Underdog Log Vapes

[underdog]

Hi guys, hard at work here on new Dogs for an upcoming refresh and also ones for our upcoming holiday special.. I know I mentioned it a week or so ago but I've been so busy I haven't finalized the details yet.

Also trying to get caught up on answering questions that some of you have sent in. If you've asked a question and haven't gotten answer answer yet you might want to remind me in case it got overlooked.

Someone had asked me recently about the cartridges we're using in custom pieces (standard ones still use the resistors, for now). The cartridges we're using are stainless steel ones, custom made for us right here in the USA (Great Lakes region) and are low voltage (12v). Using these means there is nothing but stainless steel used in the cores air path, no tinned copper wires, no solder, no glass insulators.

Here's a cartridge sitting next to a resistor for comparison:

So far I've been really happy using these, been putting them in some custom pieces for a while and in my own personal testing pieces for longer. These make a great even heat and are much more durable and resilient than the resistors. The only down side is the custom nature which means I can't just buy them off the shelf so they take a while to get from ordering to delivery and of course they cost 10x what the resistors cost.

 

[MileHighLife]

Got to play around with the new screens a bit today. If you think the bowl for the old style gong is too deep these are the ticket. Definitely cling to the walls really well and seem like they could make it through a few cleanings before needing replaced ... time will tell

Edit: after a few hours with the vvps I don't know how I lived without it!

 

[EnjoyYourOrange]

The new gong stems look super sweet, definitely need to pick some up. Guess I'll have to tough it out with silicone for the time being

 

[SD_haze]

I have an update on the new glass stems.

After more thorough use, I have some additional thoughts.

At first, I was a little thrown off by the new screen. I too though it was weird having a metal "cup" instead of a flat screen & glass wall.
Well, it turns out I prefer this "cup" screen!

-I find it easier to dislodge a vaped herb bowl for stirring with the metal screen surrounding the herb, compared with the glass wall. The packed bowl just seems to pop around very effortlessly.
-It's perfect for dosing! It serves as a good indicator of how big a bowl you want to max out at. I fill the cup, but don't overfill it. With around that size of a load, I get the perfect balance of a rich hit with even heating.
-I definitely can feel a little quality difference in the glass itself. It's real solid & simply effective.
-I find myself reaching for the direct-draw glass stem when I have hundreds of dollars of glass bongs to choose from & a GonG stem. Of course the GonG stem is just as good for direct-draw ;-)

 

[underdog]

I have an update on the new glass stems.

After more thorough use, I have some additional thoughts.

At first, I was a little thrown off by the new screen. I too though it was weird having a metal "cup" instead of a flat screen & glass wall.
Well, it turns out I prefer this "cup" screen!

-I find it easier to dislodge a vaped herb bowl for stirring with the metal screen surrounding the herb, compared with the glass wall. The packed bowl just seems to pop around very effortlessly.
-It's perfect for dosing! It serves as a good indicator of how big a bowl you want to max out at. I fill the cup, but don't overfill it. With around that size of a load, I get the perfect balance of a rich hit with even heating.
-I definitely can feel a little quality difference in the glass itself. It's real solid & simply effective.
-I find myself reaching for the direct-draw glass stem when I have hundreds of dollars of glass bongs to choose from & a GonG stem. Of course the GonG stem is just as good for direct-draw ;-)

So it seems like you're liking the new stems even more then after playing with them for a bit? I had similar reservations but quickly decided I really liked them, including the shape and style of the screens. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[underdogette]

Hey FC UDs, we've decided to move into a better shop space at the beginning of the coming year. To help raise some money, we've decided to throw a fun little promotion.

... and you're the first ones to know about our Holiday Vape! From the week of Thanksgiving all the way through the week of New Year's, get a great deal on a twig or full sized Ash, Cherry or Rustic Maple vape! The discount will be progressive, starting at $150 for the vape this week, and getting more expensive each Sunday until the end of the sale. (You can see the schedule in the product description)

Each piece will be made to order, so please allow 4-5 business days before shipping and understand that each vape will look different than the ones pictured. Each Holiday Vape will come with a bonus 3 pack of Direct Draw Stems plus the standard kit.

For the holiday season, we're also doing automatic free shipping on all orders over $150 - no need to enter a coupon code!

 

[Darkedhunter]

That holiday promotion is too cool! What a great deal.

Quick question, are glass liners for WonG adapters still offered? I may have had a slight accident.

