Hand Pipes 101 with Got Vape

Soon after humans discovered that fire heats and wheels turn, the idea dawned upon our ancestors that with a simple device called the hand pipe they could roast up their favorite herbs anywhere, anytime, for a truly liberating discovery.

In fact, leading scholars claim that immediately after this foundational invention the very first cave paintings were drawn in order for these early humans to debate what food they should go hunt.

Now whether or not any of that is true, we do know for a fact that hand pips are one of the most tried and true methods of enjoying your dry materials in existence. Follow along with Got Vape as we give you a crash course on everything you need to know about hand pipes!

What Is A Hand Pipe Used For?

Hand pipes are traditionally used as smoking devices for a variety of different dry herbs and materials. Peoples from all across history and time have used these devices to safely and effectively light their dry materials alight in order to enjoy the smoke they produce.

Throughout history hand pipes have had many different uses including being a part of formal rituals and religious events due to their ability to be easily passed and shared amongst a group.

This easy communal nature of the hand pipe is one explanation for why this smoking piece has become so much of a ubiquitous tool of the dry herb trade.

What’s The Difference Between a Hand Pipe and a Water Pipe?

How is this different from a water pipe you may ask? Well the main difference is that hand pipes are much smaller in size and for the most part do not utilize water to function.

Hand Pipes are typically all one piece and thus are able to be traveled with much easier than a traditional water pipe would. Whether you are passing it around the room or storing it in your pocket for later, the hand pipe is the go to portable option for smokers world wide.

How Do You Properly Pack a Bowl For a Hand Pipe?

Once you’ve gotten your hands on a hand pipe for yourself, packing it is quite easy. Opposite of the mouthpiece, you will have the bowl of your hand pipe and this is where you will gently pack in your dry materials.

We recommend a goldilocks-esque middle ground when it comes to packing as you don’t want to pack it so tight as to prevent air flow, but not so loose as to have an unsatisfying hit.

Never firmly press down to pack in as much dry materials as possible, as this will lead to a massive waste in herbs for you! Heed our advice by sprinkling in your herbs, moving them around, and then packing more on top until your bowl is about 80% full.

Obviously you can go as crazy as you want and pile on a mountain of herbs with your friends, but just know that you are leaving a lot of value on the table unused!

How Do You Smoke A Hand Pipe?

Smoking a hand pipe is quite simple. Once your bowl is packed all you have to do is place your lips on the mouthpiece, cover the carb hole (if it has one), slowly light the dry herbs, and then inhale as you are given a straight shot of hand pipe perfection!

The Hand Pipe is meant to be enjoyed over several hits and once lit can be passed between your friends and family to spread the dry herb joy. When the bowl stays lit due to the burning dry herbs, this is often called “cherry” as it is red hot from the burning.

When a bowl is cherried you can easily pass it around or continue hitting it without having to light the materials again. This will help get better flavor from your herbs and make enjoying your bowl a seamless experience.

How Do You Clear Out a Hand Pipe?

To clear your hand pipe, all you have to do is turn it upside down and give it a tap or shake in order to get the spent dry materials out.

Be careful, as sometimes you will still have burning dry herbs in your bowl and when you dump it out a smoldering cherry will be revealed. This concentration of red hot burning herbs can be catastrophic if you do not have somewhere safe to ash into it!

Always be aware when cleaning your bowl out and thank us later.

How Do You Fix A Clogged Hand Pipe?

Should you find yourself in the situation where your hand pipe is clogged, there are several ways that you can work to dislodge whatever is causing the issue.

One of the most effective ways of clearing your pipe is to put your finger over the carb and blow through the mouthpiece. This blocks the air from coming through and forces the clog in your hand pipe to fly out the bowl. For pieces without a carb, simply blow through it to dislodge.

If that fails, you can always try to use a small tool to pick at the clog and see if dislodging some of it allows to blow out the clog.

If all else fails, you can always wash your piece with an isopropyl alcohol solution. This will take longer, but 100% remove the clog as long as you leave your hand pipe soaking long enough.

What’s The Best Hand Pipe For Dry Herb?

Now you may be thinking to yourself, “what’s the best hand pipe for me?” This is going to vary from person to person and depending on what your individual style preferences are.

Luckily for you we have an extensive selection of amazing hand pipes that run the full gambit of available options, below to check out some of our favorites.

Best All Around Hand Pipes

First up from GV Glass Distro we have the 4 Inch Thick Hand Pipe with Mixed Colors! These hand pipes have been made with a thicker than normal borosilicate glass for added durability, have ridged grips on the bowl of easy operation, and maintain a smaller profile for easy travel.

For a slightly large borosilicate glass piece from GV Glass Distro, we recommend you take a look at the 5 Inch Mixed Colored Hand Pipe with Marbles as well! These excellent options are adorned in circular marbled ridges for grip and visual flair.

Stepping things up a notch, we have the top shelf beauties included with the Empire Glassworks Spoon Hand Pipe Collection. These hand pipes have been fittingly hand crafted to include intricate details, while still maintaining the classic shape and function you know and love.

Pieces like the Climbing Pandas Spoon Hand Pipe are a great showcase of how Empire Glassworks has fused incredible designs with a deep bowl and smooth air system to truly offer some of the best hand pipes on the market today.

Empire Glassworks has been around since all the way back in 2013 and has built themselves a great reputation as one of the most passionate and competent glass manufacturers around.

Dug Outs

For a more stripped down take on the hand pipe, we have the always reliable Dug Out. This name is assigned to the two piece duo that is your Dugout and your hand pipe.

The dugout is where you can store all of your pre ground dry herbs and the pipe portion while lacking a carb, is instead just a straight shoot point with one end to pack your dry herbs and one end to inhale from.

One of our top selling and most praised options is the Quantum Pac Dugout with Poker! These gorgeously designed Dugouts were made by Quantum Pac to give you an all in one smoking kit no matter where your travels may take you.

Artistic Creations!

For all those who love some nice visuals while they smoke, you can do no better than by spending a bit more but getting ultra nice craftsmanship for a completely unique experience!

A perfect example of this is the Empire Glassworks Pink Donut Dry Hand Pipe! These are hand pipes that look so good you will need to have donuts nearby after smoking it or else you’ll want to take a bite!

For all of the sneak heads out there, we also wanted to point out the excellent Retro Highz V2 Hand Pipe! These function like your standard hand pipe with carb, while also having a design that looks equally good in hand and on the shelf.

Start Your Hand Pipe Adventures!

Now that Got Vape has given you a hand with hand pipes, it’s time for you to look over our various collections and decide which one is right for you! No matter which choice you go, many great sessions of hand pipe clouds await you!

For more tips, news, and insights make sure you take a look at our Official Got Vape Vaporizer Blog right here! Have a great week and get ready for some hand pipe fun!