Pipe Mushroom: a pipe that lives on your keys
This metal pipe takes the shape of a mushroom. The wide cap at one end holds the bowl, while the narrow stem tapers into the mouthpiece. A short chain with a key ring is fixed to the cap, so the pipe travels along with your keys instead of rattling around loose in a bag. At 9.5 cm it is a touch longer than most pocket pipes, which gives the smoke a little more distance to cover before it reaches you. The black finish keeps it low-key; hanging from a bunch of keys it reads as a pendant rather than as a pipe.
The whole body is metal, so it puts up with the knocks that come from sharing space with keys all day. The bowl is small and suits a single portion of herbs. Because the ring sits on the cap rather than on the mouthpiece, the pipe hangs with its opening pointing upwards, which keeps loose crumbs out of your pocket.
Handling and heat
Metal warms up faster than wood or glass, and you notice that around the bowl in particular. Heat it briefly, hold the pipe by the stem and let it cool down before you clip it back onto your keys. A small screen in the bowl holds back loose particles and stops material from travelling towards the mouthpiece.
Cleaning
A pipe that hangs from a key ring earns a clean more often than one that sits in a drawer. Leave it in isopropyl alcohol for half an hour, run a pipe cleaner through the stem and rinse it with warm water. Detach the key ring first if you want to keep it dry. Let everything dry completely before the next use. At Avalon Magic Plants the headshop also carries the nut and bolt pipe, ribbed metal pipes, bamboo pipes, glass pipes and grinders. Every order leaves us packed discreetly.
