At first the Crafty seems intimidating. It comes with special tools for loading, a thick book of not exactly clear instructions, and a mysterious disk for concentrates that looks like a compressed metal scouring pad. This multipurpose personal vaporizer, though, is extremely easy to work with, once you know how. *We’ll teach you!
Out of the box the Crafty manages to be both lightweight and sturdy. The oval shape and plastic grooves make it feel like it could be the handle to an expensive kitchen instrument. A chamber beneath the twist off mouthpiece can be filled by hand if you don’t want to go through the extra steps of using their (sort of confusing) plastic packing orb. With one press of the button it begins to heat and is ready quickly.
Cannabis was vaporized evenly, and a little bit in the chamber went a long way between two seasoned reviewers, providing a consistent flavor profile from start to finish. In many ways this could be considered a standard bearer for handheld flower vaporizers, providing the power and efficiency of Storz & Bickel’s more well-known, less portable Volcano.
Our instruction booklet offered no indication of how to actually use the concentrate pad, and so we had to experiment. As per a video found on YouTube, we started with a little wax mixed into a full chamber’s worth of ground flower. The additional flavor was clean and apparent, mixed nicely with the flower, and our wax was successfully vaporized once we were finished.
The pad seemed designed to handle liquid extracts like C02 or BHO distillate, but worked well with just a small disk of solid, stable BHO concentrate. As with the flower, we loaded the Crafty, pressed the button, and waited for it to be ready, and when it was we got consistent, flavorful draws. All that was left was a small black smudge on the silver pad. The Crafty didn’t burn too quickly through our wax and left us without the bitter, metallic aftertaste that you have to accept with less expensive vaporizers.
The Crafty’s other major selling point (and justification for higher price tag) is its ability to link to a smartphone. Though designed to work just fine without being synched with the app (iOS or Android), doing so combines control and simplicity in a way that new users and veterans alike will appreciate. Temperature can be set to the degree, up to 410, and you can adjust the setting to have your phone buzz you when the Crafty is ready to go. It’s simple to use, and even has the instruction manual preloaded in case you need an on-the-go reminder of how the vape works.
Though lightweight, the Crafty isn’t exactly subtle like many concentrate pens or even the Pax. It sort of looks (and feels) like you’re using some kind of steampunk inhaler (which I like). Parts of it, especially near the chamber, will get pretty hot while in use, so be careful around bare skin.
But overall, folks trying cannabis for the first time, who want an optimal vaporizing experience without a big desktop setup, would be wise to invest in something this nice. Cannabis veterans with some disposable income should be impressed with how well, and easily, the Crafty is able to effectively vaporize both flower and concentrates.
*Our Tips:
- Start with finely ground cannabis (grinder included). Fill the chamber so that it’s not over-flowing and packed together reasonably tight.
- Twist the mouthpiece/cap back on.
- Press the device’s only button to begin vaporization. It changes from red to green when ready.
- For waxes and oils, simply place the concentrate pad in the chamber and place product on top of the pad. Return the mouthpiece and press the button.
- If you have both, the Crafty is a great choice for flowers and oils, especially combined into one chamber.
- Everyone has a preferred temp, and using the app allows you to easily adjust and experiment for optimal personal return. The Crafty works just fine, though, without the app.
