Anybody Using A Kabuki?

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gnees

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I don't feel like going thru here to find the actual post where all this started but I do know for a fact it had nothing to do with watches, guns, planes, trains or automobiles!!! If you took this as snark then I have to say HIGH FIVE to DP!!!!

I was specifically talking about vaping when I said there are others besides ProVape & HOH who offers exceptional customer service & you jumped out your mouth that if I believe that, I must be out my mind!

I am not so elitest that I think the sun rises & sets on Zens' behind & my vaping did not begin with ProVape....like others, it was a progression & on MY journey I have for the most part, experienced exceptional customer service!

Now....carry on talking about the watches you turned this into!
Lex!!!!! You got the time?:lol:
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GeekyGeezer

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Prolly. Hence the reason I disassemble and wash EVERYTHING before vaping out of it.

I must be insane to jump into the middle of this, but I was honestly impressed when I bought some drip tips from HOH and they came in a sealed autoclave bag. Yes, the autoclave that's used in medical applications for sterilization.

Toothbrushes aren't even supplied that way.
 

tyleris12

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I have 6 Kabuki 510's....some have the old o-rings, some have new. Some have original tubes, some have Bedazzles. Have taken them apart many times & (knocks on wood) haven't broken any yet, nor had a problem reassembling.

While I am definetly no expert, I think the variance in the glass tubes may be the issue on the extra tight fit of some?

Please excuse the no Provari's in this pic, but here are mine:

c9008dd1ae031024c7b2e464e6179ed0.jpg


Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
 

AstroTurf

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Happy to be... Not Smoking!!!
I have 6 Kabuki 510's....some have the old o-rings, some have new. Some have original tubes, some have Bedazzles. Have taken them apart many times & (knocks on wood) haven't broken any yet, nor had a problem reassembling.

While I am definetly no expert, I think the variance in the glass tubes may be the issue on the extra tight fit of some?

Please excuse the no Provari's in this pic, but here are mine:

c9008dd1ae031024c7b2e464e6179ed0.jpg


Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
Very Nice!!!
 

coldgin96

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It's no secret that I'm a watch guy around here. Most of my watches contain Swiss ETA high grade mechanical movements. I also have a Sellita SW200a and a Grand Seiko SBGR movement, which is about as in-house manufacture as any watch can be.

To your point about manufacturers, I agree there are no US mass producers of mechanical movements in the US any longer. It's a real shame. But please don't confuse Manufacture with mass produced. Any watch movement made with parts machined in the shop, in whole or in part, is from a Manufacture, regardless of the quantity produced. That said, Shinola, while built in the US can not actually qualify as a Manufacture, because the parts are all Swiss made, but put together in Detroit. Either way, it's nice to see someone mass building watches in the US again.

Cheers from the middle of the Caribbean Sea, on our way to Cozumel. A beautiful day it is, with very calm blue sea's and blue sunny skies!
THANK YOU! Those watches may not be your cup of tea, but let's give credit where credit is due!

I love you, Sir Rod!

Btw, I made a shortcut to RGM Watch Co...
 

coldgin96

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I don't feel like going thru here to find the actual post where all this started but I do know for a fact it had nothing to do with watches, guns, planes, trains or automobiles!!! If you took this as snark then I have to say HIGH FIVE to DP!!!!

I was specifically talking about vaping when I said there are others besides ProVape & HOH who offers exceptional customer service & you jumped out your mouth that if I believe that, I must be out my mind!

I am not so elitest that I think the sun rises & sets on Zens' behind & my vaping did not begin with ProVape....like others, it was a progression & on MY journey I have for the most part, experienced exceptional customer service!

Now....carry on talking about the watches you turned this into!
:rickroll:
 

rbrylawski

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THANK YOU! Those watches may not be your cup of tea, but let's give credit where credit is due!

I love you, Sir Rod!

Btw, I made a shortcut to RGM Watch Co...

That there made my day. Er, uh, um it could have been my 4th Pina Colada with Captain Morgan? Nope it's this post and I love you too!

One of my best watch buddies had RGM custom make a watch for him. It took almost 10 months to make and every month, he received a video of some little part being manufactured specifically for his watch. Someday, I hope to do the same.
 

coldgin96

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That there made my day. Er, uh, um it could have been my 4th Pina Colada with Captain Morgan? Nope it's this post and I love you too!

One of my best watch buddies had RGM custom make a watch for him. It took almost 10 months to make and every month, he received a video of some little part being manufactured specifically for his watch. Someday, I hope to do the same.
That would be nice.

Glad you're having a good time!
 

ENAUD

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Has designing a rebuildable head as a replacement for Nautilus BVC coils ever been discussed here or hinted at by Zen?

