Alright, it's time I posted my review of this incredible product.
Yes, obviously I like it a lot.
Ok, for a bit of background. I have electrical/engineering/technician/scientific work backgrounds. The learning curve was very easy for me because I have these already. However, the first thing I tell anybody when I let them use the Persei is that this is not a consumer electronic device (iPad, Pax etc), this is a tool. You need to understand it, you need to maintain it properly and you need to not just wing it and deviate from how it is meant to work. You must own a DMM to maintain this product properly. That being said, I have found the performance to be worth it!
I bought the following:
Persei ti Black
Persei Black SS Kit
Herc SR74 (with 3.7v and 7.4v rods)
Bender/Hammer
2 x ti kiss carts (3.7v)
1 x ti kiss cart (7.4v)
Assorted AW 18350s and a few AW 18650s
Construction/Visual appeal: The thing I actually like the most about the Persei is the ecig-like form of the device. I live in a country where amber concentrates (Wax/Shatter/whatever) are unheard of. Their smell unknown, their appearance confused with maple syrup or something lol. This is the stealthiest way to vape in public (with SS shorty tube and 18350 and either kiss carts or 3.7v herc). I regularly use this in front of people in restaurants, pubs, clubs, bars, anywhere!
The SS kit is a must for those wanting to vape in public. The Persei is extremely durable, has the right amount of heft in the hand without being heavy, and looks splendid. The combination of Silver Kiss carts with the Black SS shorty base is a vision to behold, looks like some kind of bizarre high end lipstick applicator lol. The packaging and the visual appeal of every product is absolutely top-notch. I can see why
@THC SCIENTIFIC is widely regarded as the man when it comes to oil vapes. This stuff is as high quality as I could ever ask for! Well done on sourcing safe materials and putting them together well, Gary
Function (vaporizing): The Persei taught me how to make better concentrates, and how to tell which are better or worse. My QWET wax I was originally using when I got the Persei was full of plant material, and bubbled like crazy, it also tasted unpleasant. I had not until after hearing the bubbling in my KISS carts and speaking to Gary over Skype realised that this was the case. After refining my technique (see my thread in concentrates section and pictures further back in this thread), I am now producing QWISO amber shatter. Loading this into my KISS carts is great, I use the hammer top on the back of my globfather II ti dab tool to let the wax/shatter just roll onto the top of the coil, screw it back together (not too tightly) and hold the button in for 5 seconds to melt into the coil, then 8 seconds for taking a hit generally (don't start inhaling til after 4 seconds of heat).
Function (The Hercules): What can I say? This is the best way to vaporize oils, hands down. I own an E-Nano, Gravlabs ti gr2 nail/reclaimer, a lotus, loads of SS wool and abovementioned kiss carts and nothing tastes better with my concentrates. First of all, you need to take the time to learn how to use the herc. Know how to take it apart and put it together well, learn how to place the heater rods properly and always use a DMM after reassembly to make sure it is properly assembled. Cleaned all the parts with ISO and reassembled the Herc (thanks to help here on how to take an accurate DMM reading!).
Once properly assembled, I primed it for 20 seconds (3.7v rod) and then hit the Herc over 16 seconds, doing my 8 second pulses. Then another 8. Wow! I just got the best tasting mouthful of shatter I have ever had in my life. If the 3.7v rod is the hardest thing to use, then nobody needs to be intimidated by the Herc/Persei combo.
Battery Life: I am solely using the smaller AW 18350s at the moment, with my 3.7 kiss/herc. The battery life is great, I'll generally get a day's worth of getting high from one AW 18350, and I have a gargantuan tolerance. I will say that one great feature in new tops would be something to tell us when the battery voltage has sunk below 3.7v and needs recharging though. This is probably my only complaint thus far about the entire collection of stuff I have bought
Bender/Hammer: I must admit, I've only used my Bender once. I generally vape herb through my E-Nano and glass at home. I don't bring flowers out and about. I didn't know a thing about technique, and did slightly combust like 1/30 of the 1g load in the end. However, I got some incredible tasting clouds from it! I can see why
@ataxian used to rave so much about it! It is great. I will be hitting the Bender again soon, since Gary has given me the lowdown on how to use it properly.
Now to the Hammer. I never thought I'd use this much, but this is now a key tool in all of my oil vaping tasks. I use it to melt dabs off my dab tool, I use it to loads my KISS carts and Herc, I use it to melt dabs back up my Nano GonGs and all kinds of things. This is an absolute must-have. You should all probably get a second Persei just to have one of these permanently on hand and at the ready! I do confess that a soldering iron could do the same job, however, I can trust that the materials that my Persei/Hammer are made out of will not cause me any undue harm, and it's handy not having a wire hanging off the end of what you are trying to manipulate dabs with lol
Final Thoughts: I am sure I have missed loads here, however, I want to take time here to make special note of Gary's service. I have been speaking to him back and forth over FC and Skype for a fortnight now, and he is among the most down-to-earth, honest and forthcoming business people I have ever dealt with. His service has been beyond reproach in every way, and very often well above and beyond what I would ever expect. I would encourage everyone considering pulling the trigger on any w9 gear not to hesitate. Gary will answer any questions you have and help with any issues you run into, and you can buy his vaping tools knowing that you are right on the cutting edge of vape technology. This is an enthusiast vape if I ever owned one.
I will finally highlight that it took me a good 5 days of learning how to use the Persei and each of the accessories properly. I have also not used any 7.4v attachments apart from the Hammer yet. This is to highlight that even with my background, you will need to spend some time doing vaping homework to get your technique down. However, the rewards far more than justify the learning time spent.
Kudos to you Gary. Your products are exactly what I needed for my on the go needs, and so much more. Your service is the kind that'll have me not hesitating to order from you in the future, and happy to recommend your stuff to everyone I meet.
FC people, if you, like me love concentrates. Get yourself one of these if you haven't already
Cheers,
Herbivore21