Cheap High Quality Bubbler

photobooth said:

Hey cheap bubbler pals, has anyone posted a review of the 18mm cake bubbler with the small matrix perc?
Also does anyone have the link to that bubbler?

Click to expand...

I'm using Steven's cake with a Crafty and think it's a great combo. They're even pretty much the same size. I'd highly recommend picking up a SonG from @Ratchett to go with it. Also worth noting that my W9 concentrate pen and even my Solo with a tipped Air stem work great with this bubbler and SonG.

I ordered a quartz banger and a quartz honey bucket from CFAB on Monday. Looking forward to being able to experiment with dabs at home on this versatile little bubbler.

I got that same $15 off $100 coupon and just paid my insanely high credit card bill off today. Ugggh. What to do.

@photobooth http://www.dhgate.com/product/2015-...-bongs-thick/236437216.html#palceorder-1-null

Was looking to put something in the cart...and I came up on it and just remember someone was asking about it ! Going through steven listing would show you.

@Sasquatch_Jr How is the distance from mouth to bowl ? I may intent to use it wit the Lotus. Even though it might seems dangerous, I could still use the Lotus anyway But if it's fine without "mod" it will be difficult to resist.

Sasquatch_Jr said:

I'm using Steven's cake with a Crafty and think it's a great combo. They're even pretty much the same size. I'd highly recommend picking up a SonG from @Ratchett to go with it. Also worth noting that my W9 concentrate pen and even my Solo with a tipped Air stem work great with this bubbler and SonG.

I ordered a quartz banger and a quartz honey bucket from CFAB on Monday. Looking forward to being able to experiment with dabs at home on this versatile little bubbler.

Click to expand...

Good news. CFAB was kind enough to send me the updated banger because my first one came with a tiny chip at the top and let them know it won't affect function. They send me this:



The one on the right is updated, with a higher stand setup. Fits perfectly so my coils are aligned with the bottom of the cup. I use the 20mm. Didn't mean to get off topic.

Made my order for more Stevenlmz79 glass. Went with UFO and FC-186 to go along with my mini pillar, all 3 for around $135, score! Damn GAS snuck up on me with the quickness!

SSVUN~YAH said:

Made my order for more Stevenlmz79 glass. Went with UFO and FC-186 to go along with my mini pillar, all 3 for around $135, score! Damn GAS snuck up on me with the quickness!

Click to expand...

The FC 186 is a good one!

The FC 187 I'm sending in to get the mouthpiece cut off and add a male adapter to make a giant Ash collector!

photobooth said:

Hey cheap bubbler pals, has anyone posted a review of the 18mm cake bubbler with the small matrix perc?
Also does anyone have the link to that bubbler?

Click to expand...

Use "FC-Cake" as a search term here and on DHGate and you should find what you're looking for.

Bvapst said:

@photobooth
@Sasquatch_Jr How is the distance from mouth to bowl ? I may intent to use it wit the Lotus. Even though it might seems dangerous, I could still use the Lotus anyway But if it's fine without "mod" it will be difficult to resist.

Click to expand...

The mouthpiece is quite long, longer than the cake is tall. I'm planning to at least try to use a quartz banger directly in the 18mm joint on top. I'm fairly certain as long as I point the hot part away from me I won't have any issues. I don't know how large the lotus is or if the hot part can be angled in a way that you don't get a nasty burn.

mixchu69 said:

Good news. CFAB was kind enough to send me the updated banger because my first one came with a tiny chip at the top and let them know it won't affect function. They send me this:



The one on the right is updated, with a higher stand setup. Fits perfectly so my coils are aligned with the bottom of the cup. I use the 20mm. Didn't mean to get off topic.

Click to expand...

Good to hear that the bangers are taller. I was a bit concerned that I would need a drop down or an adapter to lift up the banger to prevent it from hitting the top of the cake. Based on your photo above I don't think that will an issue.

vaplen said:

@Frederick McGuire is that the fc-711 or the fc1000? Haven't heard anything about the fc1000

Click to expand...

as @NickDlow said, it's the fc-1000

It is the matrix pillar, with bubbler style mouthpiece, 18mm female inlet
There's also the fc-707 - which is exactly the same except for a bent neck tube style mouthpiece.

The fc-711 is the mini pillar.
It has a different perc - a little egg shaped showerhead
Different pillars - only 4 vs the matrix pillars 8
Much smaller volume
14mm female inlet
different mouthpiece - direct knockoff of the sovereignty original

My
The matrix pillar is more of a flowers unit... There's no reason you couldn't take some fat dabs through it, but it's large volume isn't the best for oils generally
I am seriously loving it after using it with the solo and LSV - It's actually a serious contender for my favourite bong I own

The mini pillar is much more of an oils unit, more noticeable drag ime...
It's a really nice little rig, and it's certainly cool if you're looking for a relatively high diffusion dabbing rig, but I personally wouldn't consider it a must-have...

vaplen said:

Thanks Nick. Is it just me or are his pieces getting more expensive? Maybe its because Im comparing the fc1000 to the fc711

Click to expand...

