Waterpipe: Function over Form

We like to make pieces that are foremost a tool for delivering the clearest expression of flower possible.

There are a lot of fluff pipes on the market that only accomplish a minimal amount of smoke cooling and filtering by sticking to the same old tired format of the traditional bong.

Our goal was to better understand how smoke actually exchanges heat and loses harmful compounds when passing through a pipe, in order to design a fresh and better performing concept.

• Distance - The length of the smoke path within the pipe is directly related to the amount of time between when the herb is lit and when it is inhaled. Smoke cools with each second that passes, so extending the smoke-path is a way to achieve cooler smoke.

• Percolation - When smoke passes through water, a percolator (aka perc) breaks it apart into smaller volumes so more surface area of smoke comes into contact with water. More surface area in contact equals more heat exchange and transfer of unwanted compounds.

 

A New Architecture

We invented a new pipe architecture that moves the bowl to the top of the pipe. Smoke travels on an extended cooling path from the top of the pipe, through an extended downstem to the bottom, before travelling back up again before being inhaled.

This effectively doubles the distance smoke travels within a pipe of similar size to a standard beaker bong, creating a cooler hit but not at the expense of making an extra tall and cumbersome pipe.

The extended downstem also acts as a heat sink. Alumina ceramic, a highly thermally conductive material, absorbs the unwanted high temperature of the smoke as it passes through. When ice is in the chamber, the downstem is chilled, which enhances this effect.  

 

Perc Design

The percolator is a subtle but very important detail. We tested a range of designs, sampling the difference in how hole size and number of holes changed the smoothness of the hit. Looking at video of these percolator tests revealed how smoke ends up merging together when holes are too close together. So, we aimed for making as many holes as would create independent volumes of smoke passing through water.

The magic number turned out to be 8 slots, creating 8 separate paths for smoke to churn through the water, losing heat and unwanted compounds in the process.

 

Splashguard

A well engineered bong means nothing if you still have water splashing up from the chamber to ruin your hit. We added a splashguard to the top of the downstem to restrict unwanted bubbles from travelling through the mouthpiece.

 

Bowl Design

The Waterpipe comes with a bowl that has a conical interior shape and a single hole for smoke to pass through.

A cavity on the underside is sized so you can insert a 3/4" bowl screen, which helps keep ash and finely ground herb from passing through.

We made a larger volume bowl with seven holes for those who load larger amounts and want more airflow. The Seven-Hole Bowl is an optional upgrade you can purchase from our shop.

 

Size 11 vs. 13

Our flagship size 13 Waterpipe (13" tall overall) is generously sized to hold a large volume of smoke in the chamber. If you are a fan of a traditional beaker bong and are looking for a piece that chambers smoke before you carb to take the hit, this is the size for you.

We introduced the size 11 Waterpipe to cater to those who prefer a bubbler style smoking experience. Smoking from the size 11 is a bit more like sipping than chugging, and the reduced size is easier to hold in one hand.