This questions is asked for almost everything, what is the best….whatever? Of course, the answer to this question regardless of what the topic is, is always going to be someone’s opinion of what is best. So here is my opinion of what is the best screen for your glass pipe. Oh, and just a quick note, my opinion is based on over 40 years of smoking herb out of just about everything you can think of.
Frist off, let us go over why you need a screen in a glass pipe. The opening in between the bowl and the stem of your pipe allows the smoke to pass through it, and into you. This opening also lets through ash and sometimes hot embers that along with the smoke can get into your mouth and throat. This is an extremely unpleasant experience to say the least. A screen is designed to prevent this from happening in theory.
The different types of screens you can use, and the pros and cons of each.
Metal Screens:
Metal screens have been around for a long time and can be made from a variety of materials including brass, steel & copper. These types of screens are placed in the bowl of the pipe, covering the opening into the stem of the pipe. They are more useful in a metal or wooden pipe than they are glass pipes, because they will form to, and stay in the bowl better than they will in glass. Aside from the fact that a metal screen is difficult to keep in a glass bowl, there are other drawbacks as well. The primary one being that you ultimately end up smoking the metal of the screen along with the herb. If you have ever dug what is left of an old metal screen out of the bottom of your pipe, you know what I am talking about, there is not as much of it left, as when you first put it in. As a result of this, not only do you get to enjoy the flavor of your favorite metal, you also must replace them frequently. On the plus side, they are very inexpensive, so replacing them often is not a financial burden in any way. Another plus for the metal screen is that it does work at keeping the herb in the bowl and the byproduct of the burnt material out of your mouth. Metal screens do clog up quickly, and will require regular cleaning, which can be a messy job. So, in my opinion, metal screens overall are a bad option for glass pipes, primarily as they defeat the main purpose of using glass in the first place.
Glass Screens:
They make glass screens and call them all sorts of things like, Jacks, Stars, and Flowers. These screens also are designed to fit into the bowl of the glass pipe. Their primary function is to keep the unburnt material from falling through the opening in the bowl. They unfortunately do not keep the burnt material or the ash from coming through that opening in your bowl, allowing the ash and resin to freely come through the stem and into your mouth. Another issue with these types of screens, is they tend to clog up the opening between the bowl and the stem very quickly, causing the need for constant cleaning of your bowl. Unless you have an extremely large opening between your bowl and stem, these are typically more trouble than they are worth. A typical opening in the bowl will not allow unburnt material through once it has been used a few times, as this opening will continue to get smaller and smaller the more you use your pipe, as resin continues to build up around the opening. For those of you who have used a pipe for any period, already know the challenge is to keep that hole in the bottom of the bowl open as much as possible so you can get the smoke to come through. Okay, back to my opinion, unless you have an very large opening in the bottom of your glass pipe and continue to have a problem with large chunks of unburnt herb falling through this hole, you will probably find these types of screens to be of a hassle than anything.
Up until now, these were your only 2 choices for screens, and in my opinion, neither were remarkably effective. Now however, there is an alternative screen for your glass pipes, chillums and one hitters, that is specifically designed for glass. This new contender in the screen market is called an Ash Hole Screen, and it is unique in its design, as it goes into the opening at the mouth end of the pipe, and not the bowl. In this way, you do not end up smoking the screen by putting it where you light the pipe on fire, so no harm there. It also does not clog up the opening in the bowl, as every other screen will do. The Ash Hole Screen is completely effective in keeping the ash, and embers from entering the user’s mouth. It goes even one step further by also preventing any hot liquid resin form coming through the stem and entering your mouth, which no other screen can do. If you have ever had a mouth full of hot resin, you will appreciate this feature immensely. The Ash Hole screen has some other amazing aspects, like the fact that it is made from a food grade silicone material, so resin will not stick to it, and this allows the screen to be cleaned very easily, simply by wiping it off with a paper towel. Never before has cleaning a screen been so easy. As far as durability goes, the Ash Hole screen is reusable and will last the life of your pipe, and beyond, so they are extremely cost effective as well. Back to my opinion, Ash Hole Screens are the best screens you can buy for your glass pipe without a doubt.
You can check them out at www.ashholescreens.com.
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