Make no mistake about it, there are all sorts of smoking regulations in the United States. I’m not just talking about medicinal or even recreational marijuana.

Even if you just want to smoke plain old tobacco products, there are going to be regulations that can land you in all sorts of legal hot water. At best, you may be paying a fine, at worse, you’re going to be wasting a tremendous amount of time doing community service.

You don’t want to hassle with any of that, and that’s why there is a brisk trade in stealth pipes. These stealth pipes are marketed to help smokers of whatever organic or inorganic substances to avoid the long gaze, as well as the long arm, of the law.

Now, with that said, there are many “stealth pipes” being marketed online that fail the quality standards I’m going to lay out below. You have no business buying those products because it’s only a matter of time until you throw them where they belong. That’s right, you throw them in the garbage bin. That’s what they’re worth. They’re garbage.

You bought stealth pipes for a specific reason. You’re trying to be under the radar. You’re trying to avoid unwanted attention. Unfortunately, if you turn a blind eye to the 7 key qualities I’m going to be describing below, you are going to be putting yourself in unnecessary danger.

Truly Stealth Design

What is stealth? Stealth is all about passing yourself off as somebody else. When it comes to products, it’s all about one product looking very similar to something else.

Make sure that the stealth pipes that you are considering buying truly are stealth. Do they look like a pack of smokes? Do they look like a lipstick case? Do they look like a pen?

Keep in mind that this is basic common sense. If something is selling itself off as stealth, then it must look like the item it’s trying to mimic. If it’s so easy to pick out, then you’re not dealing with a stealth product. It doesn’t get any simpler than that, folks.

Light

One of the key elements of stealth devices is that they must be light. Why? Stealth means blending in. It also means disappearing very quickly. It’s hard to disappear very quickly when it takes Arnold Schwarzenegger-like muscles to move an item from Point A to Point B.

If you are smoking something that you shouldn’t be smoking at a place where you shouldn’t be, you need to move quickly. At the very least, you need to store or hide the item that you are smoking stuff from. This is where lightweight can make a big difference.

Compact

What’s the point of buying a stealth item when it can be seen from 300 yards? You want something that is nice and small that people would not think twice to look over. They may be glancing your way, and they would not stop. They’re not going to do a double take. They just see you putting something in your mouth.

Maybe it looks like a lipstick case. It doesn’t look like something out of the ordinary, and they keep on going. They keep scanning the horizon. They mind their own business because, hey, time is a luxury. Everybody else has better things to do.

You’re able to pull this off when the item that you’re using is nice and compact.

Fast Heating

You don’t want to give yourself away when you’re smoking stuff that you shouldn’t be smoking, especially in an outdoor setting. Unfortunately, this is precisely what could happen if you are using stealth pipes that are very hard to heat up. It’s as if you’re going to use a blow torch lighter or a specially designed lighter just to get the heat where it needs to be. Talk about a hassle. Talk about putting yourself unnecessarily in harm’s way.

Quick Cooling

Just as you need the pipe to heat up whatever substance it is you are about to smoke and enjoy, you also need it to cool down. The worst thing that you want to do is to heat up the pipe, red-hot or white-hot, and then all of a sudden, a cop or a security guard appears and you have to shove the still burning pipe in your pants pocket. This might interfere with your ability to have children later on.

Consider yourself warned. You need to find something that cools down as quickly as possible.

Odor Resistant

Pipes that are very easy to pull apart are, of course, easy to clean. This is a big deal because if you’re in an area where people have sensitive noses, you’re going to be giving yourself away.

It’s obvious that you’re not blazing up in public, but people wouldn’t care. Your vapor trail or your scent trail gave you away. In fact, your pipe can be so badly designed that it might accumulate so much resin that after you smoke, the resin scent permeates and seeps through and radiates from your body. Talk about making yourself a sitting duck.

Speedy Disassembly

Just for basic housekeeping, you want something that is very easy to pull apart. You want a pipe that is very easy to clean up so it doesn’t stink. You also want to make sure that all parts are in tip-top shape.

There are many reasons why you should get a smoking implement that is easy to pull apart, disassemble and put back together again. The easier it is for you to disassemble an item, the easier it would be for you to clean it.

Now, this has a strong psychological effect because if you know, going in, that it’s going to be a hassle or a chore to pull apart something and put it back together, chances are, you’re not going to attempt to do it.

You’re probably going to kick the can down the road and procrastinate for a long time until, eventually, your pipe gets so gunked up with so much resin and other debris that, by doing a basic cost-benefit analysis, you just simply opt to buy a new pipe.

If that’s the case, then you have just wasted a tremendous amount of money as you throw away one good pipe after another.

Keep the 7 key qualities of awesome stealth pipes I’ve described above in mind. These 7 qualities go a long way in helping ensure you make a truly informed decision. You worked hard for your money. Now is the time to maximize the value that you get for every red cent you spend on smoking implements like stealth pipes.

The post The 7 Key Qualities of Awesome Stealth Pipes appeared first on Novelty Pipes.

It seems like everybody and his dog is talking about stone pipes. People can’t get enough of this type of smoking implement. There’s just something about these types of pipes that people can’t seem to shut up about.

Well, it’s easy to see why people are excited because, let’s face it, stone pipes do bring a lot of value to the table. Now, this doesn’t mean that they are the best smoking tools for everyone across the board. I’ve got news for you, there is no such product. Seriously.

No such animal exists because everybody’s different. Everybody has different needs, everybody has different values, and everybody is trying to project different images. There’s just so many different agendas out there when it comes to smoking. Plus, people smoke different things.

So if you put all these differences together, there is really no one-size-fits-all, magic bullet smoking solution. Still, regardless of all this diversity and regardless of the fragmented nature of the pipe market, stone pipes do pack quite a bit of a punch as far as market demand goes.

Here are just some of the reasons why these types of pipes have such an enduring appeal. Keep in mind that it’s not only recently that these types of pipes have gained some sort of cult following. They’ve always been popular at some level or another. There have always been pockets of demand for these pipes.

