GG Design - A brief visual history

Long before I ever got interested vaping Imeo was already creating Golden Greek mods. In the beginning the GG was a very crude affair as you would expect but still very different from what was commercially available. I think I'm right in saying that the Screwdriver by Trog, built from a torch casing and released around 2008, was one of the only other mods you could buy at the time. Imeo himself often acknowledges Trogs contribution to modding.

Imeo spent a lot of time developing, refining and testing the early GG's as you can see in the pictures above. The tube shaped design is familiar but very industrial looking. These early GG's are a long way from the likes of the finely tuned JustGG and Esterigon we have available today.

From the beginning Imeo was concerned with durability in the GG. The construction had to be able to withstand heavy use, Imeo did not want to release a product that would fall to bits easily. In the video below you can see Imeo drop testing a GG. This video is from 2009, there are lots of mods around now that couldn't take this punishment. WARNING! The video contains images of a GG being mistreated!

Over time the design of Golden Greek mods started to acquire a more stylish look so that the GG was as good looking as it was functional. The next set of pictures show some early GG's that have started to look very much like what we now know as a GG. The wings and monogram defining a look that has become synonymous with GG's.

Finally this last set of pictures show some of the earlier GG's that look even more like the GGTS's, Ithaka's, etc,  we have now. I believe some of these GG's were owned by Uktarget. When I first found out about Golden Greeks, Uktarget had one of the best collections around. Unfortunately due to personal reasons he had to break up his collection, which was one of the finest in the world at that time. You can see why in the last image.

Bear in mind these pictures cover just the first couple of years of Golden Greek mods. The progression over even that small amount of time is testament to Imeo's drive to constantly improve and refine his products. The sheer number of products and innovations made since Imeo started his business is amazing. 

Summary

So, as can be easily seen in mods like Esterigon and the upcoming Proteus, the Golden Greek has come a long way from a humble beginning. Early mods like the Grant, Nano and Slim are as popular now as the year they were released. The newer range of GG's coming out now are equally as popular with no sign of demand slowing down. 

If you have a GG, keep a tight hold of it, it's a beautiful part of vaping history.

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Tilemahos - latest information

The following is all the latest information, condensed, that Imeo has posted in the GG Tilemahos thread over on ECF. Much of the conversation on the thread has been on the different bases that will be available with Tilemahos and also some passionate discussion of engraving and branding.

GG Branding

With Esterigon coming only with 'GG' engravings some users are keen to see Tilemahos appear with a wings only version. Although in the thread Imeo states for example, that the Hybrid base will come with the same CNC engravings as in his recent videos, he does seem open to discussion on what markings should be available.

The Hybrid base has not been made yet as there is no time to make it before the August holidays. This gives a bit of hope to those wanting a different look than the planned CNC. The pictures below show the Hybrid base as it is now and were taken from this video.

*IMAGES TO BE ADDED*

Notice how good it looks when attached to Esterigon, giving a very clean and complete look. The small size of Tilemahos, paired with Esterigon will make this a very desirable pairing for those looking for the GG experience in a smaller form factor. 

Base Options

The difference the bases make to Esterigon length are as follows. Regular base - no difference. AD base - 4mm increase. Hybrid base 2.5mm shorter.

The regular base is made for Esterigon, JustGG, GGTS and other mods. The AD base will be for other mods/GG without AD control. It will be needed on GG mods like the Stealth or GGTB that don't have Ad control.

Prices

The prices given by Imeo so far are -

• Regular Tilemahos  79 euros  
• AD Tilemahos  89 euros 
• Hybrid base  20-25 euros? No firm price given yet.

At the time of writing this Imeo has given an expected release date of around the first week of August. Obviously this could change at any time. As always I will update you with anything new I find.

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GG Tilemahos - breakdown video by Imeo

Imeo has posted a more in depth look at the new atomiser Tilemahos. I won't say too much about it as you can see in the video all you need to know. All I can add is that it looks very good. It seems to be the perfect partner for Esterigon and will probably appeal to other mod owners too.

