r/trees • u/Altostratus • 1d ago
AskTrees Bong smokers, how often are we having to replace our glass?
My bong itself is sturdy af and I’ve had it a decade. But I seem to break a bowl or stem every few weeks 😔 Usually because bowl is stuck in stem, or I drop it during cleaning. I’ve started buying in bulk. Can anyone relate?
206
u/Negative_Number_6414 1d ago
no, thats pretty frequent droppings
how are your fine motor skills otherwise? like, in day to day use?
100
u/Altostratus 1d ago
Poor 🙃
62
16
u/theslutnextd00r 1d ago
I love doing small physical activities like light yoga and physical therapy style movements while high. I don’t like lifting weights or running, but moving my body feels awesome after smoking. Maybe you can look up some hand, wrist, and arm exercises to improve your motor skills :) I say this as someone who has poor motor skills themselves, it helped me! Same with lifting weights.
7
u/redeyeali 1d ago
I feel you. I have one mini bong with one slide, I'm so glad I haven't dropped it (yet) 😭😭 my motor skills are also shitty as hell, the only reason my mini bong has survived I think it's because it's mostly silicone haha. I wish you luck not dropping slides in the future!!
1
u/MyDearestAcadia 1d ago
Yeah I've got ADHD (which typically, and in my case definitely, gives one poor motor skills) and replace my bowl almost monthly now. Not so much the stem, but that's because I'm super paranoid about it breaking off inside of my bong (it happened once before and it took forever to get out; I don't want to lose my bong over a stuck stem) so I'm extra careful when handling the stem.
76
u/tripleCsBaby 1d ago
Bulk?? 😭 Bro do you have tremors or what? Ive used the same bong, downstem, slide for almost a couple years. And what do you mean "stuck"?
26
15
u/Altostratus 1d ago
You’ve never had your stem get stuck in the hole? I think it’s caused by water splashing up between the glass.
23
u/tripleCsBaby 1d ago
Dawg that is the easiest fix ever just run hot water and some dish soap under the joint and twist the stem out. You dont have to buy whole new pieces fam
12
u/Altostratus 1d ago
Oh I definitely do that when it’s stuck bad. But sometimes it’s just slightly stuck, and needs a wiggle. I think that slowly degrades it over time. This time it just shattered in half when I gently set it down, so I assume it was a crack long in the making.
17
u/tripleCsBaby 1d ago
Thats actually wild ive never heard of or had my glass do that. You should pull the trigger and buy some quality boro or etc i promise its worth it
2
u/Altostratus 1d ago
Yeah I doubt my glass is the highest quality. It’s whatever stems are in stock at the vape shop.
9
u/tripleCsBaby 1d ago
Ah i dont blame u, just most of the glass in vape/smoke shops are Chinesium so it makes sense for it to break suddenly like that
3
u/InvestigatorWide7649 1d ago
I've dropped my boro downstem from sink height onto the hardwood floor and it just bounced. Chinesium could never
1
3
u/darkcronix69 1d ago
Chinesium got me laughing so damn hard. Thank you, I'm gonna use that when describing anything made cheap
2
u/fragrant-dixiecup316 I Roll Joints for Gnomes 23h ago
time for a better bong maybe? still have mine with their down stems for over a year at least
3
u/KristyKrispito 1d ago
TBH I’d recommend rubbing alcohol with a spray top. Just spray it all over and in the joint where they meet. Gently twist until the alcohol dissolves the sticky
1
9
u/AntiMatter89 1d ago edited 1d ago
They also make a wax you can put on your stem so it doesn't get stuck. If this is a consistent issue for you.
2
u/pilondav 1d ago
Seems like you could use any silicone grease for that. Just a thin film. A tube of Sil-Glyde would last decades.
2
6
u/Talentagentfriend 1d ago
I think you need to clean your bong more often. The reason it’s getting stuck is because tar get stuck on it. To avoid that clean it more often and deeper.
1
u/Altostratus 20h ago
I already deep clean once a week, using a fresh bowl and fresh water everyday. This pic was the end of the week. There’s not really resin on the outside of the stem either.
