Very interesting!!!

[muzichead]

I originally found this on another forum and thought I would share it here...

This might or might not answer some of the questions we all have asked here recently about clones... Is it really a clone that we are buying? If this information is in fact true, I would be just as ...... as a lot of people that have the "real deal" and are against all the clones!!! To some extent it was $150+ wasted. This is an episode of the mod Envy Show with Smokey Joes, Smokie901, Chunks, and NitroBex. The most interesting part of the show starts at the 27:00 mark in the video and I think everyone will be as surprised as I was. Would love to hear some feedback...

Mod Envy Show recording 9/7/13 Live from the New Jersey Vape Meet - YouTube

 

[henbone11]

I don't buy it. While I have nothing against clones per se (or that whole debate, to be honest), anyone that has ever had an original vs something from fasttech will know that they clearly are not of the same caliber. Sure, they look the same, but they don't feel the same. And, usually don't function the same. Now, some cloners (hcigar, ehpro or rainbow heaven) could be out of the same factories. Their clones tend to be very good and very close to the originals. But, almost everything I have ever seen from fasttech is easily identifiable and are lacking.

I think ........ has a very vested interest in making the statements that he made in that video. He makes money from Fasttech on referrals. Sure, it's only $.06 per sale, but, the dude gets 1 million hits on his blog every 10 days or so. If even 1% of people are buying from his Fasttech referrals...you can do the math. Nitrobex has every reason to fully back Joe's statements in that video as well. Obvious reasons.

It has been conjecture for a long time that clones were made by the same factories that make the originals, but no one can prove anything. Until some definitive proof comes out, I am inclined to not believe it. With that being said though, nothing would surprise me in the least. If it does get proven at some point, I doubt many would be truly surprised. Joe is pretty confident in his statements in that video, and many people will simply go along with what he says because they assume that he is in the know. I know he doesn't want to burn any relationships by divulging his sources, but at some point a source has to come out and prove it. Otherwise, it's all moot and will continue to be conjecture.

 

[DetraMental]

Now all one needs to know is which clone is the almost real deal.

 

[tc1]

Doesn't surprise me ...

Alot of mods are made in China, regardless where the designer lives. It's the cost effective way to make money.

 

[muzichead]

I'm with you on all the Fattech stuff... I would never order from them at any time. I have been researching a lot of APV's lately and yes, the Hcigar, Ehpro & Rainbow Heaven do seem to be the closest to the originals. With that being said, (as Vaper Joe stated), there are some differences such as the button, connector, finish, or tube threads... I wouldn't be surprised if this was in fact true... But, we will probably never know...

 

[henbone11]

http://.........blogspot.com/2013/11/the-origin-falls-to-tobeco.html

Again, he is alluding to knowing way more than he is saying. I wonder how long it'll take before we hear something definitive.

 

[Thrasher]

this has already been discussed with several other products. the two most famous was grand vapors and most of the pinoy drippers.

GV was thought to have the stuff made in china and the 2nds that were refused for whatever reason are the ones on fasttech (and other sites) and the agreement was they just cant serialize them if they decide to make copies.

and the other was reveled in a blog when the bakero wire hit, where several modders went off on each other with one accusing the other of just relabeling ribbon kanthal and charging more and then the other stating most of the expensive drippers were made for pennies in china and sold for well over the 50 dollar range.

I do not doubt many of the parts are in fact made in china, the difference is they are made within the manufacturers requested specs and the clones are not.

probably one of the most telling signs of who does what is the videos from some of these "groups" as they call themselves doing a product release sitting in their bedrooms or at a kitchen table, I do think if your actually a company you would at least be sitting in some kind of office setting or at least sitting at a desk, a workbench or something. lol

im sure there will be many mods that surprise people but several others are in fact produced in house.

 

[Jimi D.]

I don't buy it either. The Pinoy mechs tubing is thicker, and has these tiny machined rings. The silver pins seem to be solid on my Cronus at the top cap. On my Nzonic it's very clean stainless steel. I'm now looking at my Private V2 from Fast Tech. I see imperfections throughout the machining process. The brass tubing reminds me of plumbing tubing from the Home Depot. The silver pins is a dull thin plating. If anyone owns authentic mechs they know what I'm talking about. I sure can tell the difference between well machined parts vs. mass produced parts.

 

[footbag]

If you have something produced in China, it's only a matter of time before they steal and sell your design to someone else.

Don't blame your customers for cutting you out. You made yourself the middle man.

 

[jarreddizzle]

Don't buy what they're saying.

 

[K_Tech]

I have no dog in this fight, so please don't take this as my belief that mod makers contract out to China as soon as they have a set of working drawings.

I have a friend whose brother opened a candle shop. It became quite popular, and he was doing good business (it was in a touristy area with a steady stream of customers year-round).

It was also a one-man operation, he'd stay up late every night after the shop closed making candles to replace the ones that had sold, getting up early to get the candles out on the shelves before he unlocked the door, then staying in the shop every day.

One day he was approached by a Chinese businessman that told him he could save him money. They had a dinner meeting, the businessman made a proposal, and the shop owner accepted.

He was now buying candles from China, same labeling, same scents (relatively speaking) for less than one half the cost of making them by himself.

Business is still booming, and only a handful of people know the candles are made in China, they're still marketed as "handmade".

Again, not saying anything about the mod situation, but just food for thought.

 

[BardicDruid]

Those 4 dufus' have no idea what they're talking about, they sound like a bunch of spoiled brats whose toys aren't that special any more.