FisherPal

Thanks for the advice, guys! I'll go check out that PeeWee like you suggested. He and smoke way different too so don't know how that will effect the type of e-cig that would be best. He's a 'puffer' and I'm an 'inhaler'. Actually sounds like the PeeWee with it's vapor would still be the best way to go. I'll go check it out.

The vapor is great. Lots of it - of course, this IS the penstyle we're talking about, Have just changed the cart to the Tennesse Cured as I'm starting to realize I need something just a little less sweet for a 'regular' daily vape. Still working the vanilla out of the atomizer, I think, as I don't notice too much difference yet but then again ... I just changed it like two minutes ago. Guess I'll have to consider this 'dry smoking' you're talking about one day soon. I take it that means 'dripping'? I only have the one atomizer so far - my supplier is out of stock until next week supposedly so am afraid to do anything that might kill it. Sounds pretty easy - just two or three drips straight on it and you're good for a cig or two worth? How often do you clean your atomizer using this method? Do you keep the batting in the cartridge or remove it to vape this way?

Oops - opened another thread talking about getting my sample pack today but figured I'd better finish this one off in case any other Canadians out there are reading it and wonder ... what ever happened? Got my stuff through Customs no problem. Other than being surprised at how much juice it took to fill a dry cartridge, I am very pleased! Starting with the Vanilla Ice Cream and love it. I find the milder throat hit very pleasant and lots of vapor. So far my throat seems happy, a bit of a sore tongue but that could just be from being away from vaping for the past week waiting for the juice to arrive. Am really looking forward to trying the other flavors but so far am very impressed with Johnson Creek. They have been excellent with their customer service, answering emails, delivery and their juice is ... well ... light years ahead of what came with the sample kit! Also now that I know that electronic-cigz.com from Toronto is selling JC, will probably by from them in the future just to save the worries of Customs.

Looking forward to them. Need to buy another e-cig for my husband. He wants to try this whole vaping thing after watching me but really can't see himself with a penstyle in his hand so something smaller is in the plan so I'll be looking for your M401 review.

It finally came! I am majorly impressed with the packaging and all the goodies in the 'tool box' too. As some of you know, I've been having throat and mouth issues with the carts that came with my kit and wondered if the problem was PG related. The JC juice is also PG but unquestionably a much better product. Chose the Vanilla Ice Cream flavor to start with and readied a cart. I have to admit I was a little surprised at how much juice it took to get the batting completely wet. Obviously there is a difference between 'topping up' a cartridge and filling a totally dry one. Must have used a third of the liquid in the little sample bottle. Then again the Penstyle has a larger cart, too. Anyway, I am loving the taste! Am finding that the milder throat hit is a big plus for me as well as the fact the the nic level is a downgraded from what I was using. Only a tad bit harsh on the throat for the first while but figure that may be because I had to get used to vaping again as I gave it up while waiting for this juice. It's now a couple of hours later and, so far, I'm feeling pretty darn pleased. Another couple of days will tell the tale but, worst case scenerio, I order again only the VG version this time. Am looking forward to trying the other flavors too but very happy so far. It's brought back all the pleasure of vaping again! I can't believe the difference it makes to have decent juice to vape from!

Well I got my notice in the mail today that my JC sample pack has arrived and I can pick it up tomorrow so that spurred me into having to get a few cartridges ready for the new juice. I watched the videon that igetcha has on the 901 maintenance tips and figured it couldn't be much different. And, of course, it wasn't. Was surprised how easy it was to wash the stuff from inside the cartridges, dry it and stuff it back in again. Decided to do the 'blow your atomizer clean' tip as well and ... geez ... was surprised at the amount of liquid that came out and what a difference it made. Now ... bring on the JC!

Well, Chris ... I took Royal Conservatory for 10 years growing up and taught for a couple of years (that's when I discovered I hate teaching) and let me tell you ... anyone (well almost anyone) can learn to read sheet music but to sit down and play like that? That's a whole other league! Very beautifully done! You have a real talent there. Anytime you feel like making another YouTube video, please let us all know! Enjoyed it immensely!!

