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The Evolution Of Smoking Accessories: Hand Pipes

Smoking pipes

Smoking Accessories, Evolved 

Smoking out of pipes has long been the favorite way for many people to smoke tobacco and herbs. Dating back centuries, bamboo and other types of wood were used to create simple yet functional pipes. 

Pipe smoking traditions date back to Native American cultures, where tribes generally smoked herbs during ceremonies and festivals. These festivals celebrated the turning of the seasons, birth of new members, or the culmination of a healthy harvest.

By the mid 1600s, pipe smoking became very fashionable among European men. In the medical industry, many illnesses were treated through different herbs. These herbs were typically smoked out of hand pipes.  This was the first time the phrase "smoke bowls" was used as these pipes were designed with a bowl. 

Africans have had a long tradition of smoking hemp in gourd pipes By 1884 the King of the Baluka tribe of the Congo had established a hemp-smoking cult in place of fetish-worship. Enormous curved wooden pipes were used by the entire tribe. These were their smoking accessories. 

Fast forward and some time amid the 1960's,  glass was utilized to craft mind opening hand pipes and bongs. The smoking accessories evolved, and artistic talents were brought into play. Artists from all over the world began producing glass smoking accessories with variations of their own. 

Since the 60's, glass smoking innovation has made many advancements from filtration systems to the overall difficulty of different glass pieces. Smoking gadgets can be altered with diffused down stems, filtration systems, and ash catchers. Present day trends with functional glass incorporate very intricate and complex percolators that require a artists hand to create.

Next generation modern smoking pipes are now being made using many different materials that are safe to smoke with like wood, anodized aluminum, steel, glass, and titanium.  These accessories are less artistic but can be more functional. Anodized aluminum, steel, and titanium are virtually indestructible and last much longer than a glass piece. 

Products in this article:

Path Pipe

$85 $90
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