Buyer's Guide for Sovereignty Pillars

Updated September 2024

If you're reading this, you're most likely deciding on a bong to buy. We'll help get you there!

What is Sovereignty Glass and what do they make?

Sovereignty Glass is a studio that creates high end, scientific, yet heady, functional glass bongs, frequently hailed as producing some of the best flower pieces. They have a wide variety of models with varying sizes, forms, and functions.

A few examples are the 50x5, Pawn, Treecycler, 44mm, Capcycler, and Pillar, just to name a few. Some of the more unique models that were made popular by Sovereignty are named with words, such as the Treecycler, Pillar, Capcycler, and Hornet. The “simpler” models are named with numbers, usually based on the percs and size of tubing in the piece (i.e. 44mm, 4-8, 3-12, etc).

Within each of those models, there’s certain perc combos, sizes, and modifications varying in rarity. Some of the modifications or options to choose from are the shape of the neck, extra millies, tubing or perc reductions, color seals, sandblasting, etc etc.

There’s a lot of complexity, so we’ll be writing a full breakdown of all the Sovereignty models, percs, and variations soon. Before we dive into the different Pillar variations, it's important understand the lore behind the mighty Pillar so you know what to expect – it's a very unique bong.

What makes a Pillar a Pillar?

The "Pillar" is a specific model in Sovereignty's lineup, originally pioneered by Stephen C, the creator of Sovereignty Glass. I don't know the exact year it was released, but I know of prototypes made in 2009, before Steve labeled his pieces with the Sovereignty logo. The Pillar was one of the first of its kind, with an internal recycler built into the main tubing chamber that has no external tubes. It was a recycling full size flower bong instead of a rig, which I believe was not common back in 2009. Later the pint & mini pillar were introduced, which we'll cover later. All types of Pillars have the same traits that make that define them.

The Pillar has 3 "chambers" that each serves a different purpose in the function: the bottom, center, and top. Each chamber can have different variations that determine the type of Pillar. But each chamber acts the same functionally, creating the signature style of a Pillar. Interestingly, the smoke/air and water take different paths. Smoke goes into center first, through bottom second, and out the top third, but water starts in the bottom first, then through the center second, and finally into the top. You'll see why below.

The center chamber is where the joint is connected, drawing in the initial smoke to the internal recycler. Inside there's 4 to 8 thin vertical tubes evenly spaced in a circle, with a few millimeters separating each tube. The open ends of these tubes are connected to the bottom and top chamber: the center chamber has no access to the inside of the tubes (which helps create the recycling effect). The height & number of these tubes determines the type of Pillar, and are smaller/larger depending on the overall size of the piece. 8 tall tubes are in full sizes, 6 medium height tubes are in pints, and 4 short tubes are in mini pillars.

The bottom chamber holds the water, and is either shaped like a straight cylinder base or a wide rounded "hollowfoot." Straight-foots hold much less water and are easier to clean than hollowfoots. The two percs that are available in Pillars are the Peyote ball and the 4arm (a different perc than a Fixed-4), but we'll go over the details of the percs later. It's important to note that the shape of hollowfoots and the Peyote percs have changed over the years, due to the extreme difficulty in creating them consistently: usually only one glassblower at a time at the company has the skill to create Pillars. Any type of Pillar can have either base, and each base holds a different level of water, affecting function and ease of use.

The top chamber has an open area above the center chamber that allows the water, which is coming from the bottom chamber through the 8 tubes, to bubble and pop - releasing the smoke. Once the water reaches the top chamber, it's blocked from splashing your lips with either a Natural (aka natty) Neck or an inv-4 in a straight neck. The natty neck is the kinked neck tube with a very unique bend that acts as a splashguard, and is about 32 or 38mm. The straight neck is wider at 44 or 50mm with an inv-4 perc acting as the splashguard, only found in the straight neck tubes.

Something important to note about the top chamber variations: The height of this chamber can influence the function of the piece, nearly as much as the size differences between pint, shorty, and full-sized pillars. In straight-neck pillars, this chamber can be a key factor in determining whether or not splashback occurs from the neck. The Inv4 splash guard is often referred to as a “straw,” as it can function like an additional percolator when the pillar reaches full operation during use. Adjusting the water levels can also help prevent splash-back in both straight and natural neck pillars, providing a simple solution for those experiencing this issue.

Here's How All the Chambers Work Together:

The smoke is drawn through the joint into the center chamber, through the tall vertical millimeter slits between the 8 thin tubes. The smoke then travels down through the center of the center chamber, and out through the perc in the bottom, where bubbles first form. Those bubbles are then carried back UP through the 8 pillar tubes, never touching the center chamber again. The bubbles and smoke are carried up through the tubes, into the top chamber where the bubbles pop and release the smoke into the mouthpiece section, where the splashguard blocks any extra water.

A true definition of functional glass art. So now that you know a bit about how the Pillar works and what's in each chamber, let's get into the details of the different variations available.

Which variation is the best?

When buying a pillar, there are a ton of different options and variations available on GlassPass.

