crack pipes are not shaped like that....exactly. the only difference is that ( a chale) i dont know how to spell it.....it sounds like (shuh-Lay). but its a thin glass pipe looking thing, except the bowl doesnt go into it. its a circle on the end, and yes, they do have a little carb at the top, where air pull in, you just hold the lightere under the ball part and rotate it around to burn all the crazk, and when it starts smoking, you just start inhaling that............thats the diff between that that pipe, and the very similar shaped chale (or crack pipe) - no i dont use crack.