Now, depending on the decade, those pockets of demand become regional markets and, sometimes, national crazes or trends. Still, it would be great if you are in the market for this type of pipe to know exactly what fuels their popularity and their appeal.

Natural Look

If you were to take a piece of stone and drill into it, shape it, hack it, cut it, and polish it, it’s still going to look like a piece of stone. Sure, it’s a little bit shinier and it’s definitely much more pragmatic than before, but its natural essence shines through. This quality is very, very compelling to a lot of people.

If you are the type of person who wants to smoke nothing but organic, hand grown, hand fertilized, all-natural tobacco, then stone pipes are an actual extension of your all-natural preferences. Do you see the connection?

People are looking for a holistic and purely organic smoking experience. Nothing caps off their smoking ritual than loading up a very natural-looking stone pipe, lighting it up, and drawing some nice smoke from it.

Easy to Use

I don’t know about you, but I’m a veteran of metal pipes. In particular, I’m a big fan of Eastern Asian or South Asian metal pipes. These bronze contraptions look amazing. They make for great conversation pieces, but there is a drawback. If you don’t know what you’re doing or you’re too inebriated or intoxicated, they can be quite a chore to use.

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not going to have a good time smoking them, but you have to fire off a few neurons to make sure you operate them properly. Otherwise, your draws are not going to be all that efficient and you’re not going to enjoy a nice, clean, smooth smoke.

This is not the case if you are drawing smoke from stone pipes. It’s a simple case of inserting the right objects into the right slot, holding your lighter at the right angle and drawing air from the pipe. Very smooth. Easy as one, two, three. No need to burn through brain cells. No need to be a brain surgeon or some sort of astrophysicist.

Small, Compact Form

Let’s face it, people who smoke pipes often times find themselves smoking materials that draw unwanted official attention from authorities of various natures. In such situations, you need to quickly pack away or hide your smoking implement.

Stone pipes, by their nature, have a small compact form. They’re very easy to move from Point A to Point B. They’re very easy to store in your backpack and bury under lots of other stuff in your purse. They’re definitely easy to spirit away in your jeans’ front pockets. You can thank their small, compact form for this amazing ability.

Very Transportable

If you’re going to be smoking in a packed public area, you better bring your pipe in in a very discreet way. Transportability is crucial to getting smoking implements where they are not supposed to be. Thanks to the small, compact form as well as the light weight of most pipes made out of stone, you can have a quick smoke and enjoy a concert up on top of a hill, for example.

Usually Light

Now, pay attention to the word “usually.” As you can tell, pipes made out of stone can be very light, but they can also be very heavy. It of course depends on the type of material they’re made of.

Keep this in mind because if you want something that is very transportable and comes in a small compact form, light weight has to be part of the equation. Otherwise, using a heavy pipe just defeats the purpose.

Chameleon-like Colors

As you can well imagine, when you’re smoking a stone pipe, you’d like something that looks like a stone or a pebble. You never know what kind of legal issue or police issue you might be confronted with. The best situation involves simple mimicry.

That’s right. When a cop is heading your way, you might want to throw your pipe very nonchalantly or very naturally to the side in a gravel or stone-filled or pebble-filled road. If you pick the right pipe design, the colors of your smoking implement is going to make it blend in with the ground. This is especially true if you are in an area that is dimly lit.

Some Stones Have Resin Resistant Surfaces

Another big deal about stone pipes is the fact that they’re made of materials, whether natural or inorganic, that have resin-resistant surfaces. I don’t know about you, but if you are struggling with funky-smelling pipes, you’re experiencing that problem because you are smoking from an implement that has pitted or corrugated surfaces. In other words, the resin released by lighting organic material up sticks to the surface because there are tiny cracks and crevices on the surface.

Many stones have really smooth surfaces and it’s very hard for resin to accumulate. You only need to wipe it down with a simple cloth or a cotton swab and you’re good to go.

If you’re still in the dark regarding why pipes made out of stone seem to always be in fashion, keep the qualities described above in mind. They go a long way in explaining the stone pipe phenomenon that seems to never fade.

The post What is the Big Deal with Stone Pipes? appeared first on Novelty Pipes.

Let’s get one thing clear, if you were that dude smoking a wooden pipe, surrounded by long-haired people or people in dreadlocks smoking glass, stone and other types of pipes, it’s easy to feel like the odd man out. It’s easy to feel like some sort of anachronism.

Well, don’t despair. While you may have distinctly retro tastes as far as smoking implements are concerned, there are 5 old school reasons why people should give wooden pipes a second chance.

It’s easy to dismiss these smoking implements as pipes your dad or granddad would use. Not exactly a winning or popular demographic.

As you probably are already aware, people who smoke all sorts of legal and illegal substances from a wide variety of pipe-like instruments are not exactly traditionalists. They’re not probably the first candidates to come to mind when it comes to upholding traditional conservative values. They’re definitely not the first people you’d think of when looking to elect a community representative or a parent-teacher association representative.

Be that as it may, here are 5 old school reasons why using a wooden pipe is not that dorky, geeky or nerdy.

Reason #1: They have gravitas

Imagine yourself in a room full of people and there’s reggae music playing in the background. People are getting busy with water pipes. There are all sorts of stone pipes as well as ceramic smoking implements being passed around. You get lost to the bass beat as it pulsates starting outside and making its way into the inner tissue of your brain. Then you whip out a wooden pipe and, all of sudden, people start taking you seriously.

For some reason or another, people would want to hear your opinion. They look at you as some sort of organic authority figure, pardon the pun. Why is this the case? Well, people might think that you’re more intelligent than normal because of your choice of smoking implement.

Wooden pipes traditionally have been the preferred smoking tools of professors. Now, it doesn’t matter whether you like them or not, it doesn’t matter whether you agree with them or not, but professors bring a tremendous amount of academic gravitas to the table.

After all, professors have to jump through hoops and go through so many different hurdles just to get accreditation to teach what they teach. At that level, they deserve respect. And that’s exactly the kind of vibes you send out when you whip out wooden pipes during any kind of public or private event.

