Bongs - Are glass bongs a problem to maintain? (Break, bust, brittle city?)

[Bangalore]

The reason I ask is because I'm thinking about buying a 2 or 3 foot glass bong and a glass bong that size is EXPENSIVE. Also, and more importantly, while browsing I actually came across someone who repairs glass bongs. This person actually advertises his 'Glass bong repair business' via Craigslist. Bong repair business?!?! What's with that? The advertiser HAS A LIST of things that either can or do go wrong along with a list of prices that he charges to repair glass bongs. Are glass bongs like a car in that sooner or later you can expect them to leak or break down? C'mon, say it ain't so! Or is it??? Text of ad: I can fix your broken pieces!!! Broken glass on glass bowl piece - $25 Broken glass on glass fitting on a Water Pipe/Bong - $65 Broken Water Pipe/Bong top - $65 Broken Bubble/Beaker/Base on Water Pipe/Bong- $120 Broken Bubbler - Must see for pricing Why spend more money than you have to? I will fix your old glassware for less than it costs to buy new glassware! I supply headshops with pipes, bubblers and water pipes. And yes I do custom work!!! Save your money and go straight to the source. I am a legit glassblower, check out my work at... Contact ... Every piece breaks in its own unique way. Because no piece breaks exactly like another, prices mentioned are a rough estimate and subject to change upon inspection of broken piece.

[SmokeRings]

SWIM has always enjoyed her glass bongs. But glass is glass, and indeed it's breakable. Generally, the more expensive the glass, the better quality, thicker, lab grade glass it is.
SWIM would ask how clumsy the OP is, as that can be a huge factor in deciding what sort of toys to buy! SWIM isn't sure that 2' or 3' bong is really necessary, and can and will probably lead to easier breakage! The bigger the bong, SWIM doesn't believe the stronger the high. Hit it as hard as you want, but SWIM has found that a simple 1' bong that is easily portable, small enough to put away when necessary from certain visitors at her home, etc, is quite sufficient.
SWIM is in the south and had to purchase her current glass bong about 8 months ago, as an accident occured (it happens) and paid $140 for an ADS (brand name) lab grade glass bong w/an ash catcher bowl. SWIM has found that going to a smaller city is always a bonus if possible, the same bong in a town about 40 miles away (SWIMs in a metropolitan city of over 2 million) was $60 cheaper!
College towns are great for toy shopping!
As far as the Craigslist "repair" guy, SWIM wouldn't bother, seems really weird and a bit suspicious, and just easier to go buy a new one.

SmokeRings added 3 Minutes and 54 Seconds later...

SWIM also forgot to mention the maintenance. Rubbing alcohol and regular table salt is all you need to clean a glass bong. Don't let the shops talk you into $10 bottles of cleaner, SWIM has used the alcohol/salt trick for years and it works 10x better and is 10x cheaper!

[helikophis]

Yes, glass bongs will all eventually break. A glass piece could probably be used for generations if carefully handled, it's just not very likely. This isn't because they are worn out through use (like automobiles), or because they have an inherently limited life span (like lightbulbs), but because sooner or later, they will be dropped, or knocked over, or thrown (like ceramics). Also, the chances of accidental breakage of any object are increased if the user is under the influence of drugs, and the users of glass smoking pipes do tend to be under the influence of drugs rather frequently.

Go ahead and buy one! Glass smoking pieces are beautiful, easy to maintain, fun to use, and well worth the cost. Just remember, one day, you will drop it.

[Bangalore]

Originally Posted by SmokeRings

SWIM has always enjoyed her glass bongs. But glass is glass, and indeed it's breakable. Generally, the more expensive the glass, the better quality, thicker, lab grade glass it is.
WIM would ask how clumsy the OP is, as that can be a huge factor in deciding what sort of toys to buy! SWIM isn't sure that 2' or 3' bong is really necessary, and can and will probably lead to easier breakage! The bigger the bong, SWIM doesn't believe the stronger the high. Hit it as hard as you want, but SWIM has found that a simple 1' bong that is easily portable, small enough to put away when necessary from certain visitors at her home, etc, is quite sufficient.
SWIM is in the south and had to purchase her current glass bong about 8 months ago, as an accident occured (it happens) and paid $140 for an ADS (brand name) lab grade glass bong w/an ash catcher bowl. SWIM has found that going to a smaller city is always a bonus if possible, the same bong in a town about 40 miles away (SWIMs in a metropolitan city of over 2 million) was $60 cheaper!
College towns are great for toy shopping!


SWIM also forgot to mention the maintenance. Rubbing alcohol and regular table salt is all you need to clean a glass bong. Don't let the shops talk you into $10 bottles of cleaner, SWIM has used the alcohol/salt trick for years and it works 10x better and is 10x cheaper!

Wow, great info by both helikophis and SmokeRings. Thank you both! For the record:

>swim's not clumsy, he doesn't think, though swim realizes accidents happen. But swim does host and entertain people, so swim expects worst case scenarios to develop on occasion: bongs being dropped and whatnot. Swim might want to buy a backup bong just in case, especially since swim likes to host every so often.

