I think that there is a perfect size for a bong. It can't be so big that every hit ends with chocking and hacking but it can't be so small that it might as well be a bubbler. This "swirly" bong fits in that category. It stands at about 20 inches tall, includes an ice catcher, and is well suited to be any smoker's trusty steed for daily use.
That reminds me of the water pipe I had as a teenager. It used to be that America was the only one producing glass and it was sturdy as fuck. Any pipe that looks like that in a store now is almost guaranteed to be a piece of China crap now unfortunately.
True. This one is about 15 years old so its probably ok. I have seen plenty of those cheap ones though. Even the glass feels different on them almost like its rough or something.