Note - the engraving is an interesting change for GG, CNC rather than laser engraved.

One last piece of good news, the price of Tilemahos is set to be €79. That is a great price and an affordable one that is very much welcomed. I'll post more updates as I get them.

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New look GG160

The picture below is one of the first pictures posted on My Golden Greek in 2010, that seems like a very long time ago now. Since then I have collected and posted over 3,500 pictures as well as growing my Blog. I still love what I do just as much now as when I started. It's something I will continue as long as I am able to.

The reworking of the site is something I have been planning to do for a while. I've been working hard to give GG160 a make-over and a more current look. I know there are still a few bugs to work out and that there are links that don't work. I am working on it but decided to make the site live again while I do, I have done most of the harder bits already.

Also I plan on giving My Golden Greek an update soon too. I really don't like how the Blog template handles images, on GG160 images are handled nicely by a simple lightbox. I have a bit of homework to do before I attempt to update My GG but I will keep you updated.

Anyway, I hope you like what I've done.

UPDATE-22.7.14

Seems like the image slider on the main page is broken. I am trying to fix it but I can't seem to find the problem. I think it has to do with jQuery or JavaScript but I know nothing about coding so this may take a while. If I can't find the problem I may have to take the site down and rebuild it step by step to find the cause of the problem.

Any site changes to do with design and code I will add to this post from now on to avoid polluting the main feed with non GG news.

UPDATE-23.7.14

Fixed the slider issue. It was the 'back to top' button script for anyone interested. I removed it and all looks good again.

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Coming soon - a bit of a change

Just a quick update for anyone interested. I am busy preparing something I think will be pretty cool. It's nothing too amazing but I think readers of this blog will really like it.

All I can say for now is I am working really hard to figure out how CSS and HTML codes work. I have no experience with coding so it's taking a lot of concentration and trial and error, I hope the end result will be worth it.

Normal service will be resumed shortly and I'll be back to reporting on all the latest and greatest Golden Greek news.

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Tilemahos - 'Fat Penelope'

What is it?

Tilemahos will be the next rebuildable atomiser from Golden Greek. It is designed specifically for the Esterigon, although it will no doubt have an appeal to anyone with a big battery mod. The reduced diameter of Tilemahos could make it as popular as the Penelope is for more generic mod owning e-cig users.

Tilemahos will be a 3 piece design, base, body and cap. Imeo said he wanted to keep the design as simple as possible in contrast to the likes of Ithaka, with it's multiple parts. There will be a choice of three bases.

• The first base is for use with Esterigon, which already has air control, making the Esterigon-Tilemahos combo as short as possible. 

• The second is a base to use with other mods and will have an air control feature. 

• Lastly there will be a hybrid base. As I understand it a hybrid base uses the top cap of the mod as the base plate for the atomiser. This reduces the possibility of voltage loss through the 510 connection. I admit I have little experience of hybrid bases though, so I may be wrong on this one.

However the Tilemahos finally emerges it will probably be as Imeo described it, a Fat Penelope. I expect it to have the same sort of internals as previous GG rebuildables, along with the familiar ease of use. It's length is very short at around 36mm long. Despite the small size it will hold 3.5 ml of liquid.

Can I see it?

It is still in production so no official pictures have been published yet. However, below are some pictures that have been posted on ECF along with some screen grabs I got from Youtube. The first one is by CaptSteve who has a pre release version, he blurred the picture for this reason. He seems impressed with it so that's a good sign.

Notice in the last picture the 'S' I have circled on the base. I don't know what this is, maybe an engraving of the name or it could be just some pre-production identifying part. It will be interesting to see the final finish and design.

From the pictures it's hard to appreciate the size of Tilemahos but this is a really compact looking RBA. On top of Esterigon this is going to be a perfect match.

When can I get it?

Imeo said recently that Tilemahos would be ready sometime mid July. I know that the machine shop shuts soon for the holidays so I imagine they will try to get a batch finished before then.