The fc-1000 is MASSIVE compared to the fc-711.

Just on materials and shipping alone it would have to cost more...
sure, some china pieces are getting more expensive, but that because we are asking for (and getting) much more complicated and intricate pieces...

Consider it relative to equivalent american made pieces...

So a legit Mobius Ion goes for about $330.
A FC/GB 187 is gonna go for $35-45
Approximate price range ~ 10%-15%

A legit sovereignty Peyote Pillar is like $1,200 - $1,500
The matrix pillar was $70
So that honestly closer to ~5%, but I'm happy to still call that ~10%

Even Steven's Stereo Matrix
Legit mobius version $420-$480
stevens version - $63
so ~15%
still reasonable in my books.

Been Vapin said:

This is pretty much the FC 711, but $710.00?

http://aqualabtechnologies.com/scie...s/sovereignty-mini-peyote-to-pillar-perc.html

Click to expand...

That is the REAL sovereignty mini pillar.
The fc-711 is a direct knockoff of that design.
So yep, they're pretty similar

NickDlow said:

Shady

Click to expand...

What's shady?
Overpriced maybe, but shady? no

Sovereignty put in the time and $$ for R&D on pillars (AFAIK the whole pillar concept is a sovereignty creation, but I'd be happy to be schooled on glass history if that isn't the case).

Sovereignty are known for great QC

They could charge the GDP of nicaragua and it still wouldn't be shady...

Shady would be selling a fc-711 by claiming it was ACTUALLY a sovereignty

EverythingsHazy said:

Yea, there is absolutely NO reason that a peyote pillar should cost over $300 if it can be made so well for $70. Double that, and add some more quality control, and it would still be worth it, but over $300, let alone $700-1200 is absolute insanity.

Click to expand...

I daresay quality american labour is a shit tonne more than 2x china labour...

I'm not denying that a lot of sovereignty/name brand stuff is expensive.
I fully acknowledge that they might be able to lower their margins and maintain profitability.

But I don't begrudge anyone for their prices...
A bunch of people seem to have some deep seated hatred for some fundamentals of economics...
(not trying to call you out specifically EH, just following the discussion )

dr demise said:

I've got a D020 which I use with my Nano and Lotus. Looking to add a new piece of glass from dhgate, but a lot of the ones I like have those 14mm male joints?

Do they come with an adapter or something? As I can't seem to find a double ended female joint.

Click to expand...

You can find adapters on dhgate, Oregonglassblower can make some nice quality adapters if you're willing to spend a bit more (basically OGB will charge you what an adapter should cost, and DHgate will gove you 5 adapter for that price, but you've gotta buy 5 )
Otherwise just ask the seller if they can switch out the included glass bowl/nail etc for an 14female-whatever-joint-size-you-need adapter.
They might charge you an extra couple of $$, or they might throw it in

John Lewus said:

I got that same $15 off $100 coupon and just paid my insanely high credit card bill off today. Ugggh. What to do.

Click to expand...

Just as I thought I was all done with DHgate for the time being, they send out that coupon
Now I've gotta find something to add to the fc-cake to get me to the $100

Here's a pic of my MSTorusKO from stevenlmz, I know it's gotten mixed reviews here but I really love mine, for me it functions great with some of the best vortex I've seen, which is exactly what I had been holding out for. No regrets at all. I think it's really well made and designed. Not the first time I've been in the minority, I'm just a freak. But it's just a tool, the sweet tea is the real hero.

This is it between my D022 and D020-D for scale. Pardon my filthy claisen.

Frederick McGuire said:

as @NickDlow said, it's the fc-1000

It is the matrix pillar, with bubbler style mouthpiece, 18mm female inlet
There's also the fc-707 - which is exactly the same except for a bent neck tube style mouthpiece.

The fc-711 is the mini pillar.
It has a different perc - a little egg shaped showerhead
Different pillars - only 4 vs the matrix pillars 8
Much smaller volume
14mm female inlet
different mouthpiece - direct knockoff of the sovereignty original

My
The matrix pillar is more of a flowers unit... There's no reason you couldn't take some fat dabs through it, but it's large volume isn't the best for oils generally
I am seriously loving it after using it with the solo and LSV - It's actually a serious contender for my favourite bong I own

The mini pillar is much more of an oils unit, more noticeable drag ime...
It's a really nice little rig, and it's certainly cool if you're looking for a relatively high diffusion dabbing rig, but I personally wouldn't consider it a must-have...


The fc-1000 is MASSIVE compared to the fc-711.

