the box to my modded V2 on a waterpiece. Airflow is really one of those preference things dictated by the power of your windbags, so it's hard to say for certain, but I think the level of bong-restriction on the V3 will be acceptable to most folks. Natively, the airflow on the V3 is pretty much bang-on. I find V3 brings a very nice native experience, especially if you opt for a couple of heat cycles and keep it in that terpy zone.. just glorious.

https://imgur.com/k1G0MCF

The Tip:
The additional fins are tapered back to the diameter of the mid-section adapter, so there's no longer a big overhang where the fins meet the adapter: an aesthetic improvement, albeit a symmetrical one that satisfies my OCD. The fins are chamfered and no longer have that knife edge feel. The helix grooves on the tip have been knocked back, but I'd still like to see more chamfering done, as I still find them a tad catchy at times. More time is needed to ascertain whether the additional fins have much impact on cooling. The tip o-rings seem much better than those on the V2.

https://imgur.com/Bg9abZS

The Midsection:
Is quite a bit thicker, and comes in ~7g heavier than the V2 midsection. The nice thing about this change is that the midsection only gets about half as hot (if that) as the V2 midsection given the same degree of heat, and it is far easier on the hands after some use; my fingertips appreciate it. What can be said about that anodization job? wow.. I feel like I should be wearing gloves to even handle it.

https://imgur.com/BPWXjNK

510 Drip Tip Mouthpiece:
I like it. I'm not sure if it is adding anything meaningful to the experience... I'm sure there is some thermodynamic magic that happens when you funnel hot air through a narrowing, but I'm not a physicist... anybody who is, feel free to chime in on this one.

The Adapter Sections No Longer Require O-Rings:
Yep. You read that correct. LESS o-rings! Halle-fuckin-lujah! It is dead-tight too, there are no air-gaps caused by this change.

https://imgur.com/Ar8iPtb

Overall Early Impressions:
There is a hell of a lot to love with Dani V3. It makes multiple, notable improvements over the already solid V2, and does it while boasting an incredible value. This is absolutely the version of Dani I feel comfortable recommending people jump on board with.

https://imgur.com/ayjAuJx

 

[Die_Toffifee]

Thanks for your early impressions! Looks pretty sweet.

Has somebody successfully imported one of those things to Germany and got it through customs without any problems?

 

[endof3d]

The Midsection:
Is quite a bit thicker, and comes in ~7g heavier than the V2 midsection. The nice thing about this change is that the midsection only gets about half as hot (if that) as the V2 midsection given the same degree of heat, and it is far easier on the hands after some use; my fingertips appreciate it. What can be said about that anodization job? wow.. I feel like I should be wearing gloves to even handle it.

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Thanks for the great review and photos! Mine was ordered last week and the upgrades sound like a further refinement.

Question: With the thicker midsection, has the intercooler increased or changed in size/diameter? Thinking it would have to unless the wall thickness of the Ti stem just got thicker. Thanks.
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[BingsBuddery]

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Thanks for the great review and photos! Mine was ordered last week and the upgrades sound like a further refinement.

Question: With the thicker midsection, has the intercooler increased or changed in size/diameter? Thinking it would have to unless the wall thickness of the Ti stem just got thicker. Thanks.
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Good question.

I had to edit this, because I thought the V2 spiral fit the V3, but it actually doesnt go in all the way, it gets stuck part way down.. so yeah, the inner diameter must have been reduced, but only just slightly. That includes the diameter of the spiral, slightly reduced.. it also has an additional twist and is about 2mm longer than the V2 spiral.

 

[endof3d]

Good question.

I had to edit this, because I thought the V2 spiral fit the V3, but it actually doesnt go in all the way, it gets stuck part way down.. so yeah, the inner diameter must have been reduced, but only just slightly. That includes the diameter of the spiral, slightly reduced.. it also has an additional twist compared to the V2 spiral.. I just noticed.

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Thanks for the reply. So the thicker stem not only offers better heat comfort to the hand but also must balance out the overall weight distribution of the unit. The additional twist in the intercooler means an even longer cooling path. Wow. Very impressed as to how quickly this vape is being refined and improved!
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[BingsBuddery]

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Thanks for the reply. So the thicker stem not only offers better heat comfort to the hand but also must balance out the overall weight distribution of the unit. Very impressed as to how quickly this vape is being refined.
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Yep. You're bang on; the weight distribution feels a good bit more balanced with V3.

 

[maremaresing]

Plus I have a huge old medicali that I want to properly fill with vapor.

Finally got it for ya. The part where you would insert the BFG/anvil/dv or whatever has a clearance of 11.85mm wide by 11mm deep. Hope that helps.

I remembered I had an unused (obv) bowl from a chinaglass item, and dug it out yesterday. With the right orings the BFG fits nicely. It is, of course, excellent through a jhook.

https://imgur.com/eAwoikn

Tried the dani through my big straight medicali like I originally wanted. Don't really have anything to make use of it since I fucked combustion all those years ago. Things like a dyna or enano work, but never really filled it up. Even in the case of the dyna, you'd get one good rip before it clicked, and while nice it didn't justify pulling out the big guns.

