What is High End Gear? Is it worth it?

[Paulie]

Please note this is not a discussion on clones vs authentic but HE only also I think it's important to note that most of us do this for the hobby now and not just as way to stop or we prob would have lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Petrus]

I agree @Paulie, that is why I smoked Camel and not Princeton or Savanna, personal choice.

 

[kev mac]

Hey all,

So i have had alot of people ask me this question.

Over the next few days i will be explaining a few things here to maby help clarify a few things

1) What is HE?
For a lot of people they first think that it is vape gear thats just got a massive price tag on it? In a way this is true as some of the gear being sold can be sold at a crazy amount of say $4000! But since i have started to get to understand this side of the industry i am starting to see that its not only about the price but also being in the right group or just catching a great deal on a new or old product! For example the USA and Europe have created groups where people can join and then ask to be added to build lists for new products. What makes it difficult is getting into the groups and also making it onto the build lists as the demand is massive! So it is possible to get HE products at a reasonable price considering you are in the right group at the right time i have seen. The HE groups is a whole new world of underground vaping that i think that one of the reasons it is there is due to the issues people are having with the FDA and other organisations that are trying to stop us from Vaping! A simple way to look at this is (High Demannd + Low Supply = Increased price on goods being sold second hand or new)

2) HE Products?
This is simple as you generally find massive innovation linked to high quality products that are being made out of expensive material on a smaller scale. a good example of this is we see alot of products being made out of stablised wood with metals like Damascus and Tamascus steel in them.

I will add more topics here as we go i am keen to hear people thoughts on the above Hope this helps

This subject has interested me in many areas,not just vapeing. I know people who have spent more on car rims than others cars are worth,looks nice but doesn't make the engine run better.A good RDA can be had for fifty or so bucks.The O atty cost around one sixty, I am aware of machining and all but does it vape a hundred or more dollars better?

 

[Rob Fisher]

There was bound to be the comparison... and I won't be getting into that clone discussion because it rather emotive and counter productive... as @Paulie said this is about HE... I have long since said goodbye to the stinkies and it's no longer about smoking cessation (well for me anyway)... Vaping saved my life (yes dramatic I know but it's true) and is now a hobby (or as my wife says it's an obsession and that it may well be)... I love the eternal search for the perfect vape and I love the innovation and the benefits it brings us especially in the flavour department.

I am lucky that I can afford some of the finer things in life... actually luck had very little to do with it... it was really hard work (but that's a story for another time)...

That being said I love testing and playing with all gear... today I got the Minkin Boost and it has a SM25 on top and it's a mighty fine setup! And at the same time I'm still searching for my next HE device.

 

[Viper_SA]

I just used the clone vs. authentic as a way to show the difference in quality between HE and NE (normal end). No offense meant, no debate meant. Just meant to say that HE is nice to have, not the be-all-end-all.

 

[Paulie]

I just used the clone vs. authentic as a way to show the difference in quality between HE and NE (normal end). No offense meant, no debate meant. Just meant to say that HE is nice to have, not the be-all-end-all.

Ahh sorry this makes more sense sorry i didnt want a clone vs auth war we had lots of those on ere lol

 

[johan]

Reading through the above, here's my wind-egg: don't be penny wise pound foolish. 99% of all high end gear will outlast cheap shite (clones) in years. I'm still using "high end gear" after 3 years while cheap waste are piling up in the land fill.

 

[Deckie]

That's still a deal breaker... but happily @hands is already working on drip tips for my Skyline and my Hussar's!

In true spirit

 

[hands]

HE anything is more costly and out of reach of most of us, even if we cant afford it we benefit from it. As time passes others use there ideas and incorporate it in there products and also make it cheaper. Using cars as an example, the latest and greatest are on the race tracks and within a few years we benefit from better fuel economy and being saver on the road.
I would like to thank those companies who stick there necks out at a huge risk and use there creativity, mechanical and artistic skills to move this industry forward.

 

[Petrus]

Just an example of a high end mech squonker and split atty. You won't find it at any vendor, not even international. Only way to get your hands on it is through a FB group. I am friends with a guy in Italy who are connected, that is unfortunately how the HE group works. I still sukkel for nearly two years now to get a damn FRANKIE!!!

 

[n0ugh7_zw]

TBH isn't like how it is with most enthusiast grade stuff?

Just because the price is higher and the materials are better, doesn't necessarily mean its better. in other words theres still some lemons to be had, that said when the stuff really is good, its really really good?

 

[Petrus]

TBH isn't like how it is with most enthusiast grade stuff?