Just on materials and shipping alone it would have to cost more...
sure, some china pieces are getting more expensive, but that because we are asking for (and getting) much more complicated and intricate pieces...

Consider it relative to equivalent american made pieces...

So a legit Mobius Ion goes for about $330.
A FC/GB 187 is gonna go for $35-45
Approximate price range ~ 10%-15%

A legit sovereignty Peyote Pillar is like $1,200 - $1,500
The matrix pillar was $70
So that honestly closer to ~5%, but I'm happy to still call that ~10%

Even Steven's Stereo Matrix
Legit mobius version $420-$480
stevens version - $63
so ~15%
still reasonable in my books.



That is the REAL sovereignty mini pillar.
The fc-711 is a direct knockoff of that design.
So yep, they're pretty similar


What's shady?
Overpriced maybe, but shady? no

Sovereignty put in the time and $$ for R&D on pillars (AFAIK the whole pillar concept is a sovereignty creation, but I'd be happy to be schooled on glass history if that isn't the case).

Sovereignty are known for great QC

They could charge the GDP of nicaragua and it still wouldn't be shady...

Shady would be selling a fc-711 by claiming it was ACTUALLY a sovereignty


I daresay quality american labour is a shit tonne more than 2x china labour...

I'm not denying that a lot of sovereignty/name brand stuff is expensive.
I fully acknowledge that they might be able to lower their margins and maintain profitability.

But I don't begrudge anyone for their prices...
A bunch of people seem to have some deep seated hatred for some fundamentals of economics...
(not trying to call you out specifically EH, just following the discussion )


You can find adapters on dhgate, Oregonglassblower can make some nice quality adapters if you're willing to spend a bit more (basically OGB will charge you what an adapter should cost, and DHgate will gove you 5 adapter for that price, but you've gotta buy 5 )
Otherwise just ask the seller if they can switch out the included glass bowl/nail etc for an 14female-whatever-joint-size-you-need adapter.
They might charge you an extra couple of $$, or they might throw it in


Just as I thought I was all done with DHgate for the time being, they send out that coupon
Now I've gotta find something to add to the fc-cake to get me to the $100

Click to expand...

First off, great description of the three pillar pieces steven is selling.

Second, in reference to the pricing of authentic vs knockoff, the original pricing for most of these pieces isn't "shady" in terms of being a trick or anything, but it is blatant price gouging due to the fact that since weed is illegal, there aren't many quality bong makers. Once anyone can do it without fear of the law, or stigma, and once people start buying up chinese knockoffs that perform 80-95% as well, for 5-20% the price, the American companies will start adjusting their pricing. Taking advantage of the supply and demand curve isn't "bad", it's just ridiculous sometimes. Especially when the materials being used are all glass, which is inert, and doesn't affect the vapor at all. If it is a vaporizer or something that can be made with dangerous materials, then higher costs and such for safety regulations make sense, but I don't see how the matrix pillar you posted, or the gb-186 Yingmin5 sells could be even double as functional, let alone 5-20x better. They might be perfectly aligned, flame polished, and free of any bubbles at the welds, but if you close your eyes, I doubt anyone can tell the difference between a knockoff and an authentic one without having tried both first. If the authentic was so much better, that shouldn't be the case.

Also, no offense taken: "(not trying to call you out specifically EH, just following the discussion )"

*Summary* I think people should charge whatever they want, but they shouldn't be surprised when knockoffs of their work get supported, because they weren't being very nice and supportive of the general public when they set their ridiculously high prices. They could charge $100-200 and produce some kickass quality pieces, for sure. Eventually, they may have to if they want to remain successful.

Third, glad to hear you like the Fc-1000 so much! I've been excited about that piece since December when it was still just a concept. It's awesome to see it become a reality so successfully.

So is there anything with less resistance than the d020-d I should look at for my vape?

^ Which vape? As far as bubblers go, I think the D020(-D) are some of the least restrictive pieces

EDIT: Seems you have the Solo, that's where your restriction is, not the D020-D If that combo's too much for you (personally I don't mind it at all with the standard PVHEGong), you need a less restrictive vape, or maybe as Tweak said go turbo gong...

rakka said:

^ Which vape? As far as bubblers go, I think the D020(-D) are some of the least restrictive pieces

Click to expand...

Arizer solo

rakka said:

I think the D020(-D) are some of the least restrictive pieces

Click to expand...

I agree. Doesn't get much less than that.

Cjisohsocool said:

Arizer solo

Click to expand...

Have you looked into the turbo GonG? I prefer using my Solo with no glass screen.

Cjisohsocool said:

So is there anything with less resistance than the d020-d I should look at for my vape?