I know there's a rebuildable BVC coil out there (on eBay I believe), but poor reviews have kept me from considering them.
It's been discussed several times over the course of this thread. Zen didn't seem the least bit interested.
 

Zen~

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Wow, I go away for three months and see what happens... lol... took me nearly all day to get to the point where I could type some responses... sooooo..... here we go....

First... sorry for not being around much, there are MANY things going on at HoH and I have a TON of irons in the fire. As I told our Knife maker friend from Texas on the phone... If I'm on the forums... I'm usually avoiding work... I haven't been able to do that much, lately.

Bingo! It is an HOH Matilda in delrin. The Matilda is a favorite DT for me. :thumbs: I hope @Zen~ does another run in stainless at some point.

That's scheduled to happen, Duane.. probably in May.

Thanks Guy! I hadn't noticed, but took a look, and Yep!,, The coil is indeed lower in the Gen Zen Tank, to the point that the holes are even with the base of the tank, allowing full use of the liquid.

So... here's something funny... the first P3 Kabukis and all the early 510s had the coil seated higher... the Chinese cloned the first version, so it sits a bit high, which does effect the performance!

I have only 1 Kabuki at the moment; the glass broke, and I got a replacement metal tank for it, but I need different o-rings so i am working on ordering that. .. and that is my issue. I love the kabuki, my favorite tank ever, but anytime i need anything for it i have to do mail order. I wish my local vape shop would carry them! Its the main reason why I hang onto my Nautilus tanks. At least I know I can pick up what I need that day.

Shops tell me all the time... "If people ask for things, we get them in... if nobody asks for a Kabuki, we're not buying them"... Folks... Your local dealer is YOUR local dealer... They work for you... tell them what you want them to carry!

(Referring to the new Silicone OMG Rings) Yes, sir! Those are the ones that I bought. They work so well with both the poly and glass tanks that I no longer require a tool to refill. YMMV.

Forgot to add, that ZEN apologises for not being here lately. Too many Irons in the Fire. First the flood, and getting everything back to ship shape, and now catch up, and new projects. :cool:

He said that you know that when I'm not on the forum that I am super busy. Work is swamped, and his hobby which fits in with HOH is taking up his free time.

I feel kinda responsible for part of that.

Time will explain all. Yes it will!;)

Knife

So let's have at the explanation... shall we? During an interaction I was having with knifemaker, I mentioned that I had been "emulating" hand engraving using CNC machines, but I really wanted to learn how to hand engrave... a skill that takes YEARS to even be BAD at... Long story short... it seems that HE had some experience in this area, and had tools he was no longer using, seeing as he has retired from the craft... he sent them to me... I was blown away... yeah, we're doing some trades etc... but man... amazing stuff... so I've been spending a fair amount of time gouging metal into uselessness as I learn this incredibly wonderful (and difficult) skill... it's slow going, but I'm loving the process.

@Knifemaker Fabulous to get this "report" even if it wasn't direct from the Zen~ himself. A mere like wasn't enough. :)

Yeah, Knifemaker has been doing a great job of reporting back details of a couple conversations I have had with him... he catches me on breaks.

I would gently suggest contacting Zen...

These tanks do have a lifetime warranty after all.

People should ALWAYS contact us if there is an issue... we'll make it right, and we'll make it right FAST.

Personally I think the darker the juice, the faster the coils gunk up.

This is truth... Darker juices clog coils faster than clear ones.

I probably go through 2 full tanks on my Kabuki before I start getting a burnt taste. Even if I let it sit once I get the burnt taste it just gets worse and worse. And I am not chain vaping. I vape 0mg nic and the juice is clear but I am guessing its the max VG. So maybe I need to try thinning it out. All my juice is pretty much max VG. Heck I dont even know where to get 50/50 except at a local vape shop.

So if I use a 2-3 drops of water per tank this might solve it? And does it have to be distilled water?

As of right now my three Kabuki tanks are just sitting and getting no use until I solve this issue because I am going through coils way too fast.

Distilled water is best, especially if you have a lot of minerals in your tap water.

Wow, that sucks. I don't have a problem with HH coils except for this 80VG and like I said, @ 7.4 watts, this J.C. Baked Apples is kicking my :censored:!

At $100, you certainly are not going to bother Zen, especially with a phone call.

As I said, I have a customer service line... feel free to call... it's no bother. It won't always be me on the phone, but occasionally, it is.

If it's purely a wicking issue, it is my understanding that the Triton Mini coils are much better wickers. YMMV but it may be worth a shot.

Not in my experience.

