How the waffle perc, perforated discs and a new approach to airflow helped redefine water-pipe engineering during the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Before Honeycombs, There Were Trees and Domes
Between 2006 and 2009, functional glass artists were experimenting with ways to improve smoke diffusion.
Tree percolators, dome percolators and grid-style designs were already familiar to collectors.
But increased filtration often introduced additional resistance when inhaling.
Artists wanted to produce dense diffusion without creating excessive drag.
That search helped set the stage for a different approach to percolation.
2009–2010: The Waffle Perc Arrives
The best-supported early origin for this style of disc diffusion involves Stone Glass Works (SGW) and Preston Hanna.
Their work became associated with the waffle percolator, a relatively flat glass disc containing numerous small holes.
Instead of routing smoke through multiple arms, the design pushed it through a perforated plate.
By February 16, 2010, online glass enthusiasts were already discussing and comparing waffle percolators with other disc-diffused tubes.
The concept was becoming a recognizable part of functional glass engineering.
Why Was the Waffle Different?
The waffle-style disc simplified the way smoke entered the water.
Rather than passing through a collection of separate percolator arms, smoke traveled through multiple openings distributed across one plate.
The design could produce dense clusters of small bubbles while maintaining a relatively open draw.
That balance between diffusion and airflow helped make the disc format attractive to collectors.
It also offered a new visual effect.
PHX Takes the Honeycomb Mainstream
By summer 2010, PHX Glass was helping bring disc diffusion to a much wider market.
On August 1, 2010, buyers were already posting PHX HD tubes featuring a reported 200-hole honeycomb filter.
The dense pattern of openings gave the percolator its recognizable honeycomb appearance.
PHX helped turn the concept into a familiar commercial design, building on the earlier development of perforated-disc diffusion.
When Bubble Stacks Became the Standard
During 2010 and 2011, collectors began paying increasing attention to how tall and consistently their water pipes could stack bubbles.
Tight, rising columns of bubbles became a visible demonstration of percolator performance.
The honeycomb design was especially suited to that culture.
Its closely spaced holes could produce a broad field of bubbles, making the function easy to observe.
The conversation around high-end glass was increasingly about airflow, diffusion and visual performance, not only decoration.
Waffle vs. Honeycomb
As the technology spread, the terms began developing separate associations.
Waffle remained strongly connected with Stone Glass Works and its particular perforated-disc approach.
Honeycomb became a broader commercial term for densely drilled disc percolators.
Both designs helped establish the popularity of disc-based diffusion.
The distinction reflects different stages in the technology's development and the way it was marketed.
The Multi-Disc Era
By 2011, artists were experimenting with increasingly elaborate combinations.
Double-waffle, dual-honeycomb and multi-disc designs placed several diffusion surfaces inside compact glass chambers.
The approach offered additional opportunities to shape bubble formation and airflow.
It also encouraged artists to keep developing new configurations rather than treating one disc as the final design.
The Cleaning Problem
Honeycomb percolators were not without disadvantages.
The many small openings could trap residue and become more difficult to clean.
Uneven water levels or resin buildup could also prevent parts of the disc from functioning consistently.
Those tradeoffs became part of the experience of owning highly diffused glass.
A design capable of producing dense bubble stacks also required regular maintenance.
Legacy
The waffle and honeycomb movement helped make function a major selling point in modern American glass.
Stone Glass Works and Preston Hanna were associated with the early waffle design, while PHX helped popularize the honeycomb format.
The resulting bubble-stack culture encouraged collectors to pay closer attention to diffusion, resistance and how a piece actually performed.
Multi-disc designs continued the experimentation.
The honeycomb did more than change the appearance of water pipes. It helped make visible engineering part of the identity of high-end functional glass.
Sources:
Aqua Lab Technologies. "Stone Glass Works." Aqua Lab Technologies. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026. Credits Preston Hanna with creating the original Waffle Perc, documenting Stone Glass Works' distinctive flat, gridded design and influence on functional glass.
Peacob. "Who Smokes/Has Smoked/Is a Square? ITS ABOUT WEED." Audizine Forums, 26 Jan. 2010. Contemporary documentation of Preston Hanna producing Stone Glass Works waffle percolators by January 2010, including photographs and an estimated $400 retail price.
FlyGuyClydeIVXX. "PHX Honeycomb HD." Grasscity Forums, 25 Feb. 2010. Early firsthand discussion documenting PHX's 200-hole honeycomb design, February 2010 High Times exposure, pricing, airflow comparisons and consumer interest.
Qu0mist. "Stone Glass Works Double Waffle Review." Grasscity Forums, 31 May 2010. Detailed contemporary review proving double-waffle percolators were already commercially available by May 2010, with descriptions of the two gridded diffusion surfaces, construction and performance.
This Guy. "PHx HD with Honeycomb Filter." 420 Magazine, 1 Aug. 2010. Primary collector account documenting an 18-inch PHX HD with a 200-hole honeycomb filter, including smoothness impressions and the problem of ash collecting around the disc.
Purplemudkip, et al. "ph(x) or roor?" Grasscity Forums, 24 Dec. 2011. Contemporary collector discussion covering PHX honeycomb prices, competing designs from Oahu Glass Tubes, bubble stacking, airflow, uneven diffusion and cleaning concerns.
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