Ok, I’m going to break this review of TrueSmoker.Com's "The Dragon" PV into a few parts to make it easy … for me to write I’ll start with looks, go to “smoking” (can’t get myself to say vaping, for some reason I have a problem with that term) and all it involves, then end with overall impression. Beyond that I’ll give my impressions as a n00b e-cig smoker as I go along, what I think of the whole process, and my experience with TrueSmoker.Com in particular.
So let us begin.
1. Looks:
What can I say? This e-Cig is absolutely gorgeous. Sure I may be a little biased because of my preference of dragons and all things dragon. Regardless, this cig is fantastic looking. It has a matte (flat even) black finish, which we all know is sexy as hell. BUT, add to it the very nicely done silk screen of a golden Dragon – which, according to D&D lore is a good dragon - and the sexy factor goes to 11. Add to that the nicely done carrying case, and you’ve got a winner all around. JUST LOOK AT THE DAMN THING!!! Oooooohhhh aaaahhhhhhh oohhhh.
2.“Smoking”
Let’s start with vapor production. Ok, so I’m a n00b. I have no idea how to drag on (HA! Drag on, dragon. I’m so clever) one of these things. So, naturally, I smoked it like a cigarette. Well, it worked. Nicely. Granted I smoke by taking slow, long drags. That seems to work very well with this unit. I “primed” it the first few puffs by taking a short drag, blowing it out, and taking another longer drag immediately afterwards. Nice and smooth. Plenty of smoke, but really now, let’s be honest here – isn’t that really for show more than anything else? Would smoking an e-cig be THAT much worse if there was no “smoke” production? Regardless, I would put the vapor production almost on par with a regular cig. Almost. I mean it’s still vapor, right?
I’m not sure what “throat hit” is, although I have an idea. That’s not necessarily something I’m after, but I think the way one drags on their e-cig determines if/how much of a throat hit one gets. I’ve read a whole bunch on these forums about people getting/not getting throat hits with the SAME EXACT units (not this one specifically, but X number of people with X unit). From what I gather, it depends on how you smoke, not what you smoke (and to a certain degree the quality of the product). So, I believe I have gotten a throat hit from this unit, don’t really care either way. I also think it depends on the type of smoker you were/are and how you smoked your cigarettes. It wasn’t something I ever really noticed (I am, or was?) a Parliament Lights smoker. Hell, I can blow smoke rings with the vapor, make your own judgment based on that.
*EDIT* - I have since gained a better understanding of what throat hit is, and I consictently get a throat hit with The Dragon. I have also started dripping and find that I get great vapor, great flavor, and overall great satisfaction by doing so. I simply put around 4 drops of juice on the atomizer, cap it with the empty blank shipping cartridge, and vape away!
3.Overall Impression
Ok, so smoking an e-cig is not the same as smoking a regular cigarette. Duh. However, it is damn close. And much more enjoyable. Seriously, I can smoke in the house. I don’t smell anymore (well, not like cigarettes at least). If it’s raining outside I don’t have to worry about getting wet. In the long run, if done correctly (using e-juice to fill your own carts) it ends up being more economical. As far as safety, or health, is concerned – let’s not kidd anyone here. These things are marginally better than analogs. The main thing going for them is that they have fewer carcinogens, byproducts, and overall badness than analogues. They are, however, still bad for you because they have nicotine and are not perfect. So what. If they are 70% better than analogues it’s a win in my book. If I can lower my nicotine dosage over the course of my smoking, and eventually get off nicotine while still enjoying a smoke I’m ahead of the game. So, in that regard, The Dragon (in all its awesomeness) is helping me help myself. I can’t think of a better way to help myself that with something sexy, like this bitchin’ product!
4.TrueSmoker – WTF?!
100% awesome. Seriously. Fast shipping. Great service. Someone who cares about their product, the quality, and is willing to go the extra mile to ensure you are happy with the product. How can you fault someone with such impeccable taste and sense of style anyway? Would I recommend TrueSmoker to a friend? Family member? Stranger? Every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Heck, thrice on Sundays.
