A Vaping Connoisseur

[kristin]

Ok, so I'm thinking of writing another article, emphasizing vaping as a past time/recreational activity along the lines of other connoisseurs of things such as wines and other liquors.

It seems to be common that vapers start off looking for something to replace cigarettes and find a whole new passion.

I was never passionate about smoking cigarettes. To be honest, it was something I often hid and was more like a necessary evil. Any pleasure came from the effects of getting the nicotine and familiarity and yes, I enjoyed that satisfaction, but I could hardly say it was "fun." After playing around with a couple different brands, I smoked the same brand for the past 20 years - it just satisfied the nicotine need.

vaping, on the other hand, has become a hobby. Playing with gadgets, finding the perfect vape, taste-testing the different flavors. The folks who create their own remind me of micro-brewers or small wineries. Good liquids are like cognacs or wines, with various flavors, subtle undertones, effects on the palate on the inhale vs the exhale, the sensation on the tongue and lips. I can't wait to try different flavors! Like my mom's wine-of-the-month club, I can see the same thing happening with vaping flavors. I can't wait until someone mixes up a good batch of spiced chai tea!

And then there is the techie side of folks who enjoy playing with the designs and functionality of the actual devices - like car modifiers are with their muscle cars or Japanese mods.

I think that understanding this could show that it really IS different than just feeding a nicotine habit. We aren't just replacing one bad habit with another - it's a whole different world with PVs. It's NOT just a cigarette replacement anymore for a LOT of people. If people can understand wineries and recreational alcohol beyond getting drunk, maybe vaping wouldn't seem such a foreign concept?

Does anyone want to comment on the same? I'd love to have some quotes to use in the article on recreational vaping and how it is enjoyed vs just a smoking cessation or alternative.

 

[Chief-A-Lot]

I have to be honest, I loved smoking cigs (hated the effects and what I KNEW it was doing to my body) and enjoyed them all the time! I know I have read several posts saying "Vaping is consuming me or Vaping is a new Hobby now" I would have to say that Vaping for me has replaced my OLD hobby which was enjoying my cigs to... A happy more full filling hobby that far surpases the enjoyment brought to me by smoking... I feel, look, smell (both in they way I smell and how I smell) taste, breath etc, etc.... BETTER!

PS. Vaping does consume me... but so did smoking...

 

[kristin]

Fair enough. But were you one who always tried different brands of cigarettes, rolled your own, tried different blends and papers, collected lighters and all that? That's a little different from the average smoker then, you know?

 

[Chief-A-Lot]

Fair enough. But were you one who always tried different brands of cigarettes, rolled your own, tried different blends and papers, collected lighters and all that? That's a little different from the average smoker then, you know?

Marb Lights for me 17 years, almost 2 packs a day... Not sure if you were alluding to the fact I should have expressed my passion for vaping more or wanted to know if I delved into all aspects of smoking?

 

[kristin]

I guess I'm looking for people who went from smoking the same thing for years out of habit to becoming a vaping connoisseur - into all of the liquids and equipment and flavors, etc.

I enjoyed smoking, but it was a habit, not a hobby, you know? I didn't get into smoking cigarettes like people get into wines, collecting or modifying cars, but I am getting that way about vaping. I was trying to determine if you were into smoking as a hobby or smoking as a habit. Not whether or not smoking was enjoyable for you, does that make sense? It sounds like you enjoyed smoking, but it wasn't a hobby with trying new things, etc, like people do with wines or cigars. People have whole rooms in their houses devoted to their wine or cigar collections, beer enthusiasts get into collecting bewery equipment and developing flavors and formulas, but smokers don't usually get that way about cigarettes, you know? But I CAN see that happening with vaping.

 

[Scottes]

I started smoking Djarums - the big unfiltered ones - 23 years ago. After about 5 years, I switched to Marlboros. I've never smoked more than 1 or 2 of any other cigarette in my life. Oh, I've never collected lighters - I am 100.00% a Bic man. With cigarettes, I picked one path and kept at it for 18 years. It was most certainly a habit - not anything like a hobby at all.


I run a blog about rum, doing reviews and comparisons of many different types and brands. With rum, I found that I loved to try all the different kinds, and find all the taste differences - subtle, blatant, and in-between. I'm not a drinker - my wife has seen me drunk once in 16 years, and I often go months without a drop of alcohol. I just like the taste of rum and trying different kinds.


With vaping, I instantly fell in love with all the different e-juices. I've been vaping a week, and I have 60+ bottles already - 6 different brands of juice and at least 35 or 40 different flavors. When I'm home I don't take more than 20 puffs in a row of the same flavor. I love tasting all the different flavors of juice, just like I do with rum.

