Pulsar in Mount Dora, FL

Pulsar is the broadest single brand in this shop — it turns up in four different aisles, which is unusual.

They are a US company and they make an awkward-to-categorise range: glass water pipes and rigs, dry herb and concentrate vaporizers like the APX series, rolling trays, torches, and a steady stream of artist-collaboration pieces that are closer to decoration than hardware.

What that means in practice: if you are starting out and want one brand that covers the pipe, the tray and the torch without jumping between price tiers, Pulsar is usually the answer. The glass is thick enough to survive real use, the vaporizers have replaceable parts rather than being disposable, and the prices sit in the middle of the market rather than at either end.

The artist series is worth seeing in person. Photographs flatten the colour work, and these are pieces people buy because of how they look as much as what they do.

Where it lives in the shop: the glass wall, the water pipes, the dab rigs and accessories, and the tray and torch section. Call (352) 735-8583 if you want a specific piece checked before you drive over.