Sovereignty has mastered the Pillar design and has been able to create multiple different sizes and shapes of the same piece with slightly varying function. Hollow-foot, straight-foot, natty neck, straight neck, peyote, 4arm, pint, full-size, or mini? There's too many to choose from, and it's hard to try them all, so I'll be drawing from my personal experience with each to break it down for you. Let me know if you agree in the comments!

The Base: Hollow-foot vs. Straight-foot

This is usually the most common question when it comes to buying a pillar, but it ultimately comes down to ease of use, in my opinion. The difference in function isn't very significant, but maintaining and cleaning it is. Let's start with the hollow-foot breakdown.

The hollow-foot is for those that want the pure pillar experience and don't mind the increased difficulty while cleaning. It's for big rips and strong lungs. The straight foot is a little more user-friendly and allows for a lighter pull if desired.

The straight foot, in my opinion, is the better option for those who want to have a pillar and don't want to spend a lot of time maintaining it. The rip isn't much different, but requires less lung power and is responsive. Either way, you can't go wrong – I'd recommend trying before buying if possible!

The Neck: Natty neck vs. Straight neck

This is usually the next question when buying a pillar, and largely depends on how you want to experience the rip. Natty necks are short for "natural neck", since the shape acts as a natural splashguard. They require you to "kiss" the mouthpiece, while straight necks are much more similar to a regular bong with an inv4 perc splashguard. Either way, you don't have to worry about getting water splashed in your mouth, unless you overfill it. Let's break it down with natty necks first.

The differences between a natty neck and straight neck are mainly based on personal preference. The most important questions to keep in mind are: 1) Do you like a smaller mouthpiece or a wider one? 2) Do you prefer the look of the natty neck or the straight neck? The actual function isn't much different.

Something important to note about Straight Necks are the differing heights of the final tube. In the earlier years when Steve made Pillars himself, there was a variation called a "Shorty" that had a straight neck roughly 1-2 inches shorter, and the top chamber was smaller by a few centimeters. They were great for travel and had a fun rip but overall didn't make a huge difference, between a pint and full size height. However they're one of my favorites because I like smaller tubes. Overall you can't go wrong with either one, and you should try before you buy if possible! Remember the 2 questions above to keep in mind when deciding.

The Perc: Peyote vs 4arm

The perc at the bottom of the pillars makes a big difference. Generally, peyote percs are more smooth and 4arms percs are a little more chuggy. Personally, I think the 4arm works best in a hollow-foot since it has more room to breathe.

The important question to keep in mind when deciding between these 2 percs is: Do you prefer a smoother pull or a choppier, chuggy pull? The Peyote is more consistent, with constant bubbles. The 4arm is a little more random and sporadic with its bubbles, leading to a choppier pull.

The Type: Full-size, Pint, or Mini?

The sizes of each pillar are the most impactful decision when buying, because each one has a vastly different pull. See the chart below for more details:

The Full-size pillar is a heavy pull that delivers a huge rip. The Pint-size is much easier to draw on, and I personally prefer it over the full size. The Pint is a little harsher for big rips, but has more flavor. The Mini is basically a rig, primarily used for concentrates. It fits in the palm of your hand, and is super responsive to pull on. I love using my mini straight-foot for flower, even though it hurts, because the choppiness of the pull is so satisfying and the flavor is crazy. The hollow-foot mini pillars are a little more dull of a rip than the straight-foots.

Shaping differences over time: new or old?

There are some pillar prototypes floating around that have unique variations, but overall the pillar has remained the same over the years. The main things that have changed are 1) the shaping of the hollow-foot bases, 2) the number of grids in peyote percs, 3) the shaping of the natty neck, and 4) the colors of the bridges. All of these changes have been very minimal though.

Below are some pictures of different pillars over the years. (Yet to be added)

In the early days, Steve made all of the pillars. Some of them have retti bridges, which is an easy way to tell. There's only 1 other person who is able to make pillars at Sovereignty, so chances are if you own a pillar that looks different than what's coming out these days, you have a pillar made by Steve. However, there are hundreds of those pillars out there, so the fact Steve made them doesn't really affect the price much. Just know that the older ones are usually the better functioning ones!

Summary

At the end of the day, a pillar is a pillar. It really depends what you prefer in a rip. I love pillars, and they have great pricing on the resale market. It's hard to say which is my favorite, because it all really comes down to personal preference. I think everyone needs at least one form of a pillar in their collection. I've owned almost all of the variations, except for hollow-foot pint pillars. Those are probably super fire. But, I've only kept my straight-foot, straight-neck full-size, my straight-foot natty-neck pint, and my 2 mini pillars: one is hollow-foot, the other is straight. I like the straight foot better for function.

I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on Sovereignty Pillars, and I hope I helped provide a little more insight when you're looking to purchase your first pillar. Reach out to me at riley@glasspass.com or on IG @lifeofbako & @glasspass and I'm happy to help more :)

Check out our guide on Sovereignty 8arms too!