There is no question that smoking from a glass pipe or bong is the best way to consume cannabis, but that doesn't mean that hand pipes made from materials other than glass are not worth smoking out of. There is something special about each and every medium used to make a hand pipe.

Why We Love Wooden Pipes!

Cannabis lovers have been carving hand pipes from wood for thousands of years, which makes the classic wooden pipe a very reliable smoking companion indeed! Contrary to what you might think, the wood does not affect the taste of your ganj, but of course this is only when you clean it regularly! Just be sure you don’t get one that is cheaply made. No, if you’re going to smoke from a wood pipe, you should choose one that is made from high quality wood that won’t splinter or break on you, or even worse, clog and ruin your bowl!

Get Stoned with a Stone Pipe

Stone pipes are in my opinion, the most superior of the non glass hand pipes. They give great tasting hits, and really don’t alter the taste of your herb the way cheap wood pipes and metal do.  Unlike wood they don’t splinter and break from use, and more importantly they don’t clog nearly as easily. Stone pipes can be cleaned with rubbing alcohol and salt water in the same way glass pipes do. This is not the case with wood, where you have to use a pipe cleaner soaked in alcohol, which is tedious, not to mention kind of gross. One drawback is that stone pipes can get pretty hot, almost as hot as metal pipes. Use caution for those longer sessions!

Ceramic Pipes Can Be Pretty Sick

Ceramic pipes are both fairly durable and taste pretty clean, especially when compared to metal or wood pipes. I would say that it’s just about as good as glass. Ceramic pipes are fun to construct and carve, so you can often find them in a wide range of styles, or with ornate designs covering the pipe. Some cons of ceramic pipes are that they can break fairly easily if you’re not careful, and maintenance can be tough if you don’t keep up on it.

Even Metal Has its Merits

Before you go off, let me say that I am not a fan of metal pipes. I would certainly never smoke from one now. That being said, they were great pipes for a first timer. Metal pipes are of course the sturdiest of all hand pipes. I would absolutely recommend a metal pipe to either to take into the woods on a camping trip, for instance. Metal pipes with screw on lids make great companions for river rafting trips and the like. Say you’re a smoker who is a little more on the clumsy side? A metal pipe can be thrown at a brick wall and it will still not break! There are of course quite a few drawbacks to using a metal pipe, which puts it at the very bottom of the non glass hand pipes. Metal pipes get extremely hot when you use them, especially for extended periods of time. There’s also the taste. Metal pipes give your herb a metallic taste that just about ruins the bowl. They have their uses, but not for me.

Glass Will Always Rule Above All

These are all fine alternatives, but glass will always be my number one go-to when I’m looking to smoke the old fashioned way. These are all viable smoking alternatives when you’re low on options or funds, or are just tired of breaking your glass.

Which are your favorite non glass hand pipes? Is it just glass for you? Tell us in the comments!