Reason #2: They speak to old school values

Now, it doesn’t really matter what kind of stuff you put into your pipe to smoke. The moment people see you smoking a wooden pipe and possibly gazing out into the distance in deep contemplation, people read in all sorts of signals into that scene.

They don’t view you as a stoner, and they don’t view you as some sort of modern day lost soul. Instead, they connect ideas of old school values and traditional character traits to the wooden pipe you are smoking.

You have to remember that if you turn on the TV in the 1950s, usually, the first image that you see smoking wooden pipes is that of a father. This is a person of authority, this is a person who has paid their dues, and this is a person who commands respect.

This type of cultural image, whether you like it or not, is very hard to shake. Not surprisingly, when you whip out a wooden smoking implement, people start reading into you all sorts of old school values which you may or may not actually subscribe to.

Reason #3: Wooden pipes evoke nature

Have you ever looked at the design of a wooden pipe? Well, I have, and I can’t help but be fascinated. They really are fascinating because if you are looking at a wooden pipe made out hardwood, especially tropical hardwood like narra or mahogany, you can’t help but just be impressed by the natural accent this smoking implement that brings so much pleasure was actually part of mother nature in the form of a tree.

Now, that tree can be an ebony tree, it could be a narra tree, or it could even be an oak tree. Whatever the case may be, you are smoking something purely all-natural and organic using an implement that used to be also purely all-natural and organic.

The consistency sinks in. You bond with nature. It connotes some sort of holistic, Mother Earth vibe. Now, do you see why this is so appealing to quite a number of people?

People want to stay connected with nature. People want to have some sort of relationship with things that are organic. And I’m not just talking about stuff that they smoke. I’m talking about their choice of consumer products, whether it involves the sandals that they wear on a daily basis or the fabric that their clothes are made of. Why do you think hemp-based clothing is so hot right now?

Reason #4: You get to stand out from the crowd

Let’s face it, if you go to a typical after-party and people are blazing up, you can see all sorts of weird ceramic designs. You see all sorts of neon-wrapped metal pipes. In other words, you see generic stuff because that’s what smokers use.

Regardless of the specific substance that you’re smoking, these smoking implements simply are too generic. It’s as if if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Now, if you were to whip out a wooden pipe very similar to the ones used by people’s grandfathers or grandmothers, people sit up and pay attention. This attention might not be all that positive, but it doesn’t matter. You get to stand out from the crowd.

You have to remember that across the board, in all scenes in the United States, regardless of the subculture you belong to, it’s very hard to stand out. It’s very easy to become yet another face in the crowd. Well, you get to stand out if you use an all-wooden, all-natural smoking implement.

Reason #5: Size and stature commands respect

I don’t know how familiar you are with wooden pipes, but, by and large, they tend to be on the larger side. They also tend to be a little bit bulkier. They’re not like modern pipes where you can easily collapse them and put them into your jeans’ pocket.

In fact, a lot of wooded pipes would stick out even if you put them in your backpack. Still, the fact that they’re that big and so official-looking makes you command respect. Now, commanding respect may not be high on your priority list, but it can be quite helpful down the road.

Keep these reasons in mind. Wooden pipes are part of history. People have been using wooden pipes since forever, but they don’t have to be your grandpa’s pipe.

The post 5 Old School Reasons to Use Wooden Pipes appeared first on Novelty Pipes.

Pipe accessories come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and forms. They have many different uses. This is why it’s really important to keep in mind that when it comes to pipe accessories, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Now, I understand why a lot of people think there is such a solution because, hey, let’s face it, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. But unfortunately, there is no shortcut when it comes to products.

It’s easy to think that since a product accessory makes sense in your particular situation that it would apply across the board and would make people from all walks of life happy. This is not the case.

This is why it’s really important, when it comes to picking out the right pipe accessories, to wrap your mind around the twin concepts of personalization and customization. In other words, whatever product choice you make must make sense in YOUR specific personal situation, and nothing else. In fact, nothing else truly matters. Do you get it? Good. Let’s go on.

Focus on the Specifics for Your Pipe’s Design

To make sure that the pipe accessories you’re thinking of buying are truly worth the money, you need to first make sure of the specifics of the accessories. I’m not just talking about the way they look. I’m talking also about their function, their portability and all their other qualities. They must be specific to the design of the pipes you are already using.

Ask yourself the following questions. Be completely honest. If you feel that you have to walk on eggshells or try to fit a square peg in a round hole, then you’re doing it wrong. You need to keep looking. You need to make sure that the pipe accessories that you are considering truly answers the questions below. They have to answer it the right way.

First of All, Can It Do the Job?

I know you’re excited about a particular pipe accessory. Your buddy down the hall is all excited about it. He probably can’t stop talking about it. But the bottom line is, can it do the job or is there a better option out there?

Can It Do the Job Well?

Now, it’s one thing for a product to actually do something, it’s another if the product does it well. For example, I can buy a fork and the basic question of course is, can it pick up food? Well, I can stab a piece of meat with it and content myself with the fact that, yes, it can do the job. The problem is, if the piece of meat that I’ve speared with my fork is all wobbly and I can’t quickly and efficiently put it my mouth, it becomes obvious that it really can’t do the job well.

You have to remember that doing a job and doing it well are joined at the hip. These two questions are interrelated. They’re two sides of the same coin. The answer, of course, has to be both “yes.”

Can It Clean Your Pipes for the Long Haul?

If you’re using pipe accessories that offers clean up or is used primarily to clean up your smoking implements, you have to ask yourself whether it can clean your pipes and for how long. Understand that long haul usage is a big deal.

Now, you’re probably thinking that you’re just blowing up a few dozen bucks on these types of pipe accessories, what’s the big deal? Well, you’re more than welcome to think that way, but if you buy pipe accessories that wear down or break apart after a ridiculously short period of usage, then you’re going to be out of a lot of dollars sooner rather than later.

Those bucks can add up quite a bit. In fact, those bucks can produce even more bucks if you were to invest it in the stock market or even bitcoin. Do you see where I’m headed with this? You worked hard for your money. Isn’t it time that you insist on getting full value for it?

