Infinite Blackhawk Panzer

Today, I'll be going over the Infinite Blackhawk Panzer, provided by MtBakerVapor. Visit www.mtbakervapor.com, an industry standard in juice and hardware, with pricing starting at just 4.99/15ml.

Well, it has finally happened, MtBakerVapor now carries a selection of must have mechanical mods. Though they are clones, I and the rest of the community have been very vocal in our hopes of this, and the wishes have been conceptualized- they now carry more hardware. They currently offer the Infinite Blackhawk Panzer, the Infinite Black Stingray, the Infinite 26650 Hades, as well as the Stillare, Magma, and Tobh. I have the opportunity to review the Blackhawk by Infinite, and well, my findings are less than desirable. Let's get started with the manufacturers specs.

• Brass Firing Pin and 510 Connection
• Copper Battery Contacts
• Removable Tubes to accept 18650, 18490, 18500 and 18350 batteries
• Individual engraved serial number
• Locking Mechanism with Reverse Threading

Sounds great, right? With a brass firing pin and super conductive copper contacts, you would think that this mod is ready to rock right out of the box, but that is unfortunately, not the case. 

• Construction

This mod is beautiful, make no mistake about it. Though it is inspired by, -wait for it-, a flash light, it manages to retain an attractive, quality look. It is incredibly sleek, masculine and does a great job imposing it's will, so to speak. To begin with, one of the best things about this mod is the threads. I own an assortment of mechanical mods, such as the Stingray X, Nemesis, and Astro, all from a variety of vendors and manufacturers, and I have yet to witness threads as buttery smooth as on the panzer. Each section of the tube, as well as the switch and top cap, thread on beautifully, with absolutely no crunch, or force necessary. 

The blackhawk comes in four sections. Each piece is threaded wonderfully, beautifully machined, and quite thick. The Panzer is heavy, and in this hobby, I have learned to liken heavy to quality. The Panzer accepts your standard 18650, 18490, and 18350 battery.

The engravings are done well, in fact, better than most of the mods I've seen. They're deep, pronounced, and bold - something I largely prefer over your typical laser engraving. The vent holes are also exceptionally well done, as they're located on the body itself. I am a fan of this placement, considering a battery in thermal runaway can swell and with the excess pressure negating bottom vent holes, it is what essentially causes the mod to become a pipe bomb - the top cap and switch can blast out due to the pressure and gas venting.

 The mod, however, suffers from one fatal flaw, and that is...

PAINTED THREADS.

It is NO secret that paint/PVD coating compromises conductivity....this is inexcusable, at this point in the hobby, two things should be a standard in my opinion

Hybrid top caps

Non-painted threads.

Why? Well, to begin with, coating inhibits conductivity, as it disrupts the flow of energy. This results in abysmal voltage drop, and with a multimeter, I measured a 0.9 voltage drop - that is absolutely inexcusable!! A fresh Sony VTC5 reads 4.2 off the charger. To get an idea of how this thing performs, imagine firing your atty with a 3.3v battery. I don't know about my readers, but I notice a drop in vape quality around 3.5-3.6v, 3.3 is nigh unusable. Running a tobh with dual coils at 0.4 ohms, I noticed a vape similar to a Protank 3 - very, very disappointing.

Due to the painted threads and loss of conductivity, the mod also micro arcs, which is a huge pain in the ass. Every time I fire this mod, it either burns my hand, or shocks me. This has happened with a variety of attys, tanks, and builds - there is just no way around the coating..unless you remove it.

With that in mind, the mod is not a complete loss. To those that are handier than I, you've got a few options.

Take a wirewheel to the threads

Sandblast the threads

Insert conductive copper tape into the tube

These will certainly remedy the issue, but I believe that for 54.99, I should not have to perform these modifications. I cannot fault MBV, as this is their first offering - perhaps they can offer the Panzer in stainless, or discontinue it in favor of another mod - but it is a manufacturer defect. Overall, however, this cripples an otherwise beautifully made, attractive mod.

• Top cap

The top cap, primarily to the overall construction, is almost wonderfully machined. Every atty I threw at the top cap threaded on with ease, and sat flush, (including the Magma, which is notorious for it's long 510 connector). It features a telescopic copper contact pin, which can be a bit finicky when adjusting for rattle, as it threads directly into the top cap, with no insulator. spent more time than I would've liked adjusting it, something I believe could be remedied with a delrin insulator. Why the manufacturer opted out of this, I'm not sure. The telescopic copper pin is a great addition, though I find it slightly humorous that a highly conductive pin compliments coated threads.

• Switch

Now here is one thing machinist and manufacturer's can take note of. - the switch. I have yet to encounter a switch that rivals the Blackhawks design, function, and quality. You have a thick spring that sits atop the switch, connected to the tubing with a single brass pin. Instead of a delrin insulator, a large, thick o-ring secures the switch assembly - I would once again love to see an insulator, but I would press that issue more-so towards the authentic - I can deal with it on a clone. The switch is recessed, however it has a reverse threaded locking ring that can be twisted down to ensure the mod does not fire on it's own. With the copper telescopic pin adjusted properly, the switch can be completely tightened down, unlocked, without firing under it's own weight. It fires everywhere I place my finger, unlike some models that require a center push, or slightly off-side. It is simple, it is functional, and it WORKS FLAWLESSLY.

Overall, this is a beautiful, beautiful mod, boasting exceptionally machined threaded, copper telescopic pin, brass firing pin, a quality switch, and well placed ventilation. It feels like a quality device, but unfortunately I would not recommend a purchase, because the painted threads are unforgivable- ridiculous voltage drop, micro acrcing leading to hot switch and shocking, just completely tarnishes what could be a staple in any arsenal. I would love to see MBV carry the version without the painted threads, or possibly stock the stainless version, as I cannot imagine anybody being able to tolerate headache painted threading can cause. I must say, however, I will be using it from time to time - the luxury of an exceptionally well made clone is quite hard to come by, and if you can manage to disregard the voltage drop and arcing, it is just a breeze to use. I, for one, will definitely be looking into a wirewheel modification.

I'd like to thank Michael from www.mtbakervapor.com for giving me this opportunity, I have been a loyal customer since my foray into the wonderful world of vaping, and will continue to stand by vendors I trust.  It has been a great pleasure, and I hope you guys stop by to catch my MBV juice review, after they complete the steeping process!

Get in touch! Find me on instagram @_vapocalyptic! VAPE STRONG AND LIVE LONG!