Just wanted to show you guys something I did since a lot of people would like to use the VHW without the protective silicone sleeve. I cut a small piece and placed it into the top of the VCB. I pushed it in as tight as it would go and then vaped with the now silicone less VHW. The tip of the VHW doesn't get as close so you might have to turn up the heat a bit but I was getting very good vapors with it.
edit - I used a little more muscle and pushed the silicone further into the upper VCB and now the tip of the VHW is pretty close to where it should be. This is working beautifully!
By removing the sleeve you lower the thermal mass of the heating unit as well as make it more prone to breakage but there are some positives as well. You get to see the very detailed glass work that went into making this thing, and the silicone will now last much longer since it will only be heated when the VHW is in contact with the VCB.
If you do try this, you must be very careful when setting down your VHW as well as when you initially remove the silicone. I just wanted to re-iterate that while this technique works great, your VHW is more prone to breakage and it isn't super durable to begin with.
jcw - to answer your question, that is a matter of preference. I usually use a water tool that has a percolator as well as a lot of ice. The ice is the most important part for me tho but that is just my preference, some people prefer warmer vapes