Vaping Guides

I have been enjoying the 5V Wow for several months now and it has performed flawlessly.  The black finish on the tube proved to be a little less durable, however and was chipping after a few weeks.  I was surprised to see brass underneath the paint and decided to sand it all off.  I  think it looks pretty good with the finish removed and thought I’d share a photo.  The only downside is that the bare metal gets tarnished after awhile; the photo at left shows it before and after a quick polish with Brasso.

I recently reviewed the Bolt and after a few week’s use I am still extremely happy with this mod. The new Chrome and Gunmetal versions make it even more attractive and it’s a beatiful mod for less than $40 from Smoktek.

I’m always on the lookout for new tobacco flavorings.  Most of my stock of tobaccos need a little something else like vanilla, caramel or fruit flavors to make them an enjoyable vape.  It’s always nice to find a good tobacco flavoring that vapes well on its own and Tobacco Express flavorings from Ecig Express fall solidly in that category.  So far Dhill, Virginia and Win Churchill have all been very good.  One thing I did find is that these are very concentrated flavorings and require only 1-3% to make a good mix, so a little less than a drop of flavoring to a ml of liquid is all that is needed.

In a great article in the Long Beach Press-Telegram, California Polytechnic professor Michael L. Marlow really gets at the heart of the attempts to ban electronic  cigarette usage.  The article takes aim at the groups that have sought to ban the of electronic cigarettes, citing the “preposterous” idea that a device that produces no secondhand smoke could be included in a public smoking ban.  Studies showing the efficacy and relative safety are also mentioned.  As Mr. Marlow puts it, “the FDA has decided that a government-approved failure (like NRT or going “cold turkey”) is better than an unapproved success.”  Thanks for a great article, Mr. Marlow.

Many vapers have come to the realization that the term Mod can mean a lot of different things.  A flashlight modified with a switch, battery and atomizer connector is a mod and yet so is a mass produced but custom fabricated electronic cigarette like the Provari.  The time has possibly come for differentiation between the two.  Rolygate at ECF has recently posted an article that advances the idea of using the term Advanced Personal Vaporizer (APV) to refer to purpose built vaping devices, and I think it will work.  We will begin using the term here at Vaping Guides as well.

Not the best electronic cigarette and not the best outlet for it, but seeing a big NJoy display at Walmart made my day.  Sure I would have rather seen an eGo or KR808 kit, but the NJoy is at least a usable electronic cigarette and at a reasonable price.  Walmart is selling a single rechargeable battery starter kit for $18.97 and refill 5-packs for $18.97.  The price is high and quality low compared to what can be bought online, but I’m happy because for less than the cost of a few packs of cigarettes, a lot of smokers will be tempted to give it a try.  I did it three years ago with an Njoy clone that cost twice as much, but, and this is the important part, I have been smoke free ever since.  Electronic cigarettes prominently displayed in Walmart should be a good thing for smokers and for the ecig industry.

It’s rare that I like a tobacco flavoring by itself in my electronic cigarette e-liquid mixes, but I always mix a little e-liquid that way to get a sense of what the flavor is like.  I recently ordered some Seedman’s “Commercial” flavoring from Blue Mist Vapors and was pleasantly surprised.  Mixed at about 8%, the Commercial has a fairly complex and enjoyable flavor even when its not combined with other flavors.  Good tobacco with just a hint of a caramel-like sweetness give it a light RY4 type of flavor.   This will make a great flavor as-is, but should also become a great base for other recipes.

Note for new users:  The Seedman’s flavoring is a concentrated flavoring, meaning that it must be mixed with a combination of NIC liquid, PG and VG before use in your electronic cigarette.  See the DIY Beginners Guide for more information.

It’s World Vaping Day!  Cheers to all of our fellow vapers and what a great feeling to have a worldwide day dedicated to our wonderful hobby!  May you all enjoy clouds of your favorite flavor.

