Maybe you’ve heard of the apple pipe but just assumed it was named after its inventor/designer (there are thousands of people in the US with the last name “Apple” so it’s not out of the question). Or maybe someone told you about it and you just assumed they were joking with you. Or maybe you’ve never heard of it. In any case, the team at the 710 Pipes headshop at Denver University would like to set the record straight:
- Apple pipes are not named after a person, they’re named after the fruit.
- Whoever told you about apple pipes was not pulling your leg.
- If you’ve never heard of apple pipes and don’t have any clue what the hell they are, we’re about to fill you in.
Now that we all understand apple pipes are not a joke or a myth let’s get into the nitty-gritty regarding just what they are and how you can make your very own apple pipe to win friends and influence people.
First Things First: What is an Apple Pipe?
An apple pipe is not something you can buy at our online head shop. It’s strictly a homemade DIY doohickey for enjoying cannabis. On some level, an apple pipe may resemble some kind of ultra-bizarre heady glass, but they work more like standard glass pipes. People typically revert to using an apple pipe when standard smoking options are not available and they don’t feel like trying to make a toilet paper or plastic bottle pipe.
Most stoners are imaginative types and crafting a pipe from a piece of fruit plays right into that narrative. To be sure, an apple pipe is rarely someone’s first choice as far as cannabis delivery vehicles go, but if properly made they will do a perfectly serviceable job, and knowing how to make one will come in handy someday when the chips are down.
So, now that we know apple pipes are real and we know why and when most people use them, let’s take a step-by-step look at how to create an apple pipe you can call your own (at least until the fruit rots).
How To Make An Apple Pipe
Making an apple pipe could not be simpler unless the pipe somehow made itself. While there are variations out there that get pretty involved we’re going to give them a pass and focus on creating a simple old-school apple pipe just like Grandpa made while he was wallowing in the mud at Woodstock listening to Janis Joplin.
What You Will Need
Okay, better get pen and paper ready because the materials list is pretty long and involved. Ready? Okay, here are the materials you’ll need to create your apple pipe:
- An apple
- A pen
- A knife
That’s it! There are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind though:
- The apple should be fresh and crisp, not old and soft.
- An inexpensive Bic-style pen will work best because they’re nice and symmetrical and you can easily remove the ink.
- The knife can be any knife sharp enough to cut an apple with.
Also, avoid using a pencil unless you have no other choice because they break easily and you may leave some of the graphite in the apple, which could potentially muck things up.
Creating Your Apple Pipe
Making the apple pipe is as simple as the materials list. Here’s how you do it.
- Step 1: Remove the stem from the apple. The stem is just going to get in the way so the first thing to do is remove it, right down to the base. You can either twist it off or use your knife to carve around the base to make sure you get it all.
- Step 2: Using your pen (ideally with the ink cartridge removed) bore a hole into the apple. Start that hole where the stem used to be and bore the hole at a slight angle away from vertical. The hole should ultimately extend about halfway through the apple.
- Step 3: Bore another hole starting near the bottom of the apple at a slightly steeper angle than the first hole. This hole needs to meet up with the first hole about halfway up the apple. The result will be a single hole that extends down from the top of the apple and then veers off at an angle about halfway down before emerging near the bottom of the apple.
- Step 4: Like many types of bongs and glass pipes your apple pipe is going to have a carb hole. To create it, spin your apple about ¼ of the way around, and at the apple’s equator bore a horizontal hole directly into the apple until it meets up with the existing vertical hole. Placing the carb hole here will make it easy to cover with your thumb or another finger.
- Step 5: Take your pocket knife, steak knife, or whatever knife you can get a hold of and carve a bowl out of the top of the apple where the vertical hole begins. You don’t want the bowl to be the size of Kansas so use some restraint when carving. Ideally, your apple bowl should be about the size of a heady glass or standard bong bowl, although a little larger is okay too. And be careful with that knife!
- Step 6: Refine your bowl until it’s relatively smooth and then load it up and have at it. Hold the apple in one hand with your thumb covering the carb hole, place your mouth over the hole near the bottom and fire up the weed with your other hand. Draw on the “mouthpiece” for a few seconds while firing up the weed then remove your thumb from the carb hole and inhale.
That’s it. In just a few short minutes using just an apple, a pen, and a knife you created a perfectly functional apple pipe. As long as you have those three items on hand you will never be at a loss if you ever run out of papers and don’t have access to a standard pipe or bong.
Visit Our Online Smoke Shop for Glass Pipes and More
An apple pipe represents a viable, and to some people, much more attractive emergency pipe than a plastic bottle bong a soda can pipe, or a toilet roll pipe. Unlike those other options you can even eat your apple pipe when you’re done, provided it hasn’t been sullied by ink.
But if you want an even better option than the apple pipe, peruse our online pipe shop and pick up an extra glass pipe or two so that you are never in a position where you have to rely on fruit to bail out your buzz. If online shopping isn’t your thing stop by our brick-and-mortar store in Denver. We’re open seven days a week.