Well, the Pharaoh mechanical mod is a little bit different!
No, it’s not an antique and no it’s not a centrepiece for the fireplace..or maybe it is?
One thing is for sure, you can stick an RDA or RTA on top and enjoy a lovely vape with this extremely unusual, expensive mechanical tube mod!
With all ‘Mech Mods’ – I strongly suggest you look into a number of things before you delve into the world of mechs, beginning with looking into battery safety, ensuring your batteries are high quality and well looked after.
Once you’re done with that, brush up on Ohms Law to ensure that the build you put on a mechanical mod isn’t going to destroy your batteries – which trust me, is not a nice experience.
See The OneTop Pharaoh Mech in Action
What Can We Expect From The Pharaoh by One Top?
Let’s get something out of the way first – this mod won’t be for everyone.
In fact, it will only really be for the very few. Those who are die-hard collectors, or who have an infatuation with Egypt or something?
Or perhaps just for someone looking for something to talk about with their friends?
What we’re looking at is a fully mechanical Mod which can hold a single 18650, 20700 or 21700 battery. It can hold up to a 28mm diameter RDA/RTA without any overhang and is beautifully constructed from ‘high quality’ brass and is made in China.
It has a Hybrid 510 connection at the top and 4 holes for venting, and at the bottom is a gold-plated Constant Contact switch which is removable in order to fit your batteries.
So let’s Crack On and see what this is all about…
What’s In The Box
- 1 x Pharaoh Tube Mod
- 1 x 18650 Battery Adaptor
I really wish this device came with some form of information on safety with regards to using a mechanical mod, and some information on the device itself.
Specs and Features
Pharaoh Mechanical Tube Mod
- Height: 93mm
- Diameter: 35mm
- Top Diameter: 28mm
- Weight:252.0g
- Battery: 21700/20700/18650(With Adaptor)
Design and Build Quality
The Pharaoh obviously only comes in a brass finish, and I’ll be honest, I’m not expert with regards to metal finishing, and I have absolutely no idea how this product is manufactured.
The One Top website doesn’t shed much light on the question either.
But from my untrained eye, I can say this is an absolutely beautiful piece. There is so much detail to the Pharaoh that every time I look at it, I see something I didn’t notice before.
So I’m going to use the power of imagery to try and show every part of this wonderfully crafted device.
An Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh.
I’m no Ancient Egypt expert, but I’m pretty sure this is based on Tutankhamen.
With the 2 serpents up top, the headdress and the long braided beard. The detail is truly remarkable and surprising for something made in china.
The Back
At the top is the Sun which I believe is made from copper – and with the amount of polishing it needs, I’m pretty sure it is copper.
Below that is a nice detailed pyramid and a load of hieroglyphics between the two.
Around the rest of the mod is an abundance of hieroglyphs and 2 ancient Egyptian Guardians which I believe to be Anubis, who was the God of the Dead.
And I think the bird-looking Guardian is Horus, who was a god of the sky. But I might be wrong on that one. My googling skills aren’t the best!
Lets take a minute to appreciate the detail on this Mod.
The Button
The threaded button at the base of the Pharaoh is a gold-plated constant contact switch which you can take apart if you need to for any reason.
It also has a little latch which you pull up to unscrew the button from the mod. Which you’ll need nails for, but is nice and smooth and not too annoying.
Using a set of needle-nose pliers simply unscrew the white ring which I think might be ceramic or plastic, unfortunately, I have no information on that.
The kit doesn’t come with any spare parts, which is a shame really. If your spring was to break it looks like you’ll either have to contact One Top and hope they still have springs available or rummage around the local Bits ‘n Bobs store.
The button has a really nice throw to is and is nice and smooth. It also feels nice and mechanical.
It wasn’t until I took the button off that I saw quite how nasty the mod is inside – not that it’s important, and I have no clue about brass manufacturing, it’s just something that’s worth mentioning.
In The Hand
This is by no means of the imagination a comfortable mod, with its bumps and curves it’s not the most ergonomic. But there are 2 positions that I find most comfortable.
Face Front
Holding with your index finger wrapped below the beard leaves the rest of your fingers wrapped around the least bumpy sections of the mod, whilst cupping the pyramid at the back between your thumb and index finger.
Face Back
This is just reversed to the Face front of course, which basically looks like the Pharaoh is resting his beard on the section between your thumb and index finger, and leaves your fingers wrapped around the pyramid.
Holding this device in any other way leaves your hand pressed against the uncomfortable bits, like the beard or the 2 serpents on the top of the mod.
It’s worth saying this device is an absolute pain to match up with a Dripper or RTA.
In fact, I would only recommend something like the Vaper Cloud Asgard Mini in brass – which I’ve been unable to pick up as its always out of stock everywhere.
So I went with the Vandy Vape Widowmaker RDA in gold – not perfect but doesn’t look too bad.
Anything above 28mm will overhang so keep that in mind also.
I really don’t think many RDA’s or RTA’s will match this device perfectly unless they’re made from brass (which is rare), or a similar coloured gold, and are 28mm in diameter.
