Which bong should I buy?

[Jeremy Driscoll]

This is my first time ever buying a bong. In fact I never even considered vaporizers until after a couple of days after starting my bong search and my girlfriend told me that I should buy a vaporizer instead because she did not ever smoke before in her life and she wanted to try my grown herb but did not want to taste it or to taste smoke harshness at all.

Well she tried vaporizing. And when she did she said she almost threw up from both bag and whip. So now I guess I have to get a bong after all to help filter the taste. And to make it less harsh. Because she could not even take ONE full hit.

So I am back. To researching bongs. Except this time it is to have a bong that can attach to my HA 2.2. So far the bongs that I found are these three as the cheapest best ones for the money.

http://www.bongoutlet.ca/fingers-percolator-glass-water-bongs-p-1093.html

http://www.bongoutlet.ca/fingers-percolator-glass-water-bong-p-1105.html

http://www.herbaltools.co.uk/Black-Leaf-Bong-Diffusion-Chamber-Glass-Bong-p/blackleaf-14.htm

I obviously am looking. For a PERCULATOR MONSTER when it comes to filtration. Not just for her. But also because the more perculators the more resin that will build up? Is that part correct? Because the more resin. That builds up good? I mean you want a dirty resin filled bong right because that way the resin makes hash. I mean ISO hash from alcohol then burn off in pan. So these best bongs?

So my 4 concerns are:

1: It will fit my HA 2.2 mouthpiece.

2: It collects resin FAST. I want dirty bong. Full of sticky resin that I can collect for hash! YUM!

3: That it kills taste. Seriously I love the taste but my girlfriend does not and with taste she is not even giving it a chance and is missing out!!!!

4: That it will last. I don't want something that will have pieces breaking off inside of it just because I am shaking it with ISO to get the hash out and to clean it. Or also like if. I am using a torch to burn the resin in to goo.

 

[TheHerbalReview]

If you want an honest opinion of someone that would consider themselves a fairly knowledgeable person in terms of the glass industry.... Those water pipes all completely suck. They're all imported crap that are made in factories with very low quality control. Those same pieces are the one's you'll find at swap shops and cheap headshops... Shoot me a PM and I'll point you in the direction of a decent american blower; where you'll get a better product at a similar price.

 

[Jeremy Driscoll]

Ok now watching. http://www.bongoutlet.ca/fingers-percolator-glass-water-bongs-p-1100.html

 

[francis]

If you want an honest opinion of someone that would consider themselves a fairly knowledgeable person in terms of the glass industry.... Those water pipes all completely suck. They're all imported crap that are made in factories with very low quality control. Those same pieces are the one's you'll find at swap shops and cheap headshops... Shoot me a PM and I'll point you in the direction of a decent american blower; where you'll get a better product at a similar price.

Ok now watching. http://www.bongoutlet.ca/fingers-percolator-glass-water-bongs-p-1100.html

Jeremy, have you read what THR just posted ?

 

[tepictoton]

For that price please have a look at leviathan his work, or collieglass. or any of the many glassblowers present here...

Even I, being from Europe, prefer going trough the hassle of ordering from glassblowers from the States in comparison to buying glass that has been mass produced...

 

[Jeremy Driscoll]

Jeremy, have you read what THR just posted ?

Yes. Then I immediately PM him like he asked. After doing so he replied and then I replied. And I am now awaiting his reply to my reply. In the meantime while i'm awaiting his reply life goes on and I am of course not going to get lazy and I am continuing my research. And while doing so. I am posting my results, which is why I posted the newest bong I am looking at while I am researching and awaiting THR's reply.

And although I am greatful and receptive to THR's advice. And i have taken into account that further reconsideration is needed before devoting to the decision of buying anything from the site that he mentioned. It does not totally. Rule. Anything out. So therefore the bongs on that particular site are still under consideration.

And although I took what THR said to heart and under extreme consderation as a reason to advice me not to purchase from the site he criticized. That however was not enough criticism to concern me enough to the point of of having enough reason to completely dismiss the products entirely. Which is exactly why. I am still considering the products and mentioning them in my research.

Why do you ask?

