There is a new answer to this question
The question has been asked time and time again. Do I need a screen for a glass pipe? I myself, for the longest time, did not use a screen in my glass pipe. Oh, it was not for lack of effort to be sure. I tried all the types of screens out there, everything from the good old fashion metal screens we used in the wooden bowls of old, to the new-fangled glass ones of today. All to stop the one drawback of using glass, getting the waste byproduct from my pipe into my mouth. Yuck!! Sucking the insides of my pipe into my mouth was, well let us be real, it sucked! I loved my glass pipe, but I hated getting the “Scooby Snacks” at the end of the bowl.
OK, back to the screens, there were several problems with the metal screens. In a new pipe the metal would not grip the glass surface and would simply fall out. Not to mention it sort of takes away the reason for using glass in the first place. You do not get the metallic taste from burning metal. Taste matters!
The main problem with the glass screens is their design. Regardless of the shape or what they are called stars, jacks or whatever they all sit in the bowl, and are designed to basically fill most of the hole in the bowl of your pipe. Leaving exceedingly small openings that get clogged up constantly. The glass screen is, essentially, clogging up the bowl and rendering it useless. Not really the best design man has come up with so far.
There had to be a better solution specifically for glass pipes, but alas, as I had not found one, I continued to use my glass pipe without a screen. I did not accept this idly or even quietly. I continued to complain about it, every time the soot came flying into my mouth. I could not believe that nobody had come up with a solution to this problem, I mean come on, glass pipes have been around for a while now. How hard could it be? Humm, how hard could it be, I asked myself?
While pondering that question I had an idea, instead of coming up with another screen that fit in the bowl, as every other screen did, what if the screen was covering the hole going into the user’s mouth? The other end of the pipe, where we suck all that yuck out of the stem, cover that hole with a screen and the problem is solved. You are not lighting that end of the pipe on fire, so you do not have to worry about burning and smoking the screen material, while still preventing the ash and resin from entering the user’s mouth. A perfect solution, and so the Ash Hole Screen was born.
Getting back to the degree of difficulty, remember “How hard can it be?” The final product may be small, but a lot of thought went into making it a quality product. As this is the end of the pipe you put your mouth onto, the Ash Hole Screen had to be safe. Ash Holes are made from an FDA Food grade material (same thing a baby bottle nipple is made from), so they are not harmful in any way, Ash Hole Screens have no odor or taste of their own. Again, taste is important, especially these days with so many different strains out there to choose from.
Another aspect of the design that was important, is that it should not take away from the look or feel of the pipe. Ash Hole Screens are designed to fit snuggly into the mouthpiece opening without changing the look or feel of the pipe itself.
Without a screen | With a screen | Side view
The screen also had to withstand the heat, even though it was not in the bowl end of the pipe. Nothing worse than a hot burning ember hitting the back of your throat! The Ash Hole Screen will stop a flaming ember shooting down the stem of your pipe in its tracks, without leaving a scar on the screen itself. The darn thing is almost indestructible. As they are made from a silicon material, resin does not stick to the screen the way it sticks to everything else. Simply wipe them clean when they get dirty with some paper-toweling, and pop them back in. It is that easy. Ash Holes are a much better alternative screen for your glass pipe than the metal or glass screens that were currently available. They solve the biggest issues with using a glass pipe, without creating new ones.
Ash Hole Screens are a completely reusable screen specifically designed for glass pipes, chillums & one hitters. Making them an extremely cost-effective solution to an otherwise disgusting problem. Ash Hole Screens are made in the U.S.A. with only the highest quality materials and are durable enough to last the life of your pipe.
So back to the question, do I need a screen for my glass pipe? Well the answer is yes, yes you do, but the best screen for a glass pipe out there, an Ash Hole Screen.