I predict that this will be another very popular item and one to keep an eye on. With the holidays coming up you won't want to miss out on buying this otherwise the next batch will feel like a very long time away. Keep checking all the regular suppliers for information and if I find out anything more I will, of course, let you know.

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Tweaks to My GG/GG160 - very minor changes

I have just finished reworking some images and elements of this Blog and the My Golden Greek site. I added a few new bits here and there too, for example a 'Return to Top' button should show up when scrolling. I also fixed the links page and I will add GG links and links from posts from now on.

Part of the reason for the change was the fact I didn't have a good copy of the GG wings. Also they seem to change every now and then and I don't want to seem out of date, so I made my own.

Obviously inspired by the original GG wings, these are the new MY GG/GG160 wings.

And this one is just me messing around in a 3D program. I am thinking of making some wallpapers.

Anyway, sorry it's not a very exciting post but I wanted to document my changes for future reference.

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The GG Wiki - the Ultimate Golden Greek Resource

It seems there is a Wiki for just about everything now. From A to Z there will be a Wiki covering any subject you can think of. There is even a Wiki for Wiki's. So it's not really surprising that there is a Wiki for Golden Greeks. The GG Wiki is a treasure trove of information for all GG products, with histories, diagrams, pictures and useful links. If you need info on any GG item the Wiki is a good place to start.

While doing some fixing of the Links page for this blog I noticed the GG Wiki link had stopped working. I checked back a few times but found I could not connect to the Wiki.

Luckily, we have two dedicated individuals that put a lot of time and effort into keeping the GG Wiki updated and online. ECF forum members Ariel MX and ManniGfaltig have made it their mission to ensure the Wiki is available to all. As well as the main Wiki there is a back-up that should be available if you can't access the main Wiki. At the time of writing this I still can't get to the original Wiki so the link I will add is for the back-up site.

A huge thank you to Ariel & Manni, your effort is appreciated and shows in the Wiki. A support thread for the GG Wiki can be found on ECF HERE.

I also thank the numerous people who contribute to the GG Wiki with articles, bug reports, spelling corrections, etc.

UPDATE

After speaking with Manni I have been informed that after the original Wiki went down two new GG Wiki's were created. The first is the one I have linked to above, located in South America, maintained by Ariel. The second is the backup Wiki, maintained by Manni, located in Europe. Both GG Wiki's are exactly the same, as Ariel and Manni keep them both in sync whenever they update anything.

Main GG Wiki     http://ggwiki.et.com.mx/index.php/Main_Page

Backup GG Wiki     http://ggwiki.auf-kohle.de/index.php/Main_Page

Thanks again guys.

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New stock at e-smokeguru

Just a quick note to let you know that e-smokeguru has just put up a list of Golden Greek products that are back in stock and available to buy tomorrow, 9th July. As usual demand will be high so visit the site tomorrow (19:00 Greek time, 17:00 UK time) as soon as you can to buy anything you need.

I also recommend signing up for email alerts if you haven't done so already.

To visit e-smokeguru Click Here.

e-smokeguru stock list

The following is what Vassilis posted on ECF regarding all the new Golden Greek stock.

Hi friends 

We inform you that following items will be online for direct order tomorrow 9-7-2014 at 19:00 Greek time.

Let the GG Party begin !!! 

e-SmokeGuru Titanium ready wires 0.5 ohm

e-SmokeGuru Titanium ready wires 1.0 ohm

e-SmokeGuru Titanium ready wires 1.5 ohm

GG Full Devices

JGG SS

Iatty Guru Edition

GGTS SS 

Stealth SS

PENELOPE V1 

PENELOPE V2 

PENELOPE V3

ITHAKA full with Ceramic 

ITHAKA with new update inside

IATTY V1 (without engraving on tube)

