Standards And What To Expect

[insidius]

I'm a new hookah user, still haven't even had my first smoke yet. Before making any purchases, I came here to get educated on good brands, what works and what doesn't, et cetera.

My first purchase was relatively large, around $200. The stem they sent me (a 4 hoser) seemed very poorly constructed; it had poor welds at the joints, and metal flakes were chipping off all over it. I didn't want to risk smoking with it in case I couldn't return it, so I just sent it back on instinct. It just didn't seem like it would have been airtight.

So I spent some time looking for another 4 hose stem and after having no luck at all, I just settled for a 3 hose stem and bit the loss on my 4th hose. In any event, the 3 hose stem I receiced (from a very reptuable company, mind you) also looked a bit shady, with poor joint welds (large physically visible gaping holes, et cetera), and some internal rust/rusty ballbearing.

My question is, am I setting my standards too high? I really have nothing to compare it to, except for what I see on their website. Should I just keep this stem and call it a day? While I'm pretty sure the ballbearing should not be rusty, I really want to smoke a hookah for the first time, I'm tired of waiting, but I also want my money's worth.


Advice?

[symptom CY]

It might be a little hard to come by a good quality 3 or 4 hose stem. I'd say go with Social Smoke (www.socialsmoke.com). If that's not what you're looking for, I think all Mya saray hookahs can be converted to 3 or 4 hosers upon request (www.myasaray.com).

[The King]

If theres really holes in it and rust, then no your standards arent too high. Just order from a reputable site like
hookah-shisha.com or smileys or somethin...look through the vendor reviews for a good one Edited May 30, 2007 by The King

[sebby_0]

On your latest order, what "reputable" company did you order from?

[symptom CY]

He told me through PM that it was Social Smoke. I was surprised...

[insidius]

So much for keeping it confidential.

[smoker6146]

I don't see why you would keep it confidential in the first place. If they sold you a bad product there's nothing wrong with saying it.

[Calcartman]

Thats not the type of thing that should be kept confidential. If a company sent you a rusty stem with a hole in it, tell us so we know!

[insidius]

Thats not the type of thing that should be kept confidential. If a company sent you a rusty stem with a hole in it, tell us so we know!

Well, that was kind of the purpose of this thread. I didn't know if this was standard or if I'm being too picky. I just thought it was too much of a coincidence that I got two bad stems from 2 separate companies in a row.

[hookahlife]

Hi Insidius,

Some quick notes on the quality of Egyptian hookahs. It is rare to find Egyptian hookahs that have perfect welds, no rust and are free of visible imperfections. Each hookah is hand made and it is completely natural for them to have slight rust and various other imperfections. Of course, you should not be expected to live with gapeing holes or faulty construction but imperfections are common on Egyptian hookahs. There are a few instances in which you will get higher quality manufacturing, primarily by buying a branded Egyptian hookah such as Khalil Mamoun. But these are usually in limited variety and supply.

If you are able to part with the traditionalist design of Egyptians then you may want to consider Chinese/Modern hookahs. The most popular of which is Mya Saray. These come in many varieties and are generally very well constructed as they are machine made. Basically every site carries them and some sites make them available in up to 4 hoses, check out these sites for options: hookah-shisha.com , hookah-life.com , thehookah.com .

Hope this helps.

[symptom CY]

insidius: That's what the forum is for... you're supposed to let other consumers know what kind of products come from where. Help push businesses to improve the quality of their products!

[newsman]

I picked up a King Tut four-hose hookah from Hookah-Shisha in February. While the stem and hose ports aren't made with the machine-made precision of a chinese hookah (e.g, the hose ports aren't perfectly round, so there is a tiny amount of air leakage when I only use a single hose and plug up the other three), the thing smokes like a champ and is easily my favorite hookah. That being said, my second favorite is my MYA Bambino (a chinese hookah). It, too, smokes great. I think it boils down to personal preference. If you are looking for a traditional hookah, go with an egyptian. My first hookah was a $5.00 cheapo I bought in a little shop in Cairo. I had, and continue to have, a lot of good smokes out of it. A little rust or less than perfect welds aren't going to appreciatively alter your smoking experience. I've smoked out of a couple of rusty hookahs in my time. Aesthetically, if the rust is on the outside of the stem, by all means request an exchange. If, however, you prefer a more modern look, go with a chinese hookah. In the end, as long as it smokes well, that's all that matters...

[MAKCuMG]

Øskorei - that looks like a pretty sweet MYA Saray pipe. They are very well constructed (I have seen quite a few of them in real life, and they are pretty solid), and very well spoken of by the members of this forum. I dont think you can go wrong by ordering a MYA. Plus, hookahcompany is one of the most reputable sites here.

