Monday, April 16, 2018

How To Use A Water Pipe - Knowing The Parts

How To Use A Water Pipe: All The Important Pieces

The great thing about water pipes is they come in all different sizes and types. From tall, monstrous water pipes that stand at over three feet to small, portable and easy-to-manage water pipes, they all elicit a different experience.

For example, let’s say that you’ve recently just purchased a small, simple beaker water pipe. The instructions for this one are pretty easy: add water, add your substance of choice, grab a lighter and smoke away. Other water pipe combinations may have accessories like ash catchers, drop downs, dab nails and more that may be a little daunting to take in all at once.

Don’t sweat it. We’ll walk you through it. First, we’ll explain two different types of water pipes and their various parts.


Different Water Pipes: Stemless Water Pipes vs. Stemmed Water Pipes

While the water pipes shown here look drastically different from each other, you’ll find the steps it takes to use them are basically the same. Still, you might need to understand the different parts to get what we’re talking about.

Stemless Water Pipe Example

Let’s start by first dissecting this 16-inch water pipe. This awesome device is made up of many components, like the spinning disc splash guard. The neck, sitting slightly above the splash guard, is made of an impressive 50x7MM of Thick Ass Glass.  


As you move down the water pipe, you’ll find two honeycomb discs, which are a kind of percolator. The small holes aerate the water as you inhale. The purpose of this part is to allow for a smoother and more enjoyable hit.


Another important part of this stemless water pipe is the 16MM thick base. This base will keep your water pipe standing sturdy on your desk, table or nightstand.


Stemmed Water Pipe Example


Beaker water pipes like this stemmed example are more suited for first-time glass pipe owners. The reason is their wide base. With a beaker base, you get a large circumference base that will be sturdy for any table or desk and therefore easier to use.

The beaker water pipe shown here also has a diffused downstem. A diffused downstem is a downstem that has little holes in the bottom to diffuse the smoke without a separate percolator. Diffusion is literally the smashing or dividing of bubbles, increasing the surface area. The more surface area of the bubbles, the cooler your smoke will be.

Lastly, this water pipe features an ice pinch. If you’re a newbie, we’ll let you in on an age-old trick for smoother hits: adding ice. Adding ice cools down the smoke so that it doesn’t burn. The ice pinch holds the ice above the water line, where it can best cool the smoke. It’s an awesome addition for beginners!

Now that you understand these common water pipe parts, it’s time to start using them.

How To Set Up Your First Water Pipe

  • Inspect the glass pipe
  • Locate the removable pieces, such as the bowl
  • Insert the bowl into the opening (stemless or downstem)
  • Add water — enough to cover the percolators but not too much
  • Test out water levels by taking practice pulls. If the water reaches your lips, you have too much!

How To Use Your Water Pipe

  1. Insert your bowl into the downstem and add your herb of choice
  2. Light your herb with a lighter or hemp wick
  3. Place your lips over the mouthpiece at the top of the water pipe, and slowly inhale
  4. Remove your bowl, and take another hit to clear out all the smoke remaining in your water pipe
  5. Take as many more hits as you like!

Find More Of The Best Water Pipes At Thick Ass Glass

Thick Ass Glass is the place to go for all kinds of reliable and durable water pipes and dab rigs. We’ve also got plenty of bangers, carb caps, domeless quartz nails and much more. Browse our products now and find the right water pipes and accessories for you.



source https://www.thickassglass.com/blogs/enlightenment/how-to-use-a-water-pipe-knowing-the-parts

Dab Rig vs. Water Pipe: What's The Difference?

If you’re considering smoking or dabbing, you might wonder how a dab rig differs from a water pipe. The short answer is that a dab rig is a type of water pipe — but it’s designed specifically for smoking oils or concentrates.

While water pipes in general have a long- established history among the smoking community, dab rigs specifically are more of a recent trend and a peek into the future of smoking.

Both are great options to invest in, but depending on your smoking preferences, you'll have a clear choice among these two popular smoking accessories.

Learn the major differences between dab rigs and water pipes and which one is right for your smoking preferences.

It’s All About What You'll Be Smoking

First, you need to consider what you'll be smoking with this pipe. Smokers who use water pipes primarily use them to smoke tobacco, dried herbs or flowers.

Meanwhile, if you are using a dab, also known as an oil rig, you'll be using a legal concentrate along with wax, oil, or honey. To use the dab rig, you'll heat up whatever you choose as your concentrate on the dab nail to vaporize it.

Dab Rig vs. Water Pipe Parts and Accessories

Just like how you'll be smoking different things with these items, dab rigs and water pipes have different parts to help you do so.

Water pipes will use the traditional bowl piece along with a lighter to help you smoke the dried flowers, herbs or tobacco.

Meanwhile, dab rigs use a dab nail instead of a bowl piece. You’ll need to heat the dab nail with a torch to help you vaporize what you'll be smoking.

Size Comparison

Another noticeable difference between these two systems is the overall size of water pipes compared to dab rigs. There's a reason for this difference in size, and not just appearances. Water pipes tend to be larger with more room for holding multiple percolators within the device. This is because, when smoking dry herbs and flowers, you don't have to worry about them losing potency. You could have a water pipe the size of a room and not worry about the dried flowers or herbs losing their flavor as they travel.

Dab rigs are the exact opposite. Because dab rigs are used for smoking concentrates, you want the vapor to reach your lips as soon as possible for the best smoking experience.

Overall Cost

Obviously, dab rigs and water pipes will vary in their prices based on how elaborate you want to get with your smoking accessories. While water pipes and dab rigs have relatively similar costs, you'll want to remember that more accessories might be needed for your dabbing system.

The Best Water Pipe or Dab Rig for You

Ultimately, the choice of whether you use a water pipe or dab rig is up to you. Again, before you purchase a new pipe or rig, you'll want to consider:

  • What you'll be smoking.
  • The parts involved with each system.
  • Overall size, especially if you have limited storage space.
  • The cost of the water pipe or dab rig itself and whether accessories will need to be added later.

Find the best option for you when you shop our full selection of water pipes or dab rigs. Or stock up and get one of each system!  



source https://www.thickassglass.com/blogs/enlightenment/water-pipe-vs-dab-rig