TECC PIPE - My very first impressions (after about 5 minutes)

[FredSpencer]

Not held anything so nice since ..... well, never mind about that.

What a great bit of kit, feels good, looks good, a doddle to vape - just a pity about the flavour (or should that be non-flavour) that comes with them. Should be no trouble to refill using the condom method (just like the Microlites). 

[fallguy]

Your right Fred. I love it. I found just removing the two plastic pieces and slowly adding 20-25 drops slowly does the trick.
I am just amazed how awful the flavor and aroma of the prefilled fluid is. Its a shame to do that to such a beautiful piece of equipment. Enjoy your pipe, also what liquid will you be adding. I chose red label apple.

[FredSpencer]

Your right Fred. I love it. I found just removing the two plastic pieces and slowly adding 20-25 drops slowly does the trick.
I am just amazed how awful the flavor and aroma of the prefilled fluid is. Its a shame to do that to such a beautiful piece of equipment. Enjoy your pipe, also what liquid will you be adding. I chose red label apple.

I've vaped one carto through and added some cigar stuff I mixed myself and it's much better. I've hardly had it out of my hand since I started this evening.

[fallguy]

Enjoy !!!!!

[FredSpencer]

Sadly my pipe seems to have developed a fault. Activation became hit and miss for a few minutes so changed the cartomizer (tried 5 in total) but the results were the same and then it stopped activating at all. Have tried it with three batteries but can't get it to activate. When I put a battery in and swing the arm over I get the light flashing three times and then nothing happens. Anyone come across this?

It'll be a call to CS tomorrow, I fear. 

[Atty Munster]

Sorry to hear that you've been having problems.  I've had my pipe now for almost a week and I'm absolutely in love with it..  Like you said, I haven't put it down for days. Even though I've got many vaping options at my disposal, the pipe quickly became my favorite.

I have not seen any of the problems you mention. The only thoughts I have is that since the activation switch is in the bowl and not the cartos, its not a problem with the cartomisers.

I think it may be possible that you are putting the battery in back wards because it flashes three times no matter which way you insert them. 
Or that the batteries may need charging.(obvious I know,)

Hope you get it sorted out soon,

KEEP ON VAPIN

[danwldr]

Not held anything so nice since ..... well, never mind about that.

Well its a better line than the last one you tried using 

[FredSpencer]

Sorry to hear that you've been having problems.  I've had my pipe now for almost a week and I'm absolutely in love with it..  Like you said, I haven't put it down for days. Even though I've got many vaping options at my disposal, the pipe quickly became my favorite.

I have not seen any of the problems you mention. The only thoughts I have is that since the activation switch is in the bowl and not the cartos, its not a problem with the cartomisers.

I think it may be possible that you are putting the battery in back wards because it flashes three times no matter which way you insert them. 
Or that the batteries may need charging.(obvious I know,)

Hope you get it sorted out soon,

KEEP ON VAPIN

Only ever put the batteries in small cap up as in the photos which I understand is the right way and they've all been fully charged. Have now tried sucking really hard on the cartomizer itself which got it to activate but then it wouldn't switch off so had to disconnect the battery to stop it.

I've rung CS and they are taking it back to have it checked so will have to wait for the outcome of that.

[FredSpencer]

Not held anything so nice since ..... well, never mind about that.

Well its a better line than the last one you tried using 

I'm going to keep my lines to myself in future. Liam at CS says I probably jinxed it by saying how much I liked it. It's great when they have a sense of humour ...... at least I hope it was a joke, you never know with all these devil effigies about.

[FredSpencer]

Posted my naughty pipe back this morning so hopefully will hear something in a few days.

[FredSpencer]

Time for an update.

TW very quickly sent me a replacement for the duff one but it too turned out to be faulty, only lighting up some of the time when I took a draw on it. That one was also quickly replaced and I can't fault the effort made by TW to sort the problems - thanks very much.

Anyway, I've had this latest one running for a full week now and it's been as good as gold. It has remained every bit as good a vaping experience as I first thought it was. I only use it in the evenings when sat in front of the computer or TV so it's a more considered use rather than having a few drags now and again with my daytime devices. It has been for me the most realistic device compared to smoking in terms of handling and also in the effect of the draw when inhaled. I know a lot of pipe smokers don't inhale but as I went to a real pipe after a long time on cigs it was somthing I continued to do. The epipe gives me a really realistic feeling on the draw and I'm very happy with it. It is definitely my device of choice when I can just sit back and enjoy it.