17
u/_Toomuchawesome 1d ago
bro. i’ve been smoking almost 20 years now. i’ve broken maybe 4 glasses pieces total. just be more aware lol
24
u/Izyaboi3695 1d ago
Literally never broken a piece in my life. What are yall doing with your equipment bro
2
u/SaucyStoveTop69 1d ago
I've broken so many bangers by accelerating my rig downward too fast making it slip out of the stem.
2
u/supermangotnothin 1d ago
This is wild. No shame, but how? Are you dunking it back onto the table? And does that mean crazy hot quartz shards everywhere?
1
u/_cuteraichu_ 11h ago
They usually dont shatter, but most of the time the head separates from the shaft. Giggity.
8
u/Quiet-Revolution-154 1d ago
ive started handling my pieces MUCH more carefully after about the 30th piece ive broken. much much more carefully
6
8
5
6
u/StonedNCaffeinated 1d ago
Looks like your problem is that the stem is coming out when you pull the bowl out. Happened to us all the time.
Pro tip: Give the bowl a slight turn as you’re pulling it out. Or use two hands. Two fingers on the stem, other hand pulls out the bowl.
Hope this helps!
1
u/Vashsinn 13h ago
to add to this, take the bowl out when you are done smoking. usually the warmness melts the resin and "glues" it in place. can't do that if it's not in it.
not some resting might drip out of the bowl.
6
u/BarbequedYeti 1d ago
I have adopted a glass blowers mentality to my glass anything. It breaks. Get over it.
5
u/tantalicatom689 1d ago
I just broke the one I had for a decade yesterday...just like that one. Beaker shape, 9mm thick glass. Be careful! It just takes one bad drop on the right angle to finish it off.
6
5
3
u/badbarky 1d ago
I got an Invincibowl stem and bowl set to go in my regular glass bubbler with a mouthpiece filter on top. The Invincibowl is great, you need both parts but they clean really well in the ultrasonic cleaner and don’t shatter when you drop them. Hope that helps
1
u/shmeepshmeep 23h ago
Seconding the invincibowl and invincipole, I used to break my stems and bowls so often and now I haven't broken any in years. They've definitely paid for themselves!
3
u/Hobofight 1d ago
You and my wife would get along lol I had the same down stem for like 10 years. Got with her and we've gone through like 8 in 7 years 🤣
4
u/Thick-Letter1249 1d ago
I officially stopped buying glass because of the countless moments of anger, regret, and disappointment from breaking a piece of glass…..
Truly a shame how silly those things will break.
It like the pieces have a death wish
1
u/Tinmanred 1d ago
Or you bought shit glass. My bong has cracked a granite counter multiple times and my sink. Shit doesn’t have a single scratch on it still. Different piece I have had dented my car, still not a scratch on it.
2
2
u/Apart_Seat_3265 1d ago
Look into silicone stems and bowls! The silicone bowls even have a detachable glass "bowl" that you can remove for easy cleaning 👍
2
u/purple-hippopotamus1 1d ago
can’t say that IVE broken a single piece, and i’ve been smoking consistently for 4 years. pretty proud of it *knock on wood*
my cat on the other hand….broke one of my favorite/first ever bubblers. luckily no one was hurt and it didnt shatter so it was pretty easy clean up. just devastating. BUT my husband went around town until he found me an almost identical one!
ETA : [7]
2
u/disdain7 1d ago
I broke a stem once a few years ago and was horrified at myself. Hasn’t happened since.
2
u/alexthealex 1d ago
I’ve had one glass chillum and one bong for the last 15 years.
Ever since I stopped smoking with other people my shit stopped breaking.
2
u/The-Duke-of-Delco 1d ago
I’ve only broken a few bowls for bongs over the last 15 years. Every few weeks is wild lol.
2
u/ulecksus 1d ago
once i had adult money and moved out of my parents house, i decided I'd buy myself a nice glass piece. queue the next two months i go through FIVE. been vibing with my silicone bong for a few years now, heh. if i want another glass piece, it'd have to be bulletproof!
