Glossary of Glass Pipe Terms

Fixed Stem or Stemless - First used on a water pipe by JP of Toro. This style of tube does not use a removable down stem. Instead the stem is welded to the outside of the pipe and to a tree perc or other type of diffuser on the inside of the pipe. Diffuser – Rather than one large hole at the bottom of the down stem a Diffuser has many holes or slits. This allows the smoke to be broken up into smaller bubbles in the water. This results in more cooling, and filtering of the smoke. D-Cuts : used when referring to a diffuser. Small slits are made at the bottom of the down stem. The “D” stands for diamond cuts. They are made by using a Dremel diamond wheel tool or similar device, thus the name. Pierced - used when referring to a diffuser. Holes are pierced at the bottom of the down stem. Inline – Invented by Hops. Refers to a diffuser that is turned sideways and has holes or d-cuts along the entire length of one side. Bushing – A glass on glass down stem which reduces the normal joint size to a smaller one. A bushing diffuser is typically 18mm to 14mm, 18 being the male joint which fits into the pipe, and the 14 being the female joint that the slide fits into. Bushing down stems are desirable because they create a lower profile than regular down stems. Percolator, Perculator or Perc: An extra chamber that allows smoke to be further filtered by water, creating a smoother hit. Double Chamber: used when referring to water pipes and bubblers with two water chambers.  For example: a "ROOR double" would be a ROOR tube, with two chambers, one at the base of the tube, and one being a percolator. Triple Chamber: used when referring to water pipes and bubblers with three water chambers. For example: a "ROOR triple" would be a ROOR tube, with three chambers, one at the base of the tube, and two being percolators. Splash guard: Some tubes (especially with percs) have splash guards to prevent water from splashing your mouth when pulling vigorously on the tube. They are usually dome or bell shaped and have slits or holes at the base as well as on the top to allow smoke to pass. Foot: The base of a straight water pipe. Dome perc- The dome perc is basically a bell shaped glass dome with a stem that goes up to the top of it. It  has holes at the bottom of the bell to allow the smoke to pass through the water after going up the stem. Tree Perc: utilize between 2 or more individual flow paths (arms) for the smoke to enter the water. Disk Perc- Diffusers made from disks of glass with pierced holes in them. They divide a water pipe into separate water chambers. As you inhale, the smoke is forced through the holes in the disks, thus diffusing the smoke. Water Pipe- generic term for any pipe using water filtration to filter the smoke. Carb - A large hole on a piece that is covered during inhalation, but is uncovered to clear the chamber of smoke. Push - ”Push” refers to the depression that forms the bowl.The inner bowl is insulated by a layer of air and then another layer of glass. This helps disperse heat for those who smoke a lot or share a pipe with many people. Ash Catcher: An attachment for a water pipe that allows for extra filtration and stop ashes from collecting in the water pipe. Trashcatcher- Toros tree perc ash catcher. The term is a combination of the words “tree” and “ash catcher” Ice Pinch: indentions in the wall of a water pipe allowing for ice to be inserted and for the smoke to pass through and be cooled. Bistabil - refers to a joint which is made 52% thicker than the standard joint. Hookah:  A water pipe with 1 or more hoses for smoking. The hookah operates by water filtration and indirect heat. It is used for smoking herbal fruits and tobacco or shisha. Shisha - A molasses or honey based tobacco used to smoke in hookahs. In certain regions shisha refers to the hookah. Fleabite: a small chip out of the ground glass joint on a tube/slide/bub etc.

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