The cartomizers are like oversized Microlite realistic looking ones, although this seems unecessary as they are hidden away. I have used two cartos all week, one with a ready made TW coffee flavour and one with my own mix using TW Cigar flavour. Both have been good. I'm not sure I could reconcile something like a fruit flavour coming from a pipe but that's a personal choice. For me a strong tobacco or coffee flavour is great.

To refill I just lever the two plastic end pieces from it and drip up to 20 drops into the wadding in the usual fashion for these types of cartos. A couple of minutes and they're ready to use. I've used both cartos every day for the week and refilled both at least once each day as described. I am now noticing they are getting more difficult to draw on so it's time for a change of cartos (back to the yuck original stuff they come with till I've vaped some out). I will wash the two used ones out which should make them re-useable. That works for my Microlite ones so I can't see it being a problem with these.

Vapour and flavour are pretty good. The mix you use (PG/VG percentages) will have the most effect on vapour, as with any other device. Flavour is slightly down compared to a DCT on a Torpedo but I've found that to be the case when compared with any of the other kit I use. I'm very satisfied with it as it is but will probably make a slightly stronger mix in future for this device, just a few extra drops of flavour concentrate will be good, I think.

I've found the batteries need changing well before they flash that they are discharged. Vapour drops off as their power diminishes and as soon as that happens you might as well change them, unless you've got a really good set of lungs. Battery changing itself is accomplished through the top of the bowl by removing the gold coloured top that has the coloured plastic centre to make the pipe look lit up. This isn't the easist of things to do though because there is nothing to get hold of. I've found that a wet finger and thumb can get the most purchase on the surface and just gently turning anti-clockwise with very little pressure is the way to do it. If you press on it you just can't get any grip.

In use it feels like a quite big and heavy normal pipe. It feels really good in the hand and works really well in terms of satisfying the hands-on using habit. It's rather heavy to hold in the mouth without support in the way I remember doing with my much lighter real Falcon pipes of years ago. That's understandable though considering you have the weight of all the internal stuff and battery right at the end. I have found that it kind of hangs quite comfortably if hooked on my lower teeth and held in place with the top ones. This is especially effective if you're sat back watching TV. You can just puff away on it with no other contact in this situation. It also works this way for short periods when stood up and moving about, say to make a cup of coffee or tea for instance, or to type while sitting forward at the computer.

So, are there any downsides? Well, compared to using any type of tank system (I use DCTs on my other devices), their capacity is quite low,  but used in the circumstances I have described it's easy to live with. The advent of large tanks has rather spoiled us of late but they shouldn't be considered the be all and end all of systems to use. You can have any number of the cartomizers primed ready to use. They come with plastic caps for each end and in their own little tube for carrying. There should be no way these things can leak so you could just carry a few in your pocket if you were using it all day. A spare battery should be carried as well.

Something I would like to see changed is the bowl cover. Rather than the rim of it being gold coloured I would like it to be matt black. This would look like the carbon build-up on a real pipe, and remember this item is designed to look realistic, and would look better that way. If it could also be recesssed slightly into the top of the bowl it would be good. There's sufficient space to drop it a couple of millimetres and some of the thread could be left off as there is far more on it now than it needs. This might also allow the plastic centre to be made with a rougher surface finish, sort of knobbly, so unscrewing it would be an easier task. Really though the ideal for removing it would be a push down and slight twist system, if that could be incorporated. The plastic centre would also look better when not being drawn on if it was a light grey colour. I'm sure this would allow the red LED light to come through perfectly acceptably when taking a draw. If not then either a stronger LED or a second one would accomplish the required result.

All in all, as you might have gathered, I really like this device. My experience is that manufacturing quality control has been an issue and the design could be a little better (the bowl cover), but other than that I really like and enjoy my pipe. I would recommend them without hesitation to anyone wanting the pipe smoking experience.

[Astrecks]

It's a beautiful device, but it needs some fundamental changes for it to be super top notch, the wooden bowl is fantastic looking though

[FredSpencer]

It's a beautiful device, but it needs some fundamental changes for it to be super top notch, the wooden bowl is fantastic looking though

Do tell, what would you like to see changed?

