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What Wick Should I Use? Let's Find Out!


Compenstine

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I recently purchased some MUJI cotton pads. From the photos on the Internet, I could see little difference between them. Thanks to our own Tam, she graciously sent me some Authentic Kho Gen Do (KGD) pads to compare with what I had bought. There is a lot fuss about the KGD pads and how much better they are than organic cotton balls. There are reasons for why they are better. There is truth in that fact that the pads do wick better.

Pbusardos test results:

Now lets get down to brass tacks. What you will be looking at are images from my Celestron Microscope. These are images of both pads taken side by side. I will not reveal which one is which until some discussion is made. I also want to repeat Pbusardo's wicking test with both brands.

Lets start with the price:

From KGD Store per 60ct bag Price:

$12.00 + shipping (vis UPS Ground only) $16.42

Total $28.42

From MUJI Store per 120ct bag Price:

$4.95 + shipping (via Fed-x only) $5.95

Total $10.90

As you can see the MUJI pads are much less and you do get more for your money. The question is, are the KGD worth the higher price in the end. Do the KGD have a more superior wicking capability than the less expensive MUJI brand.

Pad Size:

KGD 3 1/8" x 2 3/8"

MUJI 3 1/2" x 2 3/4"

Thickness:

KGD 3/16"

MUJI 1/4"

Color: (Same)

KGD Off white with brown specks

MUIJ Off white with brown specks

Both pads have a layer on one side that is noticeably thicker or more rigid than the other. For this test I will refer to that as the top. The other side is less rigid and the fibers are not as tight, this side I will refer as the bottom. Both can be separated from the pad leaving the soft inner fibers exposed.

This is the image of the top of both pads set side by side:

gallery_1116_216_42983.jpg

More Magnification

gallery_1116_216_40532.jpg

This is the image of the bottom of both pads set side by side:

gallery_1116_216_76786.jpg

This is the image of both edges set side by side:

gallery_1116_216_59816.jpg

This is the image of both pads inside showing the alinement of the fibers:

gallery_1116_216_23818.jpg

It is very hard to tell them apart until the last image. Seems to me the fibers in one pad are more straight than the other. After seeing this, I want to test if this has any bearing on how they wick. It is said that the pads wick better because the fibers run more parallel with each other. This is unlike your standard organic cotton ball where the fibers are all different directions.

I will be doing this test over the next few days. I'm going to do mine a little differently than Pbusardo did his. I will be using small glass vials and can not immerse them all at the exact same time. I will however be taking pics at set intervals of 1 hour from the time I start each test. I will be testing each with 100% vg, 100%pg, and a 50/50 blend to see the difference in the wicking of all 3. I will post those results in this thread when they are completed.

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Tam: I'm sure you can find the KGD cheaper. I just wanted to use the home sites for both items. If you order more than 1 bag it can save money because the shipping stays the same up to a point. biggrin.png


Earthling: You can still do that and I will update it. biggrin.png

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Ok back to the task at hand. smile.png

Last night I did a prelim test with 100% VG. I let each go for one hour. What I found was 1 hour was to long. Most of the wicking happened in the first 15min. The rest of the time the wicking was very little and kind of a mute point. Having said that, I will just do 15min tests.

Here is the pic of the prelim test:

gallery_1116_216_61975.jpg

What I noticed is that one wicked more evenly than the other in the initial 15min. Over the hour they both were uneven

On the left is the MUJI: In the first 15min it wicked up a little more than 1in and was uneven in the wicking. After an hour it evened out some and at it's longest poit ended at 1 3/8thin

On the right is the KDG: In the first 15min it also wicked 1in, but was very even as it wicked. As you can see at the one inch mark it started wicking unevenly. Also, at about 30min ito the test the bottle ran a little dry. This IMO is why it didn't wick any further than it did. When I do the actual test I will make sure each bottle has the same amount of liquid in the bottle at the start to get a more accurate test. Each wick will be in it's own bottle as well. I had used the same bottle for both wicks.

