Help me find a pipe online

January 1, 2008 8:32 PM

Does anyone have any recommendations on where to buy herbal smoking pipes online? Advice on finding a piece for the adult professional in me?

I realize there are a lot of web sites selling bongs and pipes online, but I am looking for specific recommendations. I am looking in paticular for a piece that is more Crate & Barrel and less Bonnaroo. Are there bongs or pipes for those who do not make smoking a party of their identity? Suggestions?

posted by anonymous to shopping (15 comments total)

What about this?
posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot at 9:23 PM on January 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

There's no substitute for buying in person. I have no idea how C&B factors into this, since they're pretty much fundamentally opposed to the design tenets of smoking accessories (save perhaps ashtrays). You kind of sound like you just started smoking yesterday, so you'll probably just have to try a bunch of different ones.
posted by rhizome at 10:09 PM on January 1, 2008

Just go to a head shop. They're not scary.
posted by devilsbrigade at 10:17 PM on January 1, 2008

The Proto Pipe is fairly "adult professional" I think. It doesn't have skulls, dancing bears, or pot leaves on it, at least. Can't speak from first hand experience, but I've known folks to swear by them. The little resin-catching reservoir is said to be handy. Dugout stash boxes with integral metal faux cigarettes are a fairly low-key option, too. Bongs will never really be wee and understated — you'll want a good sized water reservoir, I should think — but the Aqua Pipe might go some way to meeting your compact, nondescript water-filtration needs.

Count me with rhizome and devilsbrigade above... you really should just look around online until you find something that meets your design standard. Then, either order it from them or try to find it in a local headshop. Frankly, buying it locally with cash, might be the better option in terms of anonymity, rather than online with a credit card.
posted by mumkin at 10:44 PM on January 1, 2008

ive purchased gifts for family members from grasscity.com before. this was 5 or 6 years ago but it doesn't seem like much has changed over there. shipping was fast, customer service was good when i had questions about some products and prices were very competitive.
posted by hummercash at 11:38 PM on January 1, 2008

oh, and based on what all my friends who smoke tell me, the Volcano vaporizer is amazing.
posted by hummercash at 11:40 PM on January 1, 2008

protopipes are cool when you're in your 20s and gadget-oriented, but they suck as pipes because they get very hot, as do dugouts. volcano is clumsy and reminds me of beer bongs. i have no idea why there's no ad-hoc vaporizer like an electric hookah. pipewise it's pretty much glass, but i admit it's hard to find something i'd call hip or understated. wood pipes tend to have clean lines.

and oh, i take back the "no c&b" crack. try roor. their site really sucks but they might have something you like.
posted by rhizome at 12:14 AM on January 2, 2008

I second the Volcano Vaporiser. It's quite pricey, but it has the advantage of: a) being one of the healthiest methods of ingesting herbs b) strange enough that you could leave it out and a non-smoker would likely not understand its purpose.

P.S. If you do go the vaporizer route, don't just get a cheap one- the quality of your herb will suffer and so will you.
posted by ISeemToBeAVerb at 12:18 AM on January 2, 2008

Raydiator pipes are really good, but a little expensive, so rather in line with your "professional" taste, I hope.

I chose the link above because that shop explains the nature of the pipe well, but they're available in most head shops, online or otherwise. Aside from an air-tight lid, which is practically a must-have, Raydiators feature a choke and aluminum bodies which promote cooler smoke.

I find the hype to be true; I rarely cough when using mine and everyone seems to like it when it gets passed around. The downsides are that the plain-finish models are prone to scuffs and scratches, and the recommended titanium screens, which are a bother to clean and pricey (compared to normal screens) to replace. I forgo them for brass screens, with no ill-effects.
posted by chudmonkey at 12:21 AM on January 2, 2008

I use one of these, although not so boldly colored. The page calls them one-hitters, but they actually have a nice little bowl that holds several hits. What I really like about them is that one will fit perfectly in one of these. The container is discreet and it's airtight so the pipe doesn't stink up the car. I have a separate one for the tobacco and it all fits in my pocket. Also, you get the added bonus of the chocolate, of course.
posted by wsg at 12:31 AM on January 2, 2008

About 5-10" of copper pipe with an elbow at the end, screen inserted there. Presto. Fancy precious metal pipe, low cost. No need to shop anywhere but your favorite DIY.
posted by Goofyy at 2:31 AM on January 2, 2008

I've got an earlier incarnation of one of these - mine doesn't have the (removable) bowl at the end. Good quality metal pipe that's not too hippified, but isn't cheap either (about 25 nicker). I'm not sure why most things associated with marijuana usage have to be so garish and tasteless though.
posted by ComfySofa at 2:52 AM on January 2, 2008 [2 favorites]

Use an apple. Make an L shape with a pencil or corkscrew, and smoke out of it, then eat and discard. It won't mess with the decor, the moisture in the apple will be good for your throat, and as someone who's smoked with my share of adult professional types, smoking partners will enjoy the quasi bohemian feeling of kissing an apple. It's the best.
posted by history is a weapon at 7:10 AM on January 2, 2008

It might be a good idea to make smoking, or at least the mild paranoia part of it, part of your identity. That is, if you're deciding on an aspect of smoking to make part of your personality, better the mild paranoia than the paraphernalia misdemeanor.

Go to a head shop. Pay cash. When you're done smoking, put the thing away (you can store it inside your Crate & Barrel furniture, if you're so inclined). Adult professionals, in my experience, mostly either smoke joints/blunts, or else they smoke somebody else's supply.
posted by box at 8:02 AM on January 2, 2008

Silver Palm Leaf.
posted by Dr.Pill at 1:55 PM on January 2, 2008 [1 favorite]