Just because the price is higher and the materials are better, doesn't necessarily mean its better. in other words theres still some lemons to be had, that said when the stuff really is good, its really really good?

I like your comment. In the UK the squokers just rave about the Pico sqeez. Most of their vendors are out of stock. In most of their vape pics, you will always or most of the times see a Pico amongst some very high end gear.

 

[Petrus]

 

[n0ugh7_zw]

I like your comment. In the UK the squokers just rave about the Pico sqeez. Most of their vendors are out of stock. In most of their vape pics, you will always or most of the times see a Pico amongst some very high end gear.

TBH my favourite squonker is still the dripbox 160W, for the way i vape, there just isn't anything that fits better.... yet.

 

[Lord Vetinari]

I WOKE UP TO LOSING MY FAVORITE MOD.

I am ordering some DNA boards and building myself. Screw paying dollars and USA shipping. Since when do they have better artisans?

My dad was a Knysna boy and where we come from if you want something decent BUILD IT YOURSELF.

I am going into what people call High End. But I just call it Not Made By The Lowest Chinese Bidder.

I am soooooo upset. A year journey. My daughter even painted all over it, fantastic times.

 

[Trimerion]

I WOKE UP TO LOSING MY FAVORITE MOD.

I am ordering some DNA boards and building myself. Screw paying dollars and USA shipping. Since when do they have better artisans?

My dad was a Knysna boy and where we come from if you want something decent BUILD IT YOURSELF.

I am going into what people call High End. But I just call it Not Made By The Lowest Chinese Bidder.

I am soooooo upset. A year journey. My daughter even painted all over it, fantastic times.

what happened Luggage? did something on it break?

 

[Lord Vetinari]

what happened Luggage? did something on it break?

Yeah the board said goodbye. Just decided that this was absolutely the last toot forever and ever. So it will be DNA boards only now. Sigh...

 

[Spydro]

There will be as many opinions of what HE means as there are folks posting them. Some relate to the availability, some the cost, some the quality of materials, some the quality of the build, some the vaping experience from them, and so on.

To me HE is authentic very well designed and made gear from quality materials that flawlessly gets the job done it was built to do. Most of mine that I consider HE were pricey, but price doesn't matter to me for what I see as the best. Most were produced in limited numbers, but some were semi mass produced by the hundreds up to maybe thousands. Like @Silver I still consider the lowly authentic BF RM2 an HE atty because it delivers with little fuss or muss, so it has a very large following yet is still sold for the pocket change it always has been by Reosmods. I have 8 of them that includes two from the early rare different version and one custom milled specifically for one of my early Woodvil's.

Massive interest in gear with very minimal availability is unicorn gear IMO. Rare doesn't necessarily make gear HE. But they are usually more to way more expensive than the norm and made with quality material and a quality build that may or may not improve the vaping experience. This is collectors gear, ego driven for pride of ownership, bragging rights. It may even be considered investment grade gear by some folks as it holds its value much longer and might even increase in value. As someone who collected many different fine and rare things most of his life that carried over to vaping and I have some "high end" unicorns from top rated vape gear MFG's. From a 1 of 1 prototype that will always be the only one in existence; a 1 of 3 prototype version for a very limited model that the 3 is all there will ever be; a very limited edition that was only made once in very small quantity; other very limited editions. They were all more to way more expensive versions from MFG's well known for their quality proven gear. But they do not improve the quality of the vape itself above what the standard models from these MFG's do very well except for pride of ownership. So was the one that cost three times what the fairly expensive standard model cost worth the price of admission? As a collector it is IMO when an estimated 3000 people worldwide wanted the 89 available (that were sold out in less than 2 minutes). I have the lowest serial number offered, it's still brand new 2.5 years later. But as a vaper it doesn't do anything better than the standard model it was derived from. Or a limited edition atty that I paid $285 for, well over what it cost new. The law of supply and demand... I wanted one. Last I heard some folks will pay up to $500 for one. I didn't buy it as an investment, turned down a $350 offer soon after I got it (and haven't used it for well over a year). I have 4 other limited production HE RTA's I paid $275-$300 each for that lost value due to exchange rates. Matters not to me, I still consider them the best RTA's I own even though I haven't used them for about 2.5 years.

