As the legal shackles have been removed from recreational cannabis use over the past decade new technologies have emerged with which to enjoy cannabis products, including the wildly popular vape pen and the dab rig.

As these new technologies became ascendant, stories began to appear in the media alleging that today’s cannabis fan has no time for the venerable water pipe and that soon we’ll be speaking of the customized bong in the past tense. Oh ye of little faith. As those of us at the wholesale head shop can attest bong sales have never been stronger.

All of this media brouhaha, however, did set us to thinking: have bongs changed over time? Or is the bong we sell today essentially the same one your grandpa and grandma were passing around at Altamont?

Where We Stand

Far from being on its last legs, one could rightly call the 2020s the golden age of the bong. Sales have never been stronger and the widespread legalization of herb has prompted countless talented artisans to enter the bong design sphere. The end result has been the proliferation of mind-boggling designs and in some cases, skyrocketing bong prices. Thousands of bongs have been sold over the past few years for upwards of $10,000 with a couple, including Mothership's "Fab Egg" bong, topping $100,000.

How We Got Here

The bong has emerged into the heyday of legalization as a symbol of perseverance and the triumph of craftsmanship. While vape pens and dab rigs have garnered all the attention lately and certainly attracted their share of fans the bong has maintained its well-deserved grip on the stoner psyche and seems poised to enjoy a long and fruitful future.

Not bad for a 500 year old piece of analog technology.

“But wait”, you say. “I read that the first bong was invented in China 3,000 years ago!”

Evidence does indeed indicate that the ancient Chinese enjoyed a good buzz and that they smoked their herb in clay pipes. But while those clay pipes are often cited as the ancestors of today’s customized water pipes there was one thing missing that prevents them from claiming true bong lineage: water.

The water pipe, the hookah, the true precursor to the humble bong, was not invented until about 500 years ago in Mughal India. The Mughal Empire was founded by the descendants of Genghis Khan, the 12th-century Mongol warrior who swept down out of the Asian Steppe to create the largest contiguous land empire in history, stretching from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.

By the 16^th century, his descendants had also conquered and controlled India creating the aforementioned Mughal Empire. It was there that some innovative craftsman had the brilliant idea of filtering hashish and opium smoke through water to make the experience easier on the lungs, and the hookah was born.

Hookahs are still in widespread use throughout India and the Middle East as well as in Middle Eastern restaurants and cafes throughout the world. (The first that most Americans heard of the hookah was in the 1967 song “White Rabbit” by the Jefferson Airplane when vocalist Grace Slick sang about a “hookah-smoking caterpillar”.)

Into the Modern Age

There were people in the US during the 18^th century who were aware of the hookah and created their own version of the water pipe to try and mitigate the less pleasant aspects of smoking tobacco. Tobacco at the time was the biggest cash crop in America and growers were keen to find ways to create as many new smokers as possible.

Alas, the water pipe never did catch on as a vehicle for smoking tobacco but when cannabis began to find fans in the 19

Bongs remained the ultimate niche item for discreet cannabis fans until the 1960s, when young people eager to cast off the shackles of 1950s post-war conformity embraced weed as a safer and more sophisticated alternative to alcohol. Head shops selling rolling papers, psychedelic posters, lava lamps and customized glass pipes sprang up in college towns across the country and bongs began to appear at parties from Boston to Barstow.

These new bongs were different from their smaller, more elaborate 19(sup)th-century ancestors. First of all, they were largely made of glass instead of steel and they were much larger, sometimes as tall as a foot or more. But the basic design was simple and stayed that way until just recently, when widespread relaxation of marijuana laws prompted a flurry of innovation from bong manufacturers.

Many of today’s bongs feature eye-popping designs and modular construction that allows for the adding and subtracting of various accessories including ash catchers, custom bowls and more. So while the basic principles of the bong remain the same they often bear little resemblance to their 1960s precursors.

For Dazzling Wholesale Custom Bongs and More Visit Puffr

Contrary to media reports bongs remain the go-to vehicle for those who want their buzz delivered with authority and style. Visit the Puffr wholesale smoke shop and check out our world-class selection of customized hand pipes and water pipes for yourself.