MCV Little Boy RDA

MCV Little Boy RDA dripper

Manufacturer: Masterpiece Custom Vapes, Philippines
Model: Little Boy
Size: 22mm
Configuration: Tri-post (single or dual coil)
Type: Dripper
Materials: Stainless steel
Colour: Brass
Price: Originally around $120 USD (2014) now £7.99 GBP
Source: Ebay
Shipped from: UK

Silica wicks? Who the hell uses silica these days!?

Regular readers of this blog know that I very rarely look at brand new designed stuff.  Yeah it might be new as in never used but never newly released stuff and this is true of my latest vaping dripper the 'Little boy' from MCV philippines.
It was originally released back in 2014! thats three bloody years ago and they are still going strong and being peddled on the likes of ebay.

Apparently the little boy originally sold for a small fortune ($120) when it was first released which was quite a lot of money back then (and still is in my opinion). Quite why it was valued so highly is anyones guess but as I got mine brand new for under a tenner im not complaining.
Reviewers and industry experts back in 2014 applauded the little boy for its immense cloud chucking capabilities but knocked it back on flavour. We shall see!

The MCV Little boy is a simple three post dripper offering either a single or dual coil configuration.
Airflow is managed by a series of slotted holes.
One side of the cap has one air hole for single coil builds whilst the opposite side has two for when using dual coil builds.
conversely, the build deck has air hole cut outs to match the ones on the cap. The only design downside to this is that its very easy to lose juice through them. It can piss out all over the place if you happen to accidentally over drip!
The little boy features an engraved alloy cap, huge delrin chuff cap and stainless steel build deck.
Together with the dripper a small bag of spares are included to keep it in good working order.  Spare O-rings, post screws, mini screwdriver and 510 drip tip adapter are amongst the bits and bobs.

The giant Delrin chuff cap

The build quality of this RDA is not bad. Its not the best I have seen but its not the worst. The outer brass cap is made from either stainless steel or an alloy? Im not sure. The coil deck is made from a single piece of stainless steel. The positive pin is the center post whilst the negative pins are the two outer posts.  The 510 positive connector on the underside of the dripper is brass plated (I think) and is adjustable with a flat blade screwdriver - good news for hybrid mod users.
The wide bore chuff cap sitting up top is made from heat resistant Delrin plastic which is great in my opinion. The chuff cap can be substituted for any standard 510 drip tip by way of the special adapter which comes with it.

Building on the Little boy RDA
Anyone familiar with the Mad hatter style drippers will find coil building a synch on the little boy. Its just a basic three post design which requires very little effort.
One coil lead wraps around an outer negative post whilst the other coil lead wraps around the center positive post and thats it. Repeat on the opposite side if you want it dual coiled. Theres nothing else to do apart from wicking it up!

A modest dual micro coil build - 0.4 ohm

Good points

• Price point
• Easy build
• Good chuff cap
• Adjustable 510
• Great design
• Huge clouds!!

Bad points

• Shallow juice well
• Single coil airflow is flawed
• Flavour gets a little lost

Overall this is a great priced RDA. The flavour is a little muted for my liking however the snazzy design and cloud making capabilities far outweigh the flavour faux pas which I can live with. No I wouldnt have paid top dollar for this back in 2014, no way! But for under a tenner in 2017 its a real bargain. 

This Brass version of the little boy is the best looking in my opinion and goes really well with my Tesla nano 100W steampunk.

Rating 4 out of 5 ✅✅✅✅

The Little boy might be considered old now but it still holds its own as a champion cloud chucker. The flavour isnt the best but the clouds certainly take some beating and keep this dripper up there with the very best. Originally priced at over $100 USD it can now be purchased for under a tenner! A bargain in any ones book! 

Swiss SM-67 Gas Mask

Cold War Crap

Swiss SM-67 Gas Mask

Manufacturer: Huber + Suhner, Switzerland

Model: SM-67

Country of origin: Switzerland

Year: 1975

Production run: 1967 -1975

Condition: Brand new/Unissued

Fitting: 40mm NATO

Size: -2

Condition: New/Unissed

Availability: Rare

Price: £30

Shipped from: UK

This particular mask happens to one which I have been chasing for some time now.  Its rare on the UK market and I felt that my collection wouldnt be complete without one.  To my knowledge there was only one seller on ebay selling them and he didnt have many to start with. The one thing that was putting me off buying one for so long was the price. Thirty quid sounded a lot to me especially when I normally get masks for anything between a tenner and twenty quid. But who was I kidding? Thirty notes for a rare mask is actually a bargain when compared to the usual price of the likes of the Scott GSR or Avon S12 for instance. Im just a bit of a skint flint I guess.