Insidius - My first hookah purchase was also a four hose hookah from a ripoff online retailer, this was before I met the forum, I too received a rusty, bent hookah stem with ugly weld marks...so I feel you. Realized soon that I didnt really need a four hose anyway.
Call MYA and tell them your situation. Their website is myasaray.com. They have beautiful stems, with a lot of dif stem designs, that can convert from 4 hose to 3 hose to 2 hose to 1 hose configurations. Basicly 3 of the hose ports unscrews and a little cap screws in each of their place. And MYAs look so sweet.

The reason I say call is because their website only shows a very small portion of their actual stock. Over the phone, they can match any stem to any vase, custom tailer to your taste so to speak.

[PerznPerversion]

i got an awesome 3 hose syrian. Nazarhookah.com and hookah-shisha.com sells them. I dont know of any other ones that sells those types of hookahs.

Basically if u want traditional style go with egyptian/syrian. If you dont really care about the look then go for mya!!

[Calcartman]

That is a very very cool hookah!
I have made half a dozen orders from hookah-company, and i will continue to do so, they have always treated me great. This last order i made, they sent me an email saying they were out of the jasmin and asked what i wanted to replace it, and that is the extent of any problem ive ever had.

[insidius]

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

I went ahead and smoked it for the first time last night. We tried AF plum. We got about as much smoke output as you would from a cig, and just did a standard set up: very little shisha, no icewater, no diffuser, metal screen, et cetera. I wanted to try the basic set up before doing anything special just to compare.

Overall I was pleased with the outcome of the smoke in general: after the first few initial pulls, we started getting a very heavy buzz, then the smoke started getting harsh, so I opened up the windcover and de-ashed the coal and move it to the other side of the bowl. The smoke became smooth again, but no more buzz.

After about 20 or 30 minutes, I started to feel really bad. I started sweating a bit, felt very hot, and my stomach ached a bit. I ate before we smoked, but I think that helped me more than harmed me. After reading the forum, I was fully expecting this reaction to my first smoke (and probably my next few smokes, too).

I didn't get sick, but I felt like ass the rest of the night, felt very tired, and just decided to go sleep it off. The next day, I felt fine. I'll probably try smoking again tonight.

Tonight, I think we're going to try AF Bahraini apple, this time we'll use ice water, the diffuser, and probably a little less coal.

[Calcartman]

Sounds like a bit too much nicotine and your body isnt used to it. Happens to everyone.
I would suggest with your wind cover, that you open it and move the coal before it becomes harsh.
It takes a while to perfect it, but you can usually tell when the shisha is about to get burned to a crisp, and your better off moving the coal and taking some heat off while you can, and you may be able to smoke that side again later.

[Øskorei]

Is it possible, dear Hooker-F®iends, that the experiences of insidius having dramas (ie the comment: We got about as much smoke output as you would from a cig) could be due to the stem being a 4-outlet job ? From a mechanical POV the more outlets there are in a device might lead to greater chances of leaks......

But as for your adverse reactions, it should be considered that tobacco is a very powerful drug that has been used as a sacred intoxicant for thousands of years, either through smoking or insuffalation (ie snorting powder). As with all new things, approach with a level of sensible caution... and most of all respect the powers of the plant world (ie nicotania sp.)

Calcartman, cheers for your feedback on the hookah I linked to and the retailer. I'm actually hoping to get a nice bonus at work in the next month, and will probably invest in the aformentioned Blue Genie AND a Khalil Mamoun..... if I'm paying a fortune for shipping to Australia, why not splurge a bit... also, what good is a chilled out hookah session at home if I can't provide a friend with their own pipe while we're relaxing in the comfort zone!

[insidius]

Is it possible, dear Hooker-F®iends, that the experiences of insidius having dramas (ie the comment: We got about as much smoke output as you would from a cig) could be due to the stem being a 4-outlet job ? From a mechanical POV the more outlets there are in a device might lead to greater chances of leaks......

I'm afraid it is not possible. My hookah only has 3 outlets, 2 of which were in use at the time, the third was blocked off, and the person not currently smoking would be blocking their hose, as well.

[Øskorei]

My point is more that a device with more outlets increases the chances of more bad welds, and becomes a culminative issue. If you have a one-hose device and the connections are sloppy, that's one thing. but if you have multiple outlets with the same shoddy workmanship throughout each, it might become as airtight as a pair of fishnet stockings, no matter how many fingers are over the hoses.