UFS – SS

GGTS SPARE PARTS

GGTS engraved tube ss

GGTS venting cap ss

GGTS venting cap brass old alloy

GGTS axis plastic

GGTS battery spring

GGTS connector plastic

GGTS 901 lid full brass old alloy

GGTS engraved tube brass old alloy 

GGTS telescope ss

GGTS telescope brass old alloy

GGTS extension sleeve ss (for 2x16340 batteries)

GGTS extension sleeve brass old alloy (for 2x16340 batteries)

GGTS 901 LID full ss

GGTS Adapter 801-510 Full

GGTS SS Connector Full

GGTS SS Venting Cap Full

GGTS inside pieces

JUST GG SPARE PARTS

Just GG lid ss 

Just GG axis

Just GG button pin

Just GG button head brass old alloy

Just GG collector tank

Just GG CR ss

Just GG collector tank center pin

Just GG collector tank threaded center pin

Just GG collector tank center pin plastic

Just GG engraved tube brass old alloy

Just GG telescope ss

Just GG telescope brass old alloy

Just GG extension sleeve ss

Just GG extension sleeve brass old alloy

Just GG solid 18650 tubes ss

Just GG solid 18650 tubes brass old alloy

Just GG axis black plastic

Just GG lid brass pin 

Just GG spring holder

Just GG battery spring

Just GG ss head button

Just GG Full AD With SS CR

Just GG Lid Full

Just GG Collector Tank Brass Center Pin Full

JGG Venting cap Full brass old alloy

Stealth SPARE PARTS

Stealth rethreader ss

Stealth rethreader brass old alloy

Stealth Cap SS Full 

Stealth Button Full With SS Head

Stealth Button Full With Brass Head Old Alloy

Stealth Cap SS Full With SS Rethreader

Iatty SPARE PARTS

Iatty mouthpiece plastic

Iatty pin 

Iatty cone

Iatty base 

Iatty mouthpiece ss

Iatty refilling cap

Iatty base plastic

Iatty upper plastic

Iatty GGTS base

UFS SPARE PARTS

UFS base

UFS clear window

UFS connector

UFS collector tank

UFS CR ss

UFS window ss

UFS mouthpiece

UFS Inside Pieces

Odysseus SPARE PARTS

Odysseus body - short mode 

Odysseus base (510 Connection - not for GGTS but only for other mods)

Odysseus mouthpiece - short mode

Odysseus ceramic housing

Odysseus plastic between center post and ceramic housing

Odysseus clear window - full mode 

Odysseus tank extension - full mode 

Penelope V2 SPARE PARTS

PENLEOPE V2 center post top nut

PENLEOPE V2 ceramic housing plastic nut

PENLEOPE V2 base

PENLEOPE V2 mouthpiece without air control

Penelope V3 SPARE PARTS

Penelope V3 - V2 cap 

Penelope V3 center post

Penelope V3 mouthpiece

Penelope V3 - V2 AD pin

Penelope V3-Ithaka center post plastic

Penelope V3-Ithaka positive pin

Penelope V3-Ithaka negative pin

Penelope V3-Ithaka sandwich plastic

Penelope V3 mouthpiece short & Body short

Penelope V3 mouthpiece drip tip

Penelope V3 cap for mouthpiece drip tip

Ithaka SPARE PARTS

Ithaka AD base

Ithaka GGTS base

Ithaka lower body 

Ithaka clear window

Ithaka upper body

Ithaka refilling cap

Ithaka refilling small cap

Ithaka ceramic housing

Ithaka ceramic housing plastic nut 

Ithaka center post 

Ithaka mouthpiece

Ithaka basic feeding

Ithaka window ss

Ithaka cr SS

Ithaka Update Full

Ithaka Update SPARE PARTS

Ithaka Update housing

Ithaka Update center post

Ithaka Update mouthpiece

Ithaka Update center post pin

Esterigon SPARE PARTS

Esterigon - Proteus battery-atomizer spring

Esterigon button spring

Esterigon 18350 tube mat

Esterigon 18350 tube shinny

Esterigon 18650 tube mat

Esterigon 18650 tube shinny

Thank you

Vassilis

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Custom Golden Greeks - Two approaches

While going over June's pictures for My Golden Greek I saw two sets of images featuring Golden Greeks that have had custom finishes applied to them, in two very different ways.

