When it comes to a weed smoker’s essentials, grinders are mostly undervalued. But it is quite important especially for smokers that prefer a flower as their method of smoking and a grinder can also be easily gotten at different local smoke shops and online smoke shops.
Most smoke shops sell pretty much everything related to weed. From cigars to grinders, you’ll find them when you walk into a smoke shop. You should however note that not all smoke shops sell grinders. This is usually associated with the law of the community that you are in as it relates to smoking.
It is not a hidden knowledge that most smoke shops sell grinders and some smoke shops do not, but a simple reason for some smoke shops is that they just do not want to sell grinders.
If you are really interested in buying grinders for your smokes right now, then you should check out these two major grinders that you can buy online:
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Where else can one buy grinders for weed apart from smoke shops?
Grinders can be used to break up things from tobacco, cannabis to even cooking herbs. We have already ascertained that grinders can be found in smoke shops and also to purchase or sell grinders, there are not really any age restrictions.
There are many other places to buy grinders for weeds apart from smoke shops, ranging from local dispensaries, online retailers, and even directly from the manufacturer’s website. These are some popular sources that weed grinders can be gotten from;
- Etsy
- eBay
- Amazon
- Dank shop
- Grasscity
- Smoke cartel
- Smokea
Etsy: Their grinder selection features unique, custom, or handmade grinders. This e-commerce website focuses mainly on handmade, crafty, or vintage supplies.
eBay: Looking for a place that offers the best deals for grinders, then eBay is what you are looking for. They offer free shipping on many items
Amazon: They have different varieties of weed grinders from having solid inexpensive grinders to the best grinder you can invest in.
Dank shop: They have a selection of grinders and you can find one that suits your needs as well as the budget you have. From small grinders which also have multiple chambers for someone who does not grind weed a lot, to medium and large grinders with equally varying numbers of chambers?
Grass city: Most of the grinders they offer have a small storage room for storing your weed and this can be really convenient when you are on the go. Although the most common material for grinder in their collection is metal, several types of materials can be seen too.
From acrylic grinder for those that do not like shiny metal, wooden grinder, if you are looking for a vintage look to crystal catching, grinds for anyone looking to get the most out of their bud.
Smoke cartel: You can say they are one of the best online head shops. Smoke Cartel is a small passionate team and they are dedicated to helping you find premium grinders
Smokea: They offer grinders from some of the finest providers like kannastor, sharpstone among many others. They value your privacy and make your order to be shipped very discreetly.
Smokea also offers the best grinders while making sure you do not have to spend a fortune. They also have a rewards program that lets you earn things
What are the things to consider when you are buying your grinder for weeds at the smoke shops?
Choosing a weed grinder and purchasing one can be quite a challenge especially for first-timers. In recent times, there are more and more companies manufacturing weed grinders with many upping their game and wanting to have the status of the best weed grinders.
This makes for the availability of a wide variety of grinders. A proper will mean that you would get the flower more finely and evenly ground while having a tidy outcome. Here are some things to consider when you are buying grinders for weeds at the smoke shop.
The material of the grinder
When choosing a grinder, the material is important as you would want to choose a material that is hard and can withstand the grinding process. The material making the grinder should also not be toxic because you want your weed to be safe for ingestion or smoking. Below are some material choices you can go for;
- Wood grinder: Wood grinders are maybe the hardest type of material to construct. They are mostly handmade. This is due to the fact that wood grinders are harder to carve than if they were metal or acrylic. Not only does it have this feel, but wood grinders also have this natural appeal and it is a good option for people who love organic materials. The majority of the wood grinder has just one compartment, this and the fact that most wood has varnish which can mix with your weed can be a disadvantage
- Metal grinder: Metal grinders are of two types, titanium or aluminum and they are becoming very popular. Most times the grinder would be of aluminum and then coated with titanium. aluminum is also safe and it is rare o find metal shavings in your grinder.
- Acrylic grinders: This is another common material. Most people fear that acrylic is dangerous to your health while that is not the case. Acrylic is a safe material and it is durable although, in comparison to other grinder materials, acrylic is the least durable. It is also usually one of the cheapest
Electric versus manual option
When buying a grinder, the way it operates should be considered. The manual grinders are a majority and they are quite efficient. You can grind enough weed to last the week in your leisure time. While electric grinder can be classified as the best tool when there is a lot of grinding to be done.
It is also easy to operate but I must say the main drawback for the electric grinder is that a certain amount of weed would have to be fed in at a time. But notwithstanding, electric grinders also solve the problem when it comes to messy dry weeds and they are battery powered and compact
The number of Compartments
How functional a grinder is can be determined just by knowing how many compartments it has. Below are the typical grinders you would see out there.