 

[vapomancer]

In addition to checking out all of Lev's awesome glass http://www.flickr.com/photos/leviathanpipes/
I would also recommend Jhanpixel's ioffer store , he has lots of inexpensive options .
Both of these have the extra perc you seem to be hunting and are made of a MUCH higher quality boro -
http://www.ioffer.com/i/12-38x4-showerhead-circ-perc-ufo-beaker-water-pipe-522968647
http://www.ioffer.com/i/15-38-50-single-8-tree-straight-water-pipe-buldge-528796692 The pipes on his ioffer store are usually in stock and ship immediately , he does offer international shipping , but prices aren't posted , you'll need to email him . My buddy ordered his king stemline http://www.ioffer.com/i/18-king-size-stemline-stemless-water-pipe-boro-glass-520017117 and got it 3 days later ! Awesome piece for the price .
In general , I would advise against the cheap , multiple tree perc bongs . The percs are cheap and fragile and the drag is horrible . As the embarrassed owner of multiple similar pipes , please , do more research before you crack your wallet .

 

[Jeremy Driscoll]

Thank you. I will look at. All of the links.

 

[Richy]

I am from Europe and have recently spent a lot of time looking into what water filtration I want for my vaporiser. A lot of people here have told you what they think but have not explained the reasoning behind it. This is in no way a disrespect to them, it's just that they are probably busy people with less time to spare than me. Here I have tried to explain the reasoning behind my advice in a hope that I can help you make what I believe is the right decision which is why my article may be a bit longer.

My advice would be that you probably won't need a "pecolation monster" as vapor does not need any way near as much cooling as smoke. I imagine one good percolator will be enough to get the vapor nice and smooth, also with too much percolation you will lose lots of the flavour. Since you said your girlfriend will be more sensitive to the vapor, vaping at a lower temperature may be a better solution. This means her abv(what's left over after you vape) will still have alot of actives in which can be used to make oils or can be re-vaped by you, although I have never tried re-vaping personally.

I you want to make oils then I'd recommend using the abv as even well vaped flower will still have actives in it and from what I've read it will give you a much better quality product than reclaim. There is a thread that weedemon started here in which he explains different methods he's tried to make oils from abv. This way your bong is safer as you won't have to be shaking it with ISO which is when a lot of breakages can occur especially with the cheaper Chinese tree percs. I can imagine that trying to clean let alone collect the resin from a stack of tree percs will be quite a bit of hassle and like I said risks damage to the piece.

I notice you have chosen thick glass pieces but you should consider that strength/durability comes more from the quality of the glass used, the way it's been manufactured and the techniques used in welding the joints and other parts together. Although thickness may help something take a knock better the previous factors mentioned will make more of a difference and if you drop it extra thickness will add extra weight making any forces it experiences a lot greater so it will be more likely to be damaged if it lands on any weak points. These weak points will most likely be, as you can imagine, the joints that the stem goes into and other bits that stick out but also areas where the glass is not as consistently thick and any flaws in the glass.

You will be a lot more likely to get flaws and inconsistencies in the cheaper made mass manufactured pieces from the Chinese manufacturers like black leaf and the like. Don't get me wrong, you may be lucky and get a good piece but their quality control is not as good as some of the places other people have advised on this thread. Also the initial quality of the glass used to manufacture the pieces may not be too good as they are very much concerned with the bottom line so will very likely be trying to get the cheapest source of glass they can.

Because of all of this I would advise you go with a well made USA manufactured piece as it should last you a long time. Since you seem to be aiming for the $150+postage mark I would recommend either Colie Glass or Jhanpixel/Aeon Glass but the basic Leviathan showerhead piece(Typhoon Alpha) is still in your price range. Also keep in mind when looking at these that Colie offers a 20% discount and JhanPixel offers a 10% discount on the listed prices to FC members. If you still want the extra percolation then the double honeycomb piece by Colie Glass may be a good option at $160+shipping with the discount. I would also imagine reclaim would be a lot safer and simpler with this perc design.

I hope all this helps and good luck in your search for the piece that is right for you.

 

[Tweek]

If you and your GF are clumsy, go cheap. Try and stick to reputable manufacturers, but affordable. My first tube was an EHLE and I still have it. Didn't cost me much at all.