Anyway, I bit the bullet and parted with the cash. Just as well really as this was his last one and I havent seen anymore on there since. 

So whats all the fuss about? Well this mask hails from neutral Switzerland sometime in the early 1970's. I dont suppose it was made in any great numbers judging by the lack of them generally.

Information on this mask is very thin on the ground but the general concensus is that it was intended for both civilian and military use though I cant confirm that at this point. 

In the kit we have the magnificent face piece, a brand new sealed NATO 40mm filter and a less than impressive haversack (more on that later)

The face piece

The face piece is made from good quality rubber and very reminicent of the german Draeger masks of yesteryear. The eye pieces are round and made from anodised steel. They are very nicely made. They have a DIN rating etched into each one which I havent seen on any mask before.  Both eye pieces have knurling on the edges presumably so they can be replaced easily should the need arise.

The SM-67 came with an inner mask face former for storage purposes so the mask keeps it shape. A nice touch.

The head harness is made from soft elasticated straps and adjustable buckles. 

The inside of the mask is actually quite basic and not at all what I was expecting. No inner mask, no tissot tubes. Its far less advanced than a GP-5 in that respect which is saying something. If it was for the fact that the mask was so rare I would be a little dissapointed.  The inhale/exhale section is also as basic as they come. Its nothing special, just cheap plastic. 

Overall then the face piece is very simple in design but well made.

The Filter

Like the mask, the filter is high quality in its construction. I cant find a manufacturing date anywhere on it, I presume its the same age as the mask so that makes it a 1975 vintage. Its in immaculate condition of course due to the way it has been stored.

Its a full NATO NBC 40mm filter (order number: 4240-756-0015) 

I dont dare take it out of its plastic bag for fear of lowering the resale value. 

The SM-67 was replaced by the SM-74 (in 1974). The newer mask was essentially the same except for an added voice diaphram in the form of a round disc around the nose area. 

It might appear that I am stretching this review out a bit and thats absolutely right. I have very little information on the SM-67. It seems to be a total unknown quantity.  

The Haversack

I really dont like the haversack that comes with this gas mask. Its a steaming pile of shit, it has to be said. 

Basically its made from the same stuff as the ground sheet you might find in a tent. A cheap nylon/plastic tarp material not worthy of such a nice mask. 

I dont know what the swiss were thinking when they opted for this bag. Its rough to the touch and not entirely puncture proof meaning the mask would be in danger should the bag get dropped. 

Not very durable or protective. Even the cheap ass soviet haversacks were better made than this. Bloody awful

Look at the state of that bag! absolute shite!

Overall its a great mask for the collector. Its a pity mine was a minus size meaning I cant try it on. 

(There would normally be a pic of me wearing the mask at this point.) It would probably fit a kid of 10 -12 years old in my opinion but i didnt plan on wearing it anyway.  This mask is going straight into long term storage again.

A ground sheet from a tent?

Rating 4 out of 5
A true collectors piece the SM-67 is worth shelling out the extra cash for. The fact that hardly anything is known about it just adds to the mystique of this rare gas mask.
As elusive as the loch ness monster and just as scary looking. The least said about the haversack the better.

Yugoslavian M-2 Gas Mask

Cold War Crap

Yugoslavian M-2 Gas Mask

Manufacturer: MZ Ravnjak, Krusevac, Serbia
Model: M-2
Country of Origin: Yugoslavia (now Serbia)
Year of production: 1986?
Production run: ?
Fitting: 40mm
Size: M (mala = small)
Price: £10.00 + £2.95 postage
Availability: Hard to find/ becoming rare
Shipped from: UK

 All this lot for a tenner!

Ebay is a fantastic place to find surplus gas masks, much cheaper than your bricks and mortar stores for the most part and often with a wider selection of choice. Every now and then we find a one-off semi-rare treat which pops up and then disappears in the bat of an eyelid, never to be repeated anytime soon. Well here is one such treat. The much loved Yugoslav M-2 from the 1980s and 90s. The replacement to the also much loved Yugoslav MC-1 - The American M9 clone with the daft bulbous nose and 60mm side mounted filter. I did a review of the full Yugo MC-1 NBC kit a while back..... Click Here to see the review.
The M-2 features a filter finding friendly 40mm fitting, loses the stupid big nose and adds a new inner mask for better air seal and comfort.

