The Benefits of using a Hand Crank Herb Grinder
What is a Hand Crank Herb Grinder?
Grinders are well-known for being one of the best purchases a smoker or vaper can make outside of their actual vape pen or bowl, bong, etc. No matter how dry or sticky, a good grinder will eventually make short work of any kind of dry herb. However, in order to get the best grinding experience, it may be of some use to look into the tremendous benefits of a hand crank grinder. Rather than relying on the twisting action of the two separate top and bottom pieces of the grinder, a hand crank grinder will provide a stronger grinding action with the twisting of a hand crank located on the top of the grinder. This is especially useful for larger nuggets of dry herb or the stickier, harder to grind pieces. A hand crank is also generally useful for anyone that struggles with the motions necessary to properly grind herb in a traditional grinder. All told, a hand crank grinder provides a substantial benefit over a traditional grinder for a number of reasons specifically listed below:
Hand Crank Grinder Benefits
Makes Grinding easier
First and foremost is the fact that a hand crank grinder makes grinding herb significantly easier. There is no need to worry about finger strength or physical hand strength anymore as one of the most basic and useful tools known to man makes short work of the herb inside. Leveraging the power of science is probably one of the best ways to begin your smoke sesh.
Easier on the Hands
Certainly, a major ‘plus’ when considering whether to purchase a hand crank or traditional. With a hand crank, one only needs to operate the crank in order to begin grinding the herb. There is no need to use the entire grinder or worry about if it will get stuck twisting and turning. Not to mention, in colder weather when holding the grinder can be more miserable than usual this is certainly a major benefit.
Top Choice for those with Arthritis
Going along with the significantly reduced workload on the hands, this type of grinder is a top choice for smokers with arthritis or other painful, debilitating ailments. Particularly for medical applications, a hand crank grinder significantly lessens the workload on someone’s already strained hands. The crank is just the right size to be able to grip with ease and provide a level of relief and comfort on the way to relaxation.
Clear Top to Evaluate Progress
Another fantastic feature is the clear top of this grinder. Nothing is worse than having to continuously open the grinder to evaluate just how much more grinding is actually necessary. With a clear top, this hand crank grinder is much more user friendly and one can tell that some thought has gone into the design in order to maximize user enjoyment. While not the most terrible thing in the world, the tedious nature of grinding herb can often times overshadow the usefulness of a grinder. A hand crank grinder with a clear top removes a lot of that tedious, repetitive nature that makes owning a grinder a bit of a pain.
Herb Storage
There is storage space to keep one’s herb safe and sound. While this should come as a bit of a given, never underestimate the usefulness of storage nor its capacity. Remember that there is never going to be a 2-piece hand crank grinder because it is not necessary. The separate pieces only exist in order to create the grinding motion in a traditional grinder. Here, there is no need for that separation anymore. This gives the hand crank grinder a bit more piece of mind that when herb is stored inside it won’t accidentally spill everywhere or cause a tremendous mess.
Kief Catcher
A kief catcher, for those unaware, is used to collect the particulate dust, ‘kief’, that comes off the dry herb particularly during the grinding process. Kief is a powerful by-product of the grinding process that individuals often place atop their bowls, pipes, bongs, etc. As such, the hand crank grinder has a special storage space for the kief that makes keeping up with it all the easier. While this is not a unique feature to this grinder, it should be noted as not all grinders come with this feature (although many do).
Sharp Blades
Sharp blades, more than anything, are a necessity in a grinder. Even with a hand crank, having unsharpened blades makes the process a lot more difficult. With a sharp blade and a hand crank, this grinder will tear through even the hardest dry herb.
Sharpstone Hand Crank Grinder
This is one of the most popular hand-crank grinders on the market. Sharpstone is known to have quality blades and product materials that won’t leave anyone disappointed a few short weeks after purchase. Certainly a safe choice as far as brand reputation and quality.
Tips for using a Hand Crank Grinder
Using a hand crank grinder provides all the advantages listed above. However, remember these tips to keep your grinder working in tip-top shape:
- Do Not Overturn the Handle – Make sure not to abuse the grinder’s handle. While these handles are certainly strong and can take some punishment, make sure not to overwork them. This isn’t commercial machinery.
- No Giant Pieces of Herb – This is a general rule of thumb but certainly more important here: don’t overstuff the grinder with too large of a piece of dry herb. This is because in a traditional 2-piece the only thing hurting are someone’s hands, here the handle can break of malfunction.
- Beware of Herb Density – Same issue as above except instead of size it is the herb density that is the issue.
- Reposition the Herbs – Almost all jams can be avoided or stopped with proper herb placement or repositioning. If the handle doesn’t seem to want to budge and the grinder is having problems doing its job, make sure to open the top and give a few of the larger, denser pieces a twist.
Where to Buy a Hand Crank Grinder
Hand crank grinders are not exceedingly rare to find and there should at least be one or two options in almost any smoke shop. There are tons of varieties that can be found all over the internet. Don’t forget to check out vapevetstore.com for the wide selection of hand crank (and other) grinders and remember that all orders shipped inside the USA are 100% FREE!
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