Glass is a core part of the consumption experience, whether you're a seasoned smoker or a novice to the cannabis industry. Glass pipes come in a variety of sizes and styles, from little, portable pieces to enormous, outrageously complicated creative works, and everything in between. It is one of the greatest and most popular materials for smoking out of.
Why is glass the ideal substance to smoke out of? Which varieties of glass are ideal for you among the various ones available on the market today? Here is all the information you require regarding glass so that the next time you visit your neighborhood head shop, you will be a glass pipe expert.
Why glass pipes?
Glass is commonly used for smoking because it is a very clean product. To be more precise, all that truly happens when you heat a clean piece of glass is that it gets hotter. It doesn't start to vaporize or smoke, it doesn't release poisonous gases, and it doesn't give off smells or scents. Glass is therefore ideal for inhaling legal cannabis flower and concentrates.
Contrarily, pipes constructed of materials like metal, plastic, or wood frequently end up contaminating cannabis smoke in some way, whether by altering the flavor or aroma of the smoke or, worst of all, by releasing harmful gases into the smoke.
Glass has another benefit in addition to preserving the purity of cannabis smoke: style.
Glassblowers frequently combine color pigments to make eye-catching patterns, enhancing the smoking experience with a creative flair. High-end glass pipe artisans also create massive, intricate pipes in a bewildering variety of shapes, sizes, and designs.
Main styles of glass pipes
Bowls or spoons
Given their common usage and straightforward design, spoons are easily recognized. You pack your cannabis into the bowl on one end of the pipe. Smoke can pass from the spoon end of the pipe down into the pipe's body through a little hole in the bottom of the bowl. There is another tiny hole, known as a "carb," somewhere close to the bowl. By covering or exposing the carb with your finger, you may regulate the airflow inside the pipe. The body of the pipe then curves away from the bowl and carb and terminates at the mouthpiece, the third hole.
Bongs
The presence of a water chamber on bongs makes them different than dry pipes. Water cools the smoke as it passes through the chamber while also filtering out large particulates, resulting in smoother, cooler, and generally better-tasting smoke.
Bubblers
In essence, bubblers are a cross between a bowl and a small bong. They are identical to a spoon pipe in both form and function. Additionally, they have a tiny water chamber that cools and purifies the smoke. Many consumers find that bubblers provide more pleasurable smoke in the same way that a bong does, but in a smaller, more portable package.
Chillums
Glass chillums are essentially just a little glass cylinder that you can smoke from. The cylinder is filled with flower on one end, lit on fire, and the smoke is drawn through the other end.
Steamrollers
A steamroller is essentially a huge chillum with a carb for regulating airflow, a much larger glass cylinder, and occasionally a small depression for packing cannabis. The purpose is to enable you load up the pipe with a lot of smoke before clearing it all out at once for a potent hit of smoke.
Dab rigs
Bongs and dab rigs both commonly use the same water filtering system, but dab rigs have a variety of extra features and parts that are intended for vaporizing very strong cannabis concentrates at temperatures greater than those for smoking flower. For instance, a dab rig often uses a quartz nail or banger in place of a bowl. The concentrate is dabbed and filtered through water before consumption after the heated chamber reaches the desired temperature.
Scientific glass versus heady glass
The main goals of scientific glass are utility, accuracy, and reliability. The same applies to smoking implements manufactured of scientific glass. The glass used in these items is frequently thicker, they are frequently more heat-resistant, and there are rarely any stress fractures or other production flaws.
Scientific glass pipes are more concerned with performance than aesthetics. Because of this, they frequently lack a lot of color and decorations, and the designs are straightforward and minimal, more in keeping with what you might find in a research lab than a stoner's dorm room. Focusing on function has many benefits, including the fact that many scientific glass pipes have high-performance percolators that call for extremely precise fabrication.
The emphasis of heady glass is considerably more on aesthetics. Unique artisan pieces are frequently created by well-known artists with distinctive aesthetic tastes and a cult following of affluent glass collectors. As a result, smoking from these pieces can be a lot of fun, and many people like the idea that their pipe resembles a work of art rather than a bong.
Choosing the right glass pipe
There are a few factors you need to bear in mind when buying a new pipe.
Budget
If you are on a tight budget and just need a piece that can work, you might just want to go down to your local shop and see what they have on sale that you like. If your budget gives you more room to shop around, enjoy exploring all the different models of both production and heady glass. Don't be surprised how expensive some glass bongs can get.
Art vs Function
You can't go wrong with a scientific glass piece if you want dependably excellent, precise performance. You'll enjoy learning about the world of artisan glass if you value uniqueness, originality, and flare. Also keep in mind that function and style are not incompatible. Scientific glass is very aesthetically pleasing to many people who enjoy minimalist designs.
How are you looking to smoke?
Do you prefer to smoke from a chillum or a regular spoon? Are you curious about the bong or bubbler's cooler, softer, better-tasting smoke? Do you desire the powerful, heavy blows of a steamroller? By providing the information requested, you can focus on the glass smoking devices that best meet your needs.
