What is a Chillum Pipe? – HØJ
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What is a Chillum Pipe?

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It is not a hidden fact that the cannabis industry has been growing bigger and faster, especially in the past few years. Most recent and advanced technologies make it possible for new smoking artifacts and even new ways of smoking cannabis in any form to be available for the audience. 

However, some old classics never go out of style, and we can confidently say that chillum pipes are genuinely one of those old reliable smoking devices. A chillum pipe is a straight or conical pipe with an end-to-end channel and does not have the regular carb hole to regulate the airflow as traditional known pipes. 

Chillums have been around for thousands of years, and they were first introduced in human history by the holy man of India, or Sadhus. Throughout Eastern Europe and Asia, these types of pipes have been associated with spirituality and meditation mostly due to their inclusion in several religious practices. Nevertheless, great classics tend to have comebacks, and chillum pipes have been growing in popularity.

Is a Chillum Pipe a Hand Pipe?

Although a chillum pipe is virtually the same as other hand pipes, it does share some slight differences. One of them is the form of the device. Most chillum pipes have a straight or conical shape with an end-to-end channel where one of them is the bowl. For this reason, chillum pipes are known for making hitting a bit more challenging as the smoke goes directly into your throat and lungs. Another remarkable difference between chillum pipes and other hand pipes is that the first ones lack the carb hole connected to the pipe bowl, which is placed to regulate the airflow coming through the bowl and stem of the hand pipe.

One of the advantages of chillum pipes is that you can have better control over the dosage of cannabis you are consuming at the time, as you can smoke your herb hit by hit and wait to see how the effects are getting on you. This also makes you save weed as you’re going to smoke just the amount of weed you need. In addition, chillum pipes are among the most budget-friendly smoking devices due to their simplicity and size. Other advantages we can point out about these devices are that they are really easy to pack, easy to clean, and an excellent choice for those trying to be discreet about their smoking.

Types of Chillum Pipes

  • Wood Chillum Pipe: Wood is among the first materials ever used to make pipes and is still a very used material as it can be very durable and resistant. There is a vast variety of wooden chillum pipes, some of them considered authentic pieces of art as even talented wood carving artists make them. Wood can also add some flavor to the smoke as it will burn a bit every time you smoke. However, the not-so-good thing about wood chillum pipes is that they can get really dirty with time and frequent use, and since the wood is porous, it can be more difficult to clean this type of pipe because the resin will tend to stick more due to the natural texture of the wood.
  • Clay Chillum Pipe: Historically, the first chillum pipes ever registered were made of clay. This material became initially popular to be used in the manufacture of these sacred pipes due to how accessible it could be for Sadhus. Like stone and glass, clay won’t modify your bud’s taste when you smoke it. However, similarly to wood, sometimes uncured clay can be porous so, especially if they don't have a lacquer coating, these chillum pipes can make cleaning a little more complicated.
  • Stone Chillum Pipe: Stone is an excellent alternative material for a chillum pipe to be made of because it doesn't alter the taste of your smoke like metal or wood does. Another good thing about stone chillums is that they are very durable, and as long as you can keep it safe from losing it, you can own a stone chillum pipe virtually forever.
  • Glass Chillum Pipe: Glass is definitely one of the favorite materials for making cannabis pipes nowadays. And specifically, glass chillum pipes have gained a lot of popularity thanks to this almost medical material’s liability. Glass is easy to clean, it won’t change the flavor of your cannabis flower at all, and it won’t retain heat for too long. The cannabis market is filled with a great amount of glass chillum pipes made in all sizes and forms, and they are all available for you. However, one of the things to bear in mind when owning a glass chillum pipe or any glass smoking device is that glass is fragile and can break easily.

  • One-hitter: What most people popularly know as  one-hitters  are actually a small chillum pipe that has a bowl large enough to place the amount of weed to be burnt at once in one single hit, as the name implies. One of the most popular one-hitters is the cigarette one-hitter, which is a metal-made one-hitter that looks exactly like a cigarette. 

    How to Use a Chillum Pipe

    Although it may seem very obvious for some experienced users, we have a step-by-step giode of the correct technique to smoke your chillum pipe for those who are starting in the subject. 

    Materials

    • Cannabis flower of your preference
    • Chillum Pipe
    • KLIP
    • Lighter

    Directions 

    • Start by riping your cannabis flower into smaller pieces that can fit into your KLIP, or the grinder you have in hand.
    • Place the pieces of bud inside the grinder and proceed to slice it to the size you prefer.
    • Now that your herb is ground, pack the bowl of your chillum pipe and press it with your finger to make sure it sticks together.
    • With one hand, place the chillum pipe on your mouth at a 45-degree angle to avoid the ground weed falls off the bowl of your chillum.
    • Now lit the pipe with your lighter and inhale smooth and slowly to avoid sucking in ash into your mouth.

    How to Clean a Chillum Pipe

    For sure, this is one of the most important things to have in mind when having a chillum pipe. A clean chillum will lower the possibility of smoking any impurity. On the other hand, a dirty or uncleaned pipe is the perfect place for bacteria to breed, as so it is for mold spores, allergens, and more. Added to this, leftover toxins from your burnt cannabis and lighter fuels can form a layer on the bowl and stem of your chillum that can be harmful and even dangerous to smoke. All this together can completely modify the taste of your weed once you smoke as you will be burning way more than just cannabis. So, it is very important to keep your chillum pipe clean in order to always have a joyful smoking experience.

    For all of these reasons, we have a list of all that you need and all you have to do to give proper cleaning to your old chillum pipe. Although these devices are made out of many different materials, most chillum pipes should be possible to clean in this way. Make sure to do it in a comfortable workspace, get a stable surface and make sure to have all that you will need in hand. These are the materials you will need to clean your chillum pipe.

    Materials

    • Ziplock bag 
    • Water
    • Rubbing alcohol
    • Q-tips
    • Sea salt or regular salt
    • Pipe cleaners

    Directions

    • Take the ziplock bag and fill it with rubbing alcohol, making it enough to fully submerge your chillum in it.
    • Add the sea salt or regular salt to the bag with the pipe in it and seal it.
    • Shake the bag or stir the mixture vigorously.
    • Now, take out the pipe from the bag for a moment a put a few grains of salt in both ends of your pipe. Make sure to not use too much salt, as you will want the alcohol to flow freely through the chillum channel and the bowl.
    • After you treated the chillum with salt, place the pipe into the bag again and repeat the shaking or stirring process for about a minute. Then, take the pipe out of the bag.
    • Now that the dirt is loosened and the bacteria are dead, rinse the pipe with hot water and proceed to clean the remaining dirt with the Q-tips and pipe cleaners.
    • Finally, rinse the pipe again, let it dry, and that’s it. Your chillum should look as good as new.

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