hokaku
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your reply!
Any diffuser downstem is good?
I like your bong! But why did you buy one with a hole? Are you plugging that?
I'm by no means a GonG expert but as far as I'm concerned I think the whole carb vs slide argument boils down to personal preference in the end. The kick-hole allows you to quickly clear the pipe of smoke without having to slide your bowl/WPA. Not having a kick hole means you'll need to lift the WPA/bowl off the downstem/diffuser to be able to efficiently clear the pipe. Or I guess if you really wanted to you could enjoy your non-carbhole setup by NOT lifting the bowl/WPA and taking slower denser hits that you could more dilute in time -- ie: using your bong just like you would a water filter - avoiding the big, lung filling rips associated with bong/tube setups.
It also kind of boils down to regional trends - it's my understanding that most GonG pieces in the US do not feature carb holes as bowls with slides are most common there. In the EU, the opposite is quite true and you'll be harder pressed to find bongs and GonG pieces without kick-holes. For instance they didn't even know bongs without carb-holes exist in my local headshop.
So to answer your question, yep I do plug the hole in my bong from time to time. I use one of the 14mm plugs they sell on the website to do it. I think you can find them under the bong-cleaning accessories section or you can just search for "plug". Fits my carb hole nicely and makes a completely air-tight seal. So I guess I got mine with a carb because I like options.
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Now on to your more important question - no I don't believe any downstem is going to be "good". EHLE diffusing downstems are known to be of top-notch quality and right up there with roor in terms of quality/efficiency. My downstem was almost as expensive as my bong but it is also what makes my baby the beauty it is. If I use my bong with a regular non-diffusing downstem (which are like 3 euros each or something on that same website) or with one of my crappy weedstar diffusers it doesn't hit any better than my other cheap china glass GonGs.
I'm also really really impressed by how thick the EHLE diffuser is, especially when compared to the weedstar ones. I have never dropped it but it looks like it could definitely survive a lot.
That was... longer than expected. Sorry for the long-winded reply. Anyhow if you wanna read up more on EHLE diffusers, google "EHLE vs Roor diffuser" and click on the first result. Awesome review with tasty pics of what a quality diffusing downstem looks like.
Peace!
PS . If you don't own one already be sure to grab a Power Adapter for the MFLB directly from Magic Flight. Not only does it completely change hit quality on the box itself but it's also a complete game-changer if you plan to use it with a WPA/WPW. I own a volcano digit and the MFLB + PA + WPA + EHLE 500ml has superseded it as my daily driver.