Smoking - Traditional opium pipes?

[Johnps]

I wanted to know if anybody could tell me how to use the old fashioned opium pipes (the long ones with the saucer shaped dampersthat have the littleholeon top). All i can find on the subject is old accounts of travelers in thailand in the 1800's and their descriptions were pretty vague. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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[skeletontea]

best as i can tell a small piece of opium is impaled on a needle, and heated over a candle or an alcohol lamp untill it becomes quite soft.


the needle with the opium is then inserted into the small hole in thedomed saucer.


the pipe is then inverted and placed over the flame. once the opium begins to vaporize it is inhaled in one draw.


it seems to me that if one were to turn the pipe upside down that the opium would leak out. perhaps it is held sideways so that the resin rests in the rim of the dome. this would make since because the traditional smoking method has the smoker laying on his side.

[skeletontea]

ok, it is turned completely upside down...it sticks to the inner bowl, and if it falls to the outer hole you just push it back up with the pin.

[opiv]

A really good book "the last Opium Den " by Nick Toshces explains it in pretty good detail.

[Lurius]

A buddy of mine says a good modern way of smoking opium is to hold a piece of flattened foil over a candle with a small ball of opium on it, and then to inhale the smoke that comes off of it.