I’ve had a number of ProtoPipes over the decades, starting with the really old one with no lid and a strip of leather glued on the front to protect against heat (I have since learned that the makers called this one “The Contrivance”, wish I till had it! A friend found it at a concert and traded it to me but it was lost at sea decades ago). They are still made in Willits, CA, my home state. The main issue with the ProtoPipe was that sometimes the resin trap would get stuck in place; my most recent one almost always required a little hammer-tap to get it out for cleaning. The good news is that there is a new model called the Proto-Rocket which improves on the old design by having a swing hatch on the bottom (similar to the lid on top) instead of a metal plug. Much easier to clean and one less loose part to lose! They are still very much in business! https://protopipellc.com
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