What is a Bong Bowl
Bong Bowls
A bong bowl is an often overlooked accessory for the bong, but it is arguably one of the most important pieces. After all, the thing that actually holds the herb deserves quite a bit of credit. The bong bowl, usually just called a bowl if the appropriate context is given, is also referred to as a slide piece, bud bowl, weed socket and more. A bong bowl is shaped in the form of a funnel, with the bowl as the widest part and the piece that slides into the stem as the smaller end. The bowl sits on top of the stem of the bong and can come in several different sizes. The bowl piece is not necessarily universal, but they are extremely versatile nevertheless. One bowl can fit the stem of many different bongs, making them conveniently transferable to other cool bongs.
How to use a Bong Bowl
Packing a bowl is a super simple process. The bowl sits on the stem near the base of the bong. Because the bowl is shaped with an elongated stem end, it is considered the male piece. The stem on the interior that leads into the water, is considered the female piece. The male end will slide easily into the female end and sit nicely. Pack your herb right into the bowl while it’s sitting in the stem. Some people choose to pull the herb apart with their fingers, but grinding your herb beforehand will give it a nice, even burn. Once the herb is packed, grab a lighter and you’re ready to go. As you light the bowl, breath into the mouthpiece, pulling the smoke up the stem and into your lungs. There is no carb, so as soon as you have inhaled the smoke, pull the bowl out of the female end to clear the bong. You can immediately reinsert the bowl and be ready for your next hit. It’s important to be sure the bowl is airtight and the stem is clear so that you can get a quality and effortless pull.
Bowl Variations
If you are in the market to purchase a new bong bowl, you are not at all limited in your options.
There is a huge variety in options for bowl choices. They come in different sizes, allowing more or less herb to fit inside. Bowls typically range anywhere from 10mm to 30mm, though the majority end up around 18mm or so. Keep in mind that the deeper the bowl, the more herb you can fit inside.
1. Glass bong bowl
Glass bowls are amongst the most popular styles on the market. Glass bowls can be designed simply or intrinsically and in all different colors, depending on what you prefer. When purchasing a glass bowl, the thickness of the glass should be a factor you look into. Oftentimes, cheaper glass bowls will have thinner glass and can be cracked much more easily than bowls made from thicker glass. You can purchase quality, hand blown glass bowls at nyvapeshop.com.
2. Dab bowl
Now dab bongs aka dab rigs are, of course, for smoking in a concentrated form, such as oil, wax, etc. So these bowls are quite a bit different than your typical dry herb bong bowl, and they are not exactly bowls. In fact, they’re usually referred to as Domeless Nails instead of bowls and they have a pretty unique function. Note that nails can be used for both bongs and dab rigs. Nails are more expensive and, on a dab rig, used by resting in the dab rig’s glass joint. Instead of lighting the herb inside the bowl (like with dry herb), nails are heated to a high temperature either electronically or via a blow torch before the concentrate is placed into it. After the concentrate is added into the nail, it is vaporized and can then be inhaled. This is also known as dabbing.
3. Gravity bong bowl
Typically gravity bowls are homemade (which we’ll get to later), but they can also be purchased. Gravity bowls, if purchased, are typically made from a nice, solid aluminium steel material. They are very durable and sit right inside the opening of a plastic bottle.
4. Metal bong bowls
Metal bong bowls aren’t super popular styles of bowls, but available nevertheless. Metal bowls can be extremely cheap - much cheaper than even a simple glass bowl. A benefit of metal bowls over glass is simply their higher durability and ability to essentially last forever, however they will need to be cleaned periodically as do all.
5. Unique bong bowls
There are many other types of bowls than the ones listed above. Some of our favorites because of their uniqueness are electric bowls and downright high end heady bowls. The highest end of glass bongs can be in the upwards of $10k and $20k and their bowls can range anywhere around $1200. These glass bowls are made up of the most intricately designed and handblown glass. The functionality of these embellished and carefully-crafted glass works are not usually to par. These works are usually purchased by collectors and not usually stoners looking for a smoke. Electric nails, termed e nails, are a new and fun way to dab. These are usually battery powered and can heat up enough to get a proper vape in just a few seconds! E nails can be all sorts of different metal materials and can be very cheap!
Cleaning a bong bowl
The process of cleaning a bong bowl is so much easier than cleaning out the actual bong itself. The bowl’s typically aren’t that deep, so they’re usually hassle free. The only difficult part is cleaning out the long part that fits into the stem. To clean out the bowl itself, you’ll need some rubbing alcohol and water. You can use a cotton ball or Q-tip if you like, but paper towels work just the same. Pour the water and/or alcohol into the bowl and wipe out the excess resin. Salt can also help scrub the bowl because of its abrasive nature. To get into the hard to reach elongated part of the bowl, pipe cleaners work really well- just slide them in and floss the junk out.
How to make a homemade bong bowl
One of the most popular styles of homemade bongs are gravity bongs, which are made from plastic bottles. If you use a homemade gravity bong, you’re going to need to make a gravity bong bowl as well. You can, as mentioned previously, buy a gravity bong bowl. But where’s the fun in that? Whether you’re cheap or just into DIY project, creating your own gravity bong bowl is just about as easy as it can be. Here are the steps to create your own bowl out of aluminum foil. (Note that there are other DIY ways to make a bowl, this just seems to be the cheapest and easiest)
Items you will need: Aluminum foil, toothpicks, and your gravity bong for measurement
Step 1
Tear a piece of aluminum foil with a width of about 3 inches. Fold the aluminum in half so that the foil is two sheets thick.
Step 2
With the square of aluminum, place your thumb in the middles and fold the aluminum around it, creating a bowl shape.
Step 3
With the aluminum still on your thumb, slide your thumb into the opening of the bottle. Push your thumb in as far as it will go (don’t force your thumb in, just go as far as it will easily go. This will be deep enough).
Step 4
Fold the loose edges of the aluminum over the edge of the bottle. In a gravity bowl, you’ll need to be able to twist the bowl off to take the hit, so if you want to be able to take the bowl on and off be sure to fold the foil so that you can twist or slide it off later.
Step 5
Next, take your toothpick and poke 5 holes in the bowl of the aluminum. Poking holes in the places of the five side of a die are most common in this technique, though it won’t make much difference either way.
There you have it! A simple, cheap, and quick homemade bowl for your gravity bong! Bong bowls are a vital part of the functionality of a bong. Your options are endless with the variety that’s out there. Check out nyvapeshop.com to see some of your options!