Augvape Templar RDA Review – A Saint Or Sinner Among Drippers?

The Augvape Templar RDA is a tiny 22mm dripper with a very special build deck.
The designers have utilized the popular dual velocity clamp style and made it their own by using a single screw.

As to if they’ve pulled this off we’ll see later.

What Can We Expect From The Templar RDA?

The Templar RDA can used in both single and dual coil mode – has adjustable dual airflow and a squonk pin is included as is a frosted battle cap.

Augvape have brought out some excellent tanks and drippers notably the Druga which I enjoyed – the Merlin RDTA and the Merlin Mini as well as the mod I had a joy to review the sexy V200.

So a good pedigree lets hope the much anticipated Templar RDA can live up to that stable of stars.

This was sent to me direct from Augvape – thank you – and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Incidentally I have no info as to when this will be released – it’s not showing up on their website yet – but we’ll certainly let you know.

So is the Templar a vaping saint or a sinner? Can it gain a place on this ‘best squonk RDA‘ list?

Inside the Box

The usual tube packaging from Augvape which functions perfectly and looks stylish.

Inside you’ll find:

• X1 Augvape Templar RDA
• X1 frosted top cap
• Bag of spares including:
• Squonk pin
• Ultem single coil divider
• 510 adapter and O rings

Augvape Templar RDA Specs

• 22mm wide
• 26mm high
• 810 compatible drip tip
• Dual airflow with single coil option

Key Features

Despite its 3 tiered design – think wedding cake – this is a very low profile RDA both in height and width coming out and just a tad over 22mm in diameter.

It can operate in both single and dual coil and you get a very handy ULTEM [I think] deck separator that fits in snugly held by an o ring – so it isn’t going anywhere.

The airflow control ring is multi stepped meaning you can fine tune the x2 sets of 6 air flow holes – which look like morse code as in ‘dot dash dot’ – to your personal sweet spot and these are mirrored both sides.

The Templar Deck

For me this is where the magic happens – this deck is not only good to look at – it’s a joy to build on.

What we have is a play on the velocity style clamp deck and the Templar design means only one screw is used to tighten and loosen.

Even as a fingers and thumbs kind of builder I found this a doddle to build on and very quick too but more on that later.

Included in the box is a frosted top cap that looks to all intents and purposes like a bullet and is made from some kind of heat resistant plastic – information on this RDA is limited so bear with me!

This particular top cap has none adjustable airflow and I’m assuming its one of those battle caps with a wide bore – more on how that performs soon.

Design and Build Quality

Hey this is Augvape so expect very good machining with everything coming apart quite beautifully.

The AFC ring has just enough resistance even after nearly two weeks of use to remain pleasingly stiff meaning it’s not gonna move once you’ve set it.

The deck is put together beautifully and that single heat treated screw takes both crosshead and flat screwdrivers.

The clamp action is silky smooth too and the post holes despite this being a small RDA can take some big old coils no bother.

As I said design wise think wedding cake given it’s 3 tiered styling which really does lift the look of this RDA.

I received the black version and the Templar logo is etched nicely on the barrel and the name also etched on the top cap but set inside a cut-out which not only looks good but acts as a bit of grip.

The frosted top cap adds another look to the RDA but looks wise kind of detracts a little from what is out of the box an extremely good looking dripper.

How Does the Augvape Templar RDA Perform?

OK the Augvape Templar RDA is well built and machined and looks bloody gorgeous – but all that is a waste of time if it doesn’t vape as well as it looks!

First up the build experience.

One word – awesome!

“One screw to rule them all” – to bastardize Tolkien lol.

This single screw velocity clamp style is so easy to build on that even this old fool got it spot on first time!

There’s plenty of room to work and that clamp action really is a delight – silky smooth but with enough torque to tighten those legs down.

But be careful when unscrewing – I did unscrew it completely once but it really is simple to screw back together – no harm done lol.

Wicking is easy too – after all this is an RDA – and despite the deck size and shallowish juice well – there’s plenty of room for your cotton.