And I just ordered a bunch of DIY stuff - LorAnns, Capellas, and Bickford flavorings and tons of little bottles and PG, and VG, and flavorless nic-juice. Next week I expect to be like a kid in a candy store. OK, I have been like that already, but now it will be *my* candy and *my* recipes. I may over-vape just trying flavors.

After 18 years smoking a single brand of cigarette, I don't last more than 18 minutes on any single juice. I love trying all the flavors.

 

[Chief-A-Lot]

I guess I'm looking for people who went from smoking the same thing for years out of habit to becoming a vaping connoisseur - into all of the liquids and equipment and flavors, etc.

I enjoyed smoking, but it was a habit, not a hobby, you know? I didn't get into smoking cigarettes like people get into wines, collecting or modifying cars, but I am getting that way about vaping. I was trying to determine if you were into smoking as a hobby or smoking as a habit. Not whether or not smoking was enjoyable for you, does that make sense? It sounds like you enjoyed smoking, but it wasn't a hobby with trying new things, etc, like people do with wines or cigars. People have whole rooms in their houses devoted to their wine or cigar collections, beer enthusiasts get into collecting bewery equipment and developig flavors and formulas, but smokers don't usually get that way about cigarettes, you know? But I CAN see that happening with vaping.

Roger that! (Hope this is better for ya)

I started vaping just about two months ago. I was really starting to feel the ill effects of smoking and saw the SE kiosk in a mall several months prior. The guy at the SE kiosk gave me a spiel and a demo I thought it was very interesting but I passed due to the hefty price tag. My GF came home from vacation (both of us were pretty heavy smokers) and I told her I have been doing research on thoses electronic cigs. The day after she came home, I sat on the computer for about 4 hours and finally located a local e-cig dealer (901s and 801s). We met up with him that day, tried a bunch of different juices and the cig that I smoked on the ride to meet him was the last one I smoked since… I have taken to these things like flies on S%$#!!! I own several models as well as several MODs. I don’t like mixing my own liquid as much as I like Vaping different kinds, however, My GF loves all the stuff I whip up for her like, Cream Puff (Bavarian cream, cinnamon roll and cheesecake) and Nutty Coffee (555, chocolate and Coffee). I have always loved the simple things in life (Coffee and a cig)… Now, I enjoy the options that come along with my habits… Coffee in my Cig!

 

[Chief-A-Lot]

Roger that! (Hope this is better for ya)

I started vaping just about two months ago. I was really starting to feel the ill effects of smoking and saw the SE kiosk in a mall several months prior. The guy at the SE kiosk gave me a spiel and a demo I thought it was very interesting but I passed due to the hefty price tag. My GF came home from vacation (both of us were pretty heavy smokers) and I told her I have been doing research on thoses electronic cigs. The day after she came home, I sat on the computer for about 4 hours and finally located a local e-cig dealer (901s and 801s). We met up with him that day, tried a bunch of different juices and the cig that I smoked on the ride to meet him was the last one I smoked since… I have taken to these things like flies on S%$#!!! I own several models as well as several MODs. I don’t like mixing my own liquid as much as I like Vaping different kinds, however, My GF loves all the stuff I whip up for her like, Cream Puff (Bavarian cream, cinnamon roll and cheesecake) and Nutty Coffee (555, chocolate and Coffee). I have always loved the simple things in life (Coffee and a cig)… Now, I enjoy the options that come along with my habits… Coffee in my Cig!

I do have to add that I found DIY exciting at first and that fact I love different flavors there was endless possibilities, however, after doing it a whole bunch for a week straight I lost the drive due to the clean up, rinsing and basically the flat out mess and trial and error that flat out off set my (at least to me) unsuccessful results. Again, loving this new “hobby” I have tried just about everything, except modding cause I haven’t the tools to do what I would like, but maybe someday!

 

[kristin]

Yes! And unlike cigarettes, I could still see enjoying vaping once I get to 0 nicotine, because the vapor, the flavor, the tingle (if they can still get that without nicotine, lol) is all still enjoyable. I couldn't see the point of smoking tobacco without nicotine - I didn't enjoy it THAT much, lol! But that's just me!

 

[kristin]

I do have to add that I found DIY exciting at first and that fact I love different flavors there was endless possibilities, however, after doing it a whole bunch for a week straight I lost the drive due to the clean up, rinsing and basically the flat out mess and trial and error that flat out off set my (at least to me) unsuccessful results. Again, loving this new “hobby” I have tried just about everything, except modding cause I haven’t the tools to do what I would like, but maybe someday!

Yeah, I haven't wanted to get into mixing my own flavors - that's why I appreciate people like Drew. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next. People who sell their own flavors could start "flavor-of-the-month" clubs like wineries do. I'd pay to join! Play with flavors like, instead of just peach, peaches and cream or peach bellini or peach cobbler or cinnamon peach cobbler - just with one flavor (peach) there could be so many variations.