Dani pairs with the medicali perfectly because it can back to back whitewall. I'd take this huge rip, clear, then find I had another 4-5 of the same before the dani clicked and stopped making vapor. It was like a sprint where I was trying to keep up with the dani and just about failing.

I'll also say that it's nice that the dani can be heated without rotating. This is a critical improvement over other vapes I've tried through big glass. I can just hold the waterpipe in one hand with the dani inserted, and use my other to torch it til it clicks. You know, how combustion pipes are designed to work. None of this race to stop rolling and insert, or fighting with cords. Then, when it's clicked, it's like a lit bowl and you don't have to worry about heating anymore. Very natural.

And the terps! Oh my god. I never really cared about terps or noticed them outside of the nice flavor of vapes. I go for high temps and don't mind a roasty flavor. Plus, it's CBD flower that I pre grind and isn't top shelf. But the dani through glass not only gave crazy flavor but lungfeel as well. It felt like inhaling vicks vapor rub or something, with the clean airy sting of the terps. Very eye opening.

It's nice to have a reason to give the old faithful medicali a place in the spotlight again.

 

[Misterhyde]

Has anyone ordered the wooden stem one? I'm wondering if it is pretty nice/worth the extra few bucks. Also wondered if it was lined.

 

[coolbreeze]

the dani through my big straight medicali

Pix pls tx. ; )

 

[Wesleypipes]

Has anyone ordered the wooden stem one? I'm wondering if it is pretty nice/worth the extra few bucks. Also wondered if it was lined.

I have received the wooden stem and it does have a metal liner and it also has the intercooler inside

 

[Misterhyde]

I have received the wooden stem and it does have a metal liner and it also has the intercooler inside

Thank you! Thats exactly what I wanted to hear. It looked pretty nice on the site.

 

[Grover]

V3 on Deck! Just arrived yesterday afternoon, so these are just some early impressions based on ~12hrs in hand:
The improvements over the V2 are quite apparent out of the box:
The cap:
The extra silver in the form of a larger band is a welcome improvement. I have been heating my V2 below the OG narrow band, so now I'm at about halfway between the new silver band and below it, which puts the flame right above the intake holes, essentially. Regarding the intake holes, they are definitely larger, and there is a marked difference in airflow between this and a stock V2. The V3 performs much closer out of the box to my modded V2 on a waterpiece. Airflow is really one of those preference things dictated by the power of your windbags, so it's hard to say for certain, but I think the level of bong-restriction on the V3 will be acceptable to most folks. Natively, the airflow on the V3 is pretty much bang-on. I find V3 brings a very nice native experience, especially if you opt for a couple of heat cycles and keep it in that terpy zone.. just glorious.

https://imgur.com/k1G0MCF

The Tip:
The additional fins are tapered back to the diameter of the mid-section adapter, so there's no longer a big overhang where the fins meet the adapter: an aesthetic improvement, albeit a symmetrical one that satisfies my OCD. The fins are chamfered and no longer have that knife edge feel. The helix grooves on the tip have been knocked back, but I'd still like to see more chamfering done, as I still find them a tad catchy at times. More time is needed to ascertain whether the additional fins have much impact on cooling. The tip o-rings seem much better than those on the V2.

https://imgur.com/Bg9abZS

The Midsection:
Is quite a bit thicker, and comes in ~7g heavier than the V2 midsection. The nice thing about this change is that the midsection only gets about half as hot (if that) as the V2 midsection given the same degree of heat, and it is far easier on the hands after some use; my fingertips appreciate it. What can be said about that anodization job? wow.. I feel like I should be wearing gloves to even handle it.

https://imgur.com/BPWXjNK

510 Drip Tip Mouthpiece:
I like it. I'm not sure if it is adding anything meaningful to the experience... I'm sure there is some thermodynamic magic that happens when you funnel hot air through a narrowing, but I'm not a physicist... anybody who is, feel free to chime in on this one.
The Adapter Sections No Longer Require O-Rings:
Yep. You read that correct. LESS o-rings! Halle-fuckin-lujah! It is dead-tight too, there are no air-gaps caused by this change.

https://imgur.com/Ar8iPtb

Overall Early Impressions:
There is a hell of a lot to love with Dani V3. It makes multiple, notable improvements over the already solid V2, and does it while boasting an incredible value. This is absolutely the version of Dani I feel comfortable recommending people jump on board with.

https://imgur.com/ayjAuJx

 

[Fox]

Hi guys can anyone tell if a European retail sale is to be expected. Thanks

 

[Die_Toffifee]

Hi guys can anyone tell if a European retail sale is to be expected. Thanks

From what I've gathered emailing with them, no, at the moment it doesn't look like it.

I was thinking about getting a few more units instead of just one as shipping with DHL from Vietnam to Europe isn't cheap, but I don't want the trouble with German customs.

 

[Abele Rizieri Ferrari]

Maybe we can do a EU group buy? I'm in NL, customs don't care about vapes but they will charge taxes and import duties. Still with the shipping costs might be worth it if there's enough interest. Although shipping prices within EU and safely packing the individual orders and the effort it all takes lol might not make much of difference...