> swim always thought: 'the longer the bong is the better the high'. Swim was wrong on that account, swim now realizes. Thanks for setting swim straight!

>when swim goes shopping for a bong in a day or two, swim has a script he devised that he will tell the smoke shop employee. Swim will say: 'I'll admit, I don't know a lot about bongs, but I want one that, when I whip it out in front of my guests, the bong should please the most astute, hard core smoker in the room. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to impress people, or buy one that'll WOW everyone in the room, NOT AT ALL. I just want a bong that a seasoned smoker would rate two thumbs up or 3 or 4 stars. I am willing to pay right around $100-150 for something like that.' Swim DOES NOT want a bunch of unnecessary bells and whistles on the bongs he buys next week. Bells and whistles that DO NOT increase the quality of the high but instead increase the retail price.

>swim didn't know bongs came with 'ash catchers'. Swim realizes since a more experienced person on the board knows someone who has an ash catcher on their bong, it would behoove swim to purchase a bong that has an ash catcher. Swim will make sure of that when he gets ready to buy one. Though swim wonders if there are any other options or accessories to look for when buying a bong.

Thanks again to both of you for posting to this thread.

[dadrone]

Originally Posted by Bangalore

The reason I ask is because I'm thinking about buying a 2 or 3 foot glass bong and a glass bong that size is EXPENSIVE. Also, and more importantly, while browsing I actually came across someone who repairs glass bongs. This person actually advertises his 'Glass bong repair business' via Craigslist. Bong repair business?!?! What's with that? The advertiser HAS A LIST of things that either can or do go wrong along with a list of prices that he charges to repair glass bongs. Are glass bongs like a car in that sooner or later you can expect them to leak or break down? C'mon, say it ain't so! Or is it??? Text of ad: I can fix your broken pieces!!! Broken glass on glass bowl piece - $25 Broken glass on glass fitting on a Water Pipe/Bong - $65 Broken Water Pipe/Bong top - $65 Broken Bubble/Beaker/Base on Water Pipe/Bong- $120 Broken Bubbler - Must see for pricing Why spend more money than you have to? I will fix your old glassware for less than it costs to buy new glassware! I supply headshops with pipes, bubblers and water pipes. And yes I do custom work!!! Save your money and go straight to the source. I am a legit glassblower, check out my work at... Contact ... Every piece breaks in its own unique way. Because no piece breaks exactly like another, prices mentioned are a rough estimate and subject to change upon inspection of broken piece.

Glass is nicer, it's easier to clean than metal and for some reason it just seems cleaner.

As with any piece, if SWIY cleans it more frequently then it will be a piece that SWIY can use for a long time making it well worth the investment.

dadrone added 1 Minutes and 50 Seconds later...

Another thing...

Don't go all out on the piece if SWIY lives in a frat house or party house of any kind, it will get broken and SWIY won't be the one who does it. Go with a smaller glass piece that is less heartache when, not if, it gets broken by one of SWIY's drunk buddies.

IMO

[SmokeRings]

Glad SWIM could be helpful. Not sure if SWIY knows this, but at least where SWIM lives, you can NOT say bong. You have to call it a water pipe, otherwise you will be asked to leave very quickly! She lives in the south and the law is that it's legal to sell them, but for tobacco, so if you say any sort of drug term, out the door you go! Stupid, but it's also illegal to sell vibrators and sex toys, they have to be sold for "entertainment" as in joke, gag gift purposes only. Can't remember what the packaging says exactly, but you get the idea.

Most shops are very helpful and should guide you in the right direction, SWIMs advice would be that if they aren't, go somewhere else, especially if they try and upsell you and add all those bells and whistles. SWIM prefers the more "mom and pop" shops as opposed to chains. Not only will they generally be cheaper, but they tend to have staff that is much more helpful. Let them guide the conversation and ask the questions, they should be the experts!

An ash catcher is basically another filter system, as SWIMs requires water as well, it's designed to give you a cleaner hit, as well as only gunking up the small piece as opposed to your entire bong. SWIM only has to do a deep clean on her bong every couple of months and she smokes daily! The ash catcher she changes the water in when it gets dirty and probably should deep clean it every other week. She just puts the rubbing alcohol and a few tablespoons of salt in a zip lock bag, adds the ash catcher and leaves it in the sink for the day. Once she's home, she shakes it up, and then runs hot water through it until all the gunk is out.

There are all kinds of bongs out there and a good shop will have plenty to choose from in size, type (glass, ceramic, etc), colors, shapes, add ons, etc. To her it doesn't sound like you need to spend a ton of money and a "back up" is something you could do, however SWIM has never done so. Sure, she's had more than one at a time, but just because she got bored and wanted a new toy, not from worry of breakage.

SWIM thinks you shouldn't worry about what everyone else thinks of it, if you love it that is all that matters. A seasoned smoker shouldn't give a shit as long as it works! At least for SWIM, she doesn't care what someone else has, she usually just comments if she thinks it's pretty! That's a girl for ya though!