Hmmm... if a beer maker is a brewer and a wine maker is vinter, we need a proper term for a fine e-liquid maker. It truly is an art! A "vaporist" perhaps?

 

[dee5]

I see alot of merit in doing an article like that. You did so well on the first one that I am sure you would nail this one too! As for my own personal experience with smoking/vaping, I did switch brands several times over the course of my smoking experience (30+ years) and I haven't stopped smoking completly even now. I HAVE cut my analog habit down to about 12 cigarettes a day and I roll my own since the taxes went up (even nastier than store bought). But as far as vaping goes, I'm always looking for new flavors to try. Like most people I started off thinking I wanted a nice tobacco flavor and nothing else-HAH! What's so nice about tobacco flavor?! I've got about 20 different flavors in the box now and rotate quite a bit between them all. Some I like more than others of course and I'm always looking for a way to make the ones I don't like so much taste better- waste not, want not don'tcha know! Finances prevent me from trying all the different types of e-cigs though and besides, I really like my dse901. Anyway, I say yes, go for it! Even if we can just move up to the "elite" kind of status that cigar smokers enjoy it will be an improvement.

 

[Moonflame]

I also smoked pretty much the same thing for 23 years. I changed brands when the price went up on Va. Slims and went to Misty's and stuck with those. I enjoyed a clove cig once every couple of years if someone had them and I bummed one, but I nver bought them for myself. I stuck with cheapo bics as lighters because as much as I liked the look of Zippos and wanted to collect them, the smell of butane every time I lit a cig made me nauseous. I liked the smell of pipes and the flavor of different tobacco in them, but never got the hang of keeping one lit.

Since I've started vaping I am loving the variety I can have. I have about 10 different commercial flavors, but now I've really gotten into DIY liquids. I have 17 flavors of Capella drops, 10 or so flavors of Tasty Puffs, and 10 flavors of Bickfords. I love mixing and matching different flavors that sound like they would be good together. (BTW Capella's Butterscotch and Banana mixed together are really tasty) I've even started suggesting flavors to the guy who answers the phone at Capella, he said if they get lots of requests for the same flavor that people want them to make they will try to make it (if you are interested in Apple Cider flavor for the holidays please let them know). I'm finding that it's becoming like an artform for me to try to get the taste that I want just right, and that not paying attention to what you are dripping in your cart sometimes results in finding really great flavors that you then have to try to recreate in larger amounts. Of course sometimes it results in something really nasty .

I like the fact that I can use one of my mods at 6v to get a stronger, warmer hit. It goes really well with the stronger flavored liquids like coffees and chocolates. But the 3.7v mod brings out the lighter flavors better and allows me to chain vape when I want to just sit and puff.

I like being able to customize my PV with fingernail stickers and different colored atomizers. I'm not normally a girly girl, but the tiny rhinestones and flowers on my attys and carts make me smile.

All in all, there are so many things you can do to customize your vaping experience to fit you and the mood you are in at any given moment. It's never boring, and every day is a new adventure. I think I have learned something, and tried to pass that knowledge along, just about every day that I have been vaping.

 

[PhoenixRising]

Yeah, I haven't wanted to get into mixing my own flavors - that's why I appreciate people like Drew. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next. People who sell their own flavors could start "flavor-of-the-month" clubs like wineries do. I'd pay to join! Play with flavors like, instead of just peach, peaches and cream or peach bellini or peach cobbler or cinnamon peach cobbler - just with one flavor (peach) there could be so many variations.

Hmmm... if a beer maker is a brewer and a wine maker is vinter, we need a proper term for a fine e-liquid maker. It truly is an art! A "vaporist" perhaps?

Can I just say how much I love this whole sentiment? Add me to the list of folks who would love a Vapor of the Month Club. I also stalk Drew to see what he is coming up with.

I don't have it in me just yet to make my own brew, so to speak, but I do love taking a few drops of this and that to make a unique flavor combination. I am currently vaping happily on a combo of Drew's Pear Lung, Peach, and Pineapple. At other times, I prefer a mix of Pralines and Cream and Almond Joy. Sometimes I want a coffee house coffee indulgence, so I mix a bit of Coffee, Pralines and Cream, and Chocolate - yum!

 

[kinabaloo]

Kristen - What's this Alliance Of Electronic Smokers? I don't want to incur any wrath, but the word 'smokers' is best avoided, because we are smoke-free.

 

[kristin]

Kristen - What's this Alliance Of Electronic Smokers? I don't want to incur any wrath, but the word 'smokers' is best avoided, because we are smoke-free.

Kinabaloo: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...alliance-electronic-smokers-amicus-brief.html

 

[scott58]

Fair enough. But were you one who always tried different brands of cigarettes, rolled your own, tried different blends and papers, collected lighters and all that? That's a little different from the average smoker then, you know?

