Bamboo pipe with a wooden bowl
Bamboo is light, hard and grows fast, which is why it has been used for smoking gear for centuries. This pipe is built from a thick bamboo cane, 15 cm long and 5.5 cm wide, with a channel drilled from the bowl through to the mouthpiece. A wooden bowl sits in the top, finished with a metal ring along the inner rim. That ring takes the heat exactly where the burn is hottest, so the wood around it darkens far more slowly.
A green hemp leaf is painted on the side, next to a couple of dark lacquered rings that break up the pale bamboo. Because the pipes are made and painted by hand, every piece differs slightly in colour and marking. The grain of the cane runs the full length, giving the pipe a solid feel in the hand without much weight. At fifteen centimetres it is big enough to hold comfortably and small enough to slip into a coat pocket.
Use and maintenance
Fill the bowl loosely with ground herbs, press them down lightly and hold the flame at an angle above them while you draw gently. Let the pipe cool between sessions, since wood and bamboo hold heat longer than glass does. Empty the bowl while the ash is still dry and tap it out over an ashtray. For cleaning, reach for a small brush or a pipe cleaner rather than water, as bamboo can swell and split once it gets wet.
At Avalon Magic Plants
The same category holds glass pipes, metal models and spare bowls alongside this bamboo one. You will also find grinders, screens and cleaning brushes to keep your pipe in shape. Everything is shipped in discreet packaging.