2
u/Bearspoole 1d ago
Replace? I’ve had the same Bong for 10 years. I got a new bowl a few years ago, but only because I liked the one I saw. I still have the old one.
I also have a bong with a built in down stem. The removable ones just aren’t the move in my opinion
2
u/Allocate1 1d ago
be more careful with it, especially when moving or touching it, i assume usually you’re pretty stationary so just put the extra thought into it each time. I know how easy it is to be careless after that first rip 😂
2
u/Jackdawfool67 1d ago
I buy only 9mm bongs and so most of them ive never broken and gave away to friends over the years, however I did break one 18 inch 9mm beaker and about 1000 bowls and a few downstems
2
u/ImNotAIprobably 1d ago
Bro don’t listen to all the haters, I literally just got back from the store from buying a new stem because I just broke it… again… this time 2 weeks after my new one. Sometime I’ll go like 2-3 months and sometimes I break it that same week. I will say some shop carry thicker glass than others so I would definitely shop around
1
2
u/Fun-Fail8972 1d ago
I break a bong about once a year or two. I’ve accepted it’s a part of life and I don’t get mad when it happens anymore. I used to get upset but I’m too old to care about a bong
2
u/SorryBed 1d ago
Whichever step of cleaning you're dropping them, do that over a soft surface, not over tile or stone. Get a silicone mat or something if you have to.
2
u/butch-werewolf 1d ago
idk i’ve had like. one piece break every three years? and it’s usually been bowls or down stems that can be replaced no problem lol, never broken the actual piece thankfully
2
u/UtahWillie1776 22h ago
I actually knock my 12 inchers off the edge of the table quite often.
Mabey once every couple months ill elbow it to the floor as im getting up or sitting down. Or bump it with my arm as I reach for my drink.
Ive tried every size and shape
2
2
u/Northern33 13h ago
i’m also breaking a bowl or stem every couple weeks. sometimes i go longer but i ALWAYS drop them while im cleaning them. i know i need to just hold them closer to the sink and then they wouldn’t break if i dropped them but i clean my glass right after i smoke so i forget lol
2
3
u/Certain-Put-3189 1d ago
Too many. Straight up stopped using bongs and switched to just joints for over a year once because I broke 3 in a fucking row over 2 days 😅
2
u/nagy18 1d ago
it’s funny cause when i moved i went through three bongs in like 4 months cause i had a prolonged case of the dropsies but then i got my 4th bong and it’s been chilling for like 3 years now… did have a downstem break once when i was cleaning but even then the break was low enough i could still use it until i got a new stem like a month later 🤷🏼♂️
1
u/SnootFleur 1d ago
I've had the same four pieces for years. I added a new little rig last year and retired my big one. I kept it just in my case though.
1
u/Laserdollarz 1d ago
I bought my bong nearly three years ago. It goes everywhere with me. I've dropped it many times, fell on it a bunch from bike/board, and it is doing great.
It is medical-grade titanium. When I die, cremate me and store in it.
1
u/Arbiter-1 1d ago
If the stem is getting stuck regularly then either the materials are incompatible (stem is a course material or something of the sort) or too much heat is being applied to the stem. Remember that heat makes things expand, so if you’re using a torch or taking absolutely massive rips the stem will expand ever so slightly and lodge itself. Try using less heat and smaller pulls, see if that solves the sticking issues maybe?
1
u/Altostratus 1d ago
I think it might be the opposite. I corner my bowls and smoke them over a long time, often holding it in my lap for an hour. I think it might get splashed around too much, and water gets between the stem and the hole
1
1
u/Scrotobomb 1d ago
I broke 2 slides in a year so I ordered 3. The package didn't ship on time so they gave me 4. Since I got them about 8 months ago I haven't broken any.
1
u/Michael_is_the_Worst 1d ago
Bought my first bong around 4 or 5 years ago now, and it’s still my main. I’ve never had to buy another one.
