Spoon pipes are reliable and you can generally find them everywhere. Sherlock pipes are cool looking and not as common. Both suit a stoner’s smoking needs just fine. Spoon pipes are better than sherlock pipes for some reasons and vice versa. Which one is the superior smoking device? You be the judge.

Spoon Pipes Are Easier To Clean

Spoon pipes are easier to clean than sherlock pipes because of the way that they are shaped. Getting resin from a sherlock pipe can be a huge hassle, especially if you have a sherlock with a huge dip. There’s always resin that you just can’t reach when you try to clean it out with a bobby pin, or whatever it is that you prefer to scrape with. Of course you can always boil it to clean it, but then you won’t be able to save resin if you get desperate.

Spoon Pipes Don’t Clog As Quickly

Sherlock pipes tend to get clogged more often than a spoon pipe, again because of the way that they’re shaped. It’s harder to empty a cashed bowl in a sherlock pipe because you can’t tap it against your palm to empty it, the way you can with a spoon pipe. If you are using a sherlock, you’ll definitely want to use a screen to prevent clogging.

Spoon Pipes Are Cheaper

Spoon pipes are usually cheaper than sherlock pipes. If you need a pipe and don’t have a lot of extra dough to spend on a piece, then a spoon pipe is probably your best bet. Spoon pipes are also easier to replace when they break.

Spoon Pipes Can Be Fixed

If you break your spoon pipe, you can usually put it back together using epoxy. That is, unless you’ve broken it into a million tiny pieces. Once you put it back together it usually hits just fine. Depending on where you broke a sherlock you might not be able to put it back together, and if you do, it won’t hit the same.

Sherlock Pipes Are More Ergonomic

Sherlock pipes are more ergonomic, meaning they fit into your hand better. Why do you think tobacco pipes are shaped this way? The way that a sherlock pipe fits into your hand means that you are less likely to drop it when you’re stoned. I’ve never dropped a sherlock pipe, except for one time when it was in my lap and I forgot it was there. If you have both types, try holding one in each hand, you’ll definitely notice a difference.

Sherlock Pipes Look Cooler

Sherlock pipes look cool and they make anyone holding one look cooler too. You just feel classy when you’re holding a well-made sherlock pipe. I like to pretend that I’m Gandalf the Grey when I’m smoking from a sherlock. Sherlock pipes tend to be thicker than some spoon pipes, which means that they are usually higher quality.

Sherlock Pipes Hit Stronger

The carb in a sherlock pipe is typically larger than a spoon pipe, which means that it gives you a bigger hit, closer to the size of a hit that you would get from a smaller bubbler. The bowl of a sherlock pipe is also bigger, so the bowl smokes longer, making it better for group settings or smokers with a higher tolerance. Sherlock pipes get you higher, so that would be an automatic win, right?

Sherlock Pipes Are More Unique

Spoon pipes are the more common of the two. Pretty much everyone I know has one or two. Sherlock pipes are a little more difficult to find, unless you live by a head shop. All spoon pipes are shaped the same, whereas most sherlock pipes are shaped differently (kind of like snowflakes). Glass artists tend to personalize their sherlock pipes. A sherlock is a real work of art.

There are pros and cons of smoking from either a sherlock or spoon pipe. Both work great for your smoking needs. I’ve owned probably about thirty spoon pipes in my lifetime, and only two sherlocks. When one of my spoon pipes would break, I was sad, but I would move on pretty quickly and just buy another one. The last sherlock I broke, it was like losing a close friend. I’m getting sad again just thinking about it now. I know which type I prefer, but my smoking devices are like my children: I love them all for different reasons.

Featured Image Source: WashingtonPost.com
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Which type of pipe do you prefer? Share in the comments!