Glass Pipes
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Many smokers enjoy smoking out of glass pipes for a number of reasons. Glass pipes are aesthetically pleasing, leave no after-taste and they don't create fumes when heated over and over again. People like to see inside the chamber of a glass pipe when they smoke from one because you can see how much smoke you are getting, or if there is smoke left in the pipe.
There a many different types of glass pipes, and if you are not an old hand at buying or using glass pipes it may confuse you at first when you start looking at all the glass pipes that are available to buy. The four main categories of glass pipes are handpipes, bubblers, bongs and hookahs.
Prized for their beauty, each hand blown glass pipe is a unique piece in itself. No two hand blown pipes are the same. Many pipes have a carb. A carb is a hole in the pipe that allows you to clear the pipe of smoke.
There are two types of carbs, thumb carbs and finger carbs. Thumb carbs are holes that you plug with your finger or thumb, depending on which hand you are using the pipe in. If you are holding your flame in your right hand and the carb on the pipe is on the left side of the pipe it is a thumb carb. If the carb is on the top or right of the bowl, it is a finger carb.
Spoons are a type of handpipe that shaped like a spoon and has a bowl on the end, they usually also come with a carb. Spoons come in many sizes, from large spoons almost 6 inches long to tiny spoons that are 2 - 3 inches long. Spoons are a very common type of glass pipe, many people have one or even several.
Spoon styles vary depending on the technique used to make the spoon such as fuming and double or triple blown glass. Color changing glass is produced when the glass blower adds the vapors of burning gold, silver or other alloys such as cobalt to the glass as he makes the pipe in the process known as fuming. Some of the metal ions are left on the glass; they are very lightly colored during this process.
A color changing glass pipe changes color when the pipe resin and tar builds up as you smoke through it. Resin and tar is dark brown to black in color and this gives the metal ions in the glass a dark background. The pipe begins to change color as the color of the metal ions show through.
Double or triple blown glass just means that there are multiple layers of glass in the pipe. Sometimes the design work will be on the inside of the glass and sometimes it will be on the outside. Pipes with multiple layers are usually more durable and therefore are usually more expensive. These types of pipes can be color changing as well.
A bubbler is a smaller hand held version of a bong. If you can't have a large bong, or like small bongs a bubbler is probably just right for you. Bubblers can get dirty faster than a bong. When buying a bubbler, make sure the carb is big enough so you can clear the pipe of smoke.
You can get single, double or even triple bubblers. This means there is a single, double or triple chamber for the water respectively. Bubblers come in fantastic shapes and sizes. The larger the downtube on the bubbler, the larger the carb needs to be.
A good rule to follow is that as big around the downtube is in a bubbler, that's how big the carb should be or it will bubble when you smoke it and leave stale smoke. Make sure you can sit the bubbler down with water in it. Also make sure that the downtube is not touching the bottom of the pipe, and that it is long enough so that it will bubble correctly.
A bong is a large glass pipe that holds water in the lower chamber which cools the smoke when you use cold water in it. Ensure that the downtube in any bong you are considering purchasing isn't really thin or shaped funny.
Another important thing to know about waterpipes is that they will squeak if you have one that doesn't seal properly, and it will break if tipped over onto the downtube area if this area isn't reinforced. Make sure to check any bong that you are considering buying for a tight seal.
Ice catcher bongs have a special design that catches ice and suspends it over the water in the chamber. There are many different designs of this type of bong to choose from. Using crushed ice will normally work better at cooling smoke than big ice cubes in a smaller bong.
Glass on glass bongs are mostly made in labs with precision glass cutting instruments. Glass on glass bongs are all glass so there are no rubber parts that can squeak. These are not extremely durable pipes, if you knock a glass on glass bong over onto the downtube it will break as this is a fragile area.
Usually hookah's are collectors items, many of them are not practical to use unless you are smoking with other people. If you buy a hookah, make sure you have another pipe to smoke just by yourself. Hookah's require a lot of tube cleaning because their tubes clog easily. When you aren't using your hookah put it in a safe place so it won't get knocked over.
Some glass pipes aren't just a pipe, some are art and shaped into animal shapes. These types of pipes are not meant to be smoked out of a lot, they are mostly collectors items. Other collectors items are professional glass art, multiple chambered bongs and bubblers, attachments, or anything else that isn't a basic handpipe, bong, bubbler, or hookah.