Thanks, Chris! Also, just so you know, you were wondering if Johnson Creek had any problems shipping to Canada. I sent them an email and they responded (very quickly, I might add) that they are having NO problems shipping to Canada. I noticed on their website that they have an FDA certificate. I wonder if this will provide them enough protection with all the crap going on. Surely if they got certified by them previously, the FDA can't renage on it now? Oh, sorry - I forgot I was talking about the FDA - they can do anything they want, right?

Will do. I didn't have any problems with the check out this morning, though, and it still gave the option to be able to ship to Canada so ... but I'll certainly let you all know what happens.

Many thanks, PoppaC - never even thought to look in that area. Duh ....

In case I decide (when I get my juice) that I am too much of a woosie to risk destroying the only atomizer I happen to have right now - supplier waiting for more on next order (hopefully there IS a next order!), I'm wondering if it is possible to somehow clean the old cartridges? Can you wash them or something like that and reuse them again with new juice? I know you couldn't do that indefinitely but maybe a couple or three times? Then again, if you take that stuff out of the cartridge, can you stuff it back in again or does it get all fluffy and unmanageable?

Location added! I'm going to order a sample pack from JC, then I can try this dripping that everyone talks about and, hopefully, not screw up my atomizer on the very first go! Will let the board know if I have any probs getting it across the border just so others that might be reading these posts from Canada will know.

In light of what is happening in the world of e-cigs, this seems to totally unimportant now (as in my annoying newbie questions re carts, nic levels, juice, etc) but didn't want you to think I was being rude and ignoring you. I appreciate all the great info you have on this site believe me! Also, I knew I had posted something here the other day but couldn't find it again until now. Just for your info, though, I got my penstyle from www.clearsmoke.ca. Am too leery about ordering any juice now in case it gets held up at Customs. Would like to think that this is just a short-term temporary set back for the e-smoking world but ... this IS government we are dealing with, right? And oh how they love to enforce our best interests on us. However, let's try to keep the faith, people.

Nice of them to allude to 'licensing' but that alone could take years in the approval stage if they so choose to work it that way. I won't bother reiterating what so many others have said about the hysterical and idiotic claims being made by opponents of the e-cig industry or the absolute crap that the FDC and now HC is proclaiming regarding concerns for 'the safety of the product'. Half the pharmaceutical drugs out there on the market would be gone if they were really that concerned. Unless big tobacco or pharma decides to take over the industry and then ... well, just watch those hurdles disappear. My feeling is that the industry has only now realized just how big a market they stand to lose and our gov'ts are scared of the disappearing tax revenues. Since getting my e-cig only a few days ago, I have smoked maybe 5 analogs. And then only because my throat hurt too much and needed a nic fix. I was all ready to order some juice from JC in the VG form to see if that helped but now am too scared that it will never make it across the border. We have a fight of monstrous proportions on our hands, methinks. Someone on the 'other' forum mentioned that we could still get supplies directly from China. Any thoughts on this? I love this e-cig and what it can do and do NOT want to have to give it up. I don't know if petitions will be enough (but can't hurt!) so successfully fight this. But we sure need to do something. Very distressing all the way around ... I feel sorry for all the suppliers who must be sweating bullets right now too. It takes huge money to fight these agencies and almost as much to do the kinds of studies that are usually required to say nothing of the time involved before approval. I just don't see our suppliers having those resources and any studies done in China would have zero credibility on this side of the water. For now I guess I'll just send an email to my supplier and see if there is any hope of getting as many carts as I can. Guess I'll need to scour the internet for recipes to make my own.

I've been using my e-cig pretty exclusively since I got it on Thursday and now that I have this 'how to draw properly' thing down (thank you, Christopher!!), I am so enjoying it and haven't had any desire to smoke analogs. I just have one problem. I know from the 'symptoms' thread that I read that a sore throat is very common but just wondering if this is something that, in time, goes away? After I take about two draws, I can literally feel my throat swell up and took at look at it today and it was really red streaky looking. Obviously it doesn't like the PG or something. Anyway, I hate to think that I couldn't make my e-cig part of my life now just because of this but ... geez ... it is awful sore. For any of you that had this experience, is there some sort of time frame when this stops being such a problem? Thanks all!!

