Weedist Talks to Nate Dizzle, Legendary Swiss Perc Artist

Weedists: Meet Nate Dizzle

“Weedists are the people who are out there fighting the good fight and these are their stories.”

Christmas came in July this year when I spoke and smoked with Seattle’s own Nate Dizzle, the artist behind the legendary Swiss Perc. We’re big fans of Swiss Percs at Weedist, and I was super stoked when Nate invited me over to his 7point Studios to puff down and poke around. Located within earshot of the stadiums near Seattle’s International District, the first thing I’ll say is, this place is MASSIVE. Nate does not have a studio- he has a creativity factory.

I’m already speaking too casually and I shouldn’t because this was FUCKING EPIC. A Degenerate Artist in the flesh and the keys to his castle (bwahahahaha), I assure you Diablo did not waste the opportunity. Dizzle and I agreed that we should get the tour out of the way before getting baked. “Tour” was an understatement as 7point Studios is actually a collective of shops showcasing multiple artistic mediums. Very tall ceilings, fun art on the walls and lots of places to work and hide, it reminded me of the coveted work spaces of so many .commers. Metal, Wood, Neon, Vinyl, Printing, Sandblasting, Electroforming –facilities were all available and they do it all on site- AWESOME. I’ve seen benches for rent before, but 7point even has glass blowing units for rent. Discrete, spacious and designed with serious output in mind, Nate explained that he had been in many great shops that were simply too cool. Great people, dope weed and good times all around, but so good you couldn’t get anything done. 7point is the place where a glass blower can work in peace or throw down.

As we moved from section to section everyone seemed to be happily creating; a positive workplace is always delightful to see in this financial climate. I know what kind of image you are starting to get in your head, but let me stop you right there. 7point isn’t a hippie commune- it’s a commercial success. The upbeat atmosphere is clear catalyst to ingenuity and accomplishment. Many areas of the shop were works in progress, but I DO NOT mean that as a cliché. Nate immediately struck me as a guy that actually finishes what he starts. His only problem is that he can’t stop creating. Having spent years around them, I know a shop guy when I see one; Nate loves collecting tools as much he loves making them.

On with our tour: rounding a corner revealed a bench and what appeared to be the motherload of Swiss Percs, or so I thought. Electroforms, functional lit neon (really?!), marbles, wigwags, sandblasts, crazy colors up the ying yang- there must have been 30 ridiculous Swiss Percs. It was here I realized the breadth of his work. The Swiss Perc is an amazing trademark, but Nate Dizzle is no one trick pony. Seemingly perfect, I asked if these pieces were ready to launch. Dizzle replied, “Oh, these aren’t going anywhere. These are the ones I wasn’t happy with…” BONG! Tell ya this much they all looked just fine to me. Everyone says they are a perfectionist- Nate Dizzle is a perfectionist and he had the bench of shelved work to prove it.

Our tour ended quite climactically with the final destination being Nate’s personal studio. It’s got everything a glass blower could need and the stuff he wants too, right down to a furnace to pull his own color and a smoking section. Over a nicely rolled blunt of Amnesia I satisfied the follow curiosities:

 

How long have you been on the torch? How’d you get your start?

I’ve been on the torch for about 11 years; I’m actually from Boulder, Colorado. I went to school there for Studio Art. I loved pipes and actually commissioned a piece from a blower named MNP when I first lived in Seattle in 1999. I knew I wanted to blow glass immediately and found a tutor in an old hippie about 2 years later and I was hooked. When I started I blew glass for 16-18 hours a day, fueled by some untrimmable bud called The Fruit.

Why Seattle?

The glass blowing scene in Boulder was stale. The Colorado Project had yet to exist, no one was willing to help each other, they kept secrets from like 1994 instead. I’d been missing Seattle and decided a move back was in my best interests. Inside out glass was really big at the time and it was all I wanted to do. I blew glass out of my garage for a few years while going to school during the day, and a week after I graduated, I moved back to Seattle.

The early days…

I ended up working with D Wreck, Dosher, Amber Pellegrini and Ease (SICK!) out of a shop in Ballard. Everybody helped everybody else and it was a great communal shop.

We continue to talk about big name artists as the roach dies out and Nate reminisces the fateful day Jason Lee showed Ease the lines he’d made on jar; they collaborated and tribal glass was born. Already blazed and feeling lovely, I had to ask, “can I hit a Swiss Perc?”

