The Art of Smoking: A Smoldering Overview of Combustion
There are countless ways to consume botanical blends these days, but combustion—the act of lighting tobacco or legal herbs on fire and inhaling the results—remains one of the most direct, immediate, and tactile experiences.
Common Ways to Burn and Inhale:
-
Hand Rolls: Rolled and wrapped in paper (or tobacco leaf). Great for group settings, very portable, burns away whether you’re smoking it or not.
-
Water Pipes: Smoke passes through water, cooling and filtering it. Known for big draws and smoother pulls. Usually stay at home.
-
Bubblers: Like a water pipe had a baby with a hand pipe. Offers some water filtration in a more portable form.
-
Small, Single Use Pipes: Designed for discretion and microdosing. Quick to use, easy to carry, limited in capacity.
-
Dry Pipes: The original grab-and-go option. No water, no extras—just a chamber for product and a mouthpiece.
Dry Pipes: The Originals
Dry pipes are as straightforward as it gets. You grind the product (tobacco, legal botanicals, etc), pack the bowl, light it up, and inhale. No charging, no setup, no buttons. They go by a lot of slang names, but they all serve the same fundamental purpose: clean combustion, no water, all function.
Types of Dry Pipes
-
Spoon Pipes: Probably the most familiar style. Rounded bowl, straight stem, carb hole on the side. Ubiquitous and easy to use.
-
Sherlocks & Gandalfs: Known for their curved stems and longer profiles, which help cool the smoke before it hits your mouth. Great for style and smoother hits.
-
Ceremonial Pipes: Straight tubes, usually no carb. Minimalist and traditional, often seen in ceremonial contexts.
-
Hammers: L-shaped pipes that rest flat when set down. Good stability, same basic function as a spoon.
-
Bats: Slender pipes meant for a single hit at a time. Used for portability and discretion.
What Makes a Good Dry Pipe?
A good dry pipe should do a few things well:
-
Fit comfortably in your hand and pocket.
-
Be easy to clean and maintain.
-
Withstand regular use.
-
Deliver a smooth hit without harshness.
While most dry pipes check a couple of these boxes, few check all of them.
Enter Tempest
If you're looking for a modern solution that rethinks the dry pipe from the ground up - cooling, filtration, durability, and cleanability - Tempest might just be your pipe. Designed to last. Built to draw. Easy to clean. Tough to beat.
