Hurricane

Hurricane (Hurricane's website) is the name a high-end pipe ostensibly sold for tobacco use, although it is most commonly used to smoke cannabis. It is manufactured in Germany, and is widely known for its expensive and unique design.

Design

Its design is unique from other pipes in that its corpus is specifically designed to make the smoke swirl, similar to a hurricane. Fine punctures are made along its corpus, creating air-jets which filter out tar particles. Because the smoke rises in cyclone-like fashion, the centripetal force pushes the tar particles against the inner wall, where they will be collected through the air-jets. It is advertised as a double-filtered pipe because of this extra form of tar extraction. According to employees at "Funtasia", a premier tobacco/smoke shop located in Long Island, NY, each of these air jets costs $50 USD, making the Hurricane one of the most expensive pipes on the market. Different versions of Hurricanes vary in size, as well as in the number of air-jets they have. Having more air jets increases the velocity flow of the smoke when inhaling, which results in a quicker, faster "hit".

In addition, the Hurricane uses a special downstem, which connects to a small glass bubble filled with water. A bowl is then connected to the top of the bubble. When smoking, the ash falls into the bubble and is kept there, preventing any solid materials from entering the main chamber of the Hurricane. This feature keeps the main water clean, and many users report a smoother taste because of this. The smoke however, does not pass through the water in the bubble.

Every Hurricane has a small hole on the lower front wall of its corpus, known as a "carb". This feature forces the smoke to rise quickly during a "clear", as it doesn't have to pass through the water which slows it down. A downside however, is that water tends to spill when the Hurricane is mishandled.

The glass that makes up the Hurricane is advertised as virtually unbreakable, though if it does break, the company repairs it at no cost. Every Hurricane is hand-manufactured, and the three legs are forged in fire before being attached to the main body. Every Hurricane can look different based on the height and thickness of its legs, which vary slightly between different Hurricanes.

Every connection on the Hurricane is "glass on glass", meaning there are no rubber pieces used in any of the connections.

Sizes

Hurricanes come in five sizes and in a variety of colors. The shape, however, never changes. Hurricanes vary among 250 mL, 600 mL, 750 mL, 1000 mL, and 2000 mL volumes, with the price being higher for larger volumes. A sand-blasted, or "frosted" design is available, with some pipes being half-frosted, or full-frosted. The number of air jets on the pipe also weighs down on the price ($50/jet). A tiny, novelty version of the Hurricane is sold as well.

Price

Hurricanes are known for their extremely high prices. Prices range from $400-$1000, amongst a wide array of sizes and styles. The downstem can range between $30-$50, and the bubble is typically between $80-$100.

Trademark Features

Every Hurricane features a crest on the upper-front wall, distinguishing it from fake Hurricanes. "Hurricane" is also inscribed along the lower-back wall. Every Hurricane is hand-numbered when made, typically underneath one of its three legs.

Copyrights

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Hurricane (pipe).