The bong information in the paraphernalia section needs more info!
Bong Features
Percolator - or perc for short is an additional chamber located in the tube f a bong. It is added so the smoke is filtered once again for a cleaner smoke. Some percolators contain diffusers and design varies by piece.
Ice Catcher - Also called an ice dagger an ice catcher simply catches the ice. It is an indentation found in the tube of a bong to hold the ice rather than allowing it to fall into the water of the bong.
Ash Catcher - similar to a perc but rather than being located in the main tube of the bong it is located between the bowl piece and the bong. Its purpose is another chamber that filtrates. It catches the majority of the ash and changing the water for an ash catcher can be easier than changing the water of a bong. Some ash catcher have a bowl built in, it is more common to have them separate.
Slide - a slide is a bowl piece that can slide in and out. It should be kept in while burning, and pulled out when clearing the bong. If you have a slide there is no need for a carb, if you have a carb there is no need for a slide.
Diffuser - As the name implies it diffuses, that is it spreads a fluid. Essentially its a piece of glass with many poked holes, the idea is if the smoke is more spread out the surface area of the smoke and water becomes greater leading to better filtration. Down stems can be diffused as well as percs.
Bowl Piece - the piece of the bong where the herb is kept. Flame is also applied to the herb while it is in this piece to create smoke. They come in many shapes, sizes, and variations.
Also bubblers could be broken into a separate section and there should be more information about their variations IE:
Bubblers
Chubbler - another style of the bubbler also called a "wizard's bottle" by some. A chubbler can refer to 1 of 2 designs. It can refer to a fatter inline bubbler because its a "chubby bubbler". It can also refer to a mix of a chillum and a bubbler.
Hammer Bubbler - a style of bubbler in which it is straight except for a droop under the bowl which holds the water. Due to the design they are always single chambered.
Sherlock Bubbler - a style of bubbler which resembles the classic sherlock holmes pipe. Similar to the hammer because the chamber holding the water is directly below the bowl, but it has a curve leading to where the user inhales. Sherlock bubblers can be single or multi-chambered.
Inline Bubbler - A different style of bubbler in which the bowl and mouth piece are connected by an inline tube. Often more artistic. Pictures explain it best.
Double Bubbler - (And or any other multi-chambered bubblers). These are like sherlocks but have multiple chambers for further water filtration. They give a smoother and cooler smoke at the price of drag.
Slide versus Carb When a bong or bubbler has a slide it generally does not have nor need a carb. When using a slide a user inserts the slide, fires the herb, then removes it once smoke it built in the chamber so they can clear the chamber. A carb is a hole that you cover when igniting and uncover during clearing. A slide is often easier for a newcomer to grasp, many new users ignite the herb without keeping the carb closed and waste smoke.
Piece Materials
Pyrex - glass specially designed to be resistant to heat.
Acrylic - a glass like plastic that is very difficult to break.
Heavy Wall - you can blow thick or thin glass. Heavy wall is heavier, thicker, and more durable. In general you always want a thicker stronger glass for your product in case they drop.
Marketing Schemes
Single blown versus double or triple blown - This is mainly a marketing ploy. A triple blown product can sound superior to a single blown product and a higher price can be demanded. These terms are used to try and explain how thick the glass is. You want thick glass, don't look for the words "single" "double" or "triple" blown when buying a product, instead look for the thickness.
"Color Changing Glass" - CCG for short is a bit of a misnomer. Your glass will never actually change colors, but it will appear to. The artist fumes silver and gold flakes that can hardly be seen when the pipe is brand new. As you use the pipe it gets dirty giving a background which then makes the fumed metals show up. If you can your pipe the color will become less apparent.
Hand Blown versus Factory - Hand blown pipes are generally thicker, sturdier, and purdier. Factory pipes are made quickly and in quantity. Factory is always cheaper but the glass may have ugly apparent seams and can be thin and more easily breakable. Hand blown is made by artists which make a higher quality product for a higher price.
Cleaning Tips Home Tips - many buy a bong cleaning product like 420 cleaner for home cleaning you can use salt and rubbing alcohol. It will do wonders and can clean pieces easily and best of all you dont have to buy a special expensive cleaner. When cleaning your piece make sure you don't use anything that leaves a residue (this is why salt and alcohol work so well).
It would be good to have as much info as possible jammed into that section so beginners don't post asking simple things like what the hell is an "ice catcher". The name is pretty obvious but pictures and explanation clear up any need to post.
Making A PurchaseThings to consider when buying a bong:
How smooth you want your smoke, how cool you want your smoke, and how much drag you can handle. Drag refers to how hard you have to suck to get the smoke into its final chamber (the one right before you inhale). The number of percs, diffusers, and ash catchers will all attribute to the drag. A simple bong with no added filtration features will have the least amount of drag, the hardest and hottest smoke. An ice dagger is a good way to cool your smoke without adding too much additional drag. Percs and ash catchers will make the smoke smoother and cooler at the price of drag. In general go for what you want, everything has ups and downs. Also some of these features might be out of your price range, added features are never cheaper.
Material you can buy a wooden, glass, or acrylic bong. Pyrex as discussed earlier is a type of glass. A wooden bong is very durable, varies in price, and generally lacks the special features a glass or acrylic bong has. Wooden bongs do not smoke the smoothest. Glass is easily to break, smokes the cleanest and has many features. Acrylic bongs are nearly unbreakable, smoke pretty smooth, and also have special features. Acrylic bongs are generally cheap and often look quite junky.
Price You don't want to spend too little, you dont want to spend too much. When spending a lot of money of a bong try too look at it instore, if not purchase from a rated retailer. A bong is a one time buy if you take care of it, so spending $100-$200 can be worth it if you are responsible.
Size Do you need a 22 footer? Can you keep a 22 footer and not break it? You don't want a bong to be small, bubblers are often preferred over "mini-bongs". I would recommend getting a bong atleast 12 inches and from there comes preference
Appearancenot only will bongs have art blown into them but you can also see craftsmanship. If your bong was made in a factory it will have ugly seams which are also weaknesses in the structure of the bong. You want a nice looking bong when you are dropping cash.
Maintenance the more complex the piece the more difficult the cleaning and filling. If you can't stand have to fill 3 percs every time you use your bong and having to clean 3 percs don't buy a 3 perc bong. Do not overlook how annoying some features can be to clean.
Thats it for now. Tell me what you think, this took awhile.
Threaded
Previous
Index
Next
Edit 
Reply 
j/k