Although I like to keep my GG's as near to original condition as I can I understand how people like to change the appearance of their mods. I do the same thing with my mobile phone, applying custom ROMS, icons, etc. Standing out from the crowd is something people enjoy, whatever the subject.

Vape'nShine

The first mod here belongs to ECF forum member, Joshua T Clark. The finish on this mod was done by the folks over at Vape'n'Shine. I visited their website to get a better look at what they do and was very impressed by the high quality of work. There are lots of different effects and finishes you can have done, including custom designs. They also do plating and polishing, a service that might appeal to more conservative GG owners.

This is not a look for most GG owners but that's the point. A very unique and individual piece that shows what can be done with a GG.

The one that got away

The second mod I want to show you is owned by ECF user breminator. While visiting the beach he experienced every GG owners nightmare, losing his GG. He was taking this first set of pictures when the Indian Ocean took the GG away.

The good news is that a couple of days later he returned to the same spot and found his GG.

In his own words, "I began to grab in the sand at the beach, and after a few minutes the sea gave back, what was mine, yeaaaaahhhhh!"

Not only that, it also returned with a very unique finish courtesy of mother nature. Being in the sea and sand resulted in this distinctive patina. I think this finish looks amazing.

I'm so happy for him that he got it back, hopefully he will keep a tighter hold on it from now on! 

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The GG Stand from Fluid Vaper

For any serious Golden Greek collector there is the age old problem of how to display or store your treasured GG's. Speaking for myself, I keep mine on my desk where I can have them handy, although a display stand or case would be better. With my GG Stealth which I use the least, just being on the desk leaves small scuff marks on the bottom. Also every now and then I'll accidentally knock everything over which is annoying.

I have seen a lot of solutions to these problems over the years. Pen boxes, cigar boxes, aftermarket stands, there are options out there for anyone looking for them. Up until now though there hadn't been any storage options offered by Official Sellers. That has now changed with this stand made by the guys over at Fluid Vaper. As you can see there is plenty of room for your mods as well as a few RBA's.

The stand looks very well made and certainly sturdy enough to keep your precious collection safe. You can buy it at Fluid Vaper at this link Golden Greek Stand with Logo. I think it looks really nice and would sit well on any desk. It is also interesting to note that like the ESG iAtty this is another product that sees a collaboration between Imeo and vendors. I see this as a good thing and look forward to seeing if any more joint ventures appear in the future.

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Tilemahos

With the launch of Esterigon out of the way the next releases by Imeo people are looking forward to are Tilemahos, Penelope Short and of course Proteus. As far as Tilemahos goes, a release doesn't seem too far away. Imeo has already posted a couple of video's to Youtube demonstrating Tilemahos and I have to say it is looking very good already.

Tilemahos will be the latest GG rebuildable atomizer, a 'fat Penelope' designed to fit Esterigon. At 36mm long it will be shorter than Ody but surprisingly it holds around 3.5 ml of liquid where the Ody has a 2 ml capacity. Imeo has made a few subtle changes to the internal parts to improve performance but I am betting the internal parts won't be too dissimilar to the internals of the Ithaka upgrade.

You can check the video's out to get a sneak peek at performance and looks. Hopefully it won't be too long before Tilemahos is released, I know there are a lot of Esterigon owners waiting for one.

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CaptSteve's ESG iAtty Review

This is another great review from CaptSteve. This time it's on the e-smokeguru iAtty. As you can see from the stunning pictures, the ESG iAtty is a perfect match for Esterigon. Thanks again to Steve for letting me post these here.

The ESG Iatty

"Well what can I say about an atomizer that has a cult following. I have good friends who still vape nothing else other than the iatty since they bought the very first issue.