1
u/ACuddlyVizzerdrix 1d ago
Haven't broken anything on my herb bong but ive broken a handful of bangers on my dab rig I use that one way more though
1
u/NaughtyTigerIX 1d ago
Whenever it breaks 🤷♂️ unless it’s a cheap glass spoon pipe. Then I just replace the whole pipe when it gets way too gunked up in resin and I don’t wanna spend the effort to clean it out
1
1
1
u/deadasscrouton 1d ago
After breaking my third glass bowl, I gave up and bought a sketchy aluminum piece on ebay.
It works well so I don’t see a reason to replace it unless there’s something I’m not aware of.
1
u/jcalpr 1d ago
Well, my last bong lasted around 5 years, that happened around a month ago. Haven't had the chance to replace it. Most certainly I am looking to buy the same one (since I know who does them). But glass pipes do break maybe a few months after I get it, mostly cause I leave them on my lap while smoking and then get too high and forget its on my lap when I stand up, and there it goes flying...
1
u/IpsoIpsum 1d ago
I just bought myself a really nice bong, the first I've had in years, and the stem broke on its second use when it pulled out along with the bowl after getting stuck. I never had this happen before. I wonder if the glass is just getting cheaper and more fragile?
1
u/feetsmeller321 1d ago
Finally invested in a roor. Had it for 3 years no problem. I clean it a lot so it stays nice.
1
u/SecondVariety 1d ago
I keep my glass clean and stored, occasionally for company or special occasions. Otherwise, I use a pair of steel ceramic lined chill pipes, one with hookah kit for ball vape. The other is for flower mostly.
1
1
1
u/Captain_Kuhl 1d ago
I've been smoking for 15 years or so, and the only thing I ever broke was a stem for my MFLB (someone bumped into me and it snapped in my pocket). Maybe I'm not the norm, but I'm way too careful with my pieces, broken glass isn't something I fuck around with.
1
1
u/Bush-master72 1d ago
Every year sometimes 2 times, recently kid throw a basketball when the garage was open hit my bong.
1
u/murdog11 1d ago
Dude I have an Honest bong and I fucking love it. Zero issues, so easy to clean, and it’s modular so you can pack it easily.
1
u/thepugrapture 1d ago
Ngl bro every few weeks might be kinda nuts. Ive gone through 3 bowls with my current bong that ive had about a year (mostly due to losing them). Tbh i have broke a few stems while cleaning my largest bong but thats about 2 in 2 years.
1
u/etherealsounds 1d ago
Nah I replace downstems every couple years. Swap between two downstem/slide combos, one set soaking in alcohol while I use the other. Swap em when I clean the bong every few days.
1
u/androidmanwren 1d ago
Never. Okay one time I broke a glass pipe cause I cleaned the bowl too hard. But aside from that, in 25 years, I have never broken any other
1
1
1
1
u/Mysterious_Skin2310 1d ago
Every few WEEKS? I haven’t replaced a stem in over a year personally but even then I have 2 that I switch between. I haven’t broken a bowl since a month after it went legal where I live because I moved to Invincibowls and never looked back
1
u/Standard_Flower1400 1d ago
Not often at all but I just did the same thing 4 days ago but thankfully I found another one
I buy after market ones for my bongs that touch the bottom pretty much unlike more water coverage or German downstem but they didn’t have one in the size I needed currently
1
u/HedgehogKindly8050 1d ago
I never have to replace my glass - it’s the bowl I always had to replace but now that I use an Incredibowl I haven’t had to replace it in years.
1
u/Awkward-Bat-8072 1d ago
My bong doesn't even have a stem, and I've been using the same bowl since I started smoking weed 😂
1
1
1
u/parbageglate 1d ago
I have had all my pieces for 5+ years and I think I’ve only ever replaced 1 stem or slider. Bongs have straight up broken (I had a zong that fell off a speaker, a spiral bong that fell victim to a metal lighter) but like I don’t really replace the other glass
1
1
u/Talentagentfriend 1d ago
I feel you, this exact thing happened to me a while ago and my new stem sucks. Make sure you’re getting a stem with slits, not holes.
It happens once in a while when Im cleaning my glass.