Vaping On the Augvape Templar RDA

First up let’s see how it vapes with the regular top cap in dual coil.

I popped in a simple pair of claptons reading bang on 0.20ohms and wicked with Fuzz setting my wattage at a conservative 77.7w and airflow wide open.

Given this is such a low profile RDA [coils being closer to the drip tip] I was expecting decent flavour and I wasn’t let down.

In fact my expectations were matched and then some – the flavour off the Templar RDA is nothing short of stunning – definitely one for the flavour chasers!

I bumped it up in varying degrees until at around 97.5w everything started to get warmer – down to the build I think and not the RDA not dissipating the heat.

The clouds were pretty good too and obviously became denser the less airflow I had open.

Speaking of the airflow at first glance seeing the tiny holes you might think this had a tight draw – far from it.

Wide open this is very much to my airy vaping taste and with barely a dash or dot of the airflow showing the draw is extremely tight – more on that in a moment!

Frosted Battle Cap

It’s probably not called a ‘battle cap’ but hey for want of a better description!

OK using the same build as above I found with this cap the Templar could take a bit more wattage most definitely.

There’s a lot more airflow on this one and even though it’s actually smaller the wide open chuff cap style suggests its bigger.

The vape is extremely airy – but not in a wishy washy way with the flavour dimming slightly – not enough to worry about – but man those clouds.

After a few pulls I thought about starting to wear a snap back cap such was the fog appearing in my flat!

Templar RDA Single Coil Mode

I used one of the Clapton’s from the original pair at 0.4ohms and gently introduced the Templar at 53.5w.

I needn’t have bothered being gentle it was literally begging for more power!

On the single coil I found the sweet spot at 67.7w with a good flavour and decent single coil clouds.

The flavour was nowhere near as good as in dual coil – but very passable indeed especially picking up the sweeter notes in the sharp lemon based e-liquid I was using.

Popping on the battle cap in single coil mode did – as I expected it to – wash the flavour away.

Quite a bit actually – all that air blowing it away I’m guessing given the clouds were on point.

So battle cap in dual coil only I reckon.

Templar RDA As An MTL?

Maybe!

I’m on record as often saying I like my MTL vapes to be airy but many others prefer that proper tight cig-a-like experience.

In single coil mode and with the airflow closed as tight as possible without shutting it off you get an extremely tight vape – definitely tight enough for the purist MTL vapers.

Ooo get me using the word definitely lol.

For me 2/3rds shut gave me my almost perfect style of mouth to lung.

I use the Vandy Vape Berserker wide open and it’s perfect for my style.

First and foremost this is a Direct To Lung RDA – but experiment and you too might find your sweet spot 😉

Templar RDA In Squonk Mode

My go to BF RDA is the Dead Rabbit V3 and the Templar whilst not beating it certainly keeps up flavour wise.

The squonk action is good if a little slow given the size of the hole in the pin – but that really is nit picking as any wider and I’m not sure the shallow deck could cope!

Given this is side air flow it certainly suits squonking and despite trying I haven’t had any leakage from the air flow ports.

Pros

• Full of flavour
• Great clouds
• Single and dual coil
• Low profile
• Elegant design
• 22mm
• Superb deck
• Excellent air flow control
• Battle cap included
• Good squonker with included pin!
• Single coil divider

Cons

• Top cap tight to get over double o rings even lubed
• 510 pin barely protrudes

Final Review Verdict

Not only does the Augvape Templar RDA look as pretty as a picture it vapes like a dream.

The flavour is excellent and even in single coil mode the clouds are very good indeed for its size.

I love love love the deck – that single screw clamp makes building a doddle.

All the 810’s I’ve tried fit snugly and the addition of the battle cap means you can add another dimension to your vape experience.

Personally I won’t be using this regularly as a squonker – don’t get me wrong it works very well indeed – I just think this is more a dainty paint your coils kind of dripper.

You can of course drip down the top cap – more so in battle cap mode – but I just think like the design this one deserves a little bit of finesse 😉

Would I replace this one if lost or damaged?

Absolutely this is most definitely the Saint of the Drippers.