@Garibaldi , one more thing came to mind. I don't know if you are a MTL or lung hitter, but you could also try to turn the airflow screw in some while lowering the power to try and get more juice drawn to the coil with the extra pressure difference from a restricted airflow.

If people are having wicking issues, tighten the draw a "little" and see if that helps.

I like how you are asking all these questions! Seriously! Please keep asking, it's educational for me.

But yeah, max VG sucks... I hate it. If I had my way, everything would be 80PG/20VG but that's just me.

Ever try ProVape's 70/30? Burns pretty good and clean.

ProVape Juice is AMAZING... people should really try it if they haven't.

...if your VG is too thick simply add a drop or two or three of distilled water :)

Yep... as above!

I've had the Kabuki for a full day and I love it. I will be buying a 2nd one in the near future. I like the simplicity, the airflow wide open and the fact that it does not leak a drop (so far).

The only negatives I can find so far is a) VERY expensive. I bought 3xProvari 2.5 mods for less than one kabuki tank... and b) Low juice capacity. I could get thru a full day of vaping with a full size Nautilus, not so with a Kabuki.

Incredibly well made in any case and gives great flavor.

OK, Chiming in here you purchased 3 ProVari 2.5's that were for sale at about 75% off retail... a year ago you could buy nearly 2 Kabukis for the price of ONE ProVari 2.5...

Come on really?

I kinda find it hard to swallow. As a consumer, not vendor or producer of goods, I have found many companies that truly care about their customers.

Just my opinion, Jim

Not just your opinion... It's my opinion too! There are MANY companies in Vaping with GREAT customer service. Granted, there are far more with horrible service, sad to say. HoH and ProVape are VERY proud of our customer service teams, and we both work hard to make sure our folks get it right, but that in no way diminishes the other great companies out there.

Current watch movement made by?

Thanks, Jim

Current Movement is made by ETA.

You are the first person I have seen that mentioned Provape eliquid. I decided to finally give it a try recently with their 25% off sale which I should receive probably tomorrow. Anything in particular you like? Really tired of all the 70%+ VG eliquids.

A jeweler I talked to told me he can get me a completely American made watch for under $150 It's the one he orders for Unions.

American Time Company is the company that makes watches for the Unions, and they are located in Rochester NY... I have a meeting with them next week. I assure you, they do not make watch movements in the USA. They assemble imported components and they print Union Logos on the watch faces. For $150 bucks, you get an imported watch movement.

These are not the ones the jeweler was telling me about but these watches are being made in Detroit Rock City - Lifetime warranty.
Shinola Detroit – Official Site

The first step in creating an in-house movement is to first learn watch making, and the easiest way is to import all the parts and assemble them here. A short time ago Shinola was importing completed movements and casing them here... they have since transitioned to the next step... importing all the parts and assembling the movements here, then casing them... it's a HUGE step, and I'm thrilled they have made it this far. It's a FAR cry from making those parts here... and in a while, they will get their, it's their plan, and I hope they make it.

My watch is going to follow the same trajectory, starting with ETA movements that are a bit better than the Shinola Movement, I will next move on to making parts, then to a full in-house movement. The goal is to get there by the end of 2017, if everything goes according to plans,

I like the silicone OMG rings over the original ones, they are so much easier to work with and I think easier on the glass tank.

Yes, as of last week we have started using them in ALL Kabukis in production. As Knifemaker mentioned, I spent the better part of a year getting O-rings made to my specifications... not that it means all that much, but, these are as far as I am aware, the first O-Rings ever made specifically for Vaping, using all FDA grade Silicone.

Went from 24, 18, 12, and now 6 in the past year. Been battling to keep on the 6 but have been vaping more. May try some 12 again and quit beating myself up over it.

When you go from 24 to 18, you drop your nicotine level by 25%... from 18 to 12, it's 33% on top of that... From 12 to 6... that's a 50% drop... For me... 50% is a pretty big step to take in a single jump!

12 to 6 is big jump. I wanted to drop from 12, but 6 was too low all at once so I mix 12 and 6 for a 9mg.

Good solution!

So, I've been seeing a lot about these OMG rings from Zen...

Should I buy the black ones, to replace the rings that came with my Kabuki?
Did he bring these in as a replacement for BUNA? Or just as an option?

OMG SIlicone is effectively a replacement for the original Buna Selection... we still have Buna on the site because we still have them in stock, AND they work great on our older legacy products.

Just for clarification on my barely caffeinated brain...

The OMG O-rings are silicone, right? The new 45 durometer O-rings are BUNA? If so, given the two options, which is the better choice?

The Silicone are 45 Durometer, Buna is 70... Silicone is the better choice, which is why we had them made.

