Last week our friends over at MyVaporStore sent over the SmokTech Bolt e-cigarette. After having used it since the day it arrived I thought I might review this little guy. For such a simple device I have quite a bit to say about it.
My first reaction to the Bolt was “What’s the big deal here?” “Where’s the selling point? What makes the Bolt something that anyone would want to spend money on? “Why does this thing exist?” I was genuinely bewildered as to why anyone would want one.
Than I used it.
And I haven’t stopped.
My collection of sophisticated vaping hardware has sat quietly in my “Vapers Shrine” collecting dust. (well, you know what I mean) I’ve had no desire, whatsoever, to pick up my ZMAX or Lambo, or VTube, or my eGo Twists, or numerous other devices I’ve collected since April.
I’ve become a simpleton.
Here’s How
The Bolt e-cigarette uses a single 18650 (1500-2000mAh) battery and after charging up a fresh battery and installing it into the Bolt I filled a plain old generic 510 cartomizer with my favorite eJuice, screwed the carto onto the Bolt, sat back and started vaping. There are no dials to adjust. There is only a single large button to depress when I wanted to vape. That’s all. I was hooked.
I didn’t plan it.
In fact I wasn’t planning on using the Bolt e-cigarette for more than a few minutes, at which time I would give it to one of the staffers, probably Lisa, who likes keeping things simple. That was the plan to the extent that there was a plan to begin with.
Instead I continued to vape the Bolt until such time as my cartomizer was drained of its contents. Rather than unscrew the carto and hand the Bolt off to Lisa I refilled the carto and continued to vape. That was 6 days ago. Since that time I’ve pushed through almost 30ML through the Bolt.
Yes, the Bolt is about as simple as it can get but it’s also about as perfect as it can get.
Perfection Is Simplicity
The fine people at MyVaporStore (Hi Jon!) know a thing or two about vaping hardware, software, and accessories, and they are great people to deal with. Low prices, great customer service, and a friendly staff that make you feel as though you were their only customer. These are only some of the reasons I like to deal with them. Anyway, that being the case I decided to look into this Bolt-thing and I discovered that as simple as it is, as inexpensive as it is at MyVaporStore ($47), this thing will last a lifetime and look every bit as good as it does now. They knew that I would like it. I just know it.
The Bolt that MyVaporStore carries is made from Aircraft-Grade Aluminum, with a beautifully textured finish that makes it pretty awesome to hold on to. The suggested battery is the Li-Ion 18650, which supplies enough power that even with my heavy vaping my first recharge came two and half days after I began using it.
Naturally, the Bolt outputs unregulated voltage so a fully charged battery is going to output about 4.1 to 4.2 volts and as the battery drains it will go down to about 3.7 or 3.6 before it lets you know you need to recharge the battery or exchange that battery for a fresh one. Basically it’s about as high-tech has a normal mini-ecig battery, only bigger. A lot bigger.
Here are the rest of the specs, just to get it out of the way:
The large button is side mounted and has a smooth operating switch that is comfortable to use all day long.
The BOLT is about 1″ in diameter, with a length of about 3 3/4″
It has a bottom Vent hole for user safety.
If it has an auto-shut off switch I haven’t tripped it yet. The longest drag I’ve taken has been right around 9 or 10 seconds and the volume of vapor in a drag of that length is all I can take.
Pretty complicated huh?
Since it’s a 510-threaded device you can mount anything from a 510 cartomizer from just about any company (prefilled or empty), any tank system with a 510-screw, and of course any 510-compatible atomizer, including the new Vision Eternity (which Tom is working on as I type this).
The Appeal
So, after several months of learning how to obtain the perfect vape with some very high-end equipment why have a gloomed onto this simple device and not let go?
Because it just doesn’t get any easier than this. Whether I used a 510 carto or one of my Tuff Tanks, the performance was excellent. Plumes of vapor from any eJuice I threw at it, hearty throat hits, excellent flavors coming from any and every eJuice I would use. The thing is, when you use the Bolt you don’t have to think about anything other than enjoying the vape.
And it is an awesome vape…
Should you buy one?
Of course you should buy one! At least one! Hell, even if you have the new ZMAX, or a ProVari or a Darwin, or a Lambo or a dozen egos’, you need to have a Bolt in your collection. Not only for those times when you just want to veg out with a great tasting eJuice, but it also makes a tremendous back up device. Because by its very nature the Bolt will last forever. You don’t have to worry about complicated electronics, or accidental damage, or anything else.
Uh oh, a story….
You know, a soldier can go into battle with the most advanced weapon in the world, but the only weapon he or she can truly depend on, the one single weapon that will never fail is the revolver. (Yes I am quite aware that revolvers aren’t standard issue today, just go with it) The soldier’s revolver will never fail before it’s the simplest gun you can buy. Purely mechanical, no electronics, just a bullet and hammer to punch down on the bullet so that it races out the barrel and heads on out to the target at blazing speeds.
This is the Bolt.
A mechanical device that does one job; heat the atomizer to such an extent that the eJuice inside is vaporized for your enjoyment. Period.
There are a million versions of the Bolt (evenb a VV if you can believe it) and MyVaporStore sells the Aircraft-Grade Aluminum SmokTech Bolt for $47, the best one on the market. A small price to pay for a device that will never let you down. So take my advice and pick one up (but not the plastic kind, come on now), and either use it as your everyday workhorse or toss it some place where you can grab it when you need it. I’ve decided that the staff is getting one of these for Christmas. Well, not one, I mean “one for each of them”. Because they need it. Because they will never have an excuse again for not being able to vape during an eLiquid Review Period. Bam!
When I first picked up the Bolt I was confused as to what value the device would have. Today, I’m so overly protective of it that I won’t allow anyone else to use it. Not that they’ll break it, that’s impossible, but that it will be out of my line of sight and I’ll be forced to use something else…something that could break. Something that isn’t my revolver.
Or they might try to steal it.
I want my revolver. Gimme my revolver.
Julia Barnes
PS: A word of warning is in order. Don’t be fooled by imitations. And don’t go buying some plastic version of the MyVaporStore SmokTech Bolt. Do yourself a huge favor and go to MyVaporStore and buy one. At $47 you won’t find a better deal for the aircraft-grade aluminum, genuine SmokTech Bolt.
