New Smoker

[dank7oo]

Hey guys -
I am very new to all this and was hoping to get some info from people on the forums.
Firstly I am very interested in purchasing a pipe but in all honesty I dont know what I am looking for ...every time I have smoked it has just been at various lounges where you dont have a choice. What do you guy recommend.
Secondly I am not a huge smoker so I was looking at some of the tobacco free products and was sort of curious as to whether or not they still can produce the thick smoke (which is one of the appeals to me)??
Also ... what should I know about coils?? I know they are crazily important to the experiance buy there isnt much literature on them out there that I could find.
And finally ... how do you guys find getting stuff in the cities where you live? Do you think it is easier to just order offline?? What are some reputable sites???

Thanks for the help in advance.

Jason

[dank7oo]

I guess another question is what kind of add-ons and such are necesaary to purchase/work best??

[jamesh2]

good morning, and welcome to the boards
few thing. first, i know your not an all out smoker, but do your self a favor. dont smoke the tobacco free stuff. from what i understand its no more safe, and tastes like crap. if your gonna do it, just do it.

second. what typu of hookah to buy is a hard question to answer. socialsmoke.com has some 19 inchers (i have one and i love it)
the mya QT is pretty popular, and i understands it hits like a champ. the stargate is some nice eye candy if you have 100 buckaroos to shove out.
those are just a few.
unless you have a shop by your house that has a huge variety i would order offline
some good sites are
hookahcompany.com
hookah-life.com
hookah-shisha.com
southsmoke.com
thehookah.com
nazarhookah.com
socialsmokehookah.com/

just to name a few.
any time you have questons, feel free to ask, thats what we are for.

edit to give add ons.

depending on how hardcore you want to get into this
small- med phunnel bowl and mod
coals (obveously) get jappanease or 3 kings
a nice hose (cobra, mya washable, nammor)
tongs, grommets (nessisary)
good friends to smoke with
a job that has internet access becuase you WILL waste too much time on this forum, as do we all =) Edited July 19, 2007 by jamesh2

[lazria]

Best thing to do, read as much on the forums as you can - vendor reviews and prodcut reviews. They'll let you know who to buy and what other members like for various things...

There's so much that people can offer up, but it's more about how often you plan on smoking, how much money do you want to invest and if you really want to go all out.

Coals, shisha, and a pipe will set you back bwtween 75-110, for a simple set-up with enough shisha to get you started. As a new hookaher, I recommend getting the stuff online - better deals and selections. Localy, just hunt around - check out Smoke Shops (places that sell ciggy), flea markets and the like.

Welcome to the forums and hope you learn to love the art of Hookah...

[spoolinspoon]

welcome.

There are many site that all of us Hookah Forum members go and order from. Just to name a few...socialsmoke, hookah-shisha, mnhookah, hookah company. If you check out the vendor reviews they are all listed there.

Depending on your budget there are many different pipes out there. You have your traditional Egyptian pipe, rotators, and MYA pipes. If this is your first pipe I would recommend getting either an Egyptian or a MYA. Most people on here have MYA QT's which is a small 13" hookah that is very portable and smokes very well for its size and price tag.

As far as tobacco free shisha, many have tried and it might smoke alright but flavors really suck. There are many company's out there with different kinds of shisha ranging from $5 for 250g to $25 for 250g. From dry to very wet tobacco depends on your price. Washed and Unwashed tobacco will matter as well. A washed tobacco has .05% nicotine and a unwashed tobacco has .5% nicotine. Unwashed tobacco will give you a buzz.

There are many brands of tobacco. Just to name a few... Nakahla is cheap and dry, famous for double apple (unwashed). Layalina is very wet and juicy, many find that this is the bang for the buck (unwashed). Al fakher is known for its very wet fine cut tobacco (washed). Tangiers know to kick some people in the ass for its crazy buzz(.3% nicotine?). Starbuzz is known for its crazy thick clouds with awesome flavors that last a long time.

Coals range from quick lights to naturals. The most popular brand for quick lights are 3 Kings. There are easy light Japanese coals that are a bit more natural no coal taste but natural coals to do the trick very well as far as a nice clean burn.

As far as add-ons. I would say a nice hose that is washable and different bowls. The tangiers phunnel bowls are very popular on the forum.

There are a bunch of reading materials on the forum that can answer a bunch of questions that might be on your head.
One again, welcome to the community.

Eddie

[zachslusser]

First of All... Welcome To the forums Jason,

Now first are coals. Their are 3 main types, quick lites, silver tab and naturals. A lot of people use quick lites because you can light them with a lighter and they get going faster. Now with naturals you have to use a stove or a torch and leave it on their for a good amount of time. And silver tabs are much like naturals but I think they are longer lasting but you still need to light them like the naturals. Three Kings is a brand a lot of people use for quick lites. these are some of the silver tabs people use are
This is what i am using currently and i like them a lot. And their are lots of different types of naturals. People like using the naturals or the tabs becuase they stink and i think they leave a taste sometimes. Now I cant speak personally but I do know that i have not heard a single good thing about tobbacco free product. I hear they taste like crap. So its really not worth it. Now I have a couple hookahs one i bought from a local shop and one i got from a lounge but it is the same that they sell at social smoke. Socialsmoke.com is a good vendor. If you search the forums you can find vendors that are reputable just look in the reviews section.

Well i think that i am done if i didnt answer anything im sorry

Zach

[JonDubya]

Welcome dank.

Many companies sell starter kits, or give you a bunch of free goodies with a purchase of a hookah.  Since you are a "beginner" I'd reccomend picking up a nice, cheap Mya QT (or the like) for $30.  It won't kill your wallet and you'll still have a great hookah.  Hookahs on the average perform similar, some are better, some worse, but the process behind it all is the same throughout.

Are you looking for tobacco free or nicotine free?  The only one that is tobacco free is called SoeX, that I know of.  And I've heard that it doesn't taste that great.  As far as nicotine free,
or "washed" tobacco, there are several brands.  There are also several that have low nicotine content levels.  You can find all this information by searching through the related forum(s).  

Coils? Did you mean coals? This is another big area where people have many varying preferences.  Again there are coal reviews here on the forum that can help guide you to make an informed decision.  Two main categories are Quick Lights and Natural coals.  Quicklights require just a flame for 5-10 seconds and then they auto-light themselves.  Many people agree that 3 Kings is one of better QL coals (non-Japanese); they are also very cost-efficient.  For natural coals, many people like the Stargate coals, which are also very cost-efficient.

Finding stores locally can be a daunting task.  Here in St. Louis there's only a couple, and they're within walking distance from eachother.  Other places they're most likely located where the population is more ethnically centered around immigrants from the middle-east.  Or if you know of an area that is very culturally diverse, you may be able to find 'em there.

As far as add-ons, you need none to have a working hookah.  You can change bowl styles (Funnel or Super Chief, for example) but are not required to have a good smoke.  There's 3 main things you need; a Hookah, shisha and coals.  Once you have that, you're set.

Enjoy!

Jon

[Allia22]

Welcome to the forum! As far as hookahs go, you should get a simple one as your first.

As you learn more about the whole thing, you can upgrade as you see fit, but a one or two hose Egyptian should suit you just fine. My first was a 21" from hookahcompany.com, and even in retrospect I wouldn't have done it any different.

Oh... and be prepared to go broke on this habit