MC-1 v M-2

Here is a little side by side comparison between the old MC-1 and the M-2 both of which were used by the Yugoslavian JNA during the cold war.
The eye pieces, exhale valve and side filter intake are essentially the same although the M-2 does away with the large diameter 60mm american style filter in favour of the standard 40mm threading.
Away goes the large bulbous nose piece of the MC-1 in favour of a more neatly sculpted nose molding.
The M-2 new nose piece copies the British Avon S6 to a certain extent.

Horrible 60mm filter be gone!

As well as a different filter on the side the newer M-2 has a thicker, reinforced rubber face piece, better harness mountings and better placed eye pieces. These little improvements makes for a much better comfortable fit.

M-2 on the left and MC-1 on the right

Its much easier to see what those clever Serbs did to the M-2 when you look inside both masks and compare the two.
On the left is the M-2 with its improved inner mask, chin support with air flow and pseudo Tissot tubes running just underneath the eye pieces.
The old MC-1 by comparison is a simple basic piece of soft rubber and not alot else.
Differences between the two are like night and day in terms of fit and functionality.
As stated earlier, there is nothing wrong with the old MC-1, its a great mask in its own right. But it just doesnt stand up against the M-2


Back to the M2 review...
and now for the rest of the stuff which came with the M-2 kit.
firstly the filter.

 1986 made? it certainly looks like an 86 production. 

Looking remarkably like an old soviet GP-5 filter we have the M-2 filter. A 40mm threaded activated charcoal can which screws directly to the side of the mask.
There seems nothing extraordinary about it. The markings down the side dont seem to follow any known numbering/dating/manufacture system other than the numbers 02 1986 on one side. One assumes this might refer to the manufacture date? who knows.

 Looks awfully like an Soviet GP-5 filter..... but its not! 

!! Does this Filter contain Asbestos?!!
I highly doubt it - Most countries knocked Asbestos on the head long before 1986 with the except of China perhaps. The health risks were realised years before. Its always a safe bet to replace with a newer filter anyway.

 Filter in near perfect condition

This 40mm filter is in really good condition considering it has to be at least 30 years old. There are no signs of paint chipping or flaking, no signs of any rust or moisture inside or out which can only be a good thing.
It came with the original top bung/cap and the bottom rip tab still in tact. It doesnt appear to have ever been used.

Can you modify this Mask?
I think its quite possible to modify this mask by switching the intake and exhale valves around so to avoid having a heavy filter hanging down one side of the face. I must admit Im not a big lover of the filter on the cheek type set up, it makes my head feel a little lop sided!.
Instead the filter could hang down in front of the mask like most other modern masks and filters do.
A soviet style hose could also be added to get the filter away from the face altogether. Both the inhale and exhale valves are secured by simple cable ties so a quick switch around would be relatively easy to do.

The Haversack/Carrier
To carry the mask and filter around we have the rather splendid M-2 haversack.
It appears to have been designed to be both functional and compact.
Inside are various little pockets with little elasticated straps to hold everything in place.  It features a long shoulder strap which can be stowed away at the bottom of the bag when its not required.  The bag itself is made from thick cotton and has been properly stitched on the edges. Once everything is in the bag it is securely fastenened by three press stud type fixings.

 The Haversack provided is quite useful but it does stink a bit!

Overall in terms of carrying a gas mask about its one of the better haversacks I have come across. Much better than a lot of the soviet bags of that time. Its really compact and lightweight which I really like.
One thing I didnt like was the musty/manky smell which came with the bag. I guess this kit has been stored in a damp basement or something for the past 30 years. Despite the reek, there isnt any mould spots or fungus growing on the bag. Bonus!

Maintenance Card 
Well here is something you dont see everyday... a gas mask with its own scheduled maintenance card.
I dont think any of my masks came with one of these except this M-2. Bizarre.
Yeah, you get the odd user manual in russian or polish but never a test card.

 No not an instruction manual but a maintenance card

Basically this card recorded the safety tests that were scheduled for this JNA military mask.
The front page gives details of the factory where the mask was produced, the series, production and date numbers of the mask. and the JNA military serial number (similar to NATO order numbers)
One confusing entry on the front sheet is the '1986' writing in pen.  You might think that this would indicate the masks true age but maybe not? Im still working on the true manufacture date as im not happy with what i have found so far.

 Some fella signed this off - Cant work out when though?

More cryptic Serbian scrawlings....  it would appear that this mask was tested for safety once and once only.  The date shows 2004 or 2007? The resistance test shows 17 m/us (whatever that means?) and the test engineer signed it off as passsed.

