WHAT IS A BONG OR WATER PIPE?

A bong is often also called a water pipe, or a water pipe is a bong. It just depends on how you look at it. In any case, they are very similar, and often we mean the same thing, but in fact there are differences between the two. In appearance, they differ from each other, but also the way in which both are intended to be used differ. To clarify this once and for all, we tell you more about what a bong or water pipe is in this article.

What is a bong?

Let's start with the bong, because what exactly is this? A bong is often a straight tube or has the shape of a beaker, as you often see in the laboratory, with water at the bottom. There are many different variants available, each with its own functionalities. But in all cases, a bong is used to smoke hash, cannabis or other mind-altering substances.

Looking for a good bong? There are so many different shapes, sizes and materials, and it makes sense that you are not sure which choice is best. In another article, we'll tell you all about where to must pay attention when buying a bong.

How do you use a bong?

A bong is used to smoke pure hash or weed, not with tobacco, as with a water pipe is the case. To use the bong, you must first add some water to the bong. Then you can fill the bowl with weed, hash or other material. Then place your mouth on the mouthpiece of the bong, place your finger on the air hole and light the smoking material. You can inhale the smoke by sucking on the bong. The smoke produced by the bong is cooled and filtered by the water in the bong.

What is a water pipe?

A hookah is also called a shisha, hookah or nagila. This consists of a vase with water in it and contains at least one hose with which you can smoke the tobacco. The water pipe is intended for smoking herbs or (water pipe) tobacco, so no weed or other comparable material. However, the herbs you smoke with a water pipe do not have to contain tobacco. Many special spice mixtures or even fruit mixtures are available for this. The hookah can now be found in many restaurants and shisha lounges all over the world.

How do you use a water pipe?

Using a hookah or shisha may look complicated, but it isn't at all. You can place the smoking material on a special bowl with holes in it. Place aluminum foil over the dish and place a heating source on top. In the case of a water pipe, it is a coal which you place on top. Then you can suck on the mouthpiece and smoke is created that you can inhale through a hose.

The history of the bong and water pipe

The hookah originates from India and has been used for centuries. As far as we know, the water pipe was discovered around the year 1500. Around this year, a poem was discovered by a Persian writer who wrote about the hookah. Later, the usage spread to the Middle East. Another study has shown that the water pipe was already in use around the year 1100 BC. The first specimens found in excavations came from Ethiopia, but later excavations showed the water pipe to be known all over the world.

The bong originated in Thailand and comes from the word “baung”. This literally means “bamboo hookah”. At the time, the baung was widely used during the Vietnam War to smoke cannabis. The veterans most likely introduced the baung to the US. Another theory is that the hippies brought the use of the smoking pipe to the west in the 1960s. Wherever the trend comes from, the smoking pipe is better known today as the “bong”.

What is the difference between a bong and water pipe?

A water pipe is usually used to smoke (shisha) tobacco. You usually smoke weed or hash with a bong. That doesn't mean you can't smoke weed with a water pipe, or you can't smoke tobacco with a bong. It's just less suitable for it and actually not intended for it, but it can do. With a bong, you smoke the substance pure, without usingtobacco. With a water pipe, you do use tobacco. You can imagine that the smoke that comes from a bong is many times stronger than from a water pipe. With both you use different smoking materials and also different amounts.

Another important difference is the combustion process. You light a bong immediately, after which you can inhale the smoke. With a water pipe you use coals to heat the tobacco, and you inhale the smoke through a hose.