So as a catch up update has the tanks getting cracked issue been solved? I read somewhere that the original o rings were the wrong size and produced to tight of a fit? Has anyone tried the new o rings? Is the problem solved? As I mentioned a while back I'd like to give my wife a genuine kabuki as a gift but she's a tough sell if it isn't at least as easy to own/operate as the nautilus mini is. Thanks in advance- David

The original O-Rings were not the "wrong size"... they were a standard size. We now have a custom size that works better. Tanks made starting last week will have the new Black Silicone OMG rings installed in the assembly process.

Timely post, Thx!

I bought a brand spanking new Kabuki GMZ less than an hour ago and am not pleased to say the least.

I washed out the Kabuki and carefully put it back together before first use. The white o-rings are obviously waaayyyyy too big and my glass tank went kaboom when I tried to CAREFULLY reassemble. Shattered into a million pieces and I am lucky I still have all of my fingers. Not cool at all with a $100 tank IMO. No way that tank was going back on in one piece. I lubed up up and was extremely careful. Not my first rodeo with glass tanks. 100% QC problem with the o-rings IMO.

I am glad that I bought the SS replacement tank or the tank would be completely useless until I spent another $10 on a replacement tank that would very likely realize the same fate as my original one.

Breaking a $10 glass tank on one of the most expensive tanks on the market before even using it once is not acceptable. I get that new o-rings are available but I am far from an o-ring expert and would expect potentially defective products recalled or the rings swapped out prior to being offered for sale.

End of rant, but I would expect much better things from HoH.

I do apologize that you had trouble with it. When washing a tank with Buna Rings you MUST during reassemble put some slippery eLiquid on those rings and TWIST the tank into place... jacking it in WILL break it... but this won't happen again with the new O-Rings. Please come see me at the Vape Meet in Toronto next month and I'll make things right for you, and you can ALWAYS call the shop if you're having an issue in the mean time.

I don't disagree with what you are saying. I have never had any issue with the bottom base whether it be the P3 or 510 Kabuki and it has always been the top cap and always when disassembling for cleaning. If the top cap is tight when assembling I turn the glass upside down to see if it goes on easier — Zen had mentioned to do this quite a while ago. I know it is too late for the GMZ glass however for the future try turning the glass tank upside down if you are experiencing problems assembling the tank. I always put the top cap on the glass first, fill it with eliquid and then put the bottom cap on. When I disassemble I work backwards and start with the bottom base. I doubt that it matters however this is my creature of habit routine.

These are really helpful hints.

At one time Zen said he would explain to us why the 510 and P3 version had separate o ring kits and I'd love to hear that explanation, especially since his custom sized silicone ones are available and good for all Kabuki's.

The short version of a VERY long story is that when the Kabuki was first designed, the original marketing plan was to have the P3 Kabuki launch at ProVape, The Z2 Kabuki to launch at my current list of dealers and the 510 Kabuki was going to be rolled out an a HUGE marketing campaign by a large company that was doing a collection of Vape Products from various manufacturers as a consolidated product line... For the 510, I defined the size of the O-Ring as being the same one I always used. However, the company that was creating the "line" of products had charts and graphs that said there would be fewer fit issues if we changed that one ring, but made it more snug in the fit... They wanted to be SURE the tank didn't slip off the top O-Ring when refilling... I disagreed saying that people are smarter than that... they insisted and they were the guys writing the check. I produced the first 5,000 of the tanks with the size O-Ring they specified... then they cancelled the entire project. There was nothing I could do to change it at that point, because I was already NOT going to get paid for the 5,000 tanks that already existed. And they worked fine... a bit snug, for sure, but functional. For what it's worth, this nearly put HoH out of business, we were counting on that check!

SO... what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right? (Unless of course it weakens us until we can no longer fight, that is)... We launched the Kabuki. It has been a pretty big success for us, and the product keeps on getting stronger and stronger in the market. Along the way I HAVE relaxed the fit in the O-Ring Channel, and changed a few other minor specifications, as well as worked with glass suppliers for more consistent glass, AND an O-Ring manufacturer for custom spec O-Rings... the tank today is better than ever!

SO that is the tale of the dual sized O-Ring.

I find it interesting that three of us have had very different not so good initial experience with the GMZ Kabuki.

It's true there have been some issues, I only hope we have handled the problem to your satisfaction, and IF WE HAVE NOT... I need to know about it!

Before you make the claim there are no watch movements made in the US, you should have checked. There is a watchmaker in Lancaster, PA. His name is Roland and his brand is RGM. While he does case some ETA movements he customizes, he also makes custom movements from his shop and hands. They are works of art and actually reasonably priced for such craftsmanship.

