The choke, or carb, on a water pipe used to be the standard for smoking. The choke is the hole, usually located on the back of the water pipe, that you cover with your finger to trap the smoke and then uncover to clear the chamber. You may be wondering what a carb is for on a pipe.
But what if we told you there was a better way to smoke that’s less wasteful of your herbs? It’s time to introduce you to the world of slides.
What’s A Slide?
It’s not the hot metal thing you fought for a turn on in elementary school. A slide is a kind of removable bowl that can be inserted into a water pipe’s downstem to block the smoke from escaping as you light your herbs. Generally, if a water pipe has a choke, the bowl will just be attached to the downstem. If there isn’t a choke, the downstem and the slide, which has a bowl attached to it, are separate entities. It serves the same purpose as a choke, allowing air to rush into the chamber when it is removed so you get a top notch hit.
What Makes It Better?
A lot of water pipes don’t have chokes. The choke used to be an essential piece of a water pipe’s anatomy, but now they’re viewed as old-school. All water pipes have downstems, though, which means you can use a slide on virtually any of today’s models.
On top of how common the slide method is, it’s also more convenient — no more fumbling around trying to cover the carb with your finger as you prepare for your hit. All you have to do is slide the slide out of the downstem!
Where Can I Buy One?
You’re in luck! At Thick Ass Glass, all of our water pipes come with a glass slide, meaning when you buy a pipe from us, you’re already getting the ideal setup. You can browse our collection and find the pipe that’s right for you.
If you still want to stand by using a choke, we have easier solutions for that, too! Take a look at our selection of water pipe carb caps and say goodbye to using your finger.