That’s exactly the volumes that are the sweet spot for me (now). But i’m more on the collectible side of the force than DIY. Some spend three digits on one bag of seeds, me it’s in this kind of ware ^^
The only thing remaining from my collection is this holly thing, a traditional and authentic sebsi from Morocco :
The size of the bowl is disturbing but you get quickly used to this style of smoking. It’s less sane that a water pipe, no water to filter the bad funk, but very pleasant. Very nice for dry sieve hash formed like an hockey puck, or for compressed pure weed. Draw is tight, but dense and this length is a perfect sweet spot for me.
I have a couple of Missouri Meerschaum cob pipes and some briars as well. but prefer the good old cheap dependable Mason water bong. it’s pretty easy to make, clean and exchange parts as needed, what more can a crippled, cheap, ageing, coiled-up ‘toothless’ snake ask for?
Learned a new thing on Reddit recently. People adding salt to make a 3% solution. Apparently its based on something called Halo Therapy; inhaling a saline mist. Good for asthma and other bronchial issues. Seems to help if you get tight in the chest/throat with big hits.
Anecdotally I’ve noticed that it keeps glass cleaner for a little longer than usual. But I vape not combust so your milage may differ.
@Fuel I meant to ask a few questions when you have time. 1st If the head piece is able to be changed out or is is attached permanently in place? 2nd, how do you clean the long neck of this pipe, 3rd, how long is it? it looks about 16" or so but looks can be deceiving.
Hot water soak, clean the bowl & stem with one of those wooden BBQ skewers and a torn-off piece of green scrub with soapy water. The bong itself, I can’t find brushes to fit it so I do the isopropyl swish with salt. I reuse the same skewer a few times before tossing it, I keep it and the torn up green scrub under the kitchen sink.
Water rinse every session or every other session, full cleaning of parts about twice a week.
1 - Locals are used to buy a box of ~25 pieces, they are pretty much delicate after a time and break. Most common are in clay. Mine is the popular one, the most used. At higher prices, they are sold with marble and stone bowl (same size). I plan to make/DIY a more sustainable, in stone. But it’s more easy to say than to make. Let me take a macro on the fly to show why, it’s a specific design that change the experience from a simple 90° elbow :
Also, the most common that are carried everywhere in pencil cases. The standard is a tube of 19 centimeters / 7.4 inches, then you choose the number. Usually for a total of ~40 centimeters / ~15 inches longer like set of four with fancy decorations are not met in the street, and not specially used outside weddings etc … I’ve personnally choosed the favored format of the oldest users. And they are damned right ^^
To clean it’s not a pain and you do it dry, most of the time i’ve saw people cleaning it with metal rod or wood rod that are very soft. I use a polished bamboo stick. Then they blow inside. It’s not so a dirty pipe by the design, nothing to have with our big european things that have juice inside etc … they smoke a blend of hash and raw tabacco inside that is pretty bone-dry and compacted in small puck. But even with pure hash, you don’t have to clean it often.
Olive trees wood is favored and worked “green”, but i’ve tested one in ebony and one in eucalyptus that were fire. But they are less sturdy and need more care.
3 - Hawk eyes buddy, i’m sure your hands have something to tell ^^ I’ve tested barely all models, this lenght is really popular for a good reason. It offer a perfect draw that is disturbing at the begin, you get a ton of smoke in ease and the temp is perfect for hash or pure weed.
i thought i was the only one. i can’t even get my brew bottle brushes down in there to clean it.
and what’s wrong with having ice cubes IN the bong water?
i despise having the rest of the bong all squeaky clean while the the spots around the “ice catchers” is complete and totally caked with bong scunge… wtf… >:(
