About Our Product

The Creation of the z3

The full process to make a z3 is extensive, complex, and for most people probably rather dull, but here is a highlight reel to help better understand the z3. After dimensioning the pieces needed to construct several bongs, we lay out all of the slats that will be used to form the bodies so that we can select patterns and combinations of slats that will produce the most beautiful bongs. Once the selected slats have been glued together to form the body, we cut and glue on the bowl block, top, and base. We then have to cut off the excess wood and sand the bong down into the curved hexagon shape that’s so distinctive of the z3. Once shaped, we will epoxy the inside before routing the detail around the top and drilling for the downstem. Following extensive sanding and finishing, we fill each z3 with water to begin a full 4 weeks of quality testing before the bong is ready to be used. Each z3 receives a final visual inspection for quality before being shipped or placed in a shop with the downstem and information booklet.

History of the z3

The z3 may be a new creation, but its roots go all the way back to the mid 1970’s when a man that we will call “Jake” invented a bong that was to be made of wood, and its shape was reminiscent of an hourglass. He named his creation Zlin. His hope was to use the Venturi effect to accelerate the smokes flow through the body of the bong. Though his science may have left something to be desired, the curved hexagonal design that Jake arrived at is the defining feature of the modern z3 almost 50 years later. In 1977 Curvare’s own Mike P. met Jake and was impressed by his Zlin design. Mike and Jake collaborated and with Mike’s woodworking skills, were able to greatly improve the manufacturing efficiency of Jake’s design, resulting in a new, more profitable Zlin. The bong factory, as we affectionately refer to the unnamed entity, didn’t last long however. By 1980, production of the Zlin bong had ceased, and the creators had gone their separate ways. The Zlin bongs, though no longer being produced, would remain one of the only examples of wooden bongs in existence for 40 years. Now re-imagined, the z3 exists as the third revival of this classic design.