Essential Guide For Bong Users

When people think of bongs, they usually think of large bulky glass gadgets that take up half the living room, but this could not be further from the truth. Black leaf has revolutionized the bong scene with its unique designs, offering awesome performance at a low cost. The black leaf pipe consists of two main parts; the downstem and the chamber.

The downstem is usually made of glass and has a rubber grommet stop at the top, which you can inhale from, and two mouth adapters that can be used to control how hard it is to pull air through your bong. The second half of your black leaf bongs is the chamber; this features a disc perc standing on its side with holes that go all the way around. This gives your smoke plenty of time to cool down before inhaling it into your lungs. Some chambers don’t have percolators, and some come with more than one!

Bongs vs. Glass Pipes

There is no difference between a bong and a glass pipe other than design; a bong is a pipe with a chamber with a stem and disc perc, so technically, it’s not even the correct term. The only reason they are called this is that someone initially thought of sticking an attachment for ice cubes on their ‘bubbler’ to cool down the smoke as they inhaled it. Nowadays, glass pipes have evolved massively from those days; you will often see modern pipes coming with intricate designs like Moby Dick to help filter your smoke even more effectively.

The Positives of Black Leaf Bongs

Black leaves have seriously revolutionized how we smoke out of a bong as they are low-cost, easy to clean and maintain, and don’t take up as much room as you think. Although it might look like their glass is thinner than other brands at first glance, this isn’t the case; they use food-grade pyrex glass, which provides better safety to your mouth and lungs.

All black leaf bongs come with a unique serial number which means that if one goes missing or gets broken, it’s incredibly easy for people to track where it came from, therefore cutting down on the chances of bad business within the industry. Every black leaf bong comes with a glass bowl down the stem and two mouthpieces (that can be unscrewed) with an optional ice catch for moisture.

The Negatives of Black Leaf Bongs

While black leaf bongs are easily some of the easiest to use and maintain, there is one problem that people run into when using them; it’s impossible to get the right level of smoke in your lungs on your first hit. This is because there is so much drag on these bongs.

If you want a smooth hit, you will have to suck hard at first, resulting in small bubbles coming up through the chamber, but once they get bigger, there will eventually be no drag left, and you will inhale smoothly. Is also another way around this; instead of pulling through your mouthpiece, you can pull through the downstem, which gives you a lot more drag than usual. If I’m honest, that’s all the bad things about them.

Tips To Consider When Buying Black Leaf Bongs

1. Never buy a bong with a metal downstem. Metal conducts heat; therefore, you will burn your lips if you put it in your mouth. This might sound like something that would happen to everyone but trust me, it’s not. This is the number one reason people get hurt while smoking out of glass.
2. Most black leaf bongs come with an ice-catch on the side of the chamber, meaning you can add ice cubes or cold water droplets through the top to create bubbles and further filter your smoke; these again are optional and up to preference, so don’t worry about them if you don’t want them!
3. Please consider how thick their glass is compared to other brands before buying, as some bongs have been known to break from being dropped or knocked over accidentally.
4. Make sure the downstem comes with a male joint so you can easily fit diffusers, percolators, and bangers! Also, make sure that it fits into your chosen size of down steam ball – some come with a 14mm sized one, but the majority is 18mm. Update: I overlooked this when making my post originally; if their website doesn’t specify what size the downstem is, then there will be a diagram showing you on their page. If they don’t have this info available on their site, ask someone from customer services before buying!
5. ALWAYS clean your bongs thoroughly before use after having been in storage for a while.
6. Cleaning-wise, ensure you don’t use harsh chemicals on them as they will ruin the taste of your smoke and leave a nasty film on everything. I clean mine using hot water and bong cleaner, which costs $1 from my local headshop! Some people also use spirit vinegar to clean their glass if it’s really dirty, so avoid putting scratches in it at all costs!
7. You can buy black leaf replacement downstems for when one breaks if you want, these are available in every size imaginable. Here is an example link to them. It’s always best to replace broken bits immediately to stop bacteria build-up between replacements!
8. Make sure you store your bongs in a safe place when they’re not being used, either in a cupboard or somewhere you can lock them up. You don’t want any accidents!
9. As a final note, please only buy from a good headshop and never off of eBay, as some people have been known to be sold really bad imitations (like the ones with the metal downstem), which could potentially kill you if not careful. Always make sure it’s clear glass, too, preferably with no colored tinting; I’m aware that black leaves produce black tinted bongs, but always ensure it has ‘glass’ written across the bottom of their site.
10. Note: Your downstem should only fit into your chosen size of the bong when the glass ‘bubble’ at the end of it is in line with your bong’s joint; this will ensure that it has a tight fit and won’t slip out by accident.
11. A Note on buying smaller pieces: If you’re after something cheaper but still one you can trust, I recommend checking out Genie Glass’s range of small equipment! Just be wary, though. They don’t have the biggest selection, so if you were looking for something specific, I’d check their site before making any purchases.
12. Always remember to buy black-leaf bongs from trusted sellers only! If there is no list under ‘Trusted Sellers’ on their site, check out my post here, where I’ve listed the best headshops.

In conclusion, black leaf bongs are a great product that I recommend to people looking for a good straight-tube glass bong! They have different variations of the standard ‘straight tube,’ so you can choose from various heights and widths to suit your needs. Just remember to buy from safe headshops only and not eBay or private sellers for your health and safety!