Just in time for World Vaping Day, My Freedom Smokes is offering 30% off their unflavored nicotine liquid with the coupon code 30Nic.   Also on sale this week is the Joyetech eGo-T Starter Kit for just $49.95, no coupon needed!  Add to that free shipping on orders over $50 and you have a great way to get someone started with an electronic cigarette.

Smokeless Image has added a selection of larger Volt X2 batteries to their lineup.  We’ve been a big fan of the Volt as a great first electronic cigarette, but the short battery life has always been a drawback to the mini form factor.  The larger 650, 900 and 1100mAh batteries will be a great second step for the new user.  The batteries appear very similar to those of the typical eGo electronic cigarette, but with the KR808 connection that Volt cartomizers use.  The also come in automatic or manual, which is nice.

On March 16th and 17th, use the code “LUCKYDAY” for a whopping 25% off!

ProVape has just introduced a more compact version of their acclaimed ProVari in the form of the ProVari Mini.  The Mini uses the same electronics as its older sibling but with an 18350 battery supplying the power, reducing the length by .62″ to 3.48″.  The smaller battery will by nature mean a shorter battery life, but the more compact size may be perfect for a lot of pockets.  I, for one can’t wait for it to get here and a review will follow shortly after.

Sometimes good things do come in small packages.  Madvapes has recently started stocking a “Super Shorty” version of the 1.7ohm single coil cartomizer.  With a tube measuring only 20mm, this cartomizer is a little over half the length of a dual coil shorty and about 2mm shorter than a 510 atomizer.  The super shorty only holds about 15 drops of liquid, so all day vaping is not its forte.  What it does do well is provide a nice low profile addition to a lot of electronic cigarette devices.  It fits inside of an eGo cone and with the addition of a drip tip makes for a great looking setup.  Performance is right on par with other 1.7ohm cartos we’ve tried, meaning these little guys provide excellent throat hit and vapor, even at lower voltages.  If anything, they seem to last a little longer before losing their flavor quality, perhaps because of the smaller amount of filler material.

 From left to right are the super shorty, a Joye 510 atomizer, a shorty dual coil and a 1.7ohm XL cartomizer.

When the Lavatube was released a few months ago one of the main questions on many vapers minds was whether it would be reliable.  Being a relatively inexpensive device, there were some reservations about how it would hold up.   After nearly four months of daily use, I can definitely say it has met the reliability challenge.  Several drops resulted in a loose connector, but that was easily fixed with a dab of superglue.  Besides that, zero defects have become apparent.

Black Fire flavoring from FlavourArt provides about as close to a burning paper smell as vaporized liquid possibly can.  I picked a bottle of this up recently from Ecig Express, mixed it up and was amazed at the results.  It doesn’t necessarily taste like a cigarette so much as it does the burning paper of one.  With that in mind, this will likely be a fantastic flavor to use in conjunction with other tobaccos that are missing a little of the smokey flavor.  There don’t seem to be any other flavors present in Black Fire either, unlike some other smoke flavorings that taste overwhelmingly of hickory or mesquite.

Note that Black Fire is a DIY flavoring, not a premixed juice and cannot be vaped on its own.  The description mentions mixing at 1-5%, but a mix of 10% flavoring in a 80/20 PG/VG mix seems just about right to me.

I’ve mentioned before that I am a big fan or Goodejuice House Brewed flavors.  I have also noted that the liquids are thick and tend to clog atomizers and cartomizers.  I attributed it to the 50/50 PG/VG ratio that is higher in VG than I typically vape.  It turns out that part of the problem may have to do with the density of the flavoring that results from the extraction process.  The folks at Goodejuice were concerned with the issue and have modified the process to include added filtering.  I recently received some e-liquids that have benefited from the new filtering process and it does seem to have made a difference.  The juices are still thick, but cartomizers are now useful for several more fills than they were before.  The House Brewed e-liquids are good enough that I don’t mind discarding a carto after a week, but a few extra days will make me even happier.