A look back at the Proto-Pipe, the perennial gold standard of stoner technology

I knew a fellow at uni who owned a head shop in B’klyn. Amongst his store’s other paraphernalia, he sold the following (all of which he invented):

  • A chess set where each captured piece was made to provide a hit. Capture a piece. Take a hit.

  • A Frisbee bong. The bong was centered in the frisbee and could be tossed from user to user. He and a fellow in Germany ended up having to co-share a patent; they had invented their frisbee bongs independently.

  • A fantasy toy ‘village’ with clear plastic tubes topped with ‘pogoing’ ping-pong balls, with the action driven by toking users.

The items showed up in Easy Riders magazine ad sections. The magazine also featured short articles on his custom-rolled joint made to look like the starship Enterprise (with sad looking nacelles); and his motorcycle helmet, rather nicely enhanced with a clear-epoxied-on coating of marijuana seeds.

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