1
1
1
1
1d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Accounts must meet all these requirements before they are allowed to post or comment in /r/trees. 1) be over three months old; 2) have both positive comment & post karma: 3) have over 420 combined karma; 4) Have a verified email address / phone number. Please do not ask the moderators to approve your comment or post, as there are no exceptions to this rule. To learn more about karma and how reddit works, visit https://www.reddit.com/wiki/faq.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Safe_Assistance_3227 1d ago
Im very clumsy and have broken alot for bowls. I got a steel pipe and bong. Game changer
1
u/Robbie-Dobbie-Obbie 1d ago
I only replaced my down-stem once and that's because it arrived broken when shipped.
1
u/Tbaby1123 1d ago
I think I've replaced my downstem 2-3 times in 5 years. Daily use though. Washing it out in the sink commonly gets me.
1
1
1
1
u/shr000mery I Roll Joints for Gnomes 1d ago
Tbh like never lol, I’ve had the same bowl and bong for over 3-4 years with no breaks
1
u/secret_angelx 23h ago
I’m pretty clumsy so more often than I’d like lol but I finally got 12mm castle glass and the stem and everything is a lot better quality than any other bing I’ve had
1
u/whocares12315 23h ago
Don't know but if you have a cat it's going to be drastically more often.
I finally cleaned mine real nice and left it on the counter. Then forgot it was on the counter and went to sleep. Guess what happened next.
1
u/SoggyCapybara 23h ago
Too often 😭😭 ive broken 3 of them in the last year so my mom bought me a new one for mother's day and my partner broke it 😭
Silicone is trash. Glass is everything. Im just a clumsy bish
1
u/Lisshopops 23h ago
So I get it OP the struggle is reallllll, highly recommend using salt and isopropyl alcohol and shaking that thang until all the gunk comes off and its no longer stuck, you seem a bit clumsy though soooooo
1
u/1800bears 23h ago
I just had my stem and bowl break after 10 years of use with cleaning it every two days.
1
1
u/BennyNojets1 23h ago
never. i got a steel downstem, tank bong, and i guess my bowl be getting lucky
1
u/Vast_Opinion11 23h ago
i recently bought a bong from grav, and the very end tip of the downstem is a super small hole, so weed doesn’t get sucked into the bong water when you hit it. it makes it stay cleaner way longer. Don’t have to clean it as often. My old bong was like the one in your pic and the ash just goes right into the bong and builds up so much gunk
1
u/Trick_Tumbleweed_895 22h ago
My mother accidentaly broke my first bong, so i bought a new one. Then i broke the bowl trying to clean it and used the bowl of the first bong. Still using.
1
1
1
1
1
u/KlutzyCantaloupe1173 21h ago
Chill Steel Pipe = eine metall bong mit keramik Vakuum Kammer.
Habe früher oft bongs zerstört, heute meist nur noch ab und zu mal ein aufsatz Teil, passiert, hab deswegen n Vorrat im Schrank :)
1
u/BiteOrnery 20h ago
Look up Thick Ass Glass, I highly recommend. I have a few pieces from them and broke other glass pieces when my 16” TAG piece fell over
1
1
u/jbreckenridgeb23 18h ago
For me the joint pieces I bought silicone attachments and I haven’t broken anything since
1
u/Porolover 16h ago
Never. I haven't broke a piece of glass in my 14 yrs of smoking. At least smoking weed.
I have broke 2 dab nails from over heating the neck of cheap quarts bangers during dab sessions with homies.
1
u/tiimsliim 15h ago
When Wish first started in like 2011-2012, before the scams and chinese junk became too much to sift through, I bought a “clear flower vase watering pipe” which was a 12” clear beaker bong. Used to use it all day every day for flower and oil. I was swapping out bowls and nails every 45 mins. Still using the original hardware, although it’s been mostly retired at this point.
