The most common waterpipe form is a long tube section coupled to a bulbous base. The tube is elongated to create more distance for smoke to travel and cool within the pipe. We saw an opportunity to double this cooling-distance by routing smoke from top to bottom to top again, rather than just bottom to top. This would allow a less tall and tippable pipe overall, still capable of performing with the best of the tube behemoths at the headshop.
Smoke carries a mix of desirable and undesirable organic compounds. When smoke passes through water it exchanges some of these undesirable compounds, while simultaneously transferring heat. The greater the surface area of smoke in contact with water, the greater this tandem cooling and filtering effect. Breaking apart the smoke into as many small volumes as possible is the goal of the percolator, i.e. the bubble maker at the end of the downstem.
Through testing a range of percolator designs we learned that there is a threshold for the amount of turbulence that can be created before before smoke would begin to pass untouched by the water. A slotted percolator design showed the best mix of churning the water without breaking it apart and passing unfiltered smoke. The right bubbliness was achieved with 8-slots, which maximizes the water’s surface area contact with the smoke without also hindering the cleanability of the downstem by being overly complex.
We found glass bowls to break easily, and cause too much concern as you pass, load, and ash them. Stainless Steel was chosen instead for being shatter-proof, yet retaining the non-toxic, taste free, and cleanable characteristics of glass. A Titanium Nitride coating is applied to the Black and Gold Editions, which gives color without compromising these same all-important characteristics.
The Mouthpiece and Downstem are made of Alumina Ceramic, a material used often in aerospace and medical devices that offers superior durability to glass while still being inert and cleanable. The Glass Chamber is made with 7-10mm thick Soda-Lime Glass, which is more than enough to survive the bottom of the sink when cleaning it.
Usability was an afterthought with the waterpipes of yesteryear, and we wanted to change that. Throughout our design process was an effort to weave convenience and simplicity into day to day use. A bowl you can load without spilling out-of, a chamber that can be easily filled at the sink, a mouthpiece that doesn't strain your neck, and a completely disassemblable design to give cleaning access are all ideas aimed at elevating the Waterpipe to an item that lives harmoniously in your routine rather than one that is hidden away for being too difficult to enjoy. We think that's just as important as the smoke.
