Does imported glass smokeware present a danger? When someone says, “Dude, that first pull was rough,” it may be due to the fact that they’re using drill-outs, which are typical of import pipes. US Customs considers any tobacco accessory with more than two holes to be paraphernalia—it falls into the category of contraband, allowing the cargo to be seized and destroyed. To avoid seizure, importers “sink” the bowl but do not blow a bowl hole, leaving the piece with two holes—a mouthpiece and a carb. String is then passed through the two holes on pipes and one-hitters to give credence to the falsified manifest, which describes the contraband cargo as a necklace or some kind of glass handicraft. Later, the bowl hole is drilled out, which severely weakens the pipe at precisely the point that it needs to be at its strongest, due to the constant heating and cooling of the bowl, which causes its expansion and contraction. Drilling ruins pipe strength and leaves glass shards and powder for the user to inhale. The shards and powder, similar to asbestos, cause silicosis—a permanent and debilitating disease similar to mesothelioma. But don’t call your injury lawyer: Unlike a domestic company, importers disappear into thin air as soon as the container is empty High Times > THROUGH THE SMOKING GLASS Also something to think about are the metal oxides used to make color in glass pipes. Glass Pigments Compounds Colors iron oxides greens, browns manganese oxides deep amber, amethyst, decolorizer cobalt oxide deep blue gold chloride ruby red selenium compounds reds carbon oxides amber/brown mix of mangnese, cobalt, iron black antimony oxides white uranium oxides yellow green (glows!) sulfur compounds amber/brown copper compounds light blue, red tin compounds white lead with antimony yellow
I've heard a lot about this, but I've never actually seen a drilled out piece. What I don't get, is if you had to drill a hole in the piece, then wouldn't it make sense to just drill out the carb?
Oh yeah... you've seen drilled out pieces... you just didn't recognize them. The majority of pipes you've seen are imported... and that's probably true for everyone who doesn't work in an American glass shop.
well i dont think that most people purposely but drilled pipes, they prob go oh a cheap pipe ill buy it most of the time theydont know its drilled
judging from your other posts it seems you have a grudge against glass. dont buy china glass and you're good.
It really is just that easy. Not all China glass is dangerous... but no American artists use dangerous techniques like this one.
thats why you clean your pipe out prior to your first use. kinda like how you clean a plastic bowl out or wash some silverware before you use it the first time.
Better read again the heat causes cracks that release shards. Expansion only happens with heat. Tiny trapped particles are released with Expansion. You cant wash that out sorry wont work. This would go for any fractured pipe even if you can't see it. Every time you have expansion and contraction tiny new particles are created.
There's more to the dangers of Chinese and Indian import glass than glass dust from drilling. The pieces are often also poorly annealed... meaning they could shatter from the slightest touch... or no touch at all... even while you are hitting them. They also sometimes feature dangerous paint coverings. Top that off with the fact that they're cheaply made and then marked up astronomically. You may think you're getting a great deal because of the low price.... but you're getting more value if you choose to go American. For a comparable or slightly higher price, you get a higher proportion of value that exceeds the mere difference in price.
I'd love to go 100% US (or other quality glass form other countries) but some people are poor haha. My glass dry pipe cost me $9 at my local smoke shop, but its thick as hell and from what i can tell with a magnifying glass, the bowl hole hasnt cracked at all. Not saying that my outcome is gonna be the same for everyone else. Just throwing in my experience with imported glass.
That's good to hear. I had a prodo bowl that I loved for a long time until I lost it at the Riot Punch party I threw the day after christmas. I thought for the longest time that it was American but started to have doubts based on the size of the choke, heavy fuming and simple color scheme. There is a pretty good chance that it wasn't American but it was a quality bowl nonetheless. I have exacting standards and spent literally an hour examining each bowl in the shop to pick the one I did. So by no means do I intend to say that all import glass is dangerous crap. I do intend to say that no American artists attempt to cut corners in quite the way that some import producers do and buying American supports innovative, functional glass art and the American artists behind it. All the best and most innovative glass is American or German simply because the demand for it is here. The industry exists here and only exists elsewhere in support of the scene here.
this ^ i wash every piece out with iso alch and salt and really clean them up, then wash em out with water before i smoke throught em
Damn that sucks about losing your bowl. But when im picking out a piece i do similar things as you. I was once in my smoke shop for about 2 hours lookin at which Prodo GonG i wanted. Ended up picking the one thats in my pickup thread in my sig (check it out if you want) The base is paper thin, but i am extremely careful with all of my glass so im confident that i wont break it. on top of that, it only cost me $16 out the door. Yeah i know what you mean about American artists not cutting corners, i've watched a couple of videos of some glassblowers.....well....blowing glass. They really take their time and make sure everything is square (or circle ) before calling it finished.