 

[underdog]

Oh, forgot to add, anyone purchasing a regular priced Underdog while the special is running will be able to add one of the Special Underdogs to their order for $150 extra regardless of the date. They'll also be able to 'upgrade' to Maple or Cherry at no additional charge. We'll also make this offer available to anyone who's purchased a full price piece in the past 3 weeks (November) so no one misses out.

@ Darkedhunter - yes we should be able do some liners for you no problem. Measure one and message it to Underdogette and let her know long you need them and she'll make them for you.

 

[the_cascadian]

OH MY GOD SO PSYCHED. Just bit the bullet on a rustic maple holiday twig as an...early birthday present to myself? Yeah, that sounds good.

The vape collection grows...

 

[llamaman001]

I can confirm that the new glass 14mm stems fit my purple days PERFECTLY which is a really nice addition to be able to use glass instead of the stainless steel/nylon stems.

I will say that you could use these with your e-nano but there is nothing to stop them stem from going all the way into the tube. You literally have to hold it and control how close or how far away from the heating element you want it but its still nice in its own way.

Very nice quality and construction and the screens work awesome!

 

[owin]

Damn that holiday vape. So hard to pass up.

 

[WannaVape]

Looks like I might finally pull the trigger on one of these thanks to the holiday sale

 

[diff`lx]

Alright, so I bought one of these bad boys back in August and said I'd write a full review but never did. The reason it's been so long is largely because I just can't stop playing with my new pup.


From the first time I used my UD, it immediately became my daily driver. I switched from combustion and haven't looked back. The taste is better, my lungs have thanked me several times over, and it's probably saved me a ton of money. Anytime I'm out with friends and resort to smoking, I find myself longing for my UD.

There are a few major strengths of the UD that make it worth the price. First off, this thing is so efficient I was amazed. I thought that I would wind up using more than I did smoking -- way off. I can put nearly half as much product in this thing as I would if I were smoking it, while feeling just as lifted. If you're daily like me, this in itself will probably save you money and pay for itself in the long run.

As far as using this thing.. it's really easy. Especially if you use the standard wall wart. I did get a VVPS, but I believe it's going bad already. That being said, I got mine expecting this and will probably buy a nicer third-party VVPS for long-term use eventually. In the meantime, I found an old 12V wall wart that I've been using with great success. Here's a quick list of the advantages of the wall wart vs the VPPS.

Wall wart: Set it and forget it -- no fiddling with controls, no learning curve, can get at least a few smallish hits out of each 'bowl,' less wires.

VPPS: Small learning curve, can get bigger or smaller rips depending on preference, can use with the aromatherapy cup.


Moving on.. Convenience, this thing is so convenient that I find it hard to keep myself from playing with my pup at times! From a cold start-up, she takes about 30 minutes to get warmed up. This may inconvenience some, but I use mine strictly for home use. It sits on my desk 24/7 always ready to go, at worst I have to wait 5-10 mins if I was using it for aromatherapy before. It's almost too convenient.

As far as all the different stems, they each have their own little niche in my rotation. I find that the nylon stem is great for small bowls, the simple glass stem for medium bowls, and the silicon tube (my fav) works well with larger bowls. However that's only direct draw. I recently got a couple GonG's as well as a brand new water pipe. I believe they gave me one of the older style stems and one of the new ones.

With the older style stem I have a really hard time getting a decent hit. I will have to play with it more to figure out the issue there. But the new, longer stem.... it works amazing. I have this beautiful new pipe to run it through and the first time I used it, I didn't even think it was working until I exhaled and saw all the vapor. It hits so smooth that I can't even feel it going down.

Anyway I can go on and on about how much I love the UD. The bottom line is that you should get one if you're on the fence about it... and even if you're way on the other side of the fence. The UD is amazing.

To finish this 'review' I'd just like to say that UD and UDette are incredibly nice and easy people to work with. Great customer communication, fantastic shipping... they really understand and I get at least one or two goodies with each order, which I really appreciate. Can't say enough nice things about them.


Here's my current set-up (I'm thinking about running a tube between my UD and the GonG):

 

[underdog]

Hey eveyone thanks for all the Holiday Vape orders, they've been pouring in all weekend.. you must be telling friends indeed. I'll start working on them tomorrow and will ship the first batch out by weeks end.

@ llamaman001 - thanks for the confirmation on the stems working well with the PD, glad you're enjoying them too.