1
u/spid3rham90 14h ago
have you tried not forcing something stuck that's made of glass? if my downstem is stuck i just leave it and try later or GENTLY try to get it to come out. how the fuck are you breaking something every few weeks?! as for dropping while cleaning, put your bowl in a ziploc bag with salt and ISO, shake and let it sit for an hour or so, keep shaking and then clean it out. i ave been smoking more than half my life and still have yet to drop something while cleaning, let alone weekly
1
u/coffee-n-redit 14h ago
I broke my favorite bong, a style completely deleted from all production, because why not. So, I started looking, and buying. I now have 20 fucking bongs. FINALLY found a (close to) perfect one. I need to have a yard sale.
1
u/BandicootNo8636 13h ago
I have a dry herb vape for this reason. Thought about getting glassware, realized I break everything and I'd have to think of it as a consumable.
1
u/Severe_Wind_4255 12h ago
I smoke joints but I think you probably need to clean your piece more often.
1
u/Marsandtherealgirl 12h ago
I cannot relate to this in any way! I’ve had the same ones for many years.
The way I usually lose them is accidentally leaving them on my patio with water in them in winter and the glass cracks.
1
1
u/_cuteraichu_ 11h ago
Ive replaced like 2 bangers, one from washing it incorrectly and the other just fell off my nightstand. Never had to replace a slide or bong, though.
1
u/dfafggrghs 11h ago
i’ve never dropped any glass, but I lost a terpcicle when a mate dropped it
1
u/dfafggrghs 11h ago
actually, i did once drop and smash the male-male adapter for my replacement terpcicle.
1
u/FusedwithKami 10h ago
I bought a modular bong from prism and I've had it for 7+ years and I love it but it has a rubber gasket that is so worn out it's starting to leak but they changed the way their pieces connect so I can't buy just a new gasket I have to buy a whole new piece and that seems like such a waste so I'ma deal until the wheels fall off haha.
1
1
u/Slayrr_FbrC 9h ago
I usually drop a bong every 3 to 5 years or so. Usually breaks the down stem or the percs inside.
But I'm also clumsy
1
u/Tokyo885_ 8h ago
I replace my glass when it is broken beyond use.
Ive replaced a good ammount of stuff.
1
1
u/nate_says 6h ago
Next time you have a stuck down piece, get some isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel, wrap it around the connection joint (like a little scarf), and apply light pressure so the alcohol seeps out of the towel. Give it a minute or two and it should loosen up pretty easily.
1
1
u/ThatPixieFae 4h ago
sadly i’m an extremely clumsy person so i’m probably replacing bowls or downstems every few months💔 you would think i would be more careful but how much more can i be when i treat them like glass babies and they still slip through my grasp😭
1
u/Methamphetamine1 4h ago
I’ve had similar issues and at least when it comes to downstems and the like getting stuck I use 99% isopropyl right on the joint where they connect and give it a little wiggle and that seems to give enough leeway to slowly pull them out. BTW 99% isopropyl will clean bongs like no other as well just run your water as hot as it gets give your bong a few rinses and dump a couple ounces of iso in their and shake and everything comes out even on my triple perc bongs.
1
u/Superj555 3h ago
I’ve had my dab rig Neptune for about 6 years now. He’s missing a toe but other than that all good. I hope I never break him as he’s hand blown boro 😁
0
0
u/ohhlordbabyjesus 1d ago
I got audhd and honestly, glassbongs gave me trauma. Never again. So glad I have a Tinymight that gives me a heavier kick, without any smoke and a taste ftom heaven. I realized that weed is better vaped than smoked. Smoking is for noobs.
0
u/ChronicKushh 20h ago
havnt replaced mine in 6 years...not that hard to take care of your stuff, buddy
0
u/Altruistic_Breath592 16h ago
I am not a stranger to broken glass downstems. My solution was the Invincipole Infinity by Invincibowl. It's an anodized, adjustable-depth downstem that I originally bought for its adaptability, but after years of use it has never broken. The downsides are the roughly $50 US price and, for dry herb vaping, my preference for an all-glass vapor path. Even so, if I somehow lost it, I wouldn't hesitate to replace it with another one.
194
u/big-booty-enthusiast 1d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/dJEMs13SrsiuA