Dabbing is not a new process. However, all great things are subject to modern technology upgrades and dabbing is no different. Competing with old school dabbing apparatus’ comes the rising trend of the portable e rig. Some of you may not know what dabbing is, so here is a brief explanation.
Dabs are concentrated doses of cannabis made by extracting THC and other cannabinoids utilizing a solvent. This creates sticky oils, often referred to as shatter, budder, crumble, live resin, wax, BHO & the list goes on. The names are based off the actual processing process. The act of dabbing is smoking the concentrates on a rig.
So, what is a rig? A rig is usually a glass bong with a female ground glass joint (not my words, but a shout out to the urban dictionary for that one; further sexualized as it explains the ground glass joint as the piece where your nail goes) with a quartz nail. In order to use a rig, you typically need a blow torch or some other exceedingly strong portable heating device. You torch the “nail” ideally from anywhere from 350-400 degrees, and dab (smoke) out your concentrate. It is usually called a “dab” because you dab a small amount on the nail to vape the cannabis extract into smoking form.
When speaking on the “e” form of dabbing you can either go with an e-nail or an e-rig. E-nails can mean multiple things, such as a quartz nail wrapped by a heating cord, or an e-nail kit. E-nail kits are typically quartz bangers attached to a titanium base that can be turned male or female depending on the piece. They plug in to an outlet and can be set to a temperature and kept on for long periods of time. This allows the smoker to keep a consistent temperature throughout his dab sesh. E-rigs, much like the e-nail, can be turned on and set to sesh mode. E-rigs are one piece typically that can be charged, with a removable water chamber.
Now that I’ve given you a little background, let’s get into the opinions. I will be writing this piece on my personal experiences, my views, and why I prefer to dab on one device versus the other. Simply put, I personally love a glass rig. I enjoy that a well bought glass piece can gain worth over time and has artistic as well as functional value. It also helps showcase your taste and style as a smoker. Lastly, I quite enjoy that I feel and look like a total badass, being able to still wield around a blow torch when I’m high. When it comes to dabbing, glass is something that I find our community bonds over. No matter the age or location of the smoker, everyone appreciates a fine glass piece.
When it comes to e-rigs, I am not personally a big fan. That doesn’t mean there aren’t big benefits that come with it. For starters, they are usually more sturdy than glass, which means they don’t simply fall and shatter, as a glass piece does. E-rigs help keep the quality of flavor by being able to set exact temperatures for the nail. Some e-rig pieces, like the Puffco, make it very convenient for traveling. Finally, it also eliminates the need for butane and a torch. So, why do I prefer the glass rig to the “e” kind? First of all, I have the Puffco, and my atomizer broke, which was frustrating and helped form a negative opinion. With my glass piece, if something breaks or needs replacing, it’s easy. Using the Puffco is also not as intuitive or easy as one would expect. I also would get ridiculously anxious trying to take it anywhere, especially the beach as I would think the sand would get into places I can’t clean. The last big difference is cleaning. Anyone who has ever cleaned different types of smoking apparatus, knows that a glass piece is much easier to clean.
While E-nails are not my favorite, I do own one. On the positive side, they are easy to sesh with, easy to set up, easy to clean, and easy to use. The reason I most disliked it was, I felt I couldn’t
get the rig cleaned properly. Therefore, I wasn’t getting the full potential of the taste of the concentrate with an e-nail. All else was great, but I don’t really like sacrificing flavor, unless circumstances dictate that I have to.
Sy Syms famously said that “an educated consumer is our best customer”. When it comes to dabbing, I’m old school. Give me a glass piece any day of the week, but I’m just one smoker. You need to try it all and find what makes you laugh, makes you smile and most of all, makes you high.
- Michelle Cera