The Muad-Dib one-hitter for concentrates takes a decidedly different approach to portable vaporizers. (Ben Livingston, The Cannabist)

Steampunk dabber Muad-Dib gorgeously functional (review)

The fictional Muad’Dib (pronounced mah-deeb) desert mouse from Dune is revered by the Fremen of Arrakis for its ability to survive the inhospitable planet.

“Muad’Dib is wise in the ways of the desert. Muad’Dib creates his own water. Muad’Dib hides from the sun and travels in the cool night. Muad’Dib is fruitful and multiplies over the land.”

The allegorical tale teaches many lessons, like how individual superhero syndrome and collective hero worship periodically inflict human society with harmful “messianic convulsions.” Or how power is distinct from physical size and form: Dune’s venerated sand rat sourced power from its diminutive stature, adaptability and conservation of energy.

Portable adds oil tech, steampunk monocle

Named after that modest little mouse, the Muad-Dib Concentrate Box is a portable, battery-powered hash oil one-hitter. Created by Magic-Flight, the unit builds on the popular Magic-Flight Launch Box, with screens designed for hash oil and a few other tweaks. It is remarkably simple, semi-low tech and visually stunning.

While most vaporizer bodies utilize polycarbonate or some other thermoplastic, the Muad-Dib is a small chunk of wood with some heating rods stuck inside. The body measures 2.5 x 1.3 x 1 inches with a 1.1-inch hole drilled part way into it. That brass-lined hole contains two parallel bars onto which a purpose-built screen attaches. When a battery is engaged, those bars heat the screen and vape cannabis concentrates.


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The resourceful Muad-Dib runs on one AA rechargeable NiMH battery — abundant in the wild — which will power dozens of dabs before needing to swap. A brass-tipped silicone whip allows for inhalation, and a precision-cut brass faceplate holds a glass monocle that visually magnifies the dab. One end of a U-shaped brass rod hinges that cover to the wood body and the other end locks into one of four holes carved into the faceplate.

The thin brass cover is quite fetching, and every time it moves, the brass rod scrapes a curved line into it. The first time is conflicting, almost painful, like seeing a new paint job get keyed. But that intentional, constant destruction — or creation, depending on one’s view — adds to the charm.

The unit ships in a lovely padded tin that includes two rechargeable AA NiMH batteries, a battery charger, an extra screen, a screen-swapping tool and a cleaning brush.

Functional, resourceful and a bit hot

To operate the Muad-Dib, open the brass cover — scrape! — and load a tiny drop of hash oil onto the screen. A ball-bearing 2 millimeters in diameter holds the faceplate in the closed position, and also represents the pinhead-sized dab that goes on the screen. Push the battery in for half a second and the glob of oil will soak into the screen. Close the cover — scrape! — attach the whip, push in the battery and inhale. In 5-10 seconds, the dab will be done.

The Muad-Dib works well for single hash oil hits, but straight-from-the-whip vapor is too hot for regular unfiltered use. I plugged the whip into the bowl of my glass bubbler, which considerably cooled the inhalation. The lightweight wood body felt natural in my non-bubbler hand. Combined with a water pipe (or Magic-Flight’s pint glass bong converter) it’s great for semi-regular oil hits.

For portable use, the Muad-Dib scores with its meager weight, sturdy materials, minimal mess, simple functionality and use of ubiquitous AA batteries. It’s less discreet than a vape pen, but the ability to carry a shit-ton of batteries makes it great for hiking, camping and other off-grid activities.

Muad-Dib a thing of beauty

That it looks so remarkable is a bonus. Function over form, I say, but knowing it performs well, I love the hand-crafted eye candy that is the Muad-Dib Concentrate Box. Everything about it is beautiful: the brass components, the magnifying glass monocle, the wood base, the printing on the back, the curved scrape worn in the faceplate. Someone even peeled the stickers off the included rechargeable batteries and, despite my confusion over that, I think it looks cool.

Not everybody needs a steampunk single hitter, but many people certainly do. Beyond the gorgeous craftsmanship, tokin’ travelers and home hash oilers will appreciate the Muad-Dib’s small size, light weight, quickness and resourceful consumption of common batteries. Like its murine namesake, the Muad-Dib can definitely withstand the deserts that lie outside your door.

The Muad-Dib Concentrate Box is a powerful base on which to build your life and retails for $129 from Magic-Flight or $169 from Vape World, who kindly provided a review unit.

Muad dib concentrates one-hitter with bubbler
When our reviewer hooked up the Muad-Dib whip to a bubbler, it cooled the vapor considerably. (Ben Livingston, The Cannabist)