If you have been smoking tobacco or any other product for a while, you must have visited a store several times when your tobacco ran out of supply or you needed to buy a smoking item. The main store where you get your tobacco, flower, or other related products and equipment is called a head shop. They are retail outlets or traditional brick-and-mortar stores that you can identify from outside because of their colorful designs and setup. However, apart from offline head shops, you will also come across online head shops that specialize in all types of smoking equipment, including glass pipes. These enjoy a lot of popularity among smokers because of the wide range of products on offer, high-quality assurance, convenience, and the option of returning items if they are found unsatisfactory, and that’s just some of the benefits they have. However, since glass pipes are one of the primary smoking devices, what are some of them you can find in online head shops? Read on to find out.
Why Should You Shop Online and How?
An online head shop provides you with all the smoking devices such as glass pipes, bongs, and bubblers with convenience at your doorstep. Unlike a traditional head shop, you can choose from a wide variety of equipment at significantly lower costs. Even if you don’t find something you are looking for, you can place a particular order at the store. You will also find plenty of attractive discounts and sales in online head shops from time to time. People also prefer buying from online shops because the entire process is quite discreet. The company carefully packs the package you receive without letting others know what’s in it. Once you visit an online store’s website, select the product you want, add it to your card, provide a shipping address, complete your payment, and wait for the company to deliver it. The entire process is as straightforward as you might expect.
What Are Glass Pipes?
Glass pipes are one of the most common items you can find in most online head shops because they are easy to carry, functional, and provide an enjoyable smoking experience. Unlike the wooden pipes, they don’t affect the product’s flavor and withstand high temperatures without incurring any damage. You must try now if you haven’t used those made from glass before.
Some Advantages of Glass Pipes
As mentioned above, glass pipes have a lot of advantages. Since companies make them from borosilicate glass which contains boron trioxide, these pipes can handle tobacco, herb, or any other product of your choice without affecting their taste. Before buying them, you must always check if the glass used to manufacture them is of scientific lab quality. Their small size makes them portable, and you can carry them anywhere without attracting other peoples’ attention, including on a trip or a holiday. You can quickly clean the glass pipes, as all you require is a Ziploc bag, isopropyl alcohol, and salt.
Types of Glass Pipes
You will find different types of glass pipes available in online head shops, but it is helpful to have an idea about some of them before you purchase one.
Spoon Pipes
Spoon pipes are the most common glass smoking pipes you will find in an online head shop. They are also called hand or dry pipes and resemble a spoon by their appearance. The body of a spoon pipe consists of four parts: mouthpiece, body, bowl, and a carb. You pack your tobacco, herb, or a product of your choice inside the bowl, while the carb lets you control the volume of air entering the device. The smoke collects and builds up inside the body, while the mouthpiece allows you to inhale the smoke. Manufacturers use borosilicate glass and silicone to make these pipes. Silicone is a plastic-like substance that does not break easily and is ideal for rough use.
Sherlock Pipes
Does the personality of Sherlock Holmes fascinate you in every way, including the pipe that he carries with him everywhere? Sherlock pipes get their name after the famous fictional character who enjoys his pipe as much as he does solve his cases. Some people also call them Gandalf pipes, after the fictional character in the series called Lord of the Rings. Even though they contain the same body parts as spoon pipes and have a similar working mechanism, the difference lies in the arched stem that curves upwards. The degree of the curve varies from one pipe to another, and it also influences the smoke’s flavor. You will receive a cool smoke if the arch is stronger or more defined. Some Sherlock pipes also feature a flat base, enabling you to place them on a surface without worrying about them falling.
Color Changing Pipes
When glass pipes change color, they are known as color-changing pipes. They get their color-changing ability from a unique method used during manufacturing. However, you must be aware that though many people believe the product changes color, the reflection of light causes the change. During the manufacturing process, these pipes undergo fuming with a thin layer of precious metal, usually gold or silver. Once you light the device, the resin inside starts building up, preventing the light from escaping the fumed metal, thus making it seem as if the pipe was changing color. But regardless of whether it’s an illusion or not, there’s no doubt that you will enjoy having these in your collection.
Chillums
Chillums are perhaps the oldest of all smoking pipes, and you will indeed find them in online head shops. If you are just new to pipe smoking, you might go easy on them the first time as they provide a substantial hit. People smoked chillums in ancient times, making them from wood, animal horns, stone, and clay. Unlike other glass pipes, chillums do not have a carb hole through which you can control the air. They are cylindrical devices, consisting of a bowl and a mouthpiece on the other. A chillum, even those made from glass, also gets hot very fast, so that is something you should consider beforehand.
Theme Pipe
These pipes could be your favorite animal, geometrical shape, flower, cartoon character, food, or anything you prefer. They are fun and work well as a gift for your loved ones on their birthdays. Themed pipes have the same body parts, shape, and functioning as spoon pipes but differ only because of their design.
You will find glass smoking pipes such as these in good online head shops. If you are a pipe enthusiast, you must have at least some of these, particularly if you have never smoked from a glass pipe.