Those greenbacks don’t exactly grow on trees, right? So do yourself a big favor and ask yourself what is the total use value of the stuff that I buy?

Pipe accessories are not immune from this modified version of the cost-benefit analysis. And one key way to ask this question is whether these accessories can clean your pipes for the long haul. I’m not just talking about cleaning them tomorrow or next week. They have to be able to clean your stuff efficiently and effectively several years from now. That’s not a tall order. That’s not a stretch.

How Versatile is Your Tool Set?

If you’re buying pipe accessories, please keep in mind that these accessories can have multiple uses. Sure, the label would say that you should use them for a fixed range of purposes, but by looking at their design and by looking at the context of your use, it becomes fairly obvious that they can be used in a wider range of situations.

Insist on asking this question, how versatile is your tool set? Because the more uses you find for any kind of tool or implement that you buy, the more value you get out of it. For every single greenback you spend on any type of item, if you find more uses for that item, you explode the value of the hard earned dollars you invested in that item.

Now, I understand, a lot of consumers don’t really think of consumer purchase decisions in terms of investment, but that’s the reason why a lot of people live paycheck to paycheck. That’s why a lot of people, at the end of the day, have very little money left. They don’t maximize the value of the hard earned dollars they sink into their purchases.

You’re going to be buying these pipe accessories anyway. Isn’t it time that you maximize the value you get out of them? You really have to step up to this because nobody will do it for you. You have to ask these questions.

Finally, you have to ask yourself, do these accessories have consumable parts? By consumable parts, I’m talking about parts that wear out very quickly. I’m talking about parts that burn up. I’m talking about parts that you have to, somehow, some way, throw away.

It’s very important to keep this in mind because if these parts wear out very quickly, you have to factor in their cost profile. It may seem that a particular accessory is really cheap and affordable now, it might even seem like such a slam dunk of a deal, but when you factor in the consumable parts, then it becomes fairly apparent that its total cost of ownership is bigger than you are aware of. This is a red flag. You might be stepping into a financial rabbit hole.

Again, this might seem like you’re just hassling over dollars and cents, but those dollars and cents can add up if you remain clueless or you remain oblivious as to how your expenses grow over time.

The post How to Pick Out the Best Pipe Accessories appeared first on Novelty Pipes.

When I think about giving out hand pipes, both as personal gifts and business gifts, I am reminded of the economics Nobel Laureate, Milton Friedman’s classic analysis of gift giving. He said, when people give gifts, there are really four outcomes.

When you buy a gift using your own money and you give it to yourself, what happens? That’s right, you are looking to spend the right amount of money for the very best gift you can find. You’re very discriminating, you study all the options out there, and you try to fit it with what you know about your needs and preferences.

This is the most meticulous form of gift giving, and, obviously, produces the best value. You can bet that you are going to maximize the amount of value for every red cent you invest in whatever it is you are giving to yourself.

The second scenario involves using your own money to buy gifts for others. In this situation, you are going to watch the amount of money you spend, but you are also going to make sure that it fits the needs of other people. The level of discrimination and discernment you are going to be engaged in is going to be a little bit lower than if you’re giving a gift to yourself.

Still, there is a tremendous amount of attention to detail because you do not want to look bad in the eyes of the people you are giving a gift to. You don’t want to look like a cheapskate, you don’t want to look like somebody who truly doesn’t care about them, and you also don’t want to look like somebody who doesn’t care about quality.

The third scenario involves buying gifts using other people’s money, but giving the gift to yourself. In this situation, you would not hesitate to spend as much as possible to buy the most extravagant gift possible for yourself. After all, it’s not your money, so the sky’s the limit. That is going to be your mentality. If this sounds familiar, it should be because this is exactly the mentality of many politicians who suffer from corrupt conflict of interest issues.

Finally, there is the fourth scenario: using other people’s money to buy gifts to give to other people. In this situation, you really couldn’t care less how much money you spend because you’re not going to benefit anyway. It’s going to go to other people. According to this scenario, it’s not unusual for decision makers to buy the worst products while spending a tremendous amount of money, and nobody’s happy.

I raise this issue because if you are looking for the best gift hand pipes, you have to understand your focus. Who are you giving the gift to? Why are you giving the gift? How much money is involved? Is it truly your own money or are you pooling funds together?

Once you plug in your specific answers to these questions, then the scenario becomes clearer. It also spells out problematic areas. You become aware of tricky situations that you need to avoid.

It’s too easy to find yourself in a situation where you really don’t care about the other person that you’re giving a gift to, and you feel that the money that you are spending on the gift is “a loss item.” In other words, you have written it off. You have absolutely no emotional investment.

This is a serious problem because effective gift giving is all about building relationships. If it becomes apparent to the recipient of your gift that you couldn’t care less about them, how do you think the relationship would fare?

Here’s a hint, it’s not going to do all that well. What would probably happen is going to be an exchange of otherwise all too forgettable and oh so generic gifts. You’re just going through the motions.

The primary focus of preserving the relationship so it can lead to greater and greater business opportunities is simply forgotten. You just look at your annual gift budget as yet another cost item to run through your accountant, and nothing more. In other words, you miss the whole point.

Keep Milton Friedman’s analysis above in mind so you can avoid the pitfalls they identify. As much as possible, treat each and every gift you give, regardless of whether they are to rank and file customers or prized recipients, as reflections of your corporate values.

You have to remember that the iron rule of American and Western European business is that your competitors are always ready, willing and eager to eat your lunch. This is the cold, hard reality that you must face.

If you were to ignore this or to engage in some sort of wishful thinking, chances are, it’s only a matter of time until your business goes belly up. That’s right. The business you worked so hard for, the business that you invested a tremendous amount of blood, sweat and tears for is going to be in serious danger because you did not give out gift hand pipes the right way.

Now, you may be thinking that these are just hand pipes. You might be thinking that this is essentially just a throw away item because, hey, how difficult is it to get hand pipes or any other kind of pipe on the market?