Its great to get this card with the kit. Something which can be kept with the kit and sold on one day in the future. It all adds to the authenticity.

This mask fits really well. Im mightily impressed

In my opinion the M-2 looks like the Primark version of the Avon S6. I really like the feel, the fit and the price.
I would have no hesitation in getting another if the chance ever presents itself again!

Rating: 5 out of 5 ✅✅✅✅✅
What a great fitting, comfortable mask! Oh and what a great piece for any collector. These things are pretty hard to come back by these days (in the UK at least) so unless a bargain price can be found expect to pay a few quid for one of these. I  really like what those Serbians did to this mask. a much improved replacement to the MC-1 - not that there was anything wrong with that mask! Chuck a new 40mm filter on this thing and its good to go.

Finnish M/62 Civilian Gas Mask

Cold War Crap

Finnish M/62 Gas Mask Kit

Manufacturer: Rikkihappo Oy, Helsinki, Finland
Model: Suojanaamarin M/62 (Finnish)  Skyddsmasken M/62 (Swedish)
Country: Finland and Sweden
Year of manufacture: 1969
Production run: 1962 - ?
Fitting: 40mm NATO
Price: £17-£18  I paid: £1.20 + £3.40 postage
Vendor:
Condition: New/unissued
Shipped from: UK

After a short break in my gas mask buying I return with a rather curious Finnish creation the M/62.
A cheaply made civilian mask made in Finland but also found in sweden.
This particular gas mask kit is one of the more rarer finds on ebay. One particular UK seller was selling these for around £17- £18.  The one that i got my hands on cost me less than a fiver but came with a caviat. it was missing a head harness buckle.
No problem, i have a small buckle here already so its easily fixed. A bargain then!
I had high expectations and i wasnt going to be disappointed.

First Impressions
The M/62 gas mask kit was originally issued in a large carboard box. Inside is a rubber face piece which attaches at the back via an adjustable harness.
Also inside the box is a 40mm filter sealed in a plastic bag, a lens cleaning cloth, a comprehensive instruction manual and a clear thick resealable plastic carrier to keep a contaminated mask in presumably?

The Mask
This mask consists of a thin rubber face piece. circular GP-5 style eye pieces and 40mm NATO style inhale valve on the snout. The straps which hold it to your head are elasticated it would appear and often a secure fitting when you pop it on. the eye pieces on this mask are made from a thin perspex type plastic rather than glass and look like they could scratch really easily.
There is no exhale valve on this mask. Instead, exhaled air passes out of the mask via the sides. Similar to the WWII British civilian mask in that respect. A simple system which worked (sort of)
The mask was first designed in 1962 )I think) but im not sure when they replaced this mask. details are thin on the ground.
Judging by the overall quality I would say these civilian masks were produced by a government who were on a bit of a tight budget.

I dont want to sound too harsh but this design of mask is pretty terrible.
It doesnt really sit well on your face. it sort of hangs low around the eyes. Add the filter and move around a bit and the mask becomes a little heavy and pulls down a bit. It all feells a little crap. might a problem if you are surrounded by gas and it drops down because of the filter.

There is very little going on inside this mask. Just the bare basics it would appear. No Tissot tubes to take away the condensation, no exhale valve nothing. Just the intake section and two eye plastic eye pieces.

The Filter
This filter actually looks decent. Its got a 40mm standard NATO screw fitting making it compatible with many other gas masks. it looks to be made to a good standard.
The quality of the paint on this filter canister is quite good although Battleship grey isnt a colour i normally gravitate to, its certainly a change from the forest green the soviets used to splash on. As this filter came to me still sealed in a plastic bag (i regret opening it now) it is in pretty much brand new condition after all these years.

The filter was made in 1969 if the date stamp is to believed. Presuming this filter follows the same dating designation as the mask then this filter was designed and used from 1961 (M/61)

!! Does this Filter contain Asbestos? !!

Very little is known about this filter at this time. Assume there is a layer of asbestos filtration is the best advice.
As the filter is years out of date replace it with a modern one if the mask is intended for use.

14th of May 1969

This filter is pretty old and even though it was sealed up in a bag, small bits of paint were peeling off on one side.

The instruction booklet is written in both Finnish and Swedish. It looks to be very concise and in depth (although I dont know either language!).

See what I mean about it not sitting right on the face!

