Heady Glass

Curated by the Angies Boutique buyers. One-of-a-kind functional glass art from independent glassblowers: sculpted bubblers and rigs, worked tubes and recyclers, art slides and domes, and pendants. Most pieces here are one of one.

Heady Glass: One-of-a-Kind Bongs, Rigs, Bubblers, Slides & Pendants by Glass Artists

Heady glass is functional glass art: a bong, rig, bubbler, pipe or slide hand-made by a named glassblower, where the sculpting, color work and technique matter as much as how it smokes. A heady piece still works, but people buy it the way they buy art: for the artist, the idea and the craft. Angies Boutique has carried heady glass in downtown Los Angeles since 1990, and this page holds every heady piece in the shop.

• What it is: hand-made, artist-signed functional glass, usually one of one
• Forms: sculpted bubblers and rigs, worked beakers and tubes, recyclers, mini tubes, slides, domes, terp pearls and pendants
• Artists in stock: Chadd Lacy, RJ Glass, Andy Roth, Ben Wilson, HOOBS, Slum Gold, Ski Mask, Coyle Condenser, Crunklestein, Sakibomb, Reyna, Jebb Glass, Korey Glass, Zach P, BTGB and more
• Techniques: sculpting, faceting, fuming, reticello, latticino, crushed opal, dichroic and UV-reactive color
• Buying: what you see is the actual piece; when it sells, it is gone

What makes glass "heady"?

The word "heady" comes out of 1990s American glass culture, when pipe makers selling on the road started pushing color and sculpture far past a basic pipe. Today heady glass is collected, traded and shown like any other art medium.

Shop heady glass by type

Glass techniques you will see in heady glass

• Sculpting: shaping solid glass into figures, animals and objects on a working piece.
• Faceting: cutting and polishing flat faces into thick glass, like Andy Roth's tubes.
• Fuming: vaporizing silver or gold onto glass so the color shifts as resin builds up.
• Reticello and latticino: twisted cane patterns that form nets and stripes in the glass.
• Crushed opal and dichro: flecks of opal or dichroic coating that flash color in the light.
• UV-reactive color: glass that glows under a black light.

How do I care for a heady piece?

Clean heady glass gently: warm (not hot) isopropyl alcohol with fine salt, gentle swirling, and a warm water rinse. Avoid sudden temperature changes, which can crack thick worked sections, and do not use abrasive brushes on sculpted details or faceted surfaces. Display pieces away from edges and direct heat. See Cleaning Supplies.

Glass artist pages at Angies Boutique

Some artists have their own page with their full catalog: Ben Wilson, HOOBS, Sheldon Black, Pakoh, Boro Syndicate, Chadd Lacy, RJ Glass, Slum Gold, Coyle Condenser and Crunklestein. Browse every maker on Glass Artists.

See heady glass at Angies Boutique

Angies Boutique is at 838 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012, open daily 11am to 7pm. Call (213) 680-0080. Order online for paid shipping to all 50 states and worldwide, with same-day in-store pickup and same-day delivery in Los Angeles. 21+ only.