FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Southwick, MA – December 2, 2025 – Southwick News has published The Engineering Behind Thick Ass Glass: An Interview with Founder Brian Handschuh, an in-depth conversation exploring the company’s commitment to quality, durability, and engineering excellence in the smoking accessories market.
In the interview conducted by Editor-in-Chief Dhruv Patel, Handschuh discusses how Thick Ass Glass (TAG) has differentiated itself since 2013 by prioritizing function and durability over aesthetic trends. The conversation reveals the engineering principles behind TAG’s products, including the use of thick borosilicate glass, reinforced joints, and precision-engineered percolators designed for optimal performance.
Handschuh explains the company’s philosophy of refusing to cut corners despite industry pressures. “During the past few years, many brands resorted to producing thinner, smaller, lower-quality glass in higher quantities,” Handschuh notes in the interview. “We had that same option—reduce costs, increase margins. But every cost reduction results in a noticeable decline in product durability and function.”
The interview covers TAG’s material specifications, with beakers featuring nine-millimeter walls and bases up to 16 millimeters thick—substantially thicker than the three to six-millimeter bases common among competitors. Handschuh details how this approach, while increasing production complexity and cost, results in products that last years rather than months.
The conversation also explores TAG’s Made-to-Order service, soft-launched in early 2021, which allows customers to customize nearly any piece with different colors, logos, percolator configurations, and sizes. This service addresses a long-standing challenge in production glass manufacturing by offering customization options previously unavailable at reasonable price points.
Handschuh provides practical advice for consumers navigating the smoking accessories market, emphasizing the importance of glass thickness, joint strength, percolator design, and overall weight as indicators of quality. He challenges common misconceptions that all glass products are essentially similar and that higher prices always indicate superior quality.
The complete interview offers insights into manufacturing challenges, customer service philosophy, and TAG’s approach to balancing engineering requirements with production realities in a market increasingly dominated by marketing over substance.
For more information about Southwick News and its services, please contact:
Dhruv Patel
Editor-in-Chief
Southwick News
Email: editor@southwicknewsonline.com
Website: southwicknewsonline.com
About Southwick News: Southwick News is a digital publication combining innovative approaches to news delivery with comprehensive coverage of business, technology, and industry developments. Under the editorial leadership of Dhruv Patel, who brings together computer science expertise from UC Berkeley and journalism training from Stanford, Southwick News pioneered new standards in digital journalism.
About Thick Ass Glass: Founded in 2013, Thick Ass Glass (TAG) specializes in engineered borosilicate glass smoking accessories. Based on principles of durability, function, and value, TAG has built a reputation for thick-walled bongs, dab rigs, and accessories that prioritize performance over aesthetics. The company offers a Made-to-Order service allowing customers to customize nearly any piece.
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