Another interesting gas mask for the collection it would seem. yeah its a cheaply made monstrosity but one that I didnt have. Definately one for display only, you couldnt really use this to fend off tear gas or anything - preppers forget it!

Rating: 👍👍👍👍 4 out of 5
For under 20 these gas mask kits are great value for the collector. A complete unopened unissued kit from the late 60s, you cant go wrong.
Not the usual GP5 type mask you see on every ebay list and seemingly getting rarer and rarer these days so worth grabbing one or two now.

Tesla Nano 100W TC - Steampunk edition

Tesla Nano 100W TC Steampunk edition

Manufacturer: Teslacigs
Model: Nano 100W TC (Steampunk)
Country of Origin: China
Price: £50-£80  I paid: £25 + free next day shipping
Availability: Discontinued - Hard to find
Contruction: Zinc alloy
Power range: 7W-100W
Resistance range/s: 0.15 - 3.5 ohm (normal) / 0.05 -1.0 ohm (temp)
Temperature range: 200-600F / 100-300C
Battery Power: 4500mAh (2x Lip-Po packs) USB charging @ 2A
Features: Temp control Ni+Ti, Wattage and Mechanical mode (Bypass)

Every so often a rarely seen mod surfaces on ebay for a brief moment and then disappears again as quickly as it came. The Tesla Nano 100W is one such mod.
I had my eye on the newer Nano 120W for a while now after trying one but i wasnt prepared to wait three weeks for delivery or pay a higher price from an UK warehouse.
Quite by chance I saw an ebay ad for this Nano 100TC and couldnt believe my eyes. I hadnt seen one of these for sale for ages either brand new or secondhand. it turned out that this was a brand new sealed mod and it was going for a really good pr
The Nano 100W is an elusive dual Li-Po powered hunk of handsome vaperage thought to have been long since abandoned by Teslacigs in favour of the Nano 120W steampunk seen all over the internet.  Whilst it boasts the same silky steampunk style as its bigger brother, the 100W TC is an entirely different beast.

Nice design on a copper type finish

First Impressions
Inside the nicely appointed packing is the mod and not a lot else. A quality control card and a useless manual are all that accompany this device.
The Tesla 100TC is a really well made metal masterpiece. The main body of the device is manufactured from a Zinc alloy which is solid and quite heavy. I presume the brass plating/coating was added after it was molded. The steampunk engravings are well defined and have a consistant pattern that runs around the outside. Darker colours have been added to the edges of the pattern to make the mod look more of an antique copper. This effect works really well.

510 connection and the plus/minus buttons

The Tesla Nano 100 features a fire button and a seperate plus and minus button (the usual type of set up) these are all made from the same antique brass metal and feel solid when using.
The display is a blue OLED type with quite small letters/numbers fonts. The display is easy to read and bright at night.
Display information includes battery level, resistance, voltage and wattage. The wattage display is replaced with either a celsius or farenheit readout when temp control is selected.
The 510 pin is silver plated and is spring loaded.
The dimensions of this device mean that the largest atomiser that can fit comfortably on here is a 22mm without any overhang.

Fast charging at 2A

The Worlds smallest 100W mod

Yes Teslacigs claimed the Nano was the worlds smallest 100w mod when it was launched back in 2016. Without having any evidence to back it up I would say that this was probably true and I dare say is still true today in 2017. 

The Nano 100W is power by two 2250mAh Li-Po blocks wired in parallel. This makes for long lasting performance which should keep the average vaper going for most of the day. Although you cant swap these batteries out like you can with a normal 18650 mod when they run out, it does feature a rapid 2A charge circuit via USB allowing for a full recharge in under 2 hours. Much quicker than if I used my 18650 charger...

Operating the Nano is easy and uncomplicated.
A simple button combination switches the device between temp control and regular mode.
Putting the device into Mechanical mode is simply a case of running the dial to 100w and pressing the + button. Nothing to worry about. really simple.
there really isnt a lot more to it than that. Power on and off with the industry standard 5 clicks etc...

 Compared to a standard dual 18650 mod

It's pretty darn small!

So there it is, a stunning steampunked thing of beauty. capable of throwing some watts and turning a few heads.
Is it as good looking as its big brother the Nano 120W?
Yes, every bit as good.

Rating: 4 out of 5 ✅✅✅✅
Stylish, compact, powerful, reliable and heavy.  Just some of the words to describe the 100w steampunker from Teslacigs. Much harder to find now than they were a year ago (due to being discontinued) so they could be considered a rarity nowerdays. definately worth picking one up should the opportunity arise. a stunning little device.