crazyhead Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 (edited) Hi! I've been meaning to buy a hookah/nargileh for some time.Recently, at a Middle-Eastern restaurant, the owner offered to sell me one of his nargilehs on display. It had not been used for a long time and I think it was mainly decorative there in his restaurant, but he assured me that it was in good condition and would work well for me. I hope that it will! But a few things seem unusual to me, and I'm posting them here in the hopes that those of you who have experience with hookahs will tell me whether I made a good or bad purchase.He had some Chinese nargilehs for sale, with plastic bowls, but steered me away from these. Instead, he showed me one tucked away in the corner. It is a very tall Egyptian nargileh, with a HEAVY glass bowl. The hose is not very long and I do not think it was the original one that came with the nargileh. I think it may have come from one of the Chinese nargilehs.It seems fine except for a few things (and they may be fine, but at the moment I just don't "understand" them.)The bowl for the shisha is some kind of ceramic. It has a few minor chips off of it, but no cracks. The inside of the ceramic shisha bowl is glazed, not rough.Sound good so far? Glazing is good? Chips are okay so long as they are not where the tobbaco will be?The central body of the nargileh makes a strange rattling noise when I shake it, as if there were sand and a few pebbles inside of it somewhere. This sound is originating from the hollow just ABOVE the tube fixture. I see no means of accessing this cavity.The tube fixture on the body is a metal bulb, with a deep, tapering tunnel. The hose itself is tipped with faux wood. There is no screw or rubber attachment to completely seal the fixture and the hose's tip together, but I can depress the hose's tip quite far into the tunnel, and it feels secure.The central tube, when looking through its interior, appears unobstructed, however the interior is quite rough and there is obviously some rusting.In general, the metal welding on this nargileh appears somewhat "rough", but very solid. The metal, however, is of low quality, and in the places where the finish is absent (in the central tube and along the seam of the tube's fixture socket on the central body) one can see a brownish metal that is rough to the touch. I am fairly certain that it is either copper or brass.I do not mind cosmetic issues in the slightest. My concern is this:Is it safe to smoke from a hookah with exposed metal like this? How can I tell whether what I see is rust, or is it just rough, low quality metal that I see? In either case, what kind of cleaning of it ought I do? Will the cleaning relieve the risk of unhealthy metals?What is the sand like rattling noise inside of my hookah? What is the purpose of that hollow cavity above the fixtures? Is there no way of opening it? I tried unscrewing the release valve and removing the ball bearing, then shaking the central body. Nothing came out of the hole I hade made by removing the ball bearing.I think this takes care of my questions for now. Thank you for reading! Edited October 21, 2007 by crazyhead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hookah_Bob3 Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 My experience tells me that the answer is yes, it's safe to smoke from. Most hookahs I've used have the rough center inside the stem, and if the metal is brass in the core, even better!Glazing is also widely accepted and is used on a majority of most bowls today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyhead Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 Thank you Bob!Some more observations/clarifications:When I say "low quality metal", what I really mean is "common" metals. I do not know about the properties of metals, so I and not be a judge of ultimate "quality." Perhaps they are good, but to me they look rough, and copper/brass. But if this is "good quality" for a hookah, then I am content. Also this: The only rubber device on the whole of my nargileh is the grommet between the shaft and the big "vase" (earlier I called this a bowl) at the bottom. Is this okay? Or must ALL nargilehs have rubber elsewhere, as I see in some diagrams?Ok, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmonk7663 Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 (edited) Salam my friend. What you have on your hands sounds to be a standard Egyptian Hookah. Everything you describe is pretty much typical and standard for the Egyptian Hookahs. Almost all have some metal inside that rattles around. I have 2 Egyptians...one purchased in US and one straight from Egypt, both have this loose metal. Also, the inner tube is almost always rough like you describe. As far as the hose to stem connection, just pick you up a rubber hose grommet from the hookah shop next time you are out. In the mean time wrap your hose end with some electrical tape and this will give you a good seal to the hookah assuring you have no air leaks. The ceramic bowl with chips in it is fine as well. Standard Egyptian bowls are normally made out of clay...so maybe you have a bowl from one of the chinese hookahs. Anyway, light it up and get it started. Have fun!!!Salam,MichaelEDIT-There are 3 places for rubber on a hookah. A grommet between stem and base (or vase), one for hose to stem, and finally one for top of hookah and bowl. You can use electrical tape for all 3 until you get the proper grommets!!! Edited October 21, 2007 by mrmonk7663 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MechAnt Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Well, the rattling is the ball bearing of the purge valve where if the smoke gets stale or harsh, you just blow into the hose and it'll purge the bad smoke. The pipe is most likely stainless steel derived from scrap metal (which is what most hookahs are made from, perfectly fine). The vase grommet is the most essential in this case although a grommet for the bowl on top and for the hose is most ideal, there are work arounds. A wet paper towel wrapped around the hose and jamming it into the port will create a sufficient seal as will the same with the bowl. Using electrical tape or foil is also fine. Post some pics so we can help you further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmonk7663 Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Mech, I think the rattling he is talking about is the metal weld flash that is preveland in the Egyptians. Usually there are small pieces of metal in the hollow decorative areas of the hookah. These have no effect on the hookah obviously because it is impossible for them to enter the main shaft. Every Egyptian I have seen has this rattling/pining sound.Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MechAnt Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Ahhh! That's right! I forgot about that. I was thinking of the purge valve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyhead Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 Such a friendly forum! Thank you all for the fast and helpful responses! Ok, excellent! I will clean it with hot water (except for the hoses, I will keep them dry), and then tomorrow when it has had time to dry out I will have a nice smoke. I was given a big pack of Nakhla "Double Apple" to start with.I have one more question. In the future, I will probably buy a new hose, because this hose is very small compared to the size of the nargileh itself, and the material of the tube feels quite thin and flimsy, and I would like one made with real wood. Are there any special considerations to get a compatible fit, or will the rubber grommet and the fixture bulb on the shaft work with pretty much anything?Ok, thank you so much! I will start to clean it now, so tomorrow it will be dry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyhead Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 I have another sudden question, sorry. Is there any way to tell whether the metal of my nargileh is brass or copper? How can I tell the difference? I have just read a thread here on the forum called "Useing[sic] Copper In Your Home Made Hookah", and apparently many people caution against copper hookahs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hookah_