The Vaporstar Vaporizer - A Review
The Vaporstar, available online (www.vaporstar.co.uk) for 20 (around $50 USD with shipping), is an interesting device. Designed to be a cheap, portable alternative to a full-blown mains powered electric vaporizer, it is essentially a small adaptor for an existing bong that turns it into a functioning herbal vaporizer.
The shape and size of the Vaporstar makes it clear that it is designed as a replacement for a bong?s existing tube or bowl. The real difference is in the rather ingenious design of the metal cap that sits in it. When the user inhales through the device, the hollow metal ?teat? on top draws the flame from a butane lighter inside, onto a flat, vaguely star-shaped piece of metal covered by a wire mesh. This ?star? heats up as the flame is extinguished, which in turn heats the air and the herb below. Assuming the correct temperature has been achieved, the herb should release it?s volatile compounds into the air, which in turn travel through the bong and finally into the user?s lungs.
I received my Vaporstar in a fairly timely fashion, given the postal difficulties of the easter weekend. Arriving in a small, blister-pack envelope, the Vaporstar itself was rather cunningly placed within a cylindrical cardboard tube to keep it?s various parts protected and together. In it?s totality, the package contained the wooden bowl/pipe and metal cap combo mentioned already, branded tweezers and a sheet of paper containing simple instructions for the unit.
Overall, the unit looks very nice. I contacted the Vaporstar?s maker, and he was happy to tell me about the materials it is made from. The wood used is American black walnut, a timber known for it?s hardness, fine grain and ability to be polished to a very smooth finish. Unsurprisingly, The metal cap is made from steel and looks to be very solidly built and professionally finished. Due to the obvious care taken in it?s design and construction, I can confidently give the build quality of the Vaporstar a thumbs-up. Treated properly, I see no reason why it shouldn?t stay in good working order almost indefinitely. The gauze may need to be replaced or cleaned from time to time, but the same is true for almost any kind of vaporizer.
The Vaporstar?s reliance on a butane lighter for a heat source presents something of a steep learning curve for the first-time user. Drawing in the flame at the correct rate for long enough requires careful breath control that people inexperienced with bongs might find a bit tricky. My first few attempts with the device were totally unsuccessful, but after a few more goes I was able to produce a light vapor, which I inhaled greedily. On subsequent attempts I had a mixture of modest success and outright failure as I learnt the correct rhythm. The difference between no vapor and lots of vapor is surprisingly small, and the difference between lots of vapor and a lungful of smoke can sometimes seem similarly minute.
I usually start off by inhaling through the unit for a few seconds so the metal can get hot. I then remove the lighter and empty my lungs. From here on, I have the most success by drawing in a slow, constant breath with a lighter placed close enough so that the yellow part of the flame dips entirely into the cap. The Vaporstar produces a distinctive shrill whistling sound when you breathe in at the correct rate, so try to keep that sound as regular as possible. Keeping this breath going, I use the heat of the air hitting my lips and lungs and the visible presence of any vapor in the chamber as a guide to how close I am.
Once vapor starts to appear, the lighter should be removed, When the bong is filled with vapor, I remove my finger from the airhole and use my remaining breath to pull it deep into my lungs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rttVXEy7C-c
I wish I could take hits as effortlessley as the guy in the link above, but there is definitely a technique to it that gets easier with practice. Getting a ?perfect? hit and breathing out a lung-full of thick, tasty vapor is a hugely satisfying thing and after a half a dozen sessions I can reliably produce good vapor most of the time. Even now I still occasionally burn the bowl, but more often than not it?s caused by lack of concentration on my part - a fairly good indicator that I?ve already had enough!
For the first few days, the vapor had a distinctive woody taste to it, but that gradually faded away with use until I was left with a remarkably unpolluted flavor. Pretty good for such a low-tech solution. In particular, one batch of herb I used in it had a truly delicious sweet lemony sherbet taste, and the vaporstar did a great job of delivering that taste with every hit.
For the money, the Vaporstar is an absolute steal. It?s a rugged, reliable little device that?s perfect for someone who is on a budget or looking for a portable unit to use when they can?t bring their electric vaporizer with them. The timing, coordination and breath control required to get the best results can present a bit of a challenge, but perseverance pays dividends. Just make sure to buy yourself a decent quality refillable lighter - you'll need it.
Edit: Oops - Sorry, just realized that there is already a vaporstar thread. Sadly, I don't seem to be able to delete my own threads, but if the mods/community would prefer it, I'll paste this at the end of the existing VS thread and the mods can delete this.
Ta.
The Vaporstar, available online (www.vaporstar.co.uk) for 20 (around $50 USD with shipping), is an interesting device. Designed to be a cheap, portable alternative to a full-blown mains powered electric vaporizer, it is essentially a small adaptor for an existing bong that turns it into a functioning herbal vaporizer.
The shape and size of the Vaporstar makes it clear that it is designed as a replacement for a bong?s existing tube or bowl. The real difference is in the rather ingenious design of the metal cap that sits in it. When the user inhales through the device, the hollow metal ?teat? on top draws the flame from a butane lighter inside, onto a flat, vaguely star-shaped piece of metal covered by a wire mesh. This ?star? heats up as the flame is extinguished, which in turn heats the air and the herb below. Assuming the correct temperature has been achieved, the herb should release it?s volatile compounds into the air, which in turn travel through the bong and finally into the user?s lungs.