If you are thinking along those lines, then you have completely missed the point. You have to focus on what you’d like to receive if you spent your own money. If you used this framework or perspective, then you increase the likelihood that you would be making a great impression with your gift.

It is a branding opportunity because if you make your customers happy and content with your service, either in the context of service provision or merchandise sales or gift giving, you become indispensable.

I know that sounds like a stretch, but believe me, who would you rather trust and do business with, somebody who has been giving you gifts that you appreciate and who you feel you know, or somebody who is a complete and total stranger, but has attractive pricing with shiny new products?

It’s not even close. Seriously. Sure, the low pricing is quite tempting, but you don’t know how that person would treat you. You know that they probably would treat you like a million bucks when it comes to sales, but what happens when something goes wrong?

This is why a lot of businesses, regardless of the fact that they are slower and cost a lot more money, are well loved. They know how to take care of their vendors, suppliers and customers. They know how to give off the right signals that build long-term trust.

Take more effort in being sensitive to your recipients’ needs and you will be rewarded many times over. Lose sight of this basic fundamental business fact and it’s only a matter of time until your business starts eroding. And the worst part to all of this is that you would not even have the first clue as to why things have gone south on you.

The post How to Find the Best Gift Hand Pipes appeared first on Novelty Pipes.

Regardless of the kind of substances you smoke in your pipe, you probably already have a soft spot in your heart for glass pipes. You are hardly alone. In fact, ever since the invention of pipes, it seems, human beings have preferred glass tubular objects for smoking a wide variety of organic and not so organic materials.

So, What Makes Glass Pipes so Awesome

What gives? What is it about glass pipes that capture the imagination of the smoking public? What is it about these very interesting smoking implements and their wide variety of designs and sizes that many smoking aficionados find so compelling?

Well, glass pipes truly are a class of their own. Throughout history, human beings have always been looking for transparent items. They’ve been looking for translucent, durable items that show internal processes.

Whether you’re drinking stuff, storing food or smoking stuff, you’d like to see what’s going on in the container. This added level of transparency gives viewers some level of control.

You don’t feel that you are simply rolling the dice when you tip a vase to release some fluid. When you are looking at a glass container, you get to see whatever it is you’re about to receive. In other words, what you see is what you get.

This is a very empowering impression, and it’s no surprise that when people smoke a wide variety of substances from glass pipes, they reconnect with this sense of ownership, awareness and control. This all makes for the unique appeal of glass.

It doesn’t matter how thin the material is, it doesn’t matter how old the glass is, it doesn’t matter whether these glass pipes are made of simple designs or use convoluted, curlicues or almost baroque details. When people use glass instruments, all sorts of value signals flash to mind. In fact, you have to essentially stop yourself in your tracks to become fully aware of the wide range of value signals you are perceiving.

Now, let me clue you in on a simple fact. A lot of these are not actually signals being sent by the glass pipes you are checking out. Whether you’re smoking on them or thinking of buying them, they’re not actively sending out these signals. Nine times out of ten, you are just reading these into the glass pipes you are handling or inspecting.

Keep this in mind. This is somehow cultural, but a lot of it is also historical.

So what kind of signals do glass pipes tend to send out?

Sterility

When was the last time you put your lips around something that was filthy, dirty and smelled nasty? Chances are, you would be embarrassed to name that time. It’s probably a time where you were not thinking clearly.

Maybe you were under the influence of alcohol. Maybe you were in a rush. But nine times of ten, when people are given a choice between putting their lips on a pipe that is squeaky clean and a pipe that is filthy and smelly, most people would prefer a clean smoking implement.

The funny thing about glass pipes is that even though they may be smelly and filthy, the fact that they are made out of glass gives them the impression of sterility. It feels like you’re handling something that came out of some sort of lab or hospital setting.

Again, this is all psychological. These are all signals that you read into the object, but these are powerful signals nonetheless.

Clinical Detail

When you’re looking at a glass pipe, especially ones that have very thin walls and of thin construction, you can’t help but associate that specially designed smoking implement with some sort of hospital setting or at least some sort of lab. The idea of clinical detail and clinical meticulous design is very comforting.

Which would you rather smoke substances from, a glass pipe that looks like it came straight out of a lab, or some smelly piece of wood that’s roughly carved or, worse yet, a piece of plastic whose origin you don’t know? This is a no-brainer because it all leads back to this idea of sterility.

Easy Clean Up

Glass is one of the easiest surfaces to clean up. This doesn’t need any further explanation. Easy clean up is a big factor when it comes to smoking implements because, hey, let’s face it, resins pile up. It doesn’t matter what kind of substance you are smoking, even if you are smoking plain old tobacco, tar can be a hassle to clean up.

Wide Array of Designs

Glass pipes come in a wide array of designs. It’s as if they were mutating every year. You can’t quite put your finger on them because they change in a wide number of ways. I’m not just talking about dramatic changes here, even the incremental changes are worth writing home about.

In other words, they’re fun. They’re never boring. You can keep buying collections of glass pipes and quickly run out of space because there’s enough design variation out there. This is due to the fact that glass is very easy to shape. It’s one of the most flexible and versatile materials used to make a wide variety of smoking implements.

Size Versatility

If you’re going out to a concert and you’re trying to sneak in stuff to smoke, you better bring a pipe that is very easy to hide. Size versatility is one of the best qualities pipes made out of glass bring to the table. You can go to any kind of social setting and enjoy yourself a nice smoke of tobacco or other substances without having to worry about drawing unwelcome attention from the authorities.

Surprising Durability

Given the tremendous versatility and flexibility of glass pipes, it really is quite mind boggling how durable modern glass is. Now, keep in mind that there are lots of pipes made out of glass that are very, very thin, very light, and extremely compact. Despite all those features, however, they can take quite a bit of punishment. Talk about surprisingly durable.

Amazing Weight Properties

Personally, one of the best selling points of pipes made out of glass is their ability to come in a large enough size without weighing you down. This enables you to enjoy pipes that are very easy to hide and have a compact form, while at the same doesn’t weigh down your backpack or your pocket. You don’t want to feel like you are walking around with several pounds of potatoes in your pants pocket.

