Mobius

Mobius Glass was founded in 2010 by American glassblower known as John M. or "Circle," in California. After a decade of making hand pipes, John taught himself lathe work in the late 2000s and built Mobius into one of the most respected names in scientific glass. The brand's name reflects the continuous, balanced nature of his designs, while the Circle alias nods to the symmetry and precision that define every piece. Operating from California's Central Coast, Mobius earned recognition for meticulous craftsmanship and innovative percolator engineering, standing alongside contemporaries like Toro and Sovereignty. Mobius is renowned for its "from scratch" production process, largely overseen by John himself. The studio remains deliberately small, with John handling nearly every aspect of production: lathe work, sandblasting, coldworking, and even formulating custom colors in-house. Starting around 2016, he built a furnace to create exclusive borosilicate color blends like "Big Sur Blue" and "Indigo Silk," often in batches under 50 pounds. Pieces that don't meet exacting standards are destroyed rather than sold, ensuring only flawless work leaves the studio. Limited output and sporadic releases through select retailers create consistent demand, with web drops selling out almost immediately. The brand's signature innovation is the Matrix Perc, a cylindrical percolator with over 100 tiny holes arranged in a grid pattern. This design delivers intense diffusion with minimal drag, breaking smoke into micro-bubbles for maximum water contact. The Stereo Matrix, which stacks two Matrix percs vertically, produces the brand's iconic bubble stack and became a benchmark for scientific glass. Mobius also developed the Reti Perc, featuring a spiral arrangement of cuts for swirling diffusion, and introduced the SplashTrap in recent years, an integrated splash guard that prevents water from reaching the mouthpiece during hard pulls. Mobius's catalog includes straight tubes (60T, 65T), compact bubblers (Ion, Nano), and limited recycler models, with most pieces identified by diameter and perc type. The lineup has evolved through multiple versions (V1, V2, V3), reflecting John's iterative approach to refining hole count, size, and placement. The brand also produces the Circle Solo series, one-of-a-kind art pieces featuring in-house colors and elaborate sandblasted motifs that showcase John's creative vision beyond standard production. Visually, Mobius pieces are known for their clean scientific aesthetic, seamless welds, and transparent construction that showcases the percolator engineering. Most models feature clear borosilicate with minimal branding, a sandblasted logo placed discreetly on the base or lower tube. The Uniques line incorporates custom colors and fumed accents, though even these maintain functional clarity. John's low-profile approach and focus on quality over marketing have created a brand that feels like an insider discovery, respected among connoisseurs for precision rather than hype. Mobius has influenced glass design significantly, with the Matrix perc inspiring countless grid-style percolators across the industry. Collectors regard Mobius as a benchmark for scientific functionality, often comparing it to Sovereignty and Toro when discussing high-end perc designs. Through uncompromising craftsmanship, relentless innovation, and a commitment to independence, Mobius continues to set the standard for precision-engineered functional glass.