Article Contents

  1. Sex of joint: male vs female
  2. Joint size comparison
    • 19mm joint
    • 14mm joint
    • 10mm joint
  3. Identifying the joint size
  4. Joint neck angles: 45° vs 90°

If you use water pipes or dab rigs, there inevitably comes a time when a part of your setup – whether it's a bowl, quartz banger, or something else – will take a fall and break. You must then start your search for a replacement part, and it is only at this stage that many consumers realise they have no idea what they're looking for.

With varying joint sizes, available in both male and female styles and angled in different positions, the process of selecting a replacement part that fits your existing water pipe can be daunting. Here are the key considerations to make:

  • Sex of the joint (male or female)
  • Size of the joint (10, 14 or 19mm)
  • Neck angle (45° or 90°)

Sex of joint


The first thing you need to know when you start to buy new accessories for your setup is the sex of the joint on your water pipe. Every elements of your setup – from water pipes and dab rigs to bowls and ashcatchers – is either male or female. Once you have established whether your water pipe has a male or female joint, you will know which accessories will fit it. As common sense will tell you, a female joint will fit with male accessories, and a male joint will fit with female accessories.

Joint size comparison


Now you have determined whether your water pipe or rig is male or female, you need to identify the size of the joint. Joint sizes are measured in millimeters and generally come in three standard sizes.

Joint Size Comparison 10mm 14mm 19mm

Making things a little more complicated, these three standard sizes are sometimes labelled differently when sold in smoke shops.

18.8mm joints


18.8mm joints, the largest standard size, are often sold by smoke shops as 18mm or 19mm joints. These are made to fit larger attachments (such as bowls and nails), and are generally found on larger water pipes and oil rigs.

10mm joints male female

14.4mm joints


Usually sold by smoke shops as 14mm joints, these are among the most common joint sizes you will find.

10mm joints male female

10mm joints


Often referred to as 'Micro' or 'Nano' joints, and sometimes as '12mm' joints, 10mm joints are most commonly found on smaller dab rigs and water pipes.

10mm joint male female

Identifying the size of your joint


For male joints, make sure you measure the external diameter of the joint, and for female joints, you should measure the internal diameter. This prevents your measurements from being skewed by the thickness of the material.

Identify the size of your joint by comparing it to the photos below.

Glass Joint Size and Type Guide
Download here.

Download our helpful PDF guide.

Need some more help with identifying the size of nail you have? Our PDF guide makes it easy. Download and match your joint size!
Download here.

Joint neck angles: 45° vs 90°


When comparing different dab nails, you will notice that some are designed with a 90° angled neck, while some come with a 45° angled neck. This is to accommodate for differently angled water pipe joints, and to ensure that the nail is always facing upwards when connected.

Water Pipe Joint Neck Angle

  • If the joint on your water pipe faces straight up to the sky, you will need a nail angled at 90° (right) to ensure it faces upwards when connected to your rig.
  • If the joint on your water pipe faces in a diagonal position, you will need a 45° angled nail (left) to compensate for the sloped joint neck, and keep the nail facing upwards.

Article Contents

  1. Sex of joint: male vs female
  2. Joint size comparison
    • 19mm joint
    • 14mm joint
    • 10mm joint
  3. Identifying the joint size
  4. Joint neck angles: 45° vs 90°
Dab University Enroll Now
Dab University Enroll Now

Share

Dabbing Temperature Guide

Comparison of Banger Nails

Sign Up

Sign up for our Newsletter

Be the first to know about our products, events, and related news.
Sign Up