Click to expand...

sunshinestore's pnwt is a lot less restrictive than the d020-d. When paired with the Air, the d020-d can deliver bigger hits but the restriction can get tiring. My fc-cake should be delivered soon, which I hope is less restrictive than the d020-d, but deliver smoother hits than the pnwt.

EverythingsHazy said:

First off, great description of the three pillar pieces steven is selling.

Second, in reference to the pricing of authentic vs knockoff, the original pricing for most of these pieces isn't "shady" in terms of being a trick or anything, but it is blatant price gouging due to the fact that since weed is illegal, there aren't many quality bong makers. Once anyone can do it without fear of the law, or stigma, and once people start buying up chinese knockoffs that perform 80-95% as well, for 5-20% the price, the American companies will start adjusting their pricing. Taking advantage of the supply and demand curve isn't "bad", it's just ridiculous sometimes. Especially when the materials being used are all glass, which is inert, and doesn't affect the vapor at all. If it is a vaporizer or something that can be made with dangerous materials, then higher costs and such for safety regulations make sense, but I don't see how the matrix pillar you posted, or the gb-186 Yingmin5 sells could be even double as functional, let alone 5-20x better. They might be perfectly aligned, flame polished, and free of any bubbles at the welds, but if you close your eyes, I doubt anyone can tell the difference between a knockoff and an authentic one without having tried both first. If the authentic was so much better, that shouldn't be the case.

Also, no offense taken: "(not trying to call you out specifically EH, just following the discussion )"

*Summary* I think people should charge whatever they want, but they shouldn't be surprised when knockoffs of their work get supported, because they weren't being very nice and supportive of the general public when they set their ridiculously high prices. They could charge $100-200 and produce some kickass quality pieces, for sure. Eventually, they may have to if they want to remain successful.

Third, glad to hear you like the Fc-1000 so much! I've been excited about that piece since December when it was still just a concept. It's awesome to see it become a reality so successfully.

Click to expand...

Cool, we pretty much exactly agree

Hey has stephen got another run of the torus with all the little fixed for function? so tempted to pull the trigger but still waiting til he gets all the kinks out.

Tweak said:

I agree. Doesn't get much less than that.



Have you looked into the turbo GonG? I prefer using my Solo with no glass screen.

Click to expand...

I kept hearing that the turbo gongs break easier than the regular ones

gigaurora said:

Hey has stephen got another run of the torus with all the little fixed for function? so tempted to pull the trigger but still waiting til he gets all the kinks out.

Click to expand...

he posted a better one on his youtube page. that one looks like it stacked bubbles really good, doesn't look like he changed the perc though and the funnel seems to be better. he even put a nail in and did a water test. he's learning!


i hope he releases it soon. a long with the straight fab. i told him to make a straight fab mini. but his straight fab functions on point

Cjisohsocool said:

I kept hearing that the turbo gongs break easier than the regular ones

Click to expand...

I use the turbo PVHES turbo GonG, they are very good quality, and I have not broken one in years.

The problem I see with the straight fab is that there is no room at the top. A little too much water and you'll be drinking it. Even with the right water level, better not pull hard. A safe amount of water will probably just defeat the function.

Mister G said:

Here's a pic of my MSTorusKO from stevenlmz, I know it's gotten mixed reviews here but I really love mine, for me it functions great with some of the best vortex I've seen, which is exactly what I had been holding out for. No regrets at all. I think it's really well made and designed. Not the first time I've been in the minority, I'm just a freak. But it's just a tool, the sweet tea is the real hero.

This is it between my D022 and D020-D for scale. Pardon my filthy claisen.

Click to expand...

Did you get the D-Cycler? That one also has a great vortex.

Monsoon said:

Did you get the D-Cycler? That one also has a great vortex.

Click to expand...

I like the D-Cycler, but it looks a little small and I'm partial to 18mm female joints. There was talk of prototyping an FC version that is larger and with an 18mm F connection, so maybe if that gets produced....another reason I like the incycler is that it is very thick and sturdy with no parts sticking out that increase risk of breakage, many recyclers have arms and tubes and pieces that stick out that I know I might bang on something.

VJJJV said:

The problem I see with the straight fab is that there is no room at the top. A little too much water and you'll be drinking it. Even with the right water level, better not pull hard. A safe amount of water will probably just defeat the function.

Click to expand...

i see what youre saying. But i don't think so. I think he might of put a bit too much water in, but not much, and with less water i think it would still function great. and on a good majority of my pieces if i inhale hard enough i will get water in my mouth,Its about finding that balance.

I use all my pieces with a honeybucket or quartz banger though. No herb vape attachments or slides here, so my pull will be consistent throughout the hit. If youve got to pull a bowl, or a vape attachment, it might require some attention, as to not inhale water on the clear



here is straight fab mini with the right amount of water imo



and here is the same one, with not enough water imo, as the water barely goes up the fab holes