Keep the tips above in mind when trying to wrap your mind around why glass pipes are so awesome. They are definitely popular. This popularity is due partially to the reasons listed above. There are many other reasons out there, but the ones listed above should give you enough of an idea as to why these types of pipes are not going to go away any time soon.

The post What Makes Glass Pipes So Awesome? appeared first on Novelty Pipes.

Metal pipes go in and out of fashion. You probably already know this. In fact, they go in and out of fashion as frequently as hairstyles.

You probably thought you were rocking an awesome Justin Bieber do 10 years ago, only to start seeing people sporting beards and shaving large chunks of their hair. You would not want to be stuck with a Justin Bieber mop top hairdo precisely at the point in time where people started sporting mohawks or, worse yet, man buns.

I raise this fairly humorous example to highlight the fact that fashions do go in and out. In fact, depending on what you’re looking at, it seems that fashion flashes in and out of existence very rapidly.

Now, metal pipes have always been susceptible to changing fashions and tastes. The good news with metal pipes is that you don’t have to wait long for them to get back in fashion.

There’s something about them that people can’t seem to shake off. There’s a distinct set of qualities that they bring to the table that people prefer. This is why metal pipes, for whatever failings they may bring, will never completely exit the scene.

You can bet, just like the Terminator 2 robot, that regardless of how many people laugh at metal pipes or dismiss them altogether, they will come back. And better yet, they come back stronger, faster and with better shapes and designs.

Why Shop for Metal Pipes

So what is it exactly about metal pipes that make them particularly vulnerable to going in and out of fashion? Why do people, in equal measures, get excited about them and then turn around and dump them?

Is there something about their design? Is there something about their construction? Is there something about the components that they are made of that trigger this type of fashion wishy-washy thinking?

Well, it’s anybody’s guess. But if I were to bet money on it, it’s probably going to be either one of the following three factors, or a combination of all of them.

First, metal pipes, regardless of how well they’re designed, have a certain industrial look. Either they came out of some sort of jeweler’s workshop or they came out of a machine shop. Whatever the case may be, they look like they were machined.

Now, generally speaking, this is not a liability, but given the heavy emphasis on customization, environmentally-friendly designs, and “back to nature” design ethics, it’s easy to see why products that have a distinct industrial look that they can’t seem to shake off become vulnerable to the passing whims of fashion.

Another thing to consider is the high tech polished design of most pipes. Now, of course, there’s a tremendous amount of variation here. There are pipes that are made out of bronze and they have this classic look. Some even look like antiques with green exposed copper parts.

Still, regardless of what shape they’re in, there is a high tech polished design element there. This is hard to shake off. Again, this can make pipes very popular, but it can also just as quickly put them out of fashion.

Finally, metal pipes, in a large part, and I’m not talking about across the board here, have this spare and minimalist look to them. There’s something beautiful about minimalism. There’s something profoundly attractive about designs that don’t try to prove themselves.

They’re not out to make a statement. They’re not out to say things or project things that are beyond their capacity. They’re not trying to be something they’re not.

Now, this sounds awesome on paper, but let’s face it, there are certain times in a decade, and sometimes even within a single year, where people are looking for extra. People are looking for fantasy. People are looking for designs that are out to prove something. And when that happens, minimalist and spartan designs fall by the wayside.

Keep this in Mind When Buying Metal Pipes

Now that you have a clear idea of the consumer realities behind metal pipe’s varying popularity throughout the years, focus on the following items so you can increase the likelihood that you would make a truly informed decision.

This increases the chances that you are going to hang on to your metal pipe for the long haul. Regardless of whatever is in fashion, you are going to hang on to it and keep smoking whatever substances you put into it and have yourself a grand old time.

Weight

When buying metal pipes, pay attention to it. Now, it may seem like you’re buying an item that weighs a few grams at most, but believe me, if you buy something that’s heavy enough, it’s going to feel like a chore lugging that thing around. Sure, it’s very small and compact and has a small form factor, but you would not really want to carry something heavy in your pants or your purse. You already have other stuff there.

Resin Resistance

Another key element to look for when buying metal pipes involves their treatment of resin. As much as possible, look for a pipe that has a metallic surface that is hard for resin to stick to. Here’s a hint: the more pits or grooves appear on a metal surface, the higher the chance that resin or any other foreign material will stick to that surface.

Easy Disassembly

If you want to clean your pipe, you have to be able to get to hard to reach areas very quickly. It’s very difficult to do this if you have a pipe that is a unibody construction or isn’t disassembled at all.

Even if you buy a model that can theoretically be disassembled, you need to insist on easy disassembly, otherwise, it’s going to be too much of a hassle to clean. Given enough time, you end up with a very stinky pipe that you just have to get rid of if you don’t want to draw unnecessary attention from the authorities.

Non-Metallic Smoke “Taste”

One common problem smoking aficionados have with metal pipes is that at some point in time, the taste that you get when you draw from these pipes has a metallic aftertaste. It may be in your mind, but keep in mind that there is some objective taste out there that triggers that mental association. If you have an issue with chemical-tasting smoke or metallic-tasting smoke, you might want to experiment with many different metal pipes until you get to the right model.

Compact Form

Make no mistake about it, you probably are going to be smoking at a wide variety of outdoor functions. If that’s the case, then you need to be able to carry around your metal pipe in a very discreet way. Insist on a compact form.

Proper Insulation

When was the last time you put your lips on a metal pipe and ended up burning yourself? Chances are, it’s happened more frequently that you’d like. This is due, of course, to bad design. In particular, improper insulation. Look for proper insulation and you can kiss this problem goodbye.

Easy Clean Up

This really is joined at the hip with easy disassembly. If the pipe that you are using is made out of metal and can be easily unscrewed and pulled apart, chances are, it’s also easy to clean up. This then leads to less resin smell and boosts the overall discreet nature of your smoking implement.

