Bongs are a device that has existed for many years, offering a pleasurable smoking experience that can be enjoyed individually or as a group. Bongs themselves will often feature a variety of colors, intricacy in designs, and decorations that make them stand out.
Glass bongs are typically made using a process called glassblowing, which involves heating glass until it becomes malleable and shaping it into the desired form.
How are glass bongs typically made?
Gathering
The glassblower starts by gathering molten glass on the end of a hollow tube called a blowpipe or blow tube. The glass is heated in a furnace until it reaches a viscous state, allowing it to be shaped.
Shaping
Once the glass is gathered, the glassblower uses various tools and techniques to shape it into the desired form. This can involve blowing air into the tube to create a bubble that forms the main chamber of the bong and using molds or hand tools to shape the glass into specific designs and features.
Adding features
Depending on the design of the bong, additional features such as percolators, ice catches, and decorative elements may be added during the shaping process. These features serve to enhance the smoking experience and aesthetic appeal of the bong.
Annealing
After the shaping process is complete, the glass bong undergoes a process called annealing, which involves gradually cooling it to room temperature in a controlled environment. This helps relieve internal stresses in the glass and prevents it from cracking or shattering due to thermal shock.
Finishing touches
Once the bong has been annealed and cooled, any remaining imperfections or rough edges are smoothed out, and the piece may be polished to achieve a smooth, glossy finish.
Quality control
Before being sold to consumers, the glass bong undergoes rigorous quality control checks to ensure that it meets the manufacturer's standards for durability, functionality, and aesthetics.
Types of Glass Bongs
The glass-blowing process used ends up creating a variety of glass bong types. Which one is best for you? Here are some of the common glass bongs you'll find on the internet and when shopping in person.
Modern bongs
Modern bongs will typically be shaped like a glass vase with what's referred to as the chillum. The chillum is a straight and relatively long smoking pipe. The rubber ring is usually found at the top to seal it.
Straight tube bongs
A straight tube bong is the most basic of bongs that you can get. They're easy to use, making them ideal bong for beginners. The design is a straight tube - as the name suggests - and filters the smoke through a downstem, which is submerged in water.
Artisanal bongs
Some smokers will be avid collectors of bongs and therefore go for more unique and hand-crafted ones. Artisanal bongs are made by skilled craft workers or make all of the parts of the bong entirely by hand. They're usually highly decorative and beautiful in appearance.
Water pipes/Water bongs
A water pipe or water bong is another word for a bong. A water bong uses water to filter and cool the smoke so that the user can have a smooth and enjoyable hit every time. It's also one of the healthiest ways in which to smoke tobacco or any other herb products.
Materials used to make glass bongs
There are a number of materials used to make glass bongs from the glass tubing to all of the individual glass pieces that are melded together to create one unit. Here's everything you need to know about the materials that go into making a glass bong.
Basic components of a glass bong
Bongs can be made from a variety of materials, with glass being a popular choice. They're the most sought-after due to their appearance.
High-quality borosilicate glass
When it comes to the glass blower, they'll often use heat-resistant borosilicate glass. This means that the hot glass will be able to stand repeated use without becoming compromised.
Bongs are made by the glass blower taking a straight glass tubing and heating it up until it balloons. Blowing glass bongs is a real skill and there are a number of techniques that glass blowers use in order to create an array of designs and shapes.
Molten glass and heat resistant streaks of color
Glass melting is a mixture of glass and sand. These raw materials are mixed together and melted at a high temperature to form what is molten glass. That's the point at which the artist blows air into the bong to create a uniform shape.
Hand-blown glass bongs are usually highly decorative and that's due to the heat-resistant paints used to add streaks of color.
Ice cubes for decorative purposes
Some bongs have an ice catcher. These are accessories that go on the neck of the bong and are circular trays that cools the smoke produced. The benefit is not only for decorative purposes but also provides a smoother hit.
Special tools required to make a glass bong
For the average glass blower, they'll have a number of special tools they'll use to manipulate the glass tubing and create a finish that machine-made bongs can't really achieve.
Mouthpiece, bowls and connectors
When it comes to your own bong, you can customize it in order to create a more personable device. Most of the best bongs brands will be compatible with different mouthpieces, bowls, and connectors. Sometimes mouthpieces need replacing if they become too worn they've got sharp edges due to wear and tear.
You might want to get different bowls to cater to bigger or smaller batches of herbs, and connectors vital to keeping the smoke sealed within the bong itself.
Blowing tubes and punty rods/grinders
For a glass blower, blowing tubes are required for blowing air into the bong, which changes the shape and design of the bong itself. After heating glass tubing, there's a limited amount of time to manipulate the shape before it cools.
Punty rods are used for fashioning hot glass and grinders are often used to shape the bongs further. In order to make glass malleable, the glass blower may have to go back and heat up the bong to make further adjustments.
How are glass bong made FAQs
Are glass bongs safe to use?
Yes as long as they're handled carefully and are cleaned after each use, glass bongs are as safe as bongs made out of other materials like acrylic or ceramic. Discover how to clean a glass bong with our guide.
What materials are used to make a glass bong?
Typically a mixture of sand and recycled glass are used by glass blowers to create modern glass bongs, as well as a number of other glass bong types.
