Hey GC: So, I am going to be purchasing my first legitimate glass bong over the summer. (I have had around 3 acrylic and 4 ceramic bongs, and have hit numerous glass bongs so I'm not too naive). I plan on spending around $150, hopefully no more than $200. As of right now, I am split between these two options: 1. Buying a pretty standard (probably 3.2mm) RooR with an icecatcher, but nothing special beyond that (besides the fact that it's a RooR) 2. Buying a nice, locally blown, or just a less expensive brand than RooR, glass bong with a percolater/icecatcher. I have only hit a RooR once, but it was amazing and I know that RooR glass is pretty much the best of the best. The only problem is, I would also love to have a bong with a percolater and cannot afford a RooR with a percolater. What do you guys suggest???? Thanks for your help
If you can, I would save up a little more cash and get a better quality ROOR. I wouldn't get any tubes with thicknesses below 5mm. 3.2mm thickness would not be enough for me, but it's your bong, not mine. If that isn't an option, I would look into maybe getting a nice bubbler. My Kind Creations inline ash catcher can be used as a bubbler if you get the mouth piece for it. It is similar to a bong in that it uses the slide method for clearing. If you get a ROOR carbon filter for the bubbler, it will give the smoothest rips ever. My KC inline bubbler probably has the best balance between size and function of any piece I own or know of. ROORs are indeed, very nice tubes. That is my opinion.
Thanks a lot dude. I guess I'm not really sure the relative thickness of the glass... I mean is 3.2mm very thin? I wouldn't expect a company like RooR to sell glass that would break very easily? But also, I see your point. It seems like even if I get a straight tube RooR, I could upgrade it later on with ashcatchers, etc.
3.2 is relatively thin... ROOR makes all the way up to 7 mm thick, which is pretty solid. Hell, Illadelph makes tubes that are even 9 mm...
I don't really have any desire for a Roor, I don't see the point. Everyone claims they hit so incredible, but I don't see how better quality glass would really affect the hit when you're just using a straight tube. What would Roor do that other, cheaper companies don't, that not only improves quality of the glass but also the quality of the hit? I don't buy into the hype, most of it is probably just the placebo effect...so rather than getting a "name brand" I opted to get a cheaper, dual perc piece for only $150. It's obviously nowhere near Roor quality, but it hits hard as fuck while still being smooth, so I'm happy with it
I was recently just in your situation and i ended up taking a trip to a couple different headshops around town. I ended up getting a very nice Blue Dot that has a perc and ice chamber. I ended up talking the guy into changing out the downstem into a diffused one and then bought a nice A/C to go with it. It hits beautifully and it ended up only being $125 for the tube and then $25 for the A/C. Here are some pics of it. So i guess to sum up i would just take a trip to your LHS and see what you can find. Good luck!
I have a 3.2 roor minimaster straight tube a notches Im not a fuck head like some people on here, if your not a butter finger and actually take care of your shit you'll be fine. Im gonna go ahead and say that those knockin 3.2s dont even own one
You could buy a 5mm US TUBES with an amazing beastly joint, and obviously 5mm glass for under 200! Or if your willing to go 220 or 230 you could get 7mm US Tubes. I would much prefer that over a roor. Thats my 2 cents.
I was in the same predicament a while ago, and ended up buying a local piece. Not sure on the thickness, but it's definately durable. It has taken quite a few bashes without shattering, and it feels really think at the mouthpiece. The brand was VP, but it came with an ashcatcher, diffuser downstem, and percolater for $130. Here's a pic: It all really depends on how much you believe in brand names... But in reality they are all "brand names" like my VP, but some just don't have all the exposure that RooRs have gotten.
ive hit many bongs, and to this day the best ive hit was my friends 5mm black label roor. its not too big and has a beaker bottom. no perculators, no ashcatcher, just an 18mm diffuser downstem. and let me tell you, this bong hits smoother and harder than any other bong. smooth because there is NO drag, you barely have to inhale to fill up the tube. hard because, well... you get a massive milk yellow hit. since you barely have to inhale to get a big hit... most people who have hit it get a much larger hit then expected, thus getting them way higher then expected the the lack of perculators/ashcatcher and the addition of a diffuser stem makes for 0 drag. the problem ive seen with percd bongs is that i just dont feel like im gettin a lot of smoke. all the drag and all the filtering... eh i just prefer no percs