The Genius Pipe: A Smart Buy
If you want to be smart about how you smoke, then a device called the “Genius Pipe” is probably a good place to start. Why such a lofty title? To start, the creators of this hand pipe are more than likely geniuses themselves: engineers Dyan Ferman and Stas Gulinsky were the first to apply vortex technology (similar to what’s used in nuclear reactors) to cool gaming computers in 2008.
What's "Vortex Technology" ?
Vortex technology sounds sci-fi but is quite simple: it’s a harnessing of air’s nature to travel the path of least resistance. When oncoming air meets round objects, the path of least resistance is along the curvature of the item. The air that reaches the opposite side of the round object creates a swirl of air which helps propel it forward, known as a ‘vortex’. If one vortex can aid with airflow, imagine what a bunch of them could do? Ferman and Gulinsky thought of that too, looking to a golf ball’s design for inspiration. Unlike most balls, golf balls are covered in dimples cause min vortex’s across the entire ball in addition to bigger vortexes behind it. These vortexes make the ball more aerodynamic (an object’s ability to move through the air smoothly) by making it spin more and thus go further. Ferman and Gulinksky used this principle to create hardware that allowed air to travel more easily through computers.
Construction
So how does the duo’s tech apply to a hand pipe? The Genius Pipe is made of three flat layers of magnetic anodized aluminum. The top piece is a cover for the pipe (more on that later) while the bottom two pieces come together to form a bowl and chamber. In between the two layers are several dimples and bumps that join when the pipe is closed. As with the golf ball, these round bumps and dimples don’t stop airflow, allowing you to inhale rather than “pull” smoke out of the pipe. What the bumps and dimples DO stop is the tar and resin your inhale takes with it. Because the air is traveling around in vortexes, it’s depositing more hard materials than it normally would in a straight chamber pipe. The result is a 95% reduction of tar and resin. In addition, the less direct route means the air loses most of it’s initial heat, leading to the cool inhales you normally get from a water pipe. And neither of these features comes with a loss of flavor.
Despite its advanced design, the Genius Pipe’s construction is simple and intuitive. As mentioned, the pipe is comprised of three flat layers that joint to create a flat, rectangular piece. The flatness of the pipe combined with its anodized metal body makes it nearly indestructible. The top most layer is a brushed aluminum cover which slides into the second layer. The second layer holds a mesh bowl to place your tobacco or herb into. When the cover is completely inside the second layer, it covers up the bowl, which is perfect for travelling and concealing your pipe’s smell. This means that you can load your bowl, slide on your cover, then discreetly bring it with you anywhere. Just slide the cover off when you’re ready to smoke. When that time comes, you can either remove the cover to smoke or use the logo-shaped hole to smoke through by sliding it over the bowl. You can regulate the intensity and smoothness of the smoke by adjusting the pipe’s cover. Closing the cover after lighting the bowl helps save tobacco.
Cleaning
Once you’ve smoked your bowl, the round corners of the cover fit perfectly inside the bowl, allowing you to clean it out with ease. Cleaning the pipe is also easy: slide off your cover, then take apart the two magnetic pieces. On the inside you’ll see the tar and resin the Genius Pipe has saved your lungs from. To clean the pieces, us 70% isopropyl alcohol to either rub the dimples or drop the pieces in a cup of the same alcohol. Either way the two pieces will come clean in no time.