That’s a shame, but then this really is a niche item.
We are always updating our best RDA and best RTA posts so check those out.
How Does the Pharaoh Mech Mod Perform?
Using a fully charged Samsung 30T 21700 battery, it hits as well as any single battery mechanical tube mod I’ve tried in the past.
And obviously, your battery life will depend on the build you have installed in your RDA/RTA which of course you need to seriously consider.
It hits pretty hard with the right build, minimal ramp up and as long as its held right, is fairly comfortable to use on a day to day basis.
Personally, I wouldn’t recommend using this daily as you do tend to get odd looks from people. One chap even asked:
Did you steal that from your Nan and turn it into a Vape?
Hilarious.
No matter which battery size you decide to use, you get zero battery rattle.
This is mainly due to the Hybrid 510 connection which means you effectively clamp the battery down between the 510 pin from your RDA, and the battery cap.
Just be sure to fit your tank or RDA on first, before screwing the battery cap all the way in.
Voltage Drop
Considering my electrical background, I’m ashamed to say I haven’t done this test since 2015 when I first tried a mechanical tube mod.
Simply put, what you’re trying to discover, is if there is any volt drop through the tube when a battery is installed.
This Samsung 30T put out 4.07v between Positive (+) and negative (-)
Across any distance, a current flowing through an object, cable, or tube mod – loses voltage. Its a little like water losing pressure through a tube.
So the battery was put into the mod, along with the Vandy Vape Widowmaker RDA, and with 2 different builds, you’re able to get an idea of the voltage drop.
With your probes across the Positive and Negative terminals on the RDA and a press of the fire button, the 1.2ohm build showed a voltage drop of just 0.12v. With the 0.30ohm build, the voltage dropped by 0.30v.
Pretty impressive.
To be honest I was expecting decent results for a mod made of thick solid brass.
In comparison, I get a 0.25v and 0.56v drop using the Coilart Mage Mech V2 Mech Mod.
Cleaning
I didn’t think I’d ever really need to make a separate section for cleaning a vape device, but here goes!
When I received the Pharaoh, the brass seemed a little tarnished and blemished in places.
So I got myself down to the local supermarket and picked up a bottle of Brasso, with the intention of fully cleaning and polishing the Pharaoh mech mod.
However, if you go completely to town on this mod, what you will end up with is a completely brass looking mod, with none of that black effect (Oxidisation) in the crevices between everything.
Meaning you basically won’t notice the detail quite as well. So I just gave it a gentle clean-up/polish to try and remove the tarnish to the important parts, whilst leaving the black effect intact.
Of course, if you leave this mod on a shelf for months on end, you will notice that oxidisation which can cause blemishes. So I strongly advise using just a very small amount of Brasso from time to time to bring it back up good as new.
But don’t go too mad as you can actually damage brass if you go too far – I learnt that from my Bugle playing days!
Mech Mod Safety
If you’ve never owned or used an unregulated device like a mechanical mod of any description, its important to understand the dangers of it.
What we’re dealing with are batteries that have a huge discharge current, capable of putting out high current.
Now remember, the current is the flow of electricity. The discharge current on the Samsung 30T is 35Amps, which is a little more than the usual socket circuit in your home.
And generally, people are using between 30 and 70Amps at any one time in their home.
So if you’re looking at picking up a ‘Mech Mod’ – First thing I suggest would be to spend some time understanding how it all works, as in, why everyone suggests you understand Ohms Law and why battery safety is important.
In simple terms, if you had a water pipe with a cap on the end, and put water through the pipe, eventually the pressure will build up so much, that either the cap would fly off, or the pipe would crack and water would go everywhere.
Same rules apply to batteries, and the build you install in your RDA/RTA – The only difference is, the cap on a battery can explode and cause more than just a flooded garden.
A regulated device limits the output to a safe level of the device, and will also protect you from a short circuit and overheating along with a number of other potentially dangerous events.
But none of that safety protection is there with a mechanical mod.
I also suggest you look up Battery Mooch on YouTube or check out his Facebook page.
He’s basically the Guru when it comes to batteries, safety and what batteries work best for which mod.
He also openly calls out manufacturers for stating wrong ratings on batteries.
Pros
- Absolutely stunning piece
- Can take 3 different battery sizes
- Hits really well
- Nice button throw
- No battery rattle
- Solid construction
- A talking point
Cons
- Unusual design
- Not exactly a comfortable mod
- No information in the box
- Very expensive
- Only a number of RTA/RDA’s will suit it
Final Review Verdict
I’m not exactly sure who will be rushing out to buy the Pharaoh mech mod because its such a niche item.
But quite frankly, its absolutely stunning and as weird and obscure as it is, it’s been a joy to use and appreciate.
I’m no expert with either Ancient Egypt, or craftsmanship – But I’m pretty sure this is a collector’s item through and through.
It is absolutely stunning from every angle.
Did you buy the Pharaoh by One Top? Or have you seen it? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