Ok, so I hope this helped someone. Maybe not. Who knows. Whatever. Look, here’s the deal – I LOVE THIS THING. Subjective? Absolutely. Honest? 100%. Two beers short of a six pack? You better believe it. Take it for what it’s worth. If you have, or want, an e-cig that works and looks great – buy The Dragon. If you’re new to this whole thing and want something that looks like a cigarette because you’re worried about the “stigma” – STFU and buy The Dragon. If you are an alien from Saturn who has no idea what being an Earthling is about – I can’t help you there. BUT, buy The Dragon and GTFO.
P.S. – I have absolutely NO affiliation with TrueSmoker, aliens from Saturn, or D&D. I do, however, approve this message.
By now, most vapor’s have heard of or run across the line of products from e-cig.com called Healthcare E-Liq, most notably, the E-Cialis product. The product headline reads: “Vaporable Cialis for E-Cig Improve Sexual Capacity”. Like we didn’t know what it was supposed to do!
For those of you under 40, Cialis is an erectile dysfunction (ED) drug similar to the highly touted Viagra. The major difference is that Cialis is supposed to work for a full 36 hours!
I was sending off an order for some atomizers that fit an old pen style of mine, so I decided to add in a vial of the E-Cialis out of curiosity. It can be ordered with or without Nicotine and but I went for the one with Nicotine.
Not knowing what to expect out of some perhaps illegal substance of questionable origin, I must say I was a more than a little apprehensive. But as they say, no guts no glory, so I was willing to give it a try for the good of my fellow vapors.
Before I get started, let me give you a little background on myself. I’m a 52 year old man in good health and on no medication. I workout religiously and keep in good shape. I can’t say as I have had any real issues with ED in the past. But I have, however, had experience with the real Cialis in the form of a sample from my doctor. And yes, it works as advertised. What I’m saying is: I know what to expect.
Everything arrived just fine from China via express mail. The products were packaged nicely and got here in great shape. The e-liquid comes in an amber vial with a nice little eyedropper and looks very professional. On the label, it had no indication of what was inside other than to denote that it contained 11mg of Nicotine. But since I didn’t order any other juice, it had to be the stuff.
Now it was time for some testing! I vaped a Dura-C cart as dry as I could, added in 4 drops of the juice, and took a long drag. The stuff tastes rather medicinal. Sort of a hint of a Listerine flavor. But it’s not all that unpleasant and the taste isn’t too strong. Honestly, I would have been disappointed if it didn’t taste weird in some way. The vapor production was good and I was able to smoke it all up just fine. I probably wouldn’t make it my main juice but it’s OK for those “special occasions”.
OK, so the question you all want to know is “Does it work?” To be truthful, yes it does. Not like the real prescription product, but not too bad. I tried it on Monday after an “active” weekend so this was a good test. I have to admit that I was shocked! The reaction took about 30-45 minutes and is not as pronounced as the real deal, but not bad. Let’s just say that Mr. Happy was REALLY happy!
Now I can’t imagine what is really in this product. I am presuming it is not the same compound as prescription Cialis. But if it’s not, then what is really in the stuff and is there a health risk? That, I’m sure we will never know. So use it at your own risk!
The company recommends a maximum one or two cartridges with E-Cialis daily. They claim the dosage is about 10-20mg of Cialis. This is the recommended dose of the prescription brand Cialis. I would stick with their recommendation just to be on the safe side. You wouldn’t want to end up with a 36 hour Priapism (if you don’t know what that means, Google it and get a good laugh!).
In addition to the E-Cialis juice, the company also sells an E-Rimonabant juice that is supposed to be the weight loss drug sold in Europe but not approved by the FDA. Since I don’t need to lose weight, I have no plans on trying that one. But they do sell a number of other Healthcare E-Liq that contains everything from herbs to help you stop smoking to vitamins. As Chinese medicine is an ancient art that has been practiced for thousands of years, I wouldn’t doubt the effectiveness of these products either.
So there you go. The E-Cialis juice has been tested under “field conditions” and passed with flying colors!
