It’s not very often that I have a mech mod sent my way for review but just before I left for CVE Edmonton SaddleHorse Blues reached out to see if I’d be interested in a new mech they’ve been carrying. Considering I’ve got a rather large collection of mech mods and have been a fan of the uncomplicated devices for as long as I’ve been vaping I was thrilled at the chance to review a new authentic mech mod from a company called RNV. Based out of Indonesia they’re a fairly new company that from what I understand run a home-based factory to produce their beautiful yet still affordable mods. Here are my honest thoughts on the Chronicle mod from RNV Design c/o SaddleHorse Blues.

Package contents:

Item Quantity RNV Chronicle mod 1 18650 adapter tube 1 20700 adapter tube 1

Listed features and specs:

24mm Diameter

Support 20700 & 18650 battery, each with delrin insulator

21700 battery without sleeve

Elegant graphics designs

Sand blasting media finishing (not coating)

Magnet system

New system button for easy clean up

Fixed 510 hybrid top

2mm hole ventilation

Anti arcing for 18650

The Chronicle RNV Mod:

A mech mod in most iterations is nothing more then a metal tube with threading for a 510 connection and a button to close a circuit between the battery and the atomizer. The RNV Chronicle is no exception but it looks like a considerable amount of thought has gone in to the design as well as the styling. It’s also very affordable with the 24mm diameter mod available in two different materials, aluminum for only $50CAD and the slightly more expensive brass version coming in at $60CAD. They don’t appear to be serialized but they do come with an authenticity card in the box.

At the top it’s got a hybrid connection, meaning there’s a threaded hole that leads directly to the top of your inserted battery. I always stress the importance of having a 510 positive pin that protrudes well beyond the negative threading of your atomizers 510 connection so that it doesn’t inadvertently cause a hard short on the top of your battery. The hybrid threads themselves are fairly short so the 510 on your atomizer doesn’t need to be super long to make contact with your battery.

One of the special features of this mod is that it supports three of the most common cell sizes used in vaping meaning not only does it use 21700 batteries out of the box but it can also use 18650 and 20700 sized batteries with the two included adapters. Because not all batteries are created equally I found with some 20700 batteries I didn’t need to use the adapter at all and with some 21700 they either didn’t fit or left a tiny bit of a gap between the button housing and the body of the mod when screwing it together, not quite enough to trigger my OCD but it needs to be mentioned.

The body of the RNV Design mod has some significant styling cut or knurled into it. I believe the design is pressed in as there are some very tiny imperfections in the design that make me think it was a die that was pressed into the metal to form the pattern and not ground out with a CNC machine or something like that. At first, I thought it might be a bit sharp with all of the deep cut styling in the mod but found it was very comfortable in the hand and not sharp at all. I’ve been debating with the wife whether the design is Art Deco or Egyptian but it seems like it could easily pass for either. Around the lower edge of the mech mod are a series of venting holes that should allow the mod to vent safely should you experience any issues with your batteries. I particularly like the fact that they are aimed downward and aren’t located up near the top where your face tends to reside. Another thing about the body of the device is it’s finished with a sort of sand blasted finish, not coated or painted. It gives the mod a really nice textured grippy feel which should almost never slip from the hand. It did seem an odd almost chalky texture at first but my hands quickly got used to it and even grew to enjoy it.

At the very bottom is the button assembly. It’s heavily knurled around the outside to give it plenty of grip which makes it even easier to unscrew the button and access your battery. The threads for the button are nice and smooth and I haven’t had any issues putting it together or taking it apart. Speaking of taking it apart, I took the button apart to see how it was built and was pleased to see it uses nice strong magnets and not springs. I did find the delrin insulator that secures the button was a tiny bit beat up out of the box but it remained in perfect working order. The button also has an adjustable delrin spacer to help alleviate any potential battery rattle. The button has a relatively short throw but occasionally depending on how I’m holding it can feel a bit crunchy or gritty. I noticed that the sandblasted finish sort of continues in to the button assembly and wonder if that might be causing it. With some continued use it’s pretty much worked itself out but I imagine it would benefit from a very light sanding around the inside of the housing. The button doesn’t include a lock but is recessed enough that accidental fires shouldn’t be an issue.

Bonus Top Cap:

As a bonus Shane from SaddleHorse Blues also tossed in a matching top cap which shares the same blasted finish and somewhat mirrors the multi-holed pattern around the base but with a few less holes. Unlike the mod it is serialized but doesn’t include an authenticity card. It fits a Goon deck perfectly but I also found it fit the three coil Azeroth deck pretty well although the airflow didn’t line up just right it was still more than serviceable. Even with the Goon deck the airflow is fixed with 6 holes dotted around the cap providing airflow. I found it quite comfortable and it worked great with a single coil build on the Azeroth and a dual coil build in my Goon 1.5 providing a slightly loose direct lung hit. It’s also curved to give it a bit of style and bears what I imagine is the RNV logo on one side. It comes with a fairly short delrin 810 drip tip that has angled cuts to give it some texture. If being matchy matchy is important to you you’ll probably want to pair the mod with the matching cap!

Likes:

Build quality

Affordable price

Blasted finish

Battery options

Deep cut styling

Matching top cap

Rugged knurling

Dislikes:

Some batteries don’t fit perfectly

Finish can scratch

Button a bit gritty at first

Overall:

I’ve got to say I’ve been quite impressed with the Chronicle from RNV Design. I haven’t had any significant issues with it and being that it’s made of brass it has very little voltage drop from my basic tests. Considering it’s more than affordable I think this one will be a good choice for nearly anyone that’s into or considering getting in to mech mods and with the multiple battery options it can handle it should provide plenty of flexibility for anyone picking one up!! If you are considering purchasing a mechanical mod of any sort, please understand battery safety and Ohms law before you do!