Shafen Vape Unboxing and Review

Last week, I received a new product sent by Huoqi—SAVINELLI from Shafen. This is the first product launched since Huoqi announced the acquisition of the century-old Italian pipe brand Shafen's e-cigarette business on July 31. A friend from Huoqi told me that when the prototype was showcased at the Shenzhen exhibition on August 23, there were many onlookers. However, it was only a display at that time, and many details were optimized before mass production began. According to my friend, SAVINELLI signed 15 municipal agents in just four days last week and is currently sold out. This makes me even more curious about what makes Huoqi's Shafen different?
 
Brand Information

Huoqi is an e-cigarette brand under the Hong Kong-listed company Borton. In 2015, Borton Group acquired all shares of the then second-largest e-cigarette manufacturer in the world for 750 million RMB, officially entering the e-cigarette business. A year later, Borton launched its own e-cigarette brand—Huoqi. It can be said that Huoqi was born with a golden key. With the research and development advantages of Borton and Jirui, Huoqi has developed many products, including ECS replaceable pod system, GS5.0 heat-not-burn device, disposable e-cigarettes like Xiao Latiao, and Huoqi ammo. SAVINELLI is the first product launched by Huoqi since acquiring Shafen.
 
Product Specifications

Below are the product data for SAVINELLI provided by Huoqi:
 
Packaging
 



The packaging box of SAVINELLI features a top and bottom cover design, with the instruction manual on top. Underneath the manual, in the middle, is the Shafen logo, surrounded by two tobacco sticks, the main device, and a charging cable.
 

The SAVINELLI tobacco sticks are individually packaged, each sealed in a capsule, with two silicone plugs on both ends and the flavor printed on one side.

Trial Experience

The SAVINELLI body is made of zinc alloy, giving it a substantial feel, almost twice the weight of other small e-cigarettes. The surface of the body features a black tactile paint process, enhancing the texture while feeling soft and comfortable in hand. When viewed closely under light, the surface of SAVINELLI is not pure black; it reveals a starry effect from the black paint, which is not glaring, giving a low-key luxurious high-end feel. The front of the body is printed with the golden SAVINELLI logo, while the back features the unique green, white, and red stripes of the Italian flag.
 

The bottom of the body has a Type-C charging port, one side has the tobacco stick insertion port, and the other side has three LED indicator lights. The breathing light is on during operation; when not in use, the breathing light is off, and the three battery level lights indicate the current battery level; when all three white lights are on, the battery level is 70%-100%; when two white lights are on, the battery level is 20%-70%; when the red light is on, the battery level is 0%-20%; during charging, the battery lights run in a sequence, and when fully charged, all lights are on. Next to the indicator lights is a lanyard buckle, indicating that SAVINELLI is different from the previous ammo, with a more trendy and fashionable meaning. #p#分页标题#e#
 

After a few days of trial, SAVINELLI has the following improvements and features.

First, the capacity of the SAVINELLI tobacco stick is 1.9ml, which is a suitable size among current small e-cigarette tobacco sticks. As I mentioned in my previous trial of MOTI·C, the capacity of the tobacco stick is not necessarily better when larger; first, because a larger capacity requires higher leakage control; second, the atomization core has an optimal lifespan, and a larger capacity may affect the taste later on. However, increasing the tobacco stick capacity can significantly reduce usage costs, making it one of the most effective ways for brands to enhance their products' cost-performance in consumers' minds. Therefore, balancing capacity with the aforementioned two drawbacks is a challenge every e-cigarette manufacturer must consider. Around 2ml may be the most suitable capacity that can achieve both no leakage and good taste under current technical conditions.
 
Second, the atomization effect of SAVINELLI is excellent, with vapor production significantly larger than that of similar small e-cigarettes, and the restoration of e-liquid flavor is very full. I asked a friend from Huoqi, and they said that SAVINELLI first adopted horizontal ceramic core technology, which increases the total heating surface area of the e-liquid, resulting in more thorough atomization. During the more than a week of testing, I did not find any condensate residue despite the large vapor production.

Third, the capacity of SAVINELLI is 650ml, which is almost a 50% increase over traditional small e-cigarettes' battery capacity. Even under heavy testing, it can still last two days on a single charge, making it more convenient for users with fewer charging cycles.
 
The SAVINELLI tobacco sticks support reverse insertion, and the mouthpiece has a noticeable narrowing treatment, making it very comfortable against the lips. The initial launch includes eight flavors: Shafen Green Bean, Shafen Watermelon, Shafen Green Peach, Italian Ice Cream, Shafen Strawberry, Milan Mint Leaf, Roman Gold Silk, and Turin Fruit Tea. The SAVINELLI kit comes with the Milan Mint Leaf and Shafen Green Bean flavors. Both of these have a nicotine content of 3.5%, and from my trial, the restoration and satisfaction levels are excellent.

The Milan Mint Leaf has a deep cooling sensation, very refreshing. The Shafen Green Bean is not overly sweet, with a slightly sweet green bean paste flavor. Huoqi's e-liquid flavors are quite popular in the industry, likely due to the backing of Borton, which provides an advantage in flavoring.
 
Summary

SAVINELLI has abandoned the mainstream long rod shape of small e-cigarettes and adopted a square design similar to a lighter, continuing the unique tone of Shafen. The overall shape is compact yet elegant, giving a trendy and high-end visual impression. In terms of atomization effect, the innovative horizontal ceramic core technology with a constant pressure of 6.5w helps SAVINELLI provide a better experience for users. In my opinion, this product is not only suitable for new small e-cigarette users but also a small e-cigarette product that fits traditional large vapor users.

The emergence of SAVINELLI makes me more certain that there is a trend of product fusion between large vapor and small vapor e-cigarettes. Just like I previously mentioned in my summary of the four new changes in the e-cigarette industry—will the future of e-cigarettes in China remain solely small vapor products, or will there be significant development space for large vapor as users mature? This is a strategic question that any e-cigarette brand hoping to have a place in China must consider.

SAVINELLI is a possibility.