AO - Piercing Tool - Wooden Handle

The AO piercing tool with wooden handle is a tool for poking holes in the foil on the bowl. It is 12 cm long and made of wood and aluminium: the handle is wood, the tip is metal. It comes in brown, silver and grey.

The handle is made of light wood, the tip of silver metal. You can find more tools for packing bowls under bowl packing accessories.

Tapered tip for holes of different sizes

The metal tip tapers to a cone. The deeper you push it through the foil, the bigger the hole gets. That way you decide the hole size and pattern yourself. The wooden handle sits comfortably in the hand, even when you poke several rows of holes.

Why holes in the foil?

When packing with foil, the charcoal sits on the perforated foil, not in the bowl itself. The heat reaches the tobacco through the holes and the smoke is drawn off. Too few or too small holes make the bowl hot, too many worsen the draw.

How to poke the foil

1. Fill the tobacco loosely into the bowl and do not press it down. Leave some air between the tobacco and the foil.
2. Pull the foil tight over the rim of the bowl. Heavy-duty foil is enough in a single layer, kitchen foil should be laid two or three times.
3. Poke the holes. A circle of many small holes is common; you decide the number and arrangement yourself. With a Phunnel, the centre of the foil usually stays free.
4. Check the draw: blow gently into the bowl from below. If the air passes through well, you can place the charcoal on top and light up.

Dimensions

• Length: 12 cm
• Material: wood, aluminium

Scope of delivery

• 1 × AO piercing tool with wooden handle

Frequently asked questions

How big should the holes be?

As a rule of thumb about as big as the tip of a toothpick. If they are much smaller, the bowl quickly gets too hot.

Do I need the piercing tool with an HMD too?

No. An HMD sits on the bowl instead of the foil, and the charcoal then lies in the HMD. You only need the piercing tool for packing with foil.