[Astrecks]

Well as much as I like a bent stem pipes, if it was straight stemmed then it would be easier to convert it to fit an ego tank, as much as I like the hands-free vaping auto switches afford, they are a nightmare if eliquid gets into the sensor. so I would have a manual switch unless the auto switch could be positioned out of eliquids harm.

That will do for a start, lol

[FredSpencer]

I've never have a problem re the auto switching on this type of carto with my Microlite (or two other similar types I have). Nor with Mega DCCs on 1000 mAh autos. I did mange to kill 4 of the said batteries with ego tanks though.

[Silverhippy]

I am hoping to get my TECC Pipe tomorrow! Picking it up from Leeds Market, from where I ordered it last week!

Just wanted to say thanks to you guys on this forum who have really been of great help to me with regard to what I can expect and getting the best experience from this device.

I am a 40 year Pipe smoker, and particularly liked the look of this pipe as it is very similar to my beloved Petersons. I never could get used to the straight Falcon pipe, it always seemed curiously unbalanced! So I'm very happy that this pipe is bent.

My especial thanks to Fred Spencer, who has greatly put my mind at rest about buying from Totally Wicked, with all their devil logos, as he recounted his problems with his first pipe and the rapid way they were dealt with by Totally Wicked.

Best wishes to all.......

[Astrecks]

Hi Silverhippy, welcome to the forum

I hope you will be happy with the pipe, its a rather nicely made device.

I hope you keep in touch here as I would be interested to know what you think of it, I would love TW to develop their own pipe on a similar standard in which they have developed the Odyssey and pipe users opinions would be great to read

[Kenneth131]

Yeah a proper wooden pipe made from British materials and by British carpentry would be nice the inwards would be similar to the current one and easily replicated I have to agree with Jeff there

[Astrecks]

We could do a far better job of it, lol.. no need to copy anyone, lol

[Silverhippy]

Thanks Astrecks for your welcome!

Well I got the pipe this morning, and Rob gave me a basic run through, which was very helpful as I am registered blind, and it meant I was able to focus the timy amount of sight I have exactly where needed. So thanks to Rob in Leeds Market for that!

My first impressions:- well it is a lovely pipe! It is heavier than my Peterson Briars, but no heavier than a Tanganyika Meerschaum pipe I used to have. I wouldn't like to try to hold it in my teeth though, but maybe after my dental treatment is complete. It draws well, and does feel exceptionally good in the hand, with the bowl being made of what appears to be a very good quality (possibly) Cherry wood rather than Briar.

I changed the battery, so I could get them both fully charged, and found that to be quite difficult. Putting aside my lack of vision, I think the top of the bowl could be a lot better although it does the job. I agree with what someone else said that the rim could be black to emulate the carbon effect of a well smoked pipe, and I also agree that the coal effect would be better if it was grey and black.

The whole "screwing in" idea of the bowl cover seems a bit silly too, when the same thing could have been done with maybe a single twist, or clip and slide mechanism like a camera battery compartment cover or the back of a mobile phone.

I noticed people complaining about the pre-filled cartomisers and the taste from them. That did worry me a little as I thought I might be vaping something quite awful tasting, till I could refill. However I don't find their taste objectionable at all. I've smoked St Bruno for 35 years and it wasn't too far removed from that. Had it been the soapy taste of 3 Nuns or Condor, or the tongue burning taste of some aromatic tobacco's I would not have been happy.

So all in all my first impressions are that it is a really good item, well made and well worth having.

I do agree though that a really good British made product would be very desireable.

[Astrecks]

Thanks Silverhippy

I am glad you have found the pipe satisfactory, it is a rather elegant piece, although rather heavy to grip in ones teeth for any length of time.

The battery cover is fiddle-some I have to agree.

For me the draw is a little "airy" and though I have never checked the ohm rating of the cartomizer, I suspect it is nearer to 3.0ohms than 2.5ohms and though it is quite flavoursome there is little throat hit. I not a fan of massive throat hit, I do like some and it seems a little lacking. Incidentally, the pipe cartomizers are quite good at  4.5 to 5 volts on the Torpedo

................I do agree though that a really good British made product would be very desireable.

There is a possibility that TW will be considering a good quality e-pipe in the future