I’m sure I’ve got one up in the office.

We enter his office and I realize I am about to see his head stash, or some of it at least. He pulls out an old school sidecar dry piece from a cabinet. I notice that the fume work and horns attached are near flawless. Nate Dizzle remarks, “That’s a Banjo.” And it wasn’t just any Banjo, it was an ollddd Picasso-ehh I mean Banjo. Banjo’s work is so insane now I could never imagine him having blown so simple a pipe, but there I was, holding proof that even the rock stars start modestly. That piece alone filled the envy tank and there were plenty others to match: Kurt B, Laceface and Jason Lee just to name a few. It’s inspiring the way the industry’s leading artists can’t wait to swap wares with each other. Anyway, we grabbed a 2 ft. Swiss Perc tube and rolled out.

Since I mostly dab, my mouth is salivating at the thought of a nice old-fashioned bong rip when we realized… NO BOWL! Ugggh fail, I had to laugh- I was literally in a du jour bong factory and we couldn’t find a bowl. No worries though, it was practically meant to be. The interview continued while Nate lit his torch and made us one. This was the showstopper, in literal minutes (I don’t believe more than five passed) he made us perfect funnel. I shit you not, he even added color that matched the binger. While he worked…

I notice you’re a flower man- why no dabs?

I really don’t have a problem with it; it just isn’t my thing. I used to make hash oil a long time ago- it’s not like I haven’t tried it. I’ve probably only taken 8 or 9 dabs over the past 6 years, and I always feel like I taste metal when using Ti. I am big fan of Bubble Hash though.

What do you think of the culture?

I’m not a big fan of kids torching nails in public parks and blowing themselves up… That lack of common sense doesn’t help push our fight out of prohibition. I like the harm reduction aspects of it and the awesome new art being pushed because of it!

What is your position on legalization?

I think decriminalization is the actual answer. Legalization puts a lot of pressure on proper rules and regulations to appease the conservatives in our society, decriminalization is much less forward and in your face. No one caught with a plant should go to jail and have their entire life ruined. I also don’t think they did the best job writing the new laws, but it’s progress and it’s certainly cool to be in one of the first states where it’s legal.

And finally at long last… I took 3 increasingly large yet consistently silky smooth snaps and asked:

So what’s a Swiss Perc anyway?

The Swiss Perc came about when I found myself in the mood to make a stemless bubbler. They chugged a lot and I wanted to limit the air space to preserve flavor, so I flattened the chamber of the bubbler and pierced it with a bunch of holes. When I filled it with water the next day it pulled completely different than any stemless… It worked awesome and I decided to run with it! It doesn’t matter how good the piece looks if it hits like shit, I wanted to a find a balance between looks and diffusion. The first one I called a Swiss Perc was commissioned just after Hempfest and it was a big piece. I sold it for way too little money; I’d give anything to get it back now. A few pieces later I added a horizontal disc below the Swiss Perc for extra diffusion and to allow it to take less water for a drag-free hit.

Top of the food chain, you’re big enough to be knocked off now- how does that feel?

It really depends who it is. I can clearly see when my work has influenced another and I really appreciate it. However, I am also aware that one of my designs was clearly copied from a photograph, sent overseas, and is being imported and sold by others in a production manner… That’s not the same thing.

Do you still do Hempfest?

I used to go hang out, but I don’t anymore. I like the tradition but I’m not a fan of big crowds. The last time I went near the end cops came through and started ticketing peaceful people holding pipes. That really left a bad taste for me.

Are you ever, or have you ever been scared to make pipes?

Well obviously things like Operation Pipedreams were scary for everyone. Personally, I feel like everything is what you make of it. If you tell yourself something is going to end badly, it will. I’m always in a good mood and thinking positively; so far it’s all worked out.

 

On my way out, Nate Dizzle touched briefly on future workshops taking place at 7point Studios and a newly acquired apprentice showing a lot of promise. Despite amazing stories that one-upped each other, Nate Dizzle was the portrait of humility. His parting impression on me was of excitement about “paying it forward” to the Seattle glass scene. I’ll say it again, this place was fucking amazing and it’s fueled by good karma and high THC. #lightersup

 

Shoutout to Terasina Bonanini at 7Point Studios for the great art. Thanks!