How to Make Cool Bongs
Bongs are an easy yet effective way to enjoy your recreational smoking experience. Unique cool bongs enhance the experience, whether with friends or alone. Moreover, a cool bong isn’t just a conversation starter; it is also a statement piece about your sense of style.
Hence, you can choose to decorate your bong to give it personality, or you can make one yourself with the help of a few tools. Whichever option you choose, don’t settle for the basics.
What Is a Bong?
Firstly, what is a bong? A bong is a water pipe used to smoke tobacco, cannabis, and other substances. It has a filtration system that uses water to filter and cool the smoke before inhaling. They have been used for centuries by different cultures worldwide, coming in all shapes and sizes, from small hand-held pipes to large complex rigs.
Bongs work by filling the base with water and then placing the cannabis (or whatever choice of substance) into the bowl. You light the cannabis and draw smoke through the water and into the lungs.
What Makes A Bong Unique?
Bongs are both functional and fashionable. If you are a person who believes in function over form, then all you need is a simple bong that allows you to get your hit. However, if you believe in both function and style, you need a bong that is both functional and a treat for the eyes.
What makes a bong unique is the additions that are made to the bong. A standard bong is typically made of glass and is a clear upright tube with a bowl-like structure at the bottom with a stem to allow smoking. In contrast, a unique bong tends to play with the shape, for example, making the bong look like a unicorn or a rocket ship or adding fun stuff like color, stickers, and lights.
Does Each Generation Have Its Style For Bongs?
Yes, every generation has its unique version of the bong. Bongs have been traced to 400 BC to the Scythian burial ground, which was found to contain gold bongs! Also in Africa in the 1100s, then Asia in the 1400s. Typically these bongs in Africa and Asia would be made from wood. Later, in the 1600s, there were bongs made of clay commonly used by Native peoples. Interestingly, the function has stayed the same; however, in earlier times, they were used for religious purposes.
The bong then appeared in the 1960s as an iconic symbol of counterculture and rebellion in the psychedelic era of the 1960s, presumably as an import from Vietnam and Thailand. It was a more straightforward instrument without many styles, as a cylindrical water tube, with a mouthpiece with no fuss. Additionally, it had to be inconspicuous and made from plastic, acrylic, and glass. However, over time bongs became a reflection of culture. In the 1970s, the bongs were painted to reflect the flower child culture; in the 80s, they reflected the prevalent rock culture. And in the 90s, they reflected urban and Hip Hop culture.
What was unique and remarkable in the 90s in the bong industry?
In the 90s, smoking weed became a commercial venture, with bongs featured in retail shops. Additionally, as time passed and laws changed, the bong industry adopted innovative ideas to enhance the experience for incoming generations. With the increasing legality of recreational drug use, appearance began to play a more critical role. Weed lounges sprung up all across the country, and blooming with it is the bong industry that attempts to capture pleasurable activity in the best ways.
Qualities of a Good Bong
Before we explore the idea of making your bong, we need to ask what a good bong is. A tampered or poorly-made instrument can swiftly become disastrous. Here are some factors to keep in mind.
- It Should Have Clear Tube Ways
- It Has to Be a Reliable Vessel
- It Needs a Sturdy Base
- It Has to Be Clean
What types of bongs could be self-made?
Once you understand the fundamental parts of a bong, you can try and make your own. There are wildly creative people out there making extraordinary instruments with basic objects. Here are some examples
Fruit and Food
That is right! You can make a good bong from random fruit lying around your house. You can use hollowed-out watermelon, pumpkin, or oranges, giving your smoke a zesty, fruity flavor. Not only is it fun to make, but it is also edible and biodegradable!
Toys and Dolls
A fun way to experiment with your inner child is with toys. I have seen bongs made from large dolls, Lego pieces, and even toy robots. The ideas are fun and endless, but make sure your pipe is solid. For instance, it is better to stick your Legos together to prevent the entire structure from collapsing.
Bamboo
Bamboo can be the perfect material for your next bong because it is light, strong, and already hollow (which is most of the work). Additionally, unlike many plastic-based bongs, there are fewer chances of inhaling toxins while smoking.
Bottles
Of course, bottles are the go-to material for several people because they closely resemble the structure of a factory-made bong. You can melt the bottles together or use a big bottle and cut out holes to insert the pipes, and it is affordable and more convenient than many other bong types.
5 ways to make your bong more unique
Personalizing your bong is a chance to experiment with your creative side. Many might be okay with a basic bong, but I enjoy a prettier ornament to look at, and it keeps things interesting for the user and their company.
- Modify It
For the ultimate get-together, you can create a pipe with several mouthpieces, so you and your friends don’t have to take turns. Cut out a few more holes in the chamber and get creative with the piping. One idea is using pieces of a hose pipe,
- Try Adding Paint
Colour is the perfect place to start redecorating your bong. While I like mine with a grey tinge, you can mix and alternate paint to give it a personal touch. Paint is also perfect for intricate designs– paint on floral arrangements or polka-dot patterns. The idea is to give your bong a creative quality that will take it from basic to cool.
- Stick on Cool Ornaments
For additional texture, I enjoy playing around with ornamental pieces– small ones, of course. My favorite decorative elements are rhinestones, glitter, and figurines because they are great for small hand-helds or larger pieces. They can transform a boring bong into a centerpiece. Be careful with the placement to avoid blocking essential holes!
- Try Out Stickers
Stickers are easy, fun, and affordable, so you can make your bong without hassle. When I decorate my bongs, I enjoy decorating according to a theme. Therefore, if I gravitate towards stickers for decoration, I might go with all green or all blue. But there is no need to follow anyone when decorating your bong. If you’re feeling chaotic with your sticker collection, splash them on however you want.
- Create Features From Playdough or Clay
Try playdough or clay. It is inexpensive, ridiculously soft, and enjoyable for anyone. Mold out a fun chunky base for your bong and let it harden around it. You can also paint or color over it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Does my bong need a filter?
Yes and no, It is more of a preference thing. Adding a filter to your bong can enhance your smoking recreation immensely because it enhances your pulls, especially in taste. It refines the smoke to sharpen the flavor. While it is not necessary, the addition does change bongs for the better.
- How often do you change bong water?
You should change the bong water with every session to keep impurities and bacteria out of your body and keep the bong cleaner for longer. Mould can be an issue if left unchecked, and you do not want to give your lungs access to a bacterial breeding ground.
- Is a bong the same as shisha?
While the concept is the same, there is a slight difference between the two. The shisha (also known as a hookah) is more prominent in stature and comes with more mouthpieces than the average bong. Additionally, hookahs are specifically for a flavored wet tobacco mixture (the shisha), while bongs work with dry substances.
- What is the difference between a bong and a bubbler?
There are several slight differences between the two. A bubbler is more compact and caters to individual smokers. It also only lasts as long as the typical bong, though it does provide smoother pulls. Additionally, bubblers aren’t as customizable, but they are more portable than larger rig bongs.
Conclusion
In summary, your bong should be a smooth piece of furniture. And a cool one that can easily fit in with your budget. A good bong can offer both quality and style without compromise. However, you should be careful about buying a bong that operates well.
Make it captivating and fun. Create one at home by improvising with fruit or toys, and try and make one out of kitchenware, like bottles. You can also be creative with your piece by decorating it with glitter, gemstones, or other decorative elements.
Allow your imagination to run wild with paint, ornamental pieces, and stickers, or try and modify your already-made bong by adding cool features.