I have. I bought 50lbs of tobacco back in march.. In 32 years i've tried alot of brands in the US and Europe. Even tried pipe tobacco to lower the cost. Ecig's are more of an enjoyment with experimentation simply because there's no burning involved. One thing all cigarettes have in common is combustion. Any flavor you may get from tobacco is going to be tainted with burning paper and a variety of chemicals we'll never know. With vaping it's reduced to it's simplest form. Select chemicals and a heating element. To be a vaping Connoisseur has a bit more truth to it I think. You've gotten rid of most of the crap and retained the flavor. If this is like wine, a fresh battery and a new marlboro 11mg cartridge is like a $2000 bottle to me. Thank god it doesn't cost that much more over a dripped one.

 

[SheerLuckHolmes]

I smoked cigarettes for 45 years, but also smoked tobacco pipes. Now there is a hobby. All the different types of briars, merashaum, corn cob. The list goes on and on.

I was a [FONT="]merashaum[/FONT] man, myself. Then all the different types of tobacco. I eventually settled on one type that was good for pipes and RYO.

Then I found e-cigarettes. Pipes are all in a drawer, now. But I'm thinking of displaying them on the bookshelves next to my Zippo Lighter collection.

The hobby is much the same. Looking for the right flavor, cleaning the devices, learning the art of vap'n... All very similar to pipe smoking.

And Cigar smokers are probably the upper level of hobbyist, if they are serious cigar smokers. There is a Tender Box franchised tobacco store in my area and they have a special members only room that you have to join for $600.00 a year. Just to have a place to smoke pipes and cigars indoors away from all the judgements and attacks of the non-smoking wives and general public.

Before there was e-cigarette-forum.com there was two hours every Sunday morning of the 'Cigar General' on talk radio. I used to listen to it every Sunday. Good stuff!!!

 

[Xeno]

I smoked on and off (mostly on with maybe 2 years of non-smoking in there) since I was 15 years old (I am 32 now, so a good 15 years of smoking). My parents smoked, and there wasn't much harsh regulation for selling to minors back then. Anyways, I started out with Marlboro reds, then lights, then ultra lights, and finally Winston Ultra Lights (because they supposedly don't use any additives... riiiight).
I have been vaping since this past Saturday when my 510 came in. It has become my new obsession. I haven't had an analog since. As far as hobby... omg I just bought a little over $100 in e-juice (varying flavors that I want to try), I've ordered replacement parts, and a new starter kit for my girlfriend for her b-day (trying to get her on the wagon too). I'm also looking to buy a couple more models... screwdriver being one of them.
I really hope they never ban these things because I really do not want to go back to smoking regular cigs.

 

[stoprealones]

I just got my 510 and got the marlboro. I know that the atomizer takes a day or two to break in. I have a few quesions,if anyone has any suggestions,please pm me or reply on post:
1. any suggestions where I can find my brand?
2. how often to you put the nic. drops in the cart. and/or atty?
3.I've been looking ,found one site,and the price was outrageous.
Thanks so much,newbie
4. how long does it take to get that taste to go away from atty ??? it is horrible! I was told 2 full days, but I think it is so gross. andy suggestions?

 

[Kent C]

I guess I'm looking for people who went from smoking the same thing for years out of habit to becoming a vaping connoisseur - into all of the liquids and equipment and flavors, etc.

I enjoyed smoking, but it was a habit, not a hobby, you know? I didn't get into smoking cigarettes like people get into wines, collecting or modifying cars, but I am getting that way about vaping. I was trying to determine if you were into smoking as a hobby or smoking as a habit. Not whether or not smoking was enjoyable for you, does that make sense? It sounds like you enjoyed smoking, but it wasn't a hobby with trying new things, etc, like people do with wines or cigars. People have whole rooms in their houses devoted to their wine or cigar collections, beer enthusiasts get into collecting bewery equipment and developing flavors and formulas, but smokers don't usually get that way about cigarettes, you know? But I CAN see that happening with vaping.

I really liken it to my wine interests - wine spectator, wine advocate mags, letters, etc. looking for particular tastes... although I went through the same routine when I went MYOing. I tried over 40 different tobaccos, doing 'double blind' tests with my wife and her with me to hone down to a blend that almost always got a 'that's the best cigarette I've ever tasted' from anyone who tried them. Of course, that wasn't unanamous for the same reason here - people have different tastes and like many here, many MYOers were trying to 'duplicate' their favorite 'premade' (I love the terminologies). For any MYO'ers out there, my blend was primarily Rowland Light from D&R, and blending in McClintock Light and McClintock menthol, and even less Rowland Gold thrown in. Tasted like Hilton juice with very little menthol But then I had no idea that one could inhale something like RY4 or Absinthe. lol