I'm happy Vassilis convinced Imeo to make a short tank version of this great atty and frankly this is the only difference the ESG iatty has over the original iatty. It's widely accepted that the Iatty produces great flavor and I personally believe it's the combination of the bell chamber area and narrow diameter of the chimney.
In fact if we look back in time we'll realize that iatty was the first atomizer tank to have a chimney which also controlled juice flow. What today exists in many atty designs was first conceived in the Iatty.

The best setup I've found for the Iatty (personal opinion) is with dual 1.5mm silica (one on top of the other) and the coil sitting inside the ceramic. You can use 2mm as well but anything more than that you'll require to open up the width of the slots of the ceramic. I pass the non-res wires through the holes at the bottom of the ceramic and then insert the two o-rings for the ceramic to sit on the plastic top cap.
Having said that I've also enjoyed dual coils (it's a hot vape), microcoils and nanocoils with cotton in the iatty. Pretty much the sky is the limit.

All said and done this shorter ESG iatty vapes just as well as all my other iatties but looks absolutely sick on the Esterigon which is the same diameter.
If you want some great tasting vapor you have to try the iatty, she puts out."


- CaptSteve

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CaptSteve's Esterigon Review

Over on ECF I saw a couple of posts from CaptSteve that I loved and really wanted to share. This review of Esterigon is great on it's own but with the pictures, it's simply fantastic. With the Captains kind blessing I am posting his review below.

Esterigon

"Just came back from the annual vacation in Greece where as every year had the chance to see all my good friends. Imeo, Vasilis, Stelioss, Zantos to name but a few.
Of course I had the chance to pick up personally my Esterigon and Iatty mini ESG from Vasilis (before we went out drinking). What a great little mod it is, simple with great design as always and excellent performance. I did a volt drop test myself (yes I'm aware of all the limitations) and found that Esterigon has quite insignificant loss. On a 0.7 ohm coil I showed on average (over 6 measurements) 0.16v which is pretty damn impressive considering the bottom contact is SS and not brass. I did the test with a Sony VTC5 freshly off the charger.
The button operation is smooth and extremely responsive and the locking mechanism is simple and ingenious.

I know that Imeo has perhaps been accused by reviewers in the past of making complex mods/atties with many parts but frankly this latest creation is so simple I would highly and unoquivically recommend it to even a beginner. I didn't find much that can really go wrong with Esterigon other than perhaps your normal use cleaning of threads and contacts. However having said that the thing is so easy to take apart and clean that I would rank it easier than a GGTS or a JustGG.

My gripe with my buddy Imeo was why 21mm when most non GG atties which many users have are 22mm but after I've used it now for about 8 days I can say that it's a really comfortable size (see comparison image to JustGG) and having on there a 22mm or even 23mm atty is no issue whatsoever.

Fitting of batteries was absolutely fine with all of mine which I tried with the exception of one 18500 AW IMR which I had to remove the little AW silver oval sticker.

We did discuss one or two possible future improvements for Esterigon and I'll let him tell you in his own time about that.

Imeo was kind enough to let me have his Prototype Tilemaxos to try and I can tell you that it sits beautifully on Esterigon with an almost hybrid look. I've taken a "sneak peek" photo for you but did some blurring as this is still only a prototype. First impressions are good but I'll leave it at that as this is something Imeo will show you when he's ready. I'll just say that you will like very much what he's come up with.

Imeo has done some incredible progress with Proteus and I think he's going to make our wait well worth it.

I'll let you know my impressions of the Iatty mini ESG version in a few days with some pictures as I only had the chance to briefly vape it just once at Vasilis's store.

All in all I had a great time with good friends, amazing food and beautiful Greek sunny beaches."

- CaptSteve

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Pic of the Month June 2014

For this months best picture I have chosen this one by ECF forum member steliosss. Part of the reason I picked this one was because it is an Esterigon that was released in June, I also love the combination of Esterigon and ESG iAtty.

Congrats to steliosss, a great picture and an awesome set-up. I'm sure there are plenty of GG fans who would love to own this pairing of GG newcomers.

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