Like many who partake in the herb and enjoy relatable comedies, I’ve been a long-time fan of Seth Rogen. I also like how he seems to have remained even-keeled throughout his continual rise in fame and prominence, which, let’s admit it, isn’t a common trait in Hollywood.
In this review, we explore:
Less spotlighted but an essential “yang” to Seth’s “yin” is director, producer, and writer Evan Goldberg, with 5 Emmy wins and 16 nominations under his belt as co-conspirator to Mr. Rogen’s highly relatable acting chops.
Together, they have man-birthed some epic comedies. From Superbad to Pineapple Express to This Is the End to the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot, which took the world by storm with its dreamy storytelling and vintage-looking animation style.
As artists, in 2019, Evan and Seth did something that took the weed world by storm: they launched the Houseplant brand in Canada, followed by the United States in 2021.
Among Houseplant’s wares are sake sets, table lighters, and vinyl, as well as sets of weirdly wonderful handcrafted ashtrays in various sizes, textures, colors, and designed for different uses.
There are ashtrays for contemplative solo sessions, and there are ashtrays like the Spike Ashtray that I purchased that can easily accommodate 1-7 joints.
Houseplant also has its own line of cannabis, which I’ve been eager to get my sticky fingers on since it was announced—hopefully more to come on that soon.
But today we are reviewing the Spike Ashtray, one of the more brutalist-looking objects for sale on Houseplant’s website, which I purchased just last year!
The World of Ashtrays Is Surprisingly Deep
If you’re of a certain age, you will remember a time when ashtrays were practically everywhere. Because they were everywhere, they became canvases for branding, storytelling, and artistic expression.
From elaborate glass sculptures to simple diner-style ashtrays, the variations evolve and delight. There is definitely a mid-century aesthetic here, but I could see many of these pieces, like Spikey here, fitting in naturally in all kinds of settings.
Architectural Digest did a fun interview at Houseplant HQ that provides a fascinating insight into the heart of the operation, in case you’re curious:
I mention all of this because it’s one thing for a celebrity to slap their name on a bottle of cheap vodka and then sell it for 5X in a shameless cash grab, and another thing for a celebrity to turn what is obviously a personal passion into a bespoke business.
Note I said “bespoke” and not “boutique”. Celebrity boutiques are often pet projects that exist solely to inflate an ego. Bespoke means made for a particular type of customer or “user”, in this case, potheads.
Seth’s signature goopy-textured ashtrays and vases in various fun, contrasting colors seem like a perfect representation of the man’s character, at least from what I can tell as someone who’s never met him.
It’s not all ceramics, though; there are glass ashtrays like this ultimate lounge piece in the Standing Ashtray, as well as certifiably bohemian-inspired pieces like this aptly named Concrete Ashtray.
The design that caught my minimalist eye, though, and the focus of this review, is the brutally functional Spike Ashtray.
Mr. Rogen’s own hands may not have crafted it, but it’s a fascinating piece nonetheless that has served me well since I acquired it about a year ago.
You Get What You Pay For With Houseplant
I’ll admit I was somewhat nervous I might be overspending on what is ultimately a joint ash receptacle when I submitted my payment on Houseplant’s website.
Getting a discount by purchasing during a 4/20 sale reassured me a bit; knowing I wasn’t paying full retail always seems to provide some level of emotional insurance with first-time purchases.
All-in it was around $100 after the discount, plus $17 and change in shipping. Not particularly cheap, but not celebrity-boutique prices either.
Supposedly, my 4/20 sale purchase departed the FedEx facility at 4:20am too…
As soon as my ashtray arrived and I bent over to pick it up, I knew my money had been well spent. The box was heavy as fuck!
Sure enough, after going back to the product page, I discovered the source of this heft: the entire ashtray is solid cast iron. The packaging is also quite robust and probably adds about another pound, but I appreciate the effort to ensure orders arrive securely and intact.
Finally, my cast-iron skillet wouldn’t be the only thing to outlast me by millennia. It now had a partner in resilience in my new Spike ashtray.
Actually, calling it an ashtray doesn’t really do it justice. This is a minimalist piece of functional art, with just enough curve and shine to slot it somewhere between rugged utilitarianism and neo-brutalism.
The piece sits at a modest 3.27” in height and reaches a maximum diameter at its outer lip of 4.29”. This stout little iron unit weighs in at a solid 4.5 pounds.
The outside of this joint holder is enameled, giving it a glossy yet subtly dimpled texture that reflects light in a fun, wavy way. The joint holding element in the center can be removed for easy cleaning and sits at a perfect distance from the ashtray’s perimeter, accommodating joints of multiple sizes.
This piece was obviously designed for joints, though, so while you could rest a fat blunt lengthwise across the lip, there are better options for blunts of a thicker diameter.
For regular ole joints, though, the design is perfect. The spacing between the iron fingers that protrude like the paw of a mechanical feline from the depths of hell holds my joints securely.
The gradual flare of the lip lets me seat the butt of my joint flush with the flat surface, blocking airflow and extinguishing partials faster, with less flower loss.
You can also gently pinch the end of your joint between the prongs so that the part of the joint that touches your lips is suspended in air, a sweet option if you’re throwing house parties and seek as hygienic an ashtray experience as possible.
The small size and all-black aesthetic allow this piece of functional art to fit in a wide variety of environments. It looks good on my bathroom counter, on my workstation, or on my cheap glass-topped Ikea coffee table.
The weight means it isn’t easily bumped or toppled, which is a nice safety feature in itself.
The prongs that hold the joints can easily be lifted out of the main bowl for quick cleaning. I’ve been running mine out with water, although given that the inside of the tray is bare cast iron, this probably isn’t the most innovative cleaning approach in the long run, given iron’s propensity for rust.
Alas, I’ve experienced no rust to date, but I’ll probably just wipe it down with a damp paper towel, then a dry one, to minimize the risk.
Who Knew Ashtrays Could Be So Much Fun?
I’ve always appreciated art. From collecting shiny rocks and minerals as a child to curating eclectic mixes of music in my Spotify account, I’ve always been excited when I stumble upon a new medium in which individuality and creativity flourish.
Discovering new modalities of artistic expression feeds the soul and keeps life exciting.
If you consider yourself a serious stoner, or if you just enjoy collecting sculptures, I highly recommend you check out Houseplant’s wares. This is a well-executed vision from Seth and Evan, and the offerings are genuinely creative and visually pleasing.
The quality of my ashtray is top-notch. I could pass this down for generations, or melt it into a cannonball should society collapse.
Overall, I’m pretty pleased with my purchase and intend on adding to my Houseplant collection in the future. Why not make every aspect of blazing a treat, right?
I also fear the ashtray bug has bitten me. From the all-glass Versace trays to the rad retros available on sites like Etsy, I’ve easily spent multiple dozens of hours perusing ashtrays of all sizes, shapes, and vintages.
You’ve been warned, ashtrays are cool.
