I had one of these in 1975. I broke it all the time. Back in those days we didn’t have the internet and had to rely on word-of-mouth for the Rolling Stone. I lived in a great town just outside of New York City about 20 miles. It didn’t have a local shop for the purchase of such paraphernalia. So I wood ride my bike a few miles to the train station lock it up buy a ticket and off to the city. About 20 minutes later I’d exit Grand Central and buy a token or two for the subway. Then then head down Underground and travel to Greenwich Village. 2 4th Street where short walk later would reveal a virtual Wonderland a paraphernalia.
I would make a beeline to the toker which I believe after taxes was just over $20. I would make sure my booty was well rats for the arduous trip home. Back to the subway up through Grand Central to my hometown train station onto a bicycle and back home. I would rush 3 flights of stairs up to my room and fill it with water. The rest is a relationship who spawns last to this day.
Having to do so much work just to acquire this device I tried but fails over and over to come up with a way keeping a clean and reducing the risk of breakage. I have to tell you it took decades. I used to use a wire hanger to clean out the stem and they would break every tenth cleaning or so.
Today I still have a toker original in perfect condition. And I have a toker II in not so perfect condition. So I stopped using that one but keep it just to look at. My toker 2 replica gets used from sunup to sundown. My friends much of whom are half my age Marvel in its simplicity and its efficacy. They unlike me are influenced by a preponderance of designs that are both unnecessarily complex and massively expensive. To wit I remind them glass is good and only two things being with glasses good for and breaking. That’s kind of a obtuse and clumsy we’re reminding them it’s glass and it’s going to break sooner or later let’s hope it’s later.
In today’s age everything is disposable technology changes minute by minute and people don’t get attached to any of their beloved items of today. There are no icons. And item has to last for decades as functional and useful. One of the few things that hasn’t been rendered ancient because of its obsolescence is this the toker. One of the only remaining icons still in use almost a half-century.
Thanks to the team at toker II new generations will know the joy of this beautifully elegant companion.