Even Lighting

There’s nothing more annoying than lighting a metal pipe that is red-hot in one part of the bow and ice-cold everywhere else. This means that you are going to be puffing and puffing for a long time and burning a lot of fuel. Also, it may make you more vulnerable to authorities that are looking for people smoking from small, discreet pipes. Do you see where I’m going with this? Good.

Proper Thickness

As much as possible, look for metal pipes that are thick enough. You want metal pipes that have some sort of impression. Metal thickness can definitely go a long way in helping you make the right impression, especially if you’re smoking with total strangers or people you’d like to impress.

The post This is the Only Metal Pipes Buying Guide You’ll Ever Need appeared first on Novelty Pipes.

Lipstick pipes are getting quite popular nowadays. With states like Washington, Colorado and California legalizing the use of recreational marijuana, more and more people are discovering the distinct charms and joys of a lipstick pipe.

There is nothing like watching a concert, listening to some great live reggae, and whipping out a lipstick pipe to enjoy some all-organic herbal goodness from Mother Earth.

The problem is, if you are smoking something that you may be legally entitled to but is still viewed with suspicion in certain circles, you want to be as discreet about it as possible. You have to employ a tremendous amount of stealth.

Again, this really doesn’t have anything to do with legality. It instead has more to do with people’s expectations as well as local customs and traditions in your area. If that’s the case, then you need to smoke in stealth so you will be able to smoke whenever you want and wherever you want. A little bit of stealth can definitely go a long way.

If you are using a piece of smoking equipment that looks like everyday items that you normally store in a bag, a backpack or fanny pack, you are in a good shape. But if you whip out something that is obvious or screams out to the world, “Hey, I’m a pipe and I’m smoking something I shouldn’t be smoking,” you might end up in all sorts of sticky situations.

Again, it may be legal in your jurisdiction, but if you attract unwanted attention, it can lead to all sorts of nasty drama. Who needs any of that? So do yourself a big favor, invest in smoking equipment that is hard to spot. A lipstick pipe, at least ideally, should fit the bill.

Unfortunately, this is not automatic. A lipstick pipe product can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. There are many different design parameters. There are many design considerations that manufacturers use when putting together their product, and this might lead to substandard or fairly obvious smoking equipment.

Sure, a product may be described or promoted as a “lipstick pipe,” but it might not be up to the job. It might not look like one, or it might not smoke like one. It might be too heavy, or there might be all sorts of problems.

Unfortunately, if you were just going to buy based on product description, then you might stand a chance of wasting your money. Believe me, it’s a headache filing for a refund or sending stuff back through the mail.

You don’t want to go through all that unnecessary hassle, so do yourself a big favor and pay attention to the following considerations. By going through these steps, you can rest assured that you would maximize your peace of mind when buying this type of product.

A Lipstick Pipe Can Be Your Ticket to a Stealth Smoke

If you need to smoke in a stealthy or in a hidden way, listen up. A lipstick pipe, theoretically, can do the job, but it must live up to its billing. That’s right. It must look, feel, operate and smell like a lipstick pipe. How do you know? Well, pay attention to the following.

First, it has to be small enough. Lipstick cases are very small. Accordingly, a pipe that is supposed to look like one has to be as small or slightly smaller. If it doesn’t look like a lipstick case, then you shouldn’t buy that product.

Next, it has to be light. You don’t want a nasty, heavy hunk of metal in your backpack or any other kind of carrying container. You don’t want it to weigh down your pants or weigh down your pocket or bag.

It also has to be compact. Usually, if you insist that the product look exactly like a lipstick case, then this should not be a problem, but a lot of people overlook this. It also has to be hard to spot. In other words, if I lay out lipstick cases and a lipstick pipe right in the middle of the cases, you should not be able to tell these items apart.

Finally, the item must be really easy to disassemble. Why is this a big deal? Well, you don’t want the smell of your pipe to give it away. If you buy a product that is hard to pull apart, you probably will get lazy because you know that it’s too much of a hassle to clean it, so you clean it less frequently and the smell begins to build up.

Well, it only takes one wrong move for you to find yourself in hot legal water because whatever legal authority was able to smell your pipe. Your pipe may look like a lipstick case, but it doesn’t matter. They smelled it, they requested you to open it and, lo and behold, they see the stuff that you’re not supposed to be smoking.

Pay attention to the following selection criteria so you can make sure that you end up with the very best product for your needs.

First of all, it has to have some sort of smell dampening feature. This can be a clean, easy to wipe down surface. This can also involve a chamber that is fairly insulated or fairly contained so the smell doesn’t get out.

Second, it must have quick heat diffusion. One of the worst ways to find out that you bought the wrong lipstick pipe is when you have to quickly hide it in your pants, only to burn yourself.

Heat diffusion is crucial because you’re heating a certain part of the pipe. You don’t want the whole pipe to heat up. You also don’t want the heated part to remain red hot for a long period of time. By maximizing heat diffusion, the pipe cools down fairly quickly so you can hide it or move it or do whatever you want with it without the risk of injuring yourself.

One crucial factor that you need to keep a laser focus on is the drawing power of the pipe. Now, a lot of manufacturers put such heavy emphasis on stealth that they lose sight of the core function of a pipe. You buy pipes because you want to smoke tobacco or any other organic material. That’s the bottom line.

And unfortunately, if you buy something that puts too much emphasis on stealth, you can bet that its drawing power tends to suffer. You huff and puff and you end up putting a lot of stress on your lungs only to get very minimal smoke. Talk about disappointing.

You’re looking for a buzz. You’re looking for a quick high. And unfortunately, the more you puff on something, the more you give yourself away. At the very least, it would make you look ridiculous because people are saying, “why is this person puffing on a lipstick case?”

Pay attention to its light weight, make sure that it comes in a compact size and, most importantly, insist that it be very easy to clean. If you lose sight of any of these, then you might end up with a worthless product. Seriously. Even if you try to use it, you end up risking arrest or embarrassment. So do yourself a big favor and pay close attention to the selection criteria I outlined above.

The post How Practical is a Lipstick Pipe? appeared first on Novelty Pipes.

