Guide to Glass

Ash Catcher
Small attachment that fits on the front of your larger pipe and adds additional filtration. It also catches the ashes, keeping them contained in a nice, small, easy-to-clean chamber.

Pyrex (Borosilicate) Glass
Often used in laboratory-ware, Pyrex is extremely resistant to thermal shock. This means, when your pipe is made of pyrex, you get the cleanest smoking experience possible and no worries about your glass cracking due to heat stress.

Glass-on-Glass /Ground joint
The most modern connection for glass pipes, this type of seal is totally airtight and very easy to clean. In addition, GonG connections allow the user to break the seal instantly resulting in faster clearing of the pipe.

Fixed Stem
Traditionally GonG connections were used with a male/female setup. This setup required a female downstem that went into the water, and a male bowl or head that fit into this downstem. Recently fixed stems have come into use. In this system the user need only worry about the male piece, the downstem is all built into your pipe. Fixed stems are generally more sturdy and provide less moving parts and fewer ways to break your pipe.

Percolator
This additional chamber of water cools your tobacco smoke even further. There are many different styles of percolators including: tree, disc, shower head, dome/ufo, and inline.

Bubbler
A medium size pipe for those who want water filtration without the bulk of a full size tube.

Tube
The modern tobacco connoisseur's method of choice. Wooden pipes can have burn-off, meaning you're inhaling wood smoke. In addition to tasting horrible, these pipes are hard to clean. Glass tubes provide water filtration that removes many harmful particulates as well as cooling the smoke for a more mellow, smooth experience. Historically this type of straight-neck tube was referred to as a hookah but since the modern hookah usually includes a hose these are now simply referred to as tubes.

Splash guard
With the addition of water to your smoking device comes the risk of splashing that water up into your mouth. To guard against this many companies have started utilizing splash guards. These devices are usually dome shaped. They force water bubbles to break up before they reach the user's mouth.

Vaporizers
One of the newest additions to the smoking market, these devices are for the health conscious smoker. All true vaporizers are convection, meaning once you place your tobacco in the bowl the unit will pass hot air over it removing the nicotine and other chemicals while leaving behind the plant matter and carcinogens associated with traditional combustion smoking.

Hookah
Originally from India, these fancy looking pipes are great for social smoking! Hookahs are packed with a tobacco based smoking blend known as Shisha, or Sheesha. They come in many different shapes and sizes but the defining feature is the hose set up that allows many users to smoke from the same hookah. The hookah hose is actually a relatively modern addition.  Historically the term hookah referred to a straight-necked tube, which today we simply call a tube.

Shisha/Sheesha
The blend of tobacco you smoke from a hookah. It is generally very sweet due to the addition of molasses to the tobacco. Sheesha comes in a variety of flavors.

Sandblasting
A method of texturizing glass. Sand is shot at high speeds towards the glass leaving it with a sea-glass like texture and feel. Also allows designs to be etched into the glass.

Dichro
Metal is added to the glass to make it sparkle.

Millefiori (Mille)
Literally translated in Italian, it means "thousand flowers." A mille is usually a small design encased in the glass.

Flame polished
This method begins with sandblasting a deep logo or design into the glass, rather than leaving the glass textured the blower will then heat the sand blasted area again giving it a smooth finish.

Inside-out
Many pipes will have work done on the outside, however if the artist does his work on the inside of the glass it is then magnified by the clear glass between you and the artwork. This is generally seen in the more moderately priced to expensive pipes.

Diffuser
These are specially designed downstems that force the smoke out though small holes rather than one large one. This causes the smoke to break into smaller bubbles meaning there is more surface area. More surface area means cooler smoke, more filtration, and a smoother pull.

Anatomy of a Hookah Pipe

Bowl
Where the shisha tobacco is placed.

Downstem
Forces the smoke through the water.

Hose
Carries smoke to the user and allows pipe to remain stationary.

Base
Filled with water to cool and filter the smoke.

Mouthpiece
Handle on the end of the hose where the smoke is inhaled by the user.