In 1924, Arthur Dunhill noted in a study on water pipes of Africa that the absence of smoking apparatus in Europe is a clear indicator of its origin. Dombrowski excavated the earliest known water pipes in Ethiopia in 1971, dating them between 11 BCE. However, archaeological findings over the course of several decades present the greater likelihood that the bong originated in Africa. Because cannabis originated in central Asia, archaeologists have assumed that the bong shares this origin point, and descended from the hookah.
The exact origin and evolution of the bong remains somewhat cloudy. One disadvantage to bongs is the need for frequent cleaning to avoid tar and other residual buildup. The scent of bong water isn't necessarily a disadvantage that affects its function, but the odor is generally unpalatable to cannabis users. New bong users should also be aware: Bong water smells foul. If you don't keep changing the water, a bong can become increasingly difficult to clean. Bongs can range in price anywhere from $10 to thousands of dollars for an artisan piece.Īnd while bongs may require less prep work than a joint, bongs do require a lot more maintenance and upkeep.
When you know how to use it, a well-made, well-maintained bong can last a lifetime, but it may also put you back a pretty penny upon initial purchase. Many of the best bongs also require higher upfront cost than a blunt or joint. And filtering out cannabinoids means the user has to smoke more to get the desired effect. In fact, water pipes filter out more cannabinoids than tar. While it results in a smoother smoke, however, it can also filter out some THC and other psychoactive compounds. Some bongs have an ice pinch that allows for marijuana smoke to be cooled, providing a smoother flavor.Ī bong's central purpose is to cool and filter smoke through water filtration. Bongs offer particularly cool hits when ice is added to the water. The best bongs offer the simplicity and immediacy of a dry flower pipe while facilitating a smoother hit by eliminating harsh dry smoke through water filtration. What is a Bong Used For? Advantages of BongsĪ major reason for the bong's popularity is that it's easy to use. Though most professionally crafted bongs are glass, homemade bongs can be constructed from any vessel that is both airtight and watertight by adding a stem, bowl and carb apparatus. The only other essential parts of a bong are the bowl and downstem.
Others have a wide base (usually beaker-shaped or spherical) that connects to the tube. Some bongs are just a single straight tube that connects to the mouthpiece. Bongs are frequently custom-made or homemade, and come in a vast amount of shapes, sizes, and modifications, such as neck pinches or gravity chambers. The bong's neck, vessel, or tube connects to the base where the water resides. It's central identifying shape - the cylindrical neck - mirrors the robust cylinder of a bamboo stalk. Whether manufactured or homemade, the device as we know it stays essentially true to this definition of a bong. The word bong is adapted from the Thai word baung (บ้อง), meaning a wooden cylinder or pipe cut from bamboo and used for smoking.