- The two-piece grinder: This is also known as a one compartment grinder and as the name implies this grinder has one compartment where the weed is both grounded and retrieved. With this grinder there are some problems you would encounter; the two-piece grinder has an inconsistent size, the teeth are in the way and it becomes hard to retrieve your weed. Last but not least, with a two-piece grinder, you are not able to separate the kief.
- The three-piece grinder: It is also known as a two-piece compartment grinder. They contain holes whereby small herbs are allowed to fall down right into the second compartment. this design provides for the collection of a consistent weed
- The four-piece grinder: This is also known as the three-compartment grinder. It has three compartments and the third compartment is made for kief or pollen collection. Some of them might have different grinder teeth presenting you with options for a specific granule choice for your weed.
The weed grinder teeth
The end result of your grind is also dictated by the teeth of your weed grinder. It is known that the more teeth your weed grinder has, the better it is as having more teeth gives a finer result. The shape of the teeth is equally important as well as it allows the weed to churn well into small bits.
The teeth shape may range from square o even long narrow ones. Recommended teeth number is around fifty teeth for a 2.5 diameter grinder while grinders with diamond-shaped teeth is a good choice if you are a picky person about the output consistency. The position of the teeth also matters and a consistent result can be attained if the teeth are evenly placed throughout the weed grinder.
Size and capacity of the weed grinder
You would want to decide whether you are the type that would want a portable grinder or a large grinder. A portable weed grinder comes in handy as you can have your weed on the go while the large grinders are good when it comes to accommodating a large number of herbs.
Price
Although most people will first look at the price of the grinders, that should be done later if not the last thing to look at. The reason for this is to first narrow down what you are looking for in a grinder while comparing between different manufacturers and then finding the option that is most affordable for you. Look at the reviews of the item and make sure you are getting the best value for your money.
Do head shops sell grinders too?
Head shops can be seen as a retail outlet that focuses on the selling of products, equipment, etc which are used for the consumption of tobacco, cannabis, and other related items.
Products illustrating cannabis culture; like magazines, clothing, home decorations, oddities and so much more. The items also vary from pipes, vaporizers, rolling papers, grinders, etc. head shops do not sell marijuana, cannabis, or any illegal drugs. They typically preserve and also promote the culture of cannabis. So, yes headshops sell grinders too.
Smoke shops and head shops might seem to have a similar purpose but they are quite different. A head shop sells accessories needed to smoke cannabis although most of the head shops are not accepting of some terms like a bong, kief to be used while a smoke shop is a shop where you buy things to help you smoke; they also sell cigarettes and cigar at discounted prices.
Smoke shops sell tobacco too so one should not confuse either of the shops.
Head shops sell grinders along with other items, although they are stricter with the use of some terminologies as most people can confirm that they have been turned away when using certain words like bong and others.
Most times head shops are confused for smoke shops. As stated above, stores that sold paraphernalia like pipes, stash boxes, bongs, etc are called head shops while smoke shops basically sell tobacco, cigars, and discounted cigarettes. So, to state it simply, you cannot really call smoke shops head shops as they are not the same.
Top head shops in the US
These are just a list of a few top head shops in the United States of America.
- Terrapin Station ( buffalo, NY)
- Buried treasures ( Boston, MA)
- Pype’s palace ( Portland, OR)
- Kaleidoscope ( Springfield, MO)
- The head shop smoke shop ( Ferndale, Michigan)
- High up head shop( Columbus, Ohio)
Let’s Conclude
A weed grinder is an essential tool for a frequent flower smoker. So whether you are just packing a bowl in your desired bong or rolling up or even loading up a pocket spoon, it is no secret that for an essential smoke a consistent grind is needed.
A little thing to note, you are told to use a grinder not only for the consistency it will give your weed but while using your hand to separate the weed, plant matter and pollen may stick to your fingers and this, in turn, reduces the quantity.
With its many benefits, it is no surprise that many smokers choose to invest in buying weed grinder. Dry weed and herbs need to be separated and this allows for better combustion and as most might already know, grinders are strictly used only for dry herbs. Above we talked about the different types of grinders according to their compartments.
When cleaning your grinder, for metal grinders; a soak in isopropyl alcohol and then scrubbed with a toothbrush or pipe cleaner will do the trick. For acrylic or plastic grinders, the isopropyl alcohol should not be used because they can damage these materials, soaking in warm water with dish soap and then also scrubbing with a toothbrush or pipe cleaner gets the work done.
