Hey guys I don't usually post, I mostly just lurk around the website looking at everyone's threads. I have a question though. How do you tell if a regular glass pipe is better than another one? How do you tell which glass is better than the other? I've bought a few pieces before but honestly I can never tell if the glass I bought was worth the amount of money I spent. Would really appreciate a answer + some tips on how I could see if a piece is worth buying. Stay elevated fellow stoners
This probably won't be all that helpful...but I don't know as there is really an answer to your question. I'd tend to say that it's all up to you. If you feel that you got your money's worth, then they're fine. Unless you've noticed some flaw or shortcoming with any of them.
When I am buying a piece, I feel how thick the glass is of course. Then I set it down and see how sturdy it sits, nothing sucks worse than a bowl that likes to roll all over the place. Also you can't touch your lips to the bowl so I just look at the carb & bowl hole and see if they are big enough or super small like a toothpick diameter which would suck.
You can usually find a quality glass pipe for between $10-$20. My last pipe was $20 and I dropped on the a tile floor several times before it broke (I'm a bit clumsy because I tend to drink after I puff). I ended up using super glue to put it back together and it still works fine. You can also get a nice 12" plastic bong for around $10.
feel the weight in your hand, it should feel heavy and the glass should be thick. then look at the carb, mouthpiece & the hole in the bowl itself, i prefer large-ish carb and mouthpiece holes and a slightly smaller than those bowl hole. overall just take your time and make sure you're getting what you pay for, although IMO no spoon should cost over $50 unless it's crazy heady and literally one-of-a-kind. hope this helps!
Look for imperfections/bubbles in the glass and feel the general weight of the piece. if the glass feels thin, that piece is going to break pretty quick. Bubbles create air pockets in the piece that also make it less durable.
One thing to look out for besides the obvious thickness of the glass is any imperfections within the glass. If you see any really visible air bubbles (diameter larger than half a millimeter) then the chance of your pipe breaking is higher; when you're constantly heating and cooling the glass, the force of the air expanding within the glass will cause it to crack. You don't want the hole in the bowl to be too large, otherwise you'll be sucking half the bowl in while you hit it. From my experience I haven't seen this problem too much though. You SHOULD make sure the carb is big enough though. If it's too small, it'll be drawing air from the bowl all the time instead of clearing the pipe as it should. As long as it's at least 2-3mm you should be fine though, that seems to be the standard. Also, if it's a sectional pipe, make sure the welds are all smooth and thick. This doesn't apply to smaller pipes as much as it does to tubes but definitely something to keep in mind still.