 

[Richy]

Not to intentionally contradict you Tweek as you know from my previous posts I have a lot of respect for you and your taste in music. To get an EHLE in the size he seems to want is gonna be only about $80 + shipping for a 3.2mm wall thickness but the thicker(5mm wall) 45cm/18inch tall pieces which he seems to be looking at are nearer the $120-150 area. If you can get them cheaper I'd be grateful to know as I don't want to be giving bum advice. Considering he specifically said he wanted extra percolation to smooth the vapor for his girlfriend IMHO he might as well spend the extra to get what he really wants if he's got the cash which he seems to from his previous suggestions.

Also not to push them too hard but I forgot to mention that Colie Glass make HerbalAire adapters like the one that francis got that can be seen on page 10 of the Colie Glass thread.

Hope you don't feel I'm trying to argue it's just I try to fit my advice to what people seem to want.

 

[Tweek]

My mention of EHLE was just an example of affordable quality glass I still stand by my suggestion that he doesn't need to break the bank. $120-$150 is cheap in my books when you compare that to the $500+ he could be spending if he really wants to.

 

[Richy]

Sure man I get you, that was why I didn't suggest any of the crazy priced stuff either. I can't see me getting $500+ piece any time soon or advising anyone else to for that matter. Glad to see we're on the same page, if maybe in slightly different fonts.

 

[Jeremy Driscoll]

Well actually she said. That flavor is bad. So she really can't vaporize unless there is no flavor period. I had no idea that black leaf was Chinese. Man I'm glad someone told me before it was too late. I am checking out the bongs you posted. Thank you. And with all this talk about money, just so we are clear there is a limit. 149.00 is the limit. I really shouldn't even be spending that much.

 

[TheHerbalReview]

I can get you a double honeycomb made by an american blower for $110 I believe; same guy that just custom made me a black/white wigwag'd mini tube set. His name is Gary Vick on Facebook. Add him as a friend and tell him I sent you; he'll def help you out.​

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https://www.facebook.com/gary.vick.792?fref=ts
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Here's a screenshot of his water test video on one he made w/ a black stem. Double honeycomb. Stacks the entire can effortlessly and WAY more diffusion that any of the things you've listed above. A common misconception is that the more tree's the better diffusion. If you're familiar with Luke Wilson (Leisure Glass), you'll know he specializes in his 25+ tree-perc bubblers. There's a video on YouTube comparing it to a Mobius Matrix and you'll get a good idea how much better percs there are out there.... ​

Here's a pic he had up of one of his daughter's friends doing a reverse water test on a differnt style tube. That my friend is diffusion lol. I've owned a double honeycomb before, and I can tell you first hand they are fantastic; hardly any drag.​

 

[TheHerbalReview]

Sure man I get you, that was why I didn't suggest any of the crazy priced stuff either. I can't see me getting $500+ piece any time soon or advising anyone else to for that matter. Glad to see we're on the same page, if maybe in slightly different fonts.

You my friend, don't have the glass bug... you wouldn't even begin to START to understand. I'm transitioning into glass reviews at the moment; have been in contact with TONS of awesome american artists... once you see the dedication these people put into their work, you'll change your mind. Gary, who I mentioned above feeds his family blowing glass for people... I'll NEVER buy an imported piece of shitty glass again lol. It's really hard to explain the difference in quality without holding it in your hands.​

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Here's the worked bottom of the mini tube I got in from him last week:​

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***Apologize for the double post, tried doing this from a phone***​

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[Richy]

You my friend, don't have the glass bug... you wouldn't even begin to START to understand.

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Careful man, that sounded awfully condescending especially with that use of capital letters. Just saying it's something you might want to avoid in future.​

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once you see the dedication these people put into their work, you'll change your mind.

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Trust me, I'm way too tight to be spending anything like $500 on a piece of glass no matter how amazing it looks.​

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I'll NEVER buy an imported piece of shitty glass again lol. It's really hard to explain the difference in quality without holding it in your hands.

