World Of Weed

With the cost of cigarettes on an ever upward trajectory, rolling your own can seem like an excellent way to save some money. However, the hassle and wasted paper and tobacco of failed attempts, and a messy, misshapen end product put many off. Luckily for rolling beginners or the just plain clumsy, rolling machines are available to make the whole process much simpler.

The rolling machine Rizla makes comes in two sizes, the regular 70mm and 100mm for king size cigarettes. The method is the same for both varieties. Firstly, spread open the rollers.  Add a filter if you want, then your tobacco. Experiment to find the ideal amount, not too little that the cigarette is smoked too quickly and not too dense that it gets difficult to draw. Make sure that it is evenly distributed as it will look neater in the final cigarette and burn evenly. Close the Rizla rolling machine and give the rollers a spin towards you. Then insert a Rizla paper in between the rollers. Make sure the gum line is at the top and facing towards you. Give the nearest roller a full spin towards you, wet the gum before the paper fully disappears, and then give the rollers a final full spin.

A Rizla rolling machine tin not only provides a convenient place to store your cigarettes and tobacco, but also is possibly even easier to use than the standard rolling machine Rizla offers. Press the rolling belt on the inside of the top lid down to form a valley. Line this with your tobacco and the place a Rizla paper above it with the wet gum line at the top. Close the lid and the cigarette will be dispensed on the other side, neat, tidy and ready to smoke.

Ashtrays are a functional item, necessary to contain the inevitable mess from smoking. Yet even though they are convenient for keeping the house tidy they can also be enjoyed for their aesthetics and humour.

As they have to be readily available for use, ashtrays cannot be completely hidden from sight. Fortunately ashtrays need not be eyesores. Glass ashtrays are popular as they can convey a smart, even sophisticated look. They do not necessarily have to be clear, as glass ashtrays can be tinted in a range of colours and designs. Novelty ashtrays may sometimes be preferred to traditional ashtrays. They can liven up a room by injecting some of their design personality and sense of humour. They can be great talking pieces and make an excellent gift for a smoker friend.

Spinning ashtrays have a button that rotates the tray, dropping any ash and debris into a container below. This makes them a good, practical option for patios and other locations where there is a risk of the wind blowing the mess to the ground. Spinning ashtrays also reduce the smell of the ashes. 

Roor is a German manufacturer of glass pipes and bongs, together with accessories such as glass ashtrays and even clothing. Their pipes have a reputation for high quality that is unmatched anywhere else, though some users complain that their products are overpriced.  Roor was founded in the 1980s by German glass blower Martin Birzle, and now has factories all over the world.  The name is a pun on the words ‘micROORganism’ and ‘rohr’, the German word for pipe.

Unfortunately, the company’s reputation for quality has led to fakes coming on the market.  A few telltale signs of a fake include the ® symbol being in the wrong place (it should be at the bottom right of the logo), more or fewer than three ice pinches, and missing splashguards.  Always make sure you buy your Roor pipes from an authorised dealer, to save you the time and trouble of having to examine the pipe in order to try to determine whether it is real or not. Fakes are often made of cheap lightweight glass and break much more easily than the real thing, but are still sold at the same price as a real Roor pipe.  Be aware to avoid being ripped off.

When smoking tobacco or herbal blends, many people find that a novelty ashtray provides a talking point. Since the UK smoking ban, sales of novelty ashtrays have increased as pub and restaurant owners try to liven up the outdoor areas set aside for smoking,  which has become an increasingly social activity. One of the most popular options is a hanging ashtray in the shape of an old-fashioned fire bucket filled with sand.  However, many other designs are available.

Glass Ashtrays

A quick search of eBay reveals that glass ashtrays can come in a number of designs, with some of the more collectable ones selling for upwards of £300.  These include vintage Murano blown glass designs from the 1950s and art deco ashtrays from the 1930s.  At the lower end of the price range, 99p will buy you an ashtray featuring historic advertising or pictures of old locomotives.  Whatever your interests happen to be, the chances are that you will find an ashtray to match your personality.

Spinning Ashtrays

A retro design from the 1970s seems to be coming back into fashion.  Usually made from chrome, a spinning ashtray features a receptacle that you can stub a cigarette or roll-up into, and the ashtray will spin the ash into an enclosed compartment.  It is useful for smokers who live with non-smokers, as it masks the odour of your smoking herbs, making a more pleasant environment for your non-smoking family members or roommates.  They also come in a variety of designs, though even plain chrome ones make for a pleasing design feature.

The Range

Water pipes come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and many suppliers of Roor Pipes offer an impressive range of choices depending on personal preferences.

For example, Roor classic equipment is available as two-piece or three-piece water pipes, and there is a mini-version, which is also two-piece, and there is even a pocket-sized one. The Rasta Steam Roller range offers four sizes: large, medium, small and mini. The thinnest pipes have walls two millimetres thick, and the range increases up to a maximum of seven millimetres thick. Unsurprisingly, thicker pipes use more glass and are stronger, and therefore more expensive to make.

Quality Design

These are sturdy pipes blown by hand to provide minimalist contours and sharp, uncluttered lines in a variety of contemporary designs. The fine glass that is used is a mixture of silica and boric oxide, and the pipes are shaped at extremely high temperatures, making them stronger than some others.

The base is shaped like a saucer or flattened bowl, between three and four inches across, which provides stability and is a popular feature of the Roor range as it allows for safe storage and secure use.

Instead of the usual metal gauzes, Roor Pipes have added gauzes made of glass, with the aim of improving and enhancing the cleanliness and the flavour of the experience. Of course, the importance of keeping equipment clean and using it correctly will also make a considerable difference.