With all the mods that come through here each week, we see precious few stabilized wood devices. So when one comes in, there’s always a little bit of a struggle to get one. Well, when the gorgeous Asvape Gabriel stabilized wood box mod came in, I lucked out and ended up with the device. (I should probably stop sending my coworkers pics of it, though.)

To cut right to the chase, yes, the Asvape Gabriel is a stunning, high end vape mod that delivers in both appearance and performance. It’s not perfect, and some of its quirks are downright mind-boggling. But when I need a showpiece device to flaunt, I look no further than the Gabriel.

Let’s take a closer look.

In the preview, I highlighted the Gabriel’s tremendous “pomp and circumstance” presentation, but it warrants another mention here. The velvet drawstring pouch was a nice start, but things really get ornate with the box itself. Wrapped in leather, with detailed stitching and embossed logos, this hinged container looks like it should contain a $5,000 necklace, not a $200 vape device.

The single-battery Gabriel Mod itself is a sight to behold. If you told me a month ago that my best-looking setup would have black, blue and salmon pink swirls, I’d probably laugh at you. But this artistic, contrasting color flow managed to hit all the right notes, staying on the right side of “gaudy” or loud.

That said, keep in mind that each Asvape Gabriel Mod is unique, and no two are alike. If you are particular about a certain color scheme, you’d probably want to call one of the fine vendors selling the Gabriel, rather than rolling the dice. I’m sure they’d be able to help find a match for your preferences.

The Gabriel is as pleasurable to hold and fire as it is to look at. Tall, slender, and unbelievably ergonomic, this Mod is carved to nestle itself perfectly in the palm. Plus, the stab wood has a silky smooth, almost velvety texture to it, which seems extremely durable. I’m embarrassed to say my Gabriel took a stiff drop on my second day of testing and looks no worse for wear.

The Gabriel’s fire button sits on a rough 45-degree angle, which I expressed concern about in the preview. However, the overall shape and format of the Gabriel make this firing position somewhat natural. I would have still preferred a more-standard front-facing button, but this layout works surprisingly well. Besides, there’s nothing “standard” about the Gabriel, anyway.

Well, except for the display, that is. The side-positioned horizontal OLED works well and looks okay. But it’s such an antiquated-looking readout, made worse by adding a handful of colors, which do nothing but detract from the Mod’s visual appeal. Given the price point and high-end aesthetic, this was a letdown.

The other big concern about the Gabriel is the open-air, screw in battery cap – a design element I was happy to leave behind years ago. Not only is this the Mod’s biggest design flaw, but it’s also the only sign of poor machining on the entire Mod. My test Model cap required significant muscle to attach and remove, with crunchy threading and an incomplete feel.

(It also tore a layer of skin from my thumb the first few times I used it, and even resorted to needle-nose pliers more than once.)

Plus, the cap itself has two tremendous open slots, which is fantastic for venting, but also exposes your internal components to dust, debris and even liquid. Be extra careful when leaving the Gabriel Mod on a bar or near any liquids, since things WILL find their way up there before long.

I’m going to lead off this section by saying something I almost never do – thank goodness for the well-written vape Mod instructions. While we’re normally wrestling with poor translation and incomplete directions, the Asvape Gabriel’s manual is extremely well done. Which is good, because this operating system and chipset was completely foreign to me without them.

Though I learned the setup fairly easily, I expect newcomers to struggle a bit before the system of presses and clicks becomes familiar. Though not quite as dense as those on a DNA device, this proprietary chipset is still tricky to navigate at times.

Once in the menus, the Gabriel offers quite a healthy offering. In addition to 80 watts of power, there is the standard complement of temperature control offerings for nickel, titanium, stainless or blended coils, bypass Mode, and custom power curve adjustment.

This last feature is nice and is easily adjusted using the onboard controls. I noticed distinct differences in vape quality with each adjustment I made and appreciated how I could better craft my experience.

On a physical level, the Asvape Gabriel’s operation buttons are all rock solid, with firm clickiness, and just enough throw to instill confidence. The 510 connection was equally bomb-proof, with no play or gaps to be found. The Gabriel is simple and well-made, and more than durable enough for everyday use.

As mentioned earlier, the screen is fine for what it does, but I can’t help but wish the Gabriel took it a few steps in either direction. Meaning, the Mod would simply look better with either a more advanced display, such as the current iJOY Captain (reviewed here) layout, or revert back to a simpler format like the old DNA Mods. This colorful digital clock belies the beauty of the Gabriel and is a low point on an otherwise stellar device.

Ending this section on a positive note, the seven protection Modes – low voltage, overheat, short circuit, low resistance, dry coil, battery amperage and atomizer check – are fantastic. I purposely tested some of these (do NOT stress test batteries, kids) to see if they’d accurately shut down the Mod, and all worked precisely.

Smooth. Steady. Powerful. For a single-18650 device, the Asvape Gabriel packs quite a bit of punch. Because this is “just” an 80-watt Mod, there were no problems hitting that threshold consistently.

What I WASN’T expecting was the phenomenal battery life offered by the Gabriel. Though I pushed the Mod in all different directions, constantly changed atomizers, and fiddled with the deep menu trees, I still managed 4+ hours of steady (often heavy) vaping before seeing a low battery warning. I imagine lower wattages and less-frantic usage will only improve this number.

In wattage Mode, the Gabriel ramps up beautifully, with no stuttering or sudden bursts of overheating. Though I have my concerns about the accessibility of this proprietary chipset, there is no questioning its performance, which was butter-smooth no matter what I asked of the device.

I used three atomizers on the Gabriel – an Innokin Zenith MTL tank, a SMOK TFV12 Prince, and the iJOY Combo RDA – with a wide range of coil builds. Though it might sound trite, all worked extremely well, with only the RDA giving me any kind of skittishness – likely the result of loose grub screws, not the Mod.

Temperature control is deep and rewarding. Though the menu system isn’t as intuitive as more Modern setups, the offerings within allow users to craft and mold ideal TC settings for any type of wire. I was particularly fond of how well the titanium coils heated, even with the fast ramping chipset. There were no “hot puffs” or dry hits here; temp control enthusiasts will enjoy the Gabriel’s offering.

Still, perhaps the best feature is the smart chipset, which accurately identified my coils and seemed to “learn” my vaping preferences, adjusting wattages accordingly, depending on which tank or RDA I used. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen “smart” vape boards, but this might be the first time I allowed a Mod to make a determination for me before adjusting my wattage.

(I’m not afraid to admit the Gabriel was right more than once.)

Asvape Gabriel 80W stabilized wood Box Mod Specs:

• Size: 91x53x28mm
• Handmade stabilized wood construction
• 0.91 inch colored display screen
• Wattage range: 5-80W
• Temperature range: 212-572°F
• Support resistance range: 0.08-3ohm
• TC Mode: Ni/Ti/SS316
• 7 Protective Modes: Low Voltage Protection, Overheat Protection Short Circuit Protection, Low Resistance Protection Dry Protection, Battery Protection, Atomizer Check
• 510 threading connection
• Powered by single 18650 battery (battery sold separately)
• Micro-USB charging port
• Random color wood finish
• Stainless steel or gold trim finish

Asvape Gabriel 80W stabilized wood Box Mod Contents:

• 1x Asvape Gabriel Mod
• 1x USB cable
• 1x User manual