I'd been using the same grinder for more than a decade and I hadn't really put much thought into a new one until the delrin ring started to wear down and metal started rubbing together on my old one. I got a new replacement ring, but started to think of a replacement as a result. Initially looked into the BCG based on all of the praise, but I had also become convinced I needed a stainless steel model and I do enjoy collecting kief so a 4-piece was also a necessity. The Ripper fit the bill and because I am a loyal Dyna-drone, George's implicit endorsement of the product was all the push I needed.
I purchased a Ripper at the beginning of September, but for various reasons, both to do with the grinder and without, I haven't really been able to put it to consistent use.
I still really haven't put it through its paces, and I have a small issue I still need to resolve with it, but I have been using it fairly regularly in recent weeks and have a few thoughts I'd like to share.
First though, I'd like to mention that my interaction with Kevin, who I presume is the owner of the company, was great and he seems to be a pretty swell dude. I generally don't like branding on things and I contacted him to ask if he would be able to sell me a small matte Ripper without the "R" logo on top, and he obliged! Pretty awesome of him. I don't think there are many out there who'd do that.
Given that this is made out of stainless steel, I intrinsically knew that it would be heavy. For some reason though, there was a disconnect in my brain between that fact and what that might mean translated to real world use. As a result, I was pretty taken aback when after my first 3 or 4 grinds, my hands and wrists were genuinely fatigued. I don't have any arthritic or strength issues, so this was pretty surprising to me. After using an aluminum Space Case for well over a decade, I guess I was just unaccustomed to the weight. It's gotten better with additional use, but I still find it a little bit on the uncomfortable side weight-wise.
As mentioned by
@Obsessed 2 above, I also find it a little difficult to power through when over packed, despite my model having knurled edges both on top and bottom. I can do it, but it seems easier with other grinders that are over-packed. The additional weight of the stainless steel may also be playing a role in this. I generally find myself grinding a little less at a time as a result, not necessarily a bad thing.
In comparing this to my Space Case, the top chamber seems much more shallow. The Space Case looks to be about double the depth.
The herb and kief collecting chambers seem to be the opposite: The Ripper is about double the size of the Space Case in both instances:
I wanted to get all 3 grind plates, but I ultimately decided to get the medium and wait on the other two. I thought that given my usage and vaporizers, I would benefit the most from the medium and fine plates, so worst case, if I wanted to save a few bucks, I thought I could just pick up the fine plate down the line.
However, I think now I may need to opt for the coarse plate, as the medium seems too fine especially in comparison to my Space Case grind. Some Rockstar Kush:
Some home-grown White Widow:
I think in general I prefer the more coarse Space Case grind with my RBT vapes. There seems to be better airflow with the more coarse grind. That's pretty much my reasoning behind changing my mind about the coarse plate. The Ripper grind itself is excellent though. The resulting material is nice and fluffy, and looks to be very even. If the coarse plate maintains this consistency, it seems to me as if it'll be perfect. VapCaps work really well with the medium grind pictured above, but I have yet to try any of my other vapes with the new grind.
In terms of the issue I need to resolve, I was experiencing a rubbery smell coming from the gasket that holds the kief filter in place. The rubber smell was pretty strong to start with and it was affecting my nose when I used it. I purchased some circlip pliers to try and remove the ring to clean it in hopes of reducing some of the smell, but I still haven't been able to get it out. The smell has since subsided a little, but it's still strong enough to notice. The black marks and slightly squeezed gasket are the result of my attempts to remove the clip.
Outside of this, the Herb Ripper is very solid, with good grinding action and excellent short threading. It is actually possible to fully screw on the midsection of the grinder with a flick of your wrist. I still intend to purchase a coarse plate, but I think a fine one is probably unnecessary for my usage.
One other thing I'd like to mention and it's with respect to people throwing their grinders in the dishwasher. You can, and the stainless steel construction makes this a possibility, but my advice to you would be:
Don't. For the exact same reason you generally don't put knives into the dishwasher. Often the cleaning agents have abrasives in them to help break off food particles and stains. These abrasives can dull blades over time. If you continually throw your grinder into the dishwasher there is a good chance this could happen.
. Back to the BCG and true fine plate for use with my Flowerpot weed eater and vrod, what I use 90% of the time. I just wish the BCG was bigger. There will be an official for sale/trade post for this one soon as I’m really only interested in a fine grind and my BCG does just that.
