Print, Puff, Pass: This Washington-based startup uses 3D printing to make glass bongs

We all knew it was going to happen eventually, but now it’s official: 3D printing has finally entered the world of drug paraphernalia. A company called PrintABowl has designed three beautiful glass bongs that are made using a 3D printed ceramic molding method. The three designs in the company’s ‘Cumulo Collection’ are being released as limited edition sets, because, according to the creators, these bongs are also art. PrintABowl’s backstory draws it all together: the two brothers behind the company are based in Washington, where recreational marijuana use was legalized in 2012.

Technically speaking, the bongs themselves aren’t actually 3D printed — but the ceramic molds used to shape them are. The 3D printed molding process will allow the cannabis startup to print multiple styles quickly, once they expand beyond these limited edition releases. Each pipe is cast from high quality ceramic, with slides and downstems made of lab-grade borosilicate glass. In addition, every PrintABowl release comes with a snap-lock travel case for safekeeping. The Alpha and the Tesselate cost $300, and were each printed as part of a limited-edition set of just twenty bongs in total. The Ferro was inspired by ferrofluid, a reactive liquid that interacts with magnetic charges applied to it. Ferro’s “tactual appeal” is only available in an edition of ten, and each one costs $325.

It’s entirely possible that PrintABowl wrote their product descriptions after testing out each release, but that is only fitting. The company’s website reads: “Alpha’s minimalist form, manifest in its subtle striations, exudes a serene elegance,” and “Tessellate’s angular geometry recalls the naturally sharp angels characteristic of smokey quartz, a semiprecious crystal renowned for its ethereal grounding properties.” Far out, dude!

Al and Saul Jacobs came up with the idea for PrintABowl while pursuing arts degrees at the University of Washington in Seattle. Each of the Cumulo Collection bowls is designed to stand as a piece of fine art, in addition to their status as “physical manifestations of 3D printing’s earliest impact on smoking culture”. Since PrintABowl is promoting the Cumulo bowls as the company’s debut collection, we’re likely to see more custom 3D printed bongs from them in the near future.