What glass to get?

[J.R.R.Tokin']

Hi all,

So I've decided to get some kind of water filtration going for my vapes and have it down to 3 choices but need some advice as I'm a complete novice when it comes to glass.
The 3 choices are:

* The Aquavape 55
* Frost tiny perc bong frost 25
* Black Leaf 6 arm tree perc BL6ARM 45

First off, I know that many will recommend spending more for better quality glass, I just don't have the cash to splash out more than 50-ish.
Some of the things I'm unsure of are:

* Will the Black Leaf be too big?
* Is the Frost too small?
* Is the Aquavape worth the money compared to the Frost?
* Are there better alternatives in the 50 price range?

Looking forward to some useful advice as it's pay day tomorrow and I hope to be ordering some glass

 

[Carbon]

I know you don't want to hear it, but I say save up another paycheck and go higher quality.

With that out of the way, I would say that for vapor you get something with the diffusion that you want, but with a low volume so that it requires less effort to draw from and clear.

What area are you in? I originally just got a locally blown beaker pipe (with color work) to smooth out vapor, and then upgraded it with a showerhead downstem when my regular one broke. It works great for this purpose.

For the ones you put up here, I'd go with the Black Leaf or the Aquavape. Forget about the Frost pipe; it's just too simple IMO. You really just have to decide if you want a small glass attachment for your whip or a true glass pipe. The Black Leaf is a lot of diffusion for the money, but some here would say it's overkill for vapor. I hope others with more whip vape experience can weigh in here for you.

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

I know you don't want to hear it, but I say save up another paycheck and go higher quality.

Ok, what I want to know is, what is the benefit of more expensive glass? Will it give me a better hit? Is it stronger and thus can take a few knocks? I'm just not sure what the benefit would be.

What area are you in?

I'm in the UK south coast.

Thanks for the help. I'll rule out the Frost for now then. I would love to get a piece of custom glass blown, but wouldn't know where to begin sourcing it in the UK.

 

[OhTheAgony]

If you say , then there is this:

one

or

two


or perhaps

three

+

four

simple quality.

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

I like the 3 + 4 set up. That gives me a nice bong with diff at a decent price. So is EHLE regarded as good glass then?

Just looked on everyonedoesit and can pick up a 250ml EHLE and diff for under 50 (bong 1 as listed in above post)...so is this the magic formula to suit my needs?

 

[StickyShisha2]

why does #3 have a big thumb carb?
i was never a fan of big tubes. Lately we have been using bubbling ash catcher + a mouth stem.

+

 

[OhTheAgony]

I think it's considered the nr 1 brand here at this price point. Quality of glass & build equals Roor & such. The diffy is awesome, it makes the draw so much smoother and quieter. They have thicker glass (5&7mm) if you want to, but at a higher price of course.

The diffy will go with all of those above btw.

Crap, I checked EDIT to get a back-up for my 250ml at their 20% off sale last weekend but they were all out of them then. They re-stocked quick! Prices are a bit higher @ EDIT but it'll probably even out on shipping costs for you, not to mention cut down the waiting time.

edit: it may be a good idea to look in to ordering some cleaning products with it while you're at it. You'll need a brush, a plug to stop the joint- & carb hole (if you order a bong with carb) and a cleaning agent. Unfortunately I have no experience with any of the products they sell on EDIT. I use Schmand Weg myself.

 

[WatTyler]

edit: it may be a good idea to look in to ordering some cleaning products with it while you're at it. You'll need a brush, a plug to stop the joint- & carb hole (if you order a bong with carb) and a cleaning agent. Unfortunately I have no experience with any of the products they sell on EDIT. I use Schmand Weg myself.

I've just had experience. Don't get their 'G-spot orange oil bong cleaner' for 10. I just sent mine back for a full refund- they sent me a german eco friendly orange oil household cleaner that retails for around 3 euro, and tried to pass that off as 10 bong cleaner. For the same price I have just got a litre of ISO, half a litre of UK Orange Oil Cleaner concentrate (out of stock- seems I got the last- it was 3.50) and a box of coarse rock salt (I don't brush) to make 1.5l of my own.

 

[flotntoke]

The Aquvape is OK. Was my first vape glass, and pretty cool for what it is. Simple, cools the vapor and is totally spill-proof. Hard to clean though. I'd highly recommend something similar to what StickyShisha posted. Can be had for pretty cheap and is easy (and relatively cheap) to upgrade the ashcatcher portion later if you want to.

IME small and handheld is much easier to deal with with the Q. Less worry of getting things tangled up or knocking the glass over, too. Small bubblers with lots of diffusion really hit nice!

More expensive glass (even without getting sickly expensive) will take more abuse, be better made and usually easier to clean. A lot of the cheaper glass has uneven spaces inside, creating crevices & corners that don't clean up as easily (a real pain if you occasionally use your glass for a smoke sesh). For cleaning, ISO alcohol (add a little Kosher salt for light abrasion) works pretty well. Any non-toxic orange cleaner works pretty well too (and alcohol will easily clean out all the orange). A plug for one of the holes helps, but letting it sit for a while and shaking like mad is the key.