@ diff`lx - awesome, thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed review. Very happy to hear your Pup is a happy part of your family now and that you're enjoying it on a daily basis.

 

[Magic9]

Just to refresh my memory.....the twigs usually run hotter than the full size? Twigs heat up faster, but both are made for 24/7 operation?

Also, is it possible to upgrade the 3pk of direct draw stems to the GonG stems for the price difference?

 

[underdog]

Just to refresh my memory.....the twigs usually run hotter than the full size? Twigs heat up faster, but both are made for 24/7 operation?

Also, is it possible to upgrade the 3pk of direct draw stems to the GonG stems for the price difference?

Yeah the Twigs usually run a little bit hotter compared to a full size piece of the same wood type and they heat up a bit faster as well. Less wood to heat and/or act as a heat sink.

No problem swapping the stems for the price difference send us a message (or make a note of it on the order) and we'll figure out the details.

 

[llamaman001]

not a problem underdog! Always willing to be a tester if need some help in the future . Cant wait to actually use my underdog stem with a real underdog in a week or two!

BTW, thanks for being one of the most badass vape companies out there! Your customer service and responses on this thread are what sold me to support yall!

 

[underdog]

Thanks llamaman.. happy to be part of the community and happy to be of service.

Just scored some Hopea burl today, been a long time since I've seen any of that on the market. Should make some very pretty high-end Dogs in the future.

Hopea burl

 

[Buildozer]

Thanks llamaman.. happy to be part of the community and happy to be of service.

Just scored some Hopea burl today, been a long time since I've seen any of that on the market. Should make some very pretty high-end Dogs in the future.

Hopea burl

 

[llamaman001]

thats some nice wood underdog ...haha awkwardness aside that first pic that comes up with the metal looks like the top of a e-nano. Very nice looking stuff.

 

[skydog]

Hi Dave,

I just bit on a Holiday Dog and can't wait to have a log in my arsenal again after my MZ motor fell into the body early this year. ##sad trombone##

I picked the full size for durability and the stem combo pack for versatility. I am having second thoughts about the VVPS, though, and I was hoping you could provide your thoughts.

1. If the wall wart generates a good cloud, and I don't normally roast my meds at high temperatures, is the VVPS overkill?
2. On the other hand, would the ability to reduce the power lead to better taste and even better efficiency on a fresh bowl, as with the Solo, Pax, Cloud, etc.? On those devices, I start low and gradually increase the heat.
3. On the third hand, would I be better off spending more for a pro-grade VVPS that I could leave on 24-7?

Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving!

John

 

[slowandsteady]

Has anyone tried using the new all-glass direct draw stem or new 14mm GonG with the HI?

 

[Madcap79]

So tempting to bite on the holiday special.....I did a little searching and couldn't find the answer but do these have the problem the PD and MZ's have of the core eventually falling into the body? Happy Thanksgiving all!

 

[underdog]

Happy Thanksgiving Underdogs.. hope you're all having a good day.

@ slowandsteady - No firsthand experience but from what I understand they should fit fine and work fine as well. I'm sure someone around here has the new stems and an HI and can chime in with a real answer though.

@ Madcap79 - Yes and no. I'm continually making design adjustments to reduce the effect the heat has on the wooden bodies but it's not eliminated entirely by any means. The current design has the core installed in such a way that the core 'falling' into the body like the PD/MZ should be a non-issue though the core may still loosen over time with lots of heat exposure and move side to side a bit. I find that with most wood types and with most users this isn't much of an issue but power users who run at very high temps for extended periods of time and people with vapes made of very soft/lightweight woods will experience this more often. Unless its from what I feel is blatantly abuse use such occurrences are covered under the warranty.

 

[Madcap79]

Happy Thanksgiving Underdogs.. hope you're all having a good day.



@ Madcap79 - Yes and no. I'm continually making design adjustments to reduce the effect the heat has on the wooden bodies but it's not eliminated entirely by any means. The current design has the core installed in such a way that the core 'falling' into the body like the PD/MZ should be a non-issue though the core may still loosen over time with lots of heat exposure and move side to side a bit. I find that with most wood types and with most users this isn't much of an issue but power users who run at very high temps for extended periods of time and people with vapes made of very soft/lightweight woods will experience this more often. Unless its from what I feel is blatantly abuse use such occurrences are covered under the warranty.

Thanks for the response. Also, I read very early in the thread that these shouldn't be run 24/7, is this true?