Another thought about HE... the increasing insurgence of wood incorporated in mods. There are few natural materials that can compete with high grade woods for shear beauty and uniqueness. And the higher the grade of wood used the closer they become to or do become one of a kind. Many of the so called HE mods that have wood elements or are mostly made from wood are made from standard to select grade woods that are relatively very inexpensive woods. Yet the price of these mods are kicked up as much as hundreds of dollars for very little extra cost in materials to produce them. Commonly used is woods that are dyed and stabilized to look good instead of the MFG paying the high cost for truly high grade woods that do not need to be dyed or stabilized to be one of a kind works of art. There are some MFG's who do go part way up the wood grade ladder, but very few who go all the way to 1A to 5A exhibition grade wood that is actually worth the high prices asked for the mods. There are endless examples on MFG websites where a same model mods price can vary up to hundreds of dollars because of how the standard/select grade wood turned out when finished. If it looks good, kick up the price. Unfortunately that includes the Reo Woodvile's that are standard to lower select grade woods, but at least Robert didn't gouge buyers at the price they were sold for. His prices were set in a narrow range to reflect what was standard grade and what was select grade wood.

Naturally your mileage may very, nothing wrong with that, it just my opinion. I base it on personal experience from 45 months vaping, the very large inventory of vape gear I have, and for the woods from crafting select to 5A exhibition exotic woods for over 50 years.

 

[n0ugh7_zw]

Yeah the board said goodbye. Just decided that this was absolutely the last toot forever and ever. So it will be DNA boards only now. Sigh...

DNA boards have been known to do the same exact thing, be warned. AFAIK the most reliable board around is the YIHI SX series of boards.

But @Spydro and @Silver nailed it. high end is less about cost, and more about just getting the job done, while having to endure as little hassle as possible.

 

[Lord Vetinari]

DNA boards have been known to do the same exact thing, be warned. AFAIK the most reliable board around is the YIHI SX series of boards.

I just so happen to have a YIHI board in the cupboard. WIN. Accepted it as payment from a defaulting client a while back. Never reckoned I would find a use. Thanks mate. Win win win!!!

 

[n0ugh7_zw]

I just so happen to have a YIHI board in the cupboard. WIN. Accepted it as payment from a defaulting client a while back. Never reckoned I would find a use. Thanks mate. Win win win!!!

They're very nice, i'm running a SX350J-V1 bit of a curve with getting used to them, but they're excellent.

 

[Lord Vetinari]

There will be as many opinions of what HE means as there are folks posting them. Some relate to the availability, some the cost, some the quality of materials, some the quality of the build, some the vaping experience from them, and so on.

To me HE is authentic very well designed and made gear from quality materials that flawlessly gets the job done it was built to do. Most of mine that I consider HE were pricey, but price doesn't matter to me for what I see as the best. Most were produced in limited numbers, but some were semi mass produced by the hundreds up to maybe thousands. Like @Silver I still consider the lowly authentic BF RM2 an HE atty because it delivers with little fuss or muss, so it has a very large following yet is still sold for the pocket change it always has been by Reosmods. I have 8 of them that includes two from the early rare different version and one custom milled specifically for one of my early Woodvil's.

Massive interest in gear with very minimal availability is unicorn gear IMO. Rare doesn't necessarily make gear HE. But they are usually more to way more expensive than the norm and made with quality material and a quality build that may or may not improve the vaping experience. This is collectors gear, ego driven for pride of ownership, bragging rights. It may even be considered investment grade gear by some folks as it holds its value much longer and might even increase in value. As someone who collected many different fine and rare things most of his life that carried over to vaping and I have some "high end" unicorns from top rated vape gear MFG's. From a 1 of 1 prototype that will always be the only one in existence; a 1 of 3 prototype version for a very limited model that the 3 is all there will ever be; a very limited edition that was only made once in very small quantity; other very limited editions. They were all more to way more expensive versions from MFG's well known for their quality proven gear. But they do not improve the quality of the vape itself above what the standard models from these MFG's do very well except for pride of ownership. So was the one that cost three times what the fairly expensive standard model cost worth the price of admission? As a collector it is IMO when an estimated 3000 people worldwide wanted the 89 available (that were sold out in less than 2 minutes). I have the lowest serial number offered, it's still brand new 2.5 years later. But as a vaper it doesn't do anything better than the standard model it was derived from. Or a limited edition atty that I paid $285 for, well over what it cost new. The law of supply and demand... I wanted one. Last I heard some folks will pay up to $500 for one. I didn't buy it as an investment, turned down a $350 offer soon after I got it (and haven't used it for well over a year). I have 4 other limited production HE RTA's I paid $275-$300 each for that lost value due to exchange rates. Matters not to me, I still consider them the best RTA's I own even though I haven't used them for about 2.5 years.