If you’re buying or selling stuff that require accurate weighing, it can make for a very touchy situation. You may end up drawing unwanted attention.

You wouldn’t want to carry a full-sized scale in your backpack or, worse yet, in your satchel or purse. They’re too big, bulky, and oh so obvious.

Let’s face it, weighing stuff in public, especially when it comes to green organic plant materials that have been dried and usually smoked can lead you to all sorts of legal trouble. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to figure this out.

Accordingly, the market for stealth scales have developed. These amazing products look like a pack of cigarettes. In fact, a lot of them are disguised to look like your typical Marlboro or Camel box of smokes. They’re almost indistinguishable.

Whether we’re looking at the brand design, the coloring or the shape, they look like a pack of smokes. But when you flip them open, you see the digital LED readout on one end, and the weighing surface on the other.

These are a work of art. In fact, a lot of the latest product lines are quickly evolving to even smaller, thinner and sleeker forms. We’ve definitely gone a long way in improving stealth scales. It’s easy to see why. After all, what hangs on the balance is your possible freedom.

If you are in any way, shape or form buying or selling any kind of illicit materials, you want to do it quickly, but you don’t want to get ripped off by the person buying or selling from you.

Unfortunately, if you are going to be using a typical old school, bulky, oversized and heavy scale, don’t be surprised if you catch unwanted attention from authorities. These authorities can range from your boss, security guards, police, administrative officials, school administrators, you name it. Why hassle with all that unnecessary drama?

You need stealth scales. You need something that you can quickly unpack, use, and just as quickly put away. Most importantly, you need something that would be like other stuff that people normally carry around with them.

People normally carry around cigarette packs. People normally carry around makeup kits. Whatever your particular situation may be, if you are in the market for stealth scales, you have to pick a product that has a chameleon-like ability to look just like every other thing in your backpack, purse, bag or the stuff that you put in your pockets.

Now, with that out of the way, we have to quickly deal with the other issues that people usually run into when buying stealth scales. It’s too easy to overspend. Let’s just get that out of the way.

Since there are lots of products out there that do a good job passing themselves off as other everyday items, it’s easy to get taken in by this chameleon-like feature. You might be thinking that it’s perfectly okay to spend a lot of money for such camouflage abilities, but it turns out that you probably are overpaying.

You also might end up in a situation where you’re buying something that has so many bells and whistles that you rarely use. That’s right. It’s too easy to buy something that you don’t really need.

Again, you’re trying to walk a tightrope here. You’re trying to draw a delicate balance between maximizing stealth on the one end, and maximizing the value of every hard earned red cent you’re going to be spending on stealth scales.

How do you make the right call? How do you come up with an informed decision so you don’t regret spending all that money and ending up with very little to show for it?

Well, it’s actually pretty straightforward. The first thing that you need to do is to figure out your needs. I’m talking about your needs, not your friends’ needs or the needs of people recommending all sorts of products to you. I’m talking about your particular set of circumstances because ultimately, that’s the only thing that would matter.

There is no right or wrong answer here except for the answer that makes sense to you. So ask yourself, what do you need it for? Do you move a lot of materials? Do you buy a lot of stuff or do you sell a lot of stuff? If that’s the case, then you need to make sure that you buy heavy-duty stealth scales that can withstand quite a bit of punishment.

Believe me, unpacking something and then packing it is not a problem if you are a casual user. But if you’re going to be using it every single day or you go through many different transactions in a short period of time, you have to make sure that, at the very least, the hinges as well as the weighing mechanisms of the gadget that you’re buying can withstand such heavy usage.

Another thing that you should focus on is ease of movement. How mobile do you need it to be? Do you normally weigh stuff in an enclosed space? If that’s the case, then you can stand to let go of a little bit of mobility.

However, if you are weighing stuff on the go, and you’re going from one room to another or from one place to another, then you need something that is very small, light, compact and easy to carry around. This should give you the overall context of your selection.

To break things down into more minute details, pay attention to the following.

The Right Size

Look at the typical situation where you have to use a scale. How quickly do you want to use the scale? How important is accuracy to you? How fast do you need to move the scale around? These questions all impact its size and dimensions.

If you are dealing with a fairly regular and static and predictable situation, you can afford to work with a larger scale. But if you’re going to be moving around all over the place and weighing fairly small stuff, then you need something that has a small, tight and compact form. Closely related to this criteria is the right weight.

The Right Weight

It’s important to make sure that if you are going to be mobile, you need stealth scales that can maintain your mobility. You want to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible, and carrying a very heavy piece of metal in your pocket, purse, bag or whatever, can weigh you down.

The Most Indispensable Factor

Now, having the right size and the right weight are important, but you also have to pay attention to the product’s ability to do its job properly. It should be able to give you clear and accurate readings. If it breaks up very easily or if it malfunctions from time to time, it’s completely worthless to you. You can stand to lose quite a bit of money.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a buyer or a seller, you’re not going to get maximum value from the product. It’s just not going to happen. You need clear, accurate readings from stealth scales or they are completely useless to you.

Miscellaneous Concerns

Don’t let the title of this subheading fool you. By miscellaneous, I’m talking about other stuff that doesn’t involve size, weight or accuracy, but are still important nonetheless.

You need stealth scales that are easy to clean up. If residue ever accumulates on the weighing surface, you can bet that it’s only a matter of time until you attract unwanted attention. While the product that you bought may do a good job keeping itself hidden due to its small, compact form, its smell can give itself away.

It also must be easy to disguise. Thankfully, there are lots of stealth scales out there that are already designed to look like makeup kits, cigarette boxes or packs, and other everyday items. Pay attention to the details of the product. Make sure that you can say to yourself that this thing looks exactly like some other thing. If not, keep looking.

Finally, it must be easy to store away. You need a product that you can quickly pack up, unpack, and pack up again. You need a product that you can move quickly from Point A to Point B. It also must be able to store well with other stuff that you normally put in your bag, backpack or pocket.

The post How to Get the Best Deal on Stealth Scales appeared first on Novelty Pipes.