I received my Vaporstar in a fairly timely fashion, given the postal difficulties of the easter weekend. Arriving in a small, blister-pack envelope, the Vaporstar itself was rather cunningly placed within a cylindrical cardboard tube to keep it?s various parts protected and together. In it?s totality, the package contained the wooden bowl/pipe and metal cap combo mentioned already, branded tweezers and a sheet of paper containing simple instructions for the unit.
Overall, the unit looks very nice. I contacted the Vaporstar?s maker, and he was happy to tell me about the materials it is made from. The wood used is American black walnut, a timber known for it?s hardness, fine grain and ability to be polished to a very smooth finish. Unsurprisingly, The metal cap is made from steel and looks to be very solidly built and professionally finished. Due to the obvious care taken in it?s design and construction, I can confidently give the build quality of the Vaporstar a thumbs-up. Treated properly, I see no reason why it shouldn?t stay in good working order almost indefinitely. The gauze may need to be replaced or cleaned from time to time, but the same is true for almost any kind of vaporizer.
The Vaporstar?s reliance on a butane lighter for a heat source presents something of a steep learning curve for the first-time user. Drawing in the flame at the correct rate for long enough requires careful breath control that people inexperienced with bongs might find a bit tricky. My first few attempts with the device were totally unsuccessful, but after a few more goes I was able to produce a light vapor, which I inhaled greedily. On subsequent attempts I had a mixture of modest success and outright failure as I learnt the correct rhythm. The difference between no vapor and lots of vapor is surprisingly small, and the difference between lots of vapor and a lungful of smoke can sometimes seem similarly minute.
I usually start off by inhaling through the unit for a few seconds so the metal can get hot. I then remove the lighter and empty my lungs. From here on, I have the most success by drawing in a slow, constant breath with a lighter placed close enough so that the yellow part of the flame dips entirely into the cap. The Vaporstar produces a distinctive shrill whistling sound when you breathe in at the correct rate, so try to keep that sound as regular as possible. Keeping this breath going, I use the heat of the air hitting my lips and lungs and the visible presence of any vapor in the chamber as a guide to how close I am.
Once vapor starts to appear, the lighter should be removed, When the bong is filled with vapor, I remove my finger from the airhole and use my remaining breath to pull it deep into my lungs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rttVXEy7C-c
I wish I could take hits as effortlessley as the guy in the link above, but there is definitely a technique to it that gets easier with practice. Getting a ?perfect? hit and breathing out a lung-full of thick, tasty vapor is a hugely satisfying thing and after a half a dozen sessions I can reliably produce good vapor most of the time. Even now I still occasionally burn the bowl, but more often than not it?s caused by lack of concentration on my part - a fairly good indicator that I?ve already had enough!
For the first few days, the vapor had a distinctive woody taste to it, but that gradually faded away with use until I was left with a remarkably unpolluted flavor. Pretty good for such a low-tech solution. In particular, one batch of herb I used in it had a truly delicious sweet lemony sherbet taste, and the vaporstar did a great job of delivering that taste with every hit.
For the money, the Vaporstar is an absolute steal. It?s a rugged, reliable little device that?s perfect for someone who is on a budget or looking for a portable unit to use when they can?t bring their electric vaporizer with them. The timing, coordination and breath control required to get the best results can present a bit of a challenge, but perseverance pays dividends. Just make sure to buy yourself a decent quality refillable lighter - you'll need it.
Edit: Oops - Sorry, just realized that there is already a vaporstar thread. Sadly, I don't seem to be able to delete my own threads, but if the mods/community would prefer it, I'll paste this at the end of the existing VS thread and the mods can delete this.
Ta.
). Why do you need to keep poking that fire man? Not trying to step on any toes here...but when I'm in anothers house, even if they've told me "just act like you're at home", I still try to maintain a certain level of respect for their desires. Let this place be run be those who run it, or offer your moderation services to vtac and let him make the call. It is, in effect, his house. Let us all play by the rules, because let me tell you...vtac is one of the most kind, unassuming, forgiving admins I've come across. He lets a LOT of shit slide that most other admins (or mods for that matter) would jump on with foam spewing from the corners of their lips. Maybe that does lead to some disorganization; I will certainly agree with you there. But have you spent much time on other forums man? 
We do have some fun threads in the Vapor Lounge, with the key being 'fun'. We won't be starting or allowing any heavy duty off topic threads involving politics or religion, etc. There are plenty of other forums for those topics. In view of the narrow focus of the forum, one 'catch all, post anything' thread is enough. That's why your duplicate 'post anything' thread was deleted. Even if yours had been the first thread started, instead of vtac's, the title would have been changed. 'Master thread'? You've gotta be kidding. I doubt such a pompous, non descriptive thread title would be tolerated on any forum. You seem to want to stand out rather than fit in, even if it's for disruptive posts. If you want to stand out, post good content, not constant complaints. In the future, I wouldn't be surprised if your posts that simply complain about forum organization just get deleted. Offering suggestions is fine, and we should probably have a thread for it, but you're just complaining about not getting your way. Posts that don't offer any content except 
aren't needed or wanted here. And that goes for posts containing nothing but an icon too. If you like or don't like a post, a response containing nothing but 
doesn't qualify as a valid post. You should say why you agree or disagree. 
