The Rise of the Bong – Cheap Plastic To Functional Art

I love all thing pot culture. One of my hobbies is collecting bongs. I also collect vaporizers, rolling papers, pipes and pretty much anything that relates to cannabis. But I am particularly privy to my bong collection. I think it’s the fact that they have been around so long and make me feel so nostalgic.

Each bong tells a story and brings me back to a magical time and place in my life. What I have noticed in my collection when I look at it, is the evolution. They really go from cheap plastic to functional art. And so, I have decided to dive deeper into this fascinating little world of bongs.

Welcome Back to the Future

We live in a technological world where everything is constantly changing and being improved. Look at how far the science of just smoking pot has come. When I discovered pot we would roll joints. That was the only way we knew. It was pretty much our only option as young kids with no money. Then we discovered the bong. That was a real game changer. I loved bongs from the very get-go. The first purified and cooled off hit was heavenly. Then, of course, they came out with electrical toys like vaporizers and electronic cigarettes. And today they have dabbing and all sorts of new methods it’s hard to keep up with the ever-changing world.

But for me, nothing beats a good ole bong. And the nice thing is that the bong is still one of the best methods ever invented. And bongs have never become obsolete, in fact, quite the contrary. Bongs have evolved too. They have become far more efficient and eccentric. Bongs are now works of art. The elaborate looks and endless designs are forever evolving and pushing the limits of what a bong can be and what a bong can do.

It’s Evolution Baby!

Bongs have come a long way from your Grandma’s plastic tube bong of the 1960s. The evolution is nothing short of miraculous. You would think in the days of electronic advancement that bongs would have gone the way of the worm. But that is far from the case. Bongs have become works of art. Of course, the rise of the bong is due to more than simple aesthetics.

The initial rise of the bong was mostly cosmetic. But that has taken a back seat to the advancements in functionality. I began collecting bongs as works of art. I loved the big bongs. The most popular styles in the 1970s were dragons and wizards. The 1970s was a time when marijuana and pot culture really came to the foreground. Rock n Roll, women’s rights and civil rights, anti-war and the youth movement were in full swing. Things changed and pot played a central role.

Back then you either rolled a joint or you had a cool bong. By the 1980s bongs became much more of an art form. Elaborate designs with intricate tubes and cool passageways became the fashion of the day. But it wasn’t until about 10 years ago that bong technology hit warp speed. And artistic beauty combined with smoke and cooling technology to cause the rise of the bong yet again. Cheap plastic bongs are a thing of the past. Bongs are now functional art.

What has Made Bongs Functional Art?

If you haven’t hit a bong in a couple of decades you won’t believe what is now available. Bong manufacturers like Hero Love, Roor and Illadelph have taken bong technology into the future. And it is amazing. Bongs are now designed with beautifully detailed chambers and sleek designs both big and small.

I recently bought Hero’s new Destiny, Bong. You have got to see this thing. Better yet you have to take a hit off it. I have it above my television on the mantle on display because it is one of my favourite pieces of art. I get lots of remarks and inquisitions. It almost always leads to a session of both teaching and smoking. I love it.

Bongs like Hero Destiny now use multiple chambers and percolators. The science is all about cooling off the hit and eliminating as many harmful particles as possible. The smoke in these newer bongs has to travel through multiple chambers while passing through the honeycomb, stereo matrix, arm tree and coil percolators. You really can’t get a better hit. The taste is purified, the burn as eliminated and the smoke is super cool. Bongs even have ice holders. The smoke has to pass through the water, then through ice chambers further cooling off your hits. These new bongs epitomize the marriage of functionality and art.