Www.rgmwatches.com

I have checked, and I'm well aware of Roland and RGM... I wish I could afford one! That being said... the in-house movement for the Pennsylvania Tourbillon is 95% Made in the USA, and sells for $95,000... and it is spectacular! I stand by my statement that there are NO watches with USA Made in-house movements, and certainly none even close to operating at scale... but THAT will change! And I won't be the only one doing it. GREAT things are happening in this country in MANY industries and we're going to bring manufacturing of ALL SORTS of things back to the USA... we used to be the best at nearly everything, but WE have let that slide!

I honestly don't really care how they got it on. The tank wouldn't go on for me which is all that matters to me. I have about 25 different tanks and I have never broken a tank other than by dropping it.

Got it... you're angry... I'd love to have the chance to make it right! Call the shop!

It's no secret that I'm a watch guy around here. Most of my watches contain Swiss ETA high grade mechanical movements. I also have a Sellita SW200a and a Grand Seiko SBGR movement, which is about as in-house manufacture as any watch can be.

Grand Seiko IS a fine watch!

One of my best watch buddies had RGM custom make a watch for him. It took almost 10 months to make and every month, he received a video of some little part being manufactured specifically for his watch. Someday, I hope to do the same.

Me too!

Has designing a rebuildable head as a replacement for Nautilus BVC coils ever been discussed here or hinted at by Zen?

I know there's a rebuildable BVC coil out there (on eBay I believe), but poor reviews have kept me from considering them.

It has been discussed, and it's not of any interest to me. My goal is to make vaping easier, which means drop-in coils. The eBay rebuildable is horrible.

OK Folks... nice catching up...!
 

Knifemaker

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Lex, I'm afraid you missed the boat on this one. It was about a post I made pointing out that HOH was now making a watch. something of interest to many HOH followers. the comment I made was about lack of caring on the part of a Lot of US companies in general. Not E-cig related companies.

With the response I received on the new product from ZNA, I am having second thought on the promise I made on the Radius Thread. Yes, there is something new and exciting coming, that will be of interest to many vapors. And I am very happy to be in the know on it. I would love to discuss it when it is ready to release, as I will be one of the very few beta testers. but after this, I think I'll just keep mu Damn mouth shut on it!

It disturbs me that your jumping my A8- when you have completely missed what the conversation was about in the first place. I mean, shouldn't you at least have a clue to what you're talking about before jumping somebody? At least a little?:confused:
Knife
 

ScandaLeX

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Lex, I'm afraid you missed the boat on this one. It was about a post I made pointing out that HOH was now making a watch. something of interest to many HOH followers. the comment I made was about lack of caring on the part of a Lot of US companies in general. Not E-cig related companies.

With the response I received on the new product from ZNA, I am having second thought on the promise I made on the Radius Thread. Yes, there is something new and exciting coming, that will be of interest to many vapors. And I am very happy to be in the know on it. I would love to discuss it when it is ready to release, as I will be one of the very few beta testers. but after this, I think I'll just keep mu Damn mouth shut on it!

It disturbs me that your jumping my A8- when you have completely missed what the conversation was about in the first place. I mean, shouldn't you at least have a clue to what you're talking about before jumping somebody? At least a little?:confused:
Knife
I didn't miss the boat or anything else. Maybe you should follow the conversation backwards & you'll see why DP said what he said....I eventually did.
Whether you choose to or not is up to you.

#DEUCES

!!! G*NOTE FIVE !!!
 

Knifemaker

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It's no secret that I'm a watch guy around here. Most of my watches contain Swiss ETA high grade mechanical movements. I also have a Sellita SW200a and a Grand Seiko SBGR movement, which is about as in-house manufacture as any watch can be.

To your point about manufacturers, I agree there are no US mass producers of mechanical movements in the US any longer. It's a real shame. But please don't confuse Manufacture with mass produced. Any watch movement made with parts machined in the shop, in whole or in part, is from a Manufacture, regardless of the quantity produced. That said, Shinola, while built in the US can not actually qualify as a Manufacture, because the parts are all Swiss made, but put together in Detroit. Either way, it's nice to see someone mass building watches in the US again.

Cheers from the middle of the Caribbean Sea, on our way to Cozumel. A beautiful day it is, with very calm blue sea's and blue sunny skies!
RB, I too have a Grand Seiko, sadly, it is a 3/4 size diver, sooooo, it's now my "wife's Grand Seiko" LOL!!! You probably know how that goes. :oops:

20-30 years ago, I would have probably have enjoyed it. Watches were much smaller then. :(
 
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