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You probably wanted to put that in a different paragraph as it looks like it was aimed at me as it was in the same block of text as the other stuff. I'm sure you realised I didn't recommend any "cheap import" glass and was in fact warning Jeremy off of it. The only stuff I recommended was good old USA made glass and of course I agreed with Tweek that the German made EHLE stuff is top quality too.​

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Is there any way to have a look at Gary Vick's stuff without having a facebook account? Let's just say you've peaked my interest. I'm curious, is this $110 double honeycomb of comparable size(18 inch) and does it have thick glass (5mm) as well? Also where is the glass manufactured that he uses to make them? I'm amazed he can afford to feed his family if he's churning out glass of that size for those prices, his margins must be tighter than a duck's arse.​

Well actually she said. That flavor is bad. So she really can't vaporize unless there is no flavor period. I had no idea that black leaf was Chinese. Man I'm glad someone told me before it was too late. I am checking out the bongs you posted. Thank you. And with all this talk about money, just so we are clear there is a limit. 149.00 is the limit. I really shouldn't even be spending that much.

Wow, I think that's the first time I've ever seen anyone say that the don't want the flavour, normally people say they want to remove the harshness but preserve the flavour. I think even if you rammed that double honeycomb full of ice you'd probably still have some taste. Maybe edibles would be a better option for her, if you do choose to go that route I'd recommend starting of with small doses because having to much edibles can be a bit of a harrowing experience.

I kind of guessed from your initial suggestions that your price limit was around there. However since one of them was $149 plus postage and retailers normally rip you off on postage I thought that going $10 over would still be in your price range as I've found the people I suggested are usually quite reasonable on postage, about $20 international. Of course I'm guessing your from Europe, maybe the UK, as one of your initial choices was from a UK site.

 

[TheHerbalReview]

Yeah, I was dabbed out going on a rant lol; but i stand by my statement on the $500+ glass. It's all a matter of what you see. You may look at this piece and see a waste of $1,000; but I am more interested in the fact that it's a piece of art. I grow somewhat attached to my artistic pieces. It's nothing more than a 4 hole diffused rig to a person that doesn't know any better. Elbo is the shit by the way.

 

[Jeremy Driscoll]

Yea art not important. At least not to me. I'm really only interested in price, practical, efficiency. And easiness, and quality. Not trying diss anyone. Just that art or style really means nothing to me so if your on this thread to help me and if it helps to know what is or is not important to me, that's it.

Oh and before forget. Just to let you know I contacted that facebook guy and will keep updating.

 

[colieglass]

Yeah, I was dabbed out going on a rant lol; but i stand by my statement on the $500+ glass. It's all a matter of what you see. You may look at this piece and see a waste of $1,000; but I am more interested in the fact that it's a piece of art. I grow somewhat attached to my artistic pieces. It's nothing more than a 4 hole diffused rig to a person that doesn't know any better. Elbo is the shit by the way.

thats not a waste... from an artist perspective, there is a lot of matierial on there, and that piece maybe have been a little dangerous to make, it looks like a lot of frit to me. props to the artist on that,

 

[Tweek]

I'm all for supporting local artists that need to feed their families, but keep in mind I'm a starving artist of a different kind, with a mortgage to pay, and hopefully one day even kids to feed...so I don't apologize for looking for a deal.

 

[Jeremy Driscoll]

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Here's the worked bottom of the mini tube I got in from him last week:​

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***Apologize for the double post, tried doing this from a phone***​

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I take it that. That is a special part of the bong? You see to me clear is the best way to go. I mean it is the easiest way to see how dirty it is and when it is best time to clean it. I mean practically speaking. So to be honest if you were to show me a bong with that art work compared to the exact same one without any art I would pay more for the clear one.

 

[colieglass]

I'm all for supporting local artists that need to feed their families, but keep in mind I'm a starving artist of a different kind, with a mortgage to pay, and hopefully one day even kids to feed...so I don't apologize for looking for a deal.

are you trying to disagree with me everywhere?
im SAWWY tweek, lets be friends...

 

[Tweek]

are you trying to disagree with me everywhere?
im SAWWY tweek, lets be friends...

Nah, I like the cut of your jib ole chap.

 

[colieglass]

Nah, I like the cut of your jib ole chap.

naw, thats just my avatar, i really look like old gary busey