Glass

I've stressed multiple times that picking glass is extremely important in the life of a stoner. Glass describes your personality. Whether it's sleek, complex, or colorful, the glass that you pick is important. Respect it because someone worked very hard to make it... Hopefully. As there are many different glass companies out there, as well as numerous single glass workers, there's a lot of room for cheaply made glass to flood the market, imitating the well made pieces. This happens far too often and you should know where your glass comes from. It has a great deal of effect on the quality of the smoke you get from the piece.

 

Germans are known for their crafty engineering and that knowledge doesn't stop at glass. The pieces that come from Germany are thick, heavy, and durable. The glass lasts long and looks extremely nice when clean. It is well put together and very well known for being so. Roor bongs are some of the most expensive (and well worth it) pieces on the market. People pay for quality work. Don't let the companies fool you. If you've ever hold a real German or US made piece, it usually has been made with quality.

 

Glass that is mass produced in China is cheap. It's extremely thin and very easy to break. Unfortunately, the drug laws regarding cannabis in China are very strict. Since the laws are so strict and enforced so rigorously, there really is no glass scene. The people making these pieces aren't able to innovate their own technology like the companies in the US and in Germany. Therefore, the pieces are just copies of what has already been produced. The pieces are assembled to look like quality glass pieces that get sold for $400 each.

 

Mass produced products are very easy to tell from the real thing. The letters will either be a sticker or a crude marking, rather than the normally sleek labeling by the US and the Germans. Well made glass should be heavy, with little to no seam lines. The label on it should be tough, sandblasted or a very durable sticker.

 

The best way to tell if a pipe is the real deal and not some knock off? Make sure that you buy it at a legit shop. Most head shops hang signs that state that they are authorized dealers of higher end glass, such as Roor. Another hint; don't buy your glass at the gas station if you're looking for something quality. But I will say that having a piece that you don't pay a lot for can be very beneficial at parties. After all, someone is bound to think that your knockoff is legit when they've had a few beers, am I right?