Thanks for the input everyone! After I posted this, I happened to come across a thread you wrote, Christopher, where you were telling someone else about the 'long, slow draw'. I've been putting that to use and it makes a bunch of difference! Much smoother!! Been watching too many YouTube videos where people puff, puff, puff, draaawww. Guess that's for the mini's or ones I hear about having to 'prime' or something. Anyway, your advice for the works great - takes a lot of the throat hurtin' out! I'll go find some juice to order, lurk around here for the next few days and refrain from the painful newbie questions. On the plus side, much to my surprise have only smoked 3 cigs since getting this over 24 hours ago. And twice I lit up simply because I wanted a smoke that didn't hurt, lol. Wasn't expecting to be cutting down quite so quickly but pleasantly surprised! Great forum setup, guys! I'll be watching and reading.

Okay - I don't know that anything is actually 'broke' but Sean said to go ahead and ask away if we had issues or questions! Thanks, Sean. I think I'll just do that! First off, I'm brand new at this. Just got my penstyle yesterday from www.clearsmoke.ca if you want to know from where because their model number makes no sense to me. They call their penstyle a CS101 but I'm sure (well, hoping) that it is just 'their' name for it and it is a standard model. Anyway, installed a coffee flavored cart I ordered (their 16 mg high nic), took a draw and ... holy crap! Choke, choke. Cough, cough. Kept at it off and on over the evening not vaping very much, just every once in awhile. Didn't take long before I started to feel kind of sick on the coffee stuff. So changed to the regular high nic cart. Off and on with good vapes/bad vapes trying to get the hang of things. Went to bed feeling kind of nauseaus and sore throat. Yes, I did read those two great threads that Kittyburn and Christoper (thanks for doing those!!) made on starting vaping and figure it could just be the usual symptoms of getting used to it? However, if I could just have your opinion on this - I smoke light cigs - 16 mg doesn't sound like much but do you think I should lower it? Hard to know how to judge that kind of thing, I suppose. Trial and error, maybe? Today I noticed something different happening. Put new charged battery (took me awhile last night to think that maybe the reason I was having to draw harder and harder was that the battery was dying!!) and a new cart in the penstyle. All day I have noticed that I often get this crackling/popping sound now when I draw. Not everytime but most of the time. Is this normal? Also how do you know when carts are done? Do they get dried out looking? If they still look wet, should that mean they still have life in them? I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of how to take a decent draw on this and get good vapor so that seems to be working out. Mostly, in order to really enjoy this thing, have to find something that tastes way better and doesn't leave me feeling sick. I HAVE to get some juice ordered!! Thanks for any input people. Especially on that crackling/popping sound thing. Could it be a bad atomizer already? I am finding that I like the penstyle and the size doesn't bother me like I thought it might. It's easy to hold and getting easier to draw on as I get more practise behind me. Gotta love those learning curves!

Well I think I'm convinced to try Johnson's Creek sampler now. Just got my penstyle today and don't know whether it's just because it's new, I'm new to this whole thing or if the cart flavors that came with really do taste ... well ... kind of awful. You gotta buy from from someone so might as well be JC. Quick question - I know I have a learning curve to go through here but just wondered ... sometimes I don't get a whole lot of vapor and sometimes I do and I know that is just a 'practise until you get it perfect' kind of thing. Can I assume that the amount of nic that you are getting is directly related to how well you can vape? Sounds like a dumb question, I know ... probably should just go to bed! Feels weird to not be tapping/flicking ashes, though.

This has been most helpful. Just got my first e-cig - a penstyle - today and was kind of wondering about it. It was advertised as a CS-101 and when I emailed the supplier asking what the equivalent model would be (hadn't read about that model on any forum I have seen), was told it was a 'designated model for them and hadn't been reviewed yet to their knowledge'. Made me kind of go ... hmm ... so glad to see that model 'names' are basically just that. They all come from pretty much the same places.

Great article, Chris. Thanks for posting it. As a total newbie here (just got my first e-cig, penstyle, in the mail today so going through that 'learning curve' thing), it was also very informative. One thing that has kind of bothered me is that I didn't understand what this PG stuff was that is in the cartridges and what it would do in the lungs. Even though I know there haven't been any studies done of it yet, was still reassuring to read that the Dr. commented on it's safety. Then again, figure I'm still way ahead of the game by inhaling something that MIGHT have some health questions than the 4000 poisons in cigs! No brainer.