Another thought about HE... the increasing insurgence of wood incorporated in mods. There are few natural materials that can compete with high grade woods for shear beauty and uniqueness. And the higher the grade of wood used the closer they become to or do become one of a kind. Many of the so called HE mods that have wood elements or are mostly made from wood are made from standard to select grade woods that are relatively very inexpensive woods. Yet the price of these mods are kicked up as much as hundreds of dollars for very little extra cost in materials to produce them. Commonly used is woods that are dyed and stabilized to look good instead of the MFG paying the high cost for truly high grade woods that do not need to be dyed or stabilized to be one of a kind works of art. There are some MFG's who do go part way up the wood grade ladder, but very few who go all the way to 1A to 5A exhibition grade wood that is actually worth the high prices asked for the mods. There are endless examples on MFG websites where a same model mods price can vary up to hundreds of dollars because of how the standard/select grade wood turned out when finished. If it looks good, kick up the price. Unfortunately that includes the Reo Woodvile's that are standard to lower select grade woods, but at least Robert didn't gouge buyers at the price they were sold for. His prices were set in a narrow range to reflect what was standard grade and what was select grade wood.

Naturally your mileage may very, nothing wrong with that, it just my opinion. I base it on personal experience from 45 months vaping, the very large inventory of vape gear I have, and for the woods from crafting select to 5A exhibition exotic woods for over 50 years.

You talk like a guitarist. That or a true lover of the female species. Either way, seems you know what quality really means.

 

[gdigitel]

To me HE can best be described using the fairer sex as an analogy. There are many different shapes and sizes available, most with the same innards and processing capabilities - I did say most. Some leak more than others, some are more prone to dry hits, some look gorgeous until the paint comes off but in essence they are the same creatures that have the same general purpose. This does not mean that you will be willing to spend most of your life with any one of the fairer sex(read between the lines, I'm trying to be subtle here). Often the women that really excel in most arenas and tick all your boxes do cost a little more. Now by cost I am not referring to money per se, although it could be taken literal in some cases. Some woman are very high maintenance and if that tickles you then so be it.
Cost could mean having to have wooed her for several years before getting regignition; it could mean having to endure a taxing mother-in-law; it could mean having to put up with housework demands instead of trying a new coil build; I'm sure you can think of more.
But man oh man, when you hold it/her in your hands and all else fades and everything feels just right, you then know what high end means.

 

[Spydro]

You talk like a guitarist. That or a true lover of the female species. Either way, seems you know what quality really means.

Guilty on both accounts.
I started playing lead guitar in bands in the late 50's (still have one of my guitars that I bought new in 1972), and I also played keyboards well into the 90's. Music, fast cars and nice girls have always been a winning combination. I do have great respect for women, all women. And I have been very fortunate to have found two true loves in my life. Both the most beautiful ladies I have ever met... as beautiful as beautiful gets on the inside where it counts, and drop dead gorgeous on the outside as a bonus. I should not have met either of them, so it had to be fate. In both cases we were both at the same place at the exact 15 seconds of time where neither of us had ever been to before or would ever be at again as it turned out, and were not looking to met someone. The first was my life for 2.5 years, then part of my life for another 25 years until she died. The other was my life for almost 35, the mother of my son. I have not met anyone that could come close to replacing either of them in the last 14+ years. But I also haven't been looking for another long term relationship. When it comes to truly nice girls here it's the way too young ones that chase the old pharts like me (and the endless gold diggers of all ages).

 

[Clouds4Days]

Guilty on both accounts.
I started playing lead guitar in bands in the late 50's (still have one of my guitars that I bought new in 1972), and I also played keyboards well into the 90's. Music, fast cars and nice girls have always been a winning combination. I do have great respect for women, all women. And I have been very fortunate to have found two true loves in my life. Both the most beautiful ladies I have ever met... as beautiful as beautiful gets on the inside where it counts, and drop dead gorgeous on the outside as a bonus. I should not have met either of them, so it had to be fate. In both cases we were both at the same place at the exact 15 seconds of time where neither of us had ever been to before or would ever be at again as it turned out, and were not looking to met someone. The first was my life for 2.5 years, then part of my life for another 25 years until she died. The other was my life for almost 35, the mother of my son. I have not met anyone that could come close to replacing either of them in the last 14+ years. But I also haven't been looking for another long term relationship. When it comes to truly nice girls here it's the way too young ones that chase the old pharts like me (and the endless gold diggers of all ages).

That's really a sad and beautiful story @Spydro life truely is a journey.