The Differences Between Glass Smoking Pipes
Smoking accessories are dime a dozen nowadays. As we have progressed as humans, we have created many devices and accessories that help us smoke. There are smoking supplies made from multiple materials ranging from titanium, silicone, wood, metal, bones and much more. Different materials make for different efficiencies. Some will retain heat while others will disperse it properly.
For example, smoking out of a titanium pipe will radiate heat through out so it will end up getting hot quick. Although vaporizers are made from different materials like plastic, metal and others, they still use glass for the vapor pathway.
The Basics of Glass Pipes
Glass has always been one of the most used materials for smoking because of its properties. Although many people love to have multiple pipes, they usually revert back to glass. Not only is it easier to clean your smoking pipe but it definitely tastes better. This is why it has always been a connoisseurs pick. Choosing a hand pipe is easy but here is more on glass materials.
Advantages of Glass for Smoking
Some people want to smoke because of the taste their herbs produce. It gives a more unadulterated taste. Just like everything else, you will be faced with pros and cons. Use these to weigh the difference and see if it's worth it for you.
Pros
These are a lot of upsides of owning a glass pipe to smoke with.
Tastes Better
Being able to smoke from the same accessory without ruining the taste, you immediately realize what you've been missing. Silicone and metal can taint t he taste a bit from plastic tastes to metallic tastes. This can make a big difference.
Easier to Clean
Cleaning your smoking pipes is very important. Most people seem to not care about it but it saves money and herbs. It saves money because most people buy a new pipe rather than cleaning it. It also helps to clean because herbs don't burn so well when the air path has been cut off. Residue can build up in creases and smoke paths and this narrows how much smoke can enter through. Once you see the color changing, you will notice the residue building up.
Keeps Smoke Cooler
Glass doesn't expand as much as metal does so you can simply stuff your glass pipe in the freezer. You can even put ice in your water chamber of your bong. You won't see much expansion or compression from the extreme temperature changes. Making it much cooler will help your smoke cool down too.
Intricate Designs
One of the nice parts of owning a glass pipe is the intricate designs you can make. Glass blowers take really big appreciation in seeing others appreciate their art. There are glass rifles, boats, and much more different designs. These will obviously take the price up really high but they look so sweet!
Less Clogging
Glass is really good at not clogging up as much as other materials. Clogging is a big deal you want to avoid because there will be less smoke passing through which loses efficiency.
Cons
With everything else, there is the good and the bad. We went over the good, lets see the bad.
Easy to Break
It isn't the most sturdy material. Glass smoking pipes can break pretty easily but it depends on the exact material. Quartz can shatter much easier than a double sided glass. Double sided is going to be thicker because just like the name says, it is double covered. As long as you're careful and you don't drop it, you should be fine. Even when double glass bongs are dropped from your waist can bounce on impact, rather than break.
Types of Glass Smoking Pipes
One Hitter - Chillums
If you ever thought about taking one hit and putting it all away because your herbs get to you quickly, the one-hitter is your new friend. One hitters, also called a bar or onesies, is a small pipe that is usually straight and small. Most of them are cig-a-likes which mean they look like small cigarettes. often times, they come with a wooden container called a dug out. You just open the top and slide your pipe in or out. One-hitters are one of the most discreet ways of smoking.
Chillums are a bit bigger than a one hitter. The major difference is that a chillum will generally have a smaller opening for the mouthpiece and a bigger opening to pack your herbs. Similar to the bat, it doesn't have a carb however they are super easy to clean.
Spoons
A spoon glass hand pipe is named well to its theme, they are the most popular types of smoking accessories. They resemble a spoon because the bowl has an indentation like a spoon. It is also located and the top edge of the pipe. Spoon pipes generally come with a carb on the side of the bowl. This lets you control the airflow through the stem. Controlling the airflow is going to give you bigger hits and let you control how much air is coming in.
Sherlock Pipes
Sherlock pipes or Gandalf style pipes are just like you think they are. if you have seen Sherlock Holmes, you know what this is. It is like a grandpa style. Even though most of them are made from wood, a few decor pieces are made from glass.
Nectar Collectors
Nectar collectors are specifically to be used with wax concentrates just like oil rigs are. Simply use a torch to heat up the titanium or quartz nail it has. Once heated, dip it into your concentrates and inhale.
Steamrollers
Steamrollers are one of the most efficient ways to smoke because of the intense rush of smoke it gives. The bowl is on the top of the circle and both ends of the steamroller are wide open. You put your mouth on one end and you use your hand to close the other end. Light the bowl from the top of the circle steamroller and inhale. While you're smoking, release your hand from the end to expose the hole. A rush of air will come in and mix with your smoke. This will give you a quick intense smoke.
Glass Blunt Cigar Tube
Similar to a chillum but much bigger, these glass cigar tubes are used for people who like to roll and smoke but want to be health conscious. Instead of using cigar wraps to roll up, you just pack it into a tube. They usually come with extendable mouthpieces that you pull back to load. You push it out as you smoke to dump the ash out.
Bongs
A bong is a water pipe that most people are familiar with. They are either very simple with a straight tube chamber or have an intricate complex design that includes multiple percolators. Bongs can be the priciest glass pipe but they are definitely worth it.
Bubblers
Think of a bubbler as a mini water pipe bong. It has a stem, a chamber, and a bottom base. The bottom base is circular and flat which helps it stand up on its own. It is much smaller than a bong is but uses a water filtration system just like a bong. You will notice a huge difference in smokes heat.
Dab Rigs
Dab rigs are one of the newer types of glass pipes and they are used to specifically smoke concentrates. They are used with nails or bangers which also come in quartz glass. Dab rigs often come in elaborate designs that look really cool but make it more fragile. They usually have a percolator, chamber, tube and stem.
Tips for Best Practices
- Clear the smoke from the chamber. Smoke can turn stale real quick which will taste harsh. Smaller pipes can help you enjoy fresh smoke.
- If you do want cooler smoke and you can handle it, go for a larger smoking pipe. The longer the chamber, the cooler your smoke will be. Water pipes will be the coolest because of the water filtration.
- Consistently clean your pipes to make sure you're getting the best possible hit.
How to Maintain Your Glass Smoking Pipes
Learning how to maintain your smoking accessories is going to last you much longer. Cleaning is regularly is going to help you with this. Don't let it sit for a while without being cleaned. It will only get harder to scrub the residue off.
Cleaning
Cleaning is one of the most important things you can do to make sure you don't lose your pipes efficiency. The best way to clean is to use pipe cleaning formulas. Many people like to use isopropyl alcohol with a mixture of salt. Even though that can work, nothing is as quick and efficient as specific cleaners.
Simply close off all the open ends, pour the formula in it and shake it up for a couple of minutes. Open the open endings and dump it out. Rinse it through with warm water and you're ready to smoke!