Edit:

For kicks n giggles I just did a piece of organic cotton ball wick. I left it in for 15min in 100% vg with a fluid level in the bottle of 5/16 of an inch, in 15min it wicked a whopping 1/16th of an in. LMAO

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Ok first test results using 100% VG:

These wicks were dropped at the same time in these bottles. The bottles have the exact same amount of VG with red food coloring added.

gallery_1116_216_7988.jpg

After 10min in the VG

gallery_1116_216_9869.jpg

Test ended after 15min in the VG

MUJI

gallery_1116_216_4840.jpg

KGD

gallery_1116_216_889.jpg

Side by Side

gallery_1116_216_18012.jpg

As you can see there is only a 1/16in difference in the wicking. Sorry all you KGD users, the MUJI beat the KGD by 1/16 of an inch LOL. I know, I know nothing to brag about, but it is what it is. evil.gif

My conclusion is that they are equal in wicking fluid when it comes to VG. I will say in defense of the KDG it did wick faster for the first minute and then the Muji caught up in the second minute. biggrin.png Both the MUJI and the KDG wicked the exact same amount of VG into the wick. So, one is not wicking more fluid than the other, both were equal.

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Second test results using 100% PG:

These wicks were dropped at the same time in these bottles. The bottles have the exact same amount of PG with Blue food coloring added.

gallery_1116_216_7353.jpg

After 10min in the PG, Wicking much faster than the VG

gallery_1116_216_12705.jpg

Test ended after 15min in the PG

MUJI

gallery_1116_216_17132.jpg

KGD

gallery_1116_216_12854.jpg

Side by Side

gallery_1116_216_31938.jpg

I was a little surprised at this test, KGD came out on top this time. Seems the KGD is a little better at wicking PG than the MUJI.

My conclusion is that the KGD is better at wicking when it comes to PG. With the KDG wicking almost a 1/4 inch more than the MUJI, I have give KGD a better rating at wicking thinner E-Liquids. biggrin.png Both the MUJI and the KDG wicked the exact same amount of PG into the wick. So, one is not wicking more fluid than the other, both were equal in that aspect.

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I just spent some time watching movies with the family, I was just about to get started on the 50/50. :D

Will: I have some silica and some other wicking material I could do this with. I wans't planing on doing it, but I don't see why I couldn't add some other types to this.

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Third test results using PG50/50VG Blend:

These wicks were dropped at the same time in these bottles. The bottles have the exact same amount of 50/50 with Green food coloring added.

gallery_1116_216_4540.jpg

After 10min in the 50/50 blend, Wicking is faster than the 100% VG almost the same to the 100% PG. The MUJI on the left looks as though it is wicking better, but is wicking unevenly.

gallery_1116_216_12446.jpg

Test ended after 15min in the 50/50 blend

MUJI

gallery_1116_216_9195.jpg

KGD

gallery_1116_216_15920.jpg

Side by Side

gallery_1116_216_31789.jpg

This test was almost even but the Muji wicked a little more unevenly than the KGD, The two wicks I feel are fairly even in the 50/50 test I do think the KGD did wick more evenly further up the wick.

My conclusion is that the KGD is better at wicking when it comes to 50/50, but not by much. With the KDG wicking 1/8 inch more than the MUJI before the uneven wicking began, Agin I have give KGD a better rating at wicking thinner E-Liquids. Both the MUJI and the KDG wicked the exact same amount of PG into the wick. So, one is not wicking more fluid than the other, both were equal in this last test as well.

Overall I don't think you can go wrong with either brand. I do feel the KDG did somewhat better at wicking more evenly when wicking the liquid from one end. I think this has to do with the fibers being more parallel to each other as shown in the last image in the first post. I think this also why iy had a tendancy to wick more evenly as well. I don't think this would make much difference when laying horizontal in a RDA or bottom feed RTA. I do think that either one will work well in a RBA Tank.

Earthling is sending a 3d brand of Japanese Cotton pads for me to do this test on. They are comparable in price to the MUJI pads. This has sparked my interest in doing some other style of wicks as well. I do not have any ceramic material so they will not be done by me unless someone wants to send me a small sample. I personally do not have any plans in buying any. I will do the other style wicks in single tests and post them in this thread. Since I have Silica wicking I will do WillBlacks request next. I do not have any plans in doing a taste test comparison, I just want to show the wicking capability of these different style wicks.

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Next question, Comp... Not withstanding the height of the capillary action... how about the VOLUME each strip absorbs?

Obviously, how fast they wick will be important, but equally important to me is the volume each wick will hold... So, when each strip is in the tank with X-ml of liquid... after 15 min, which bottle has less liquid in it?

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