 

[Die_Toffifee]

Although shipping prices within EU and safely packing the individual orders and the effort it all takes lol might not make much of difference...

Actually it would. Depending on how many Danis we're talking about, there'd be quite a significant difference because one wooden stem V3 shipped with DHL and imported to Germany would actually get you somewhere close to 185€. I know this because I've got a quote from BFG about the V3 plus shipping and then you can do the math on tax and customs yourself.

I'd be happy to get a few more units and ship them within the EU but I really don't want to carry the risk of a bulk order passing through German customs.

Not sure if setting up something like this would fly within FC rules anyway.

 

[maremaresing]

Doublechecking for V3 owners- is the draw restriction really noticeably less? I'm going to buy one from wesleypipes, specifically for a better waterpipe experience. V2 is great through a jhook or stem, but I'd like to notice the suction a bit less when going through other glass.

can you describe what you'd try with a lathe? I literally just got my grizzly 18" for this exact reason. Looking for designs to play with.

You should pump out a few dani to dyna stem adapters so people can use their existing WPA and special stems! I'd be down for one if the price was right.

OH! And make a double dani adapter that can accommodate two dani heads side by side.

 

[Alligator427]

Actually it would. Depending on how many Danis we're talking about, there'd be quite a significant difference because one wooden stem V3 shipped with DHL and imported to Germany would actually get you somewhere close to 185€. I know this because I've got a quote from BFG about the V3 plus shipping and then you can do the math on tax and customs yourself.

I'd be happy to get a few more units and ship them within the EU but I really don't want to carry the risk of a bulk order passing through German customs.

Not sure if setting up something like this would fly within FC rules anyway.

Ouch ! I sent an email yesteday to order a dani (no response until now), but I expected a lot of less than this price. Shipping + custom and VAT worth around 100€, that would say more than the vaporizer itself ?
I don't imagine the price in France ...

 

[Die_Toffifee]

Well, according to BFG and I quote "a package that wants to go to Europe easily needs to cost at least 65usd with DHL service".
So it's 90$ for a wooden Dani, 65$ in shipping plus around 25% of those 155$ in tax and customs. Feel free to imagine a lower price but if you choose DHL, this is what it comes down to. Okay, to France it could be 10€ less..

You can choose cheaper shipping options like a) China Post: which would take around 2-3 weeks and isn't insured to my knowledge; or b) FedEx: which is cheaper being around 35$ I believe, but they will charge you afterwards for handling tax and custom. From my experience DHL is the best, but also the most expensive service.

 

[chimpybits]

Does anyone know definitively if it's possible for an IH to heat this?
I recall a post mentioning that it can't due to silver being too low resistance, but I also recall something about an IH in the works. Search is of course useless as "IH" is too short.

 

[Abele Rizieri Ferrari]

Actually it would. Depending on how many Danis we're talking about, there'd be quite a significant difference because one wooden stem V3 shipped with DHL and imported to Germany would actually get you somewhere close to 185€. I know this because I've got a quote from BFG about the V3 plus shipping and then you can do the math on tax and customs yourself.

I'd be happy to get a few more units and ship them within the EU but I really don't want to carry the risk of a bulk order passing through German customs.

Not sure if setting up something like this would fly within FC rules anyway.

Hm that's a lot of money, when my interest in the wood one was just rising...

 

[Momor]

Ouch ! I sent an email yesteday to order a dani (no response until now), but I expected a lot of less than this price. Shipping + custom and VAT worth around 100€, that would say more than the vaporizer itself ?
I don't imagine the price in France ...

Just in case, there is one complete Dani V3 + wooden stem + o-ring pack + 510 drip tip on sale on Leboncoin.fr. Seller is asking 145€

 

[coolbreeze]

Hm that's a lot of money, when my interest in the wood one was just rising...

TWSS!

 

[BingsBuddery]

Doublechecking for V3 owners- is the draw restriction really noticeably less? I'm going to buy one from wesleypipes, specifically for a better waterpipe experience. V2 is great through a jhook or stem, but I'd like to notice the suction a bit less when going through other glass.

Yes, it is definitely better. I drilled my V2 cap holes to 1/16", and testing between the two, the V3 is slightly less restricted even than my modded V2--I hadnt expected that result because the V3 holes are smaller than 1/16", so I'm guessing the extra airflow is coming from having reduced the height of the helix grooves slightly, so that air flows between the tip and cap more easily. That said, it's still not as open as an anvil or a revolve set to low restriction, but given that it does not have an adjustable airflow system, I'd say it's getting as close to a happy medium as can be possible without adding adjustability.

Edit: After some more testing, it seems like there was some additional airflow improvement made to the overall body design, because even with the cap off, the restriction is a bit less on V3. Can't quite put my finger on it, but better is better, if even just slightly.

Does anyone know definitively if it's possible for an IH to heat this?

It's NOT inductable. The material is 304SS which doesnt contain enough iron to induct well.

General chat:
I feel bad for the Europeans here. It cost around $35USD to have a Dani shipped to Canada by FedEx, and I have been hit with zero tax or duties on either my V2 or V3... just dropped at the door.