Happy Vaping!

 

[Nycdeisel]

Stay away from carbs and lower end stuff. Ehle is very good for the price and the first one that Agony posted is the only one in that post that i would choose personally since it has no carb(carbs weaken the glass, and those cheap ehle tubes are already made with thin glass. higher end, higher priced lass is going to be better made all around as well as have thicker glass all around.

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

Damn! I think I'm going to have to do a lot more research. I really like the small simple set up that StickyShisha has and as flotandtoke says, smaller means less fuss.

Also I think I might have to up my price range and get better glass. If more expensive glass means it's more robust and easier to clean due to superior design, then I can see the value.

So I guess my new question is: Any suggestions for a small set up? I guess what I would like really is a small beaker style bubbler probably about 250ml and costing around the 100 range. Or, something like stickyshishas set up if you think it's better.

 

[Nycdeisel]

if thats the exact one he has, then it looks like low end stuff.

always do your research and go for high end things that function better and have more value.

heres a quality, but inexpensive American made piece
http://ssfgglass.com/shop/shop/prod...l-tube-beaker-or-straight/category_pathway-11

very simple and you can always add other downstems to change things up if you want. I have one of the small beakers, mine is 7 and a half inches though i think they make them an inch or two taller now, still a great size IMHO

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

Thanks Nycdiesel. That looks really promising and within my original price range. Now I just hope they ship to the UK!

 

[OhTheAgony]

I wouldn't be to worried about quality with the 250ml Ehle's. It's 3,2mm thick which isn't a lot, but it's pretty strong nevertheless. I dropped mine on a hardwood floor from about a meter or so once, & banged it in to hard objects several times but it doesn't have a scratch one it while I expected it to shatter from the force of impact each time. A heavier piece is of course stronger, but it'll fall harder as well.

If you prefer thicker and beaker shaped though, I know only of this one in the mentioned price range at our side of the pond:

click me


edit: do keep in mind that there will be added customs fees & taxes when ordering from outside of the EU.

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

I would definitely like to order from this end of the world. Less chance of it breaking plus easier to send back if any probs.
I like that little piece you posted OTA. But I've seen this piece on the same site Molino . How is Molino glass rated and what do you think of this piece?

 

[OhTheAgony]

It's Pyrex vs borosilicate glass, not sure which one is better. It has more breakable pieces and is a bit harder to clean, but it sure is pretty. I know the tiny Molino bubblers are pretty popular, but that's about as far as my knowledge goes.

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

Damn! The more I'm looking the further away from ordering I get! Ok, so before I go on I guess I need to find out if I want Pyrex or borosilicate glass i.e. which is better/stronger?
Answers on a postcard please

 

[Stu]

Borosilicate ftw.

 

[WatTyler]

I've got that Mad Scientist piece and it's OK. Does what it says on the tin. It's not a piece that you can clear fast- it's quite draggy- but fine to use for slower vapor hits. What I really want is a Mobius matrix bubbler, but that's much more expensive......

You can do worse than the Mad Prof., but I also think you could probably do better for the money. Not sure if I would buy it again....

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

Ok, so the Mad Scientist is out then. And I'm looking for borosilicate. What about the Magic Glass piece ? RudeBoy And what does carb/no carb mean?

Also, as an alternative, what about getting this piece and swapping out the down tube for a diff. Could get the whole lot for about 35? click me

Or I've seen this in my LHS and I like it a lot. Thoughts anyone?

 

[OhTheAgony]

A carb hole is a hole in the bong usually just above the water line. When inhaling you keep your finger on the hole, and when the bong is full you take your finger of the hole to clear it. Without a carb you'll just take the tube of your extreme out of the joints to clear it. You'll need the 3 piece system with diffusion if you're looking at the Magic glass beaker btw.

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

Ace. Thanks for the carb info OTA. How is Magic Glass rated, is it Chinese junk or decent?

 

[WatTyler]

das ist Deutsch!

They make the water filters for the AroMed vape, seems good quality. I don't know how they're rated by the glass snobs.

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

Ok. I've read up on Magic Glass and like what I see. German made, high quality British boros. glass . So, I'm going with the 'rude boy' OTA suggested. Thanks for the help all. Ordering through Grass City as they have a 30% discount deal on at the moment

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

I've got two pieces off that site you linked . This one i ordered http://www.bong-shop.biz/article/07273/Narcotic-Bong-conic-22cm.xhtml Few days ago and still waiting delivery.It has diffused downstem.
If you are looking into something bing. This brand offers very good quality glass IMO .. They are german and handblown like roors http://www.bong-shop.biz/article/07271/Narcotic-Modular-Bong-68cm.xhtml -----
You can check this video if you want Narcotic bong 68 cm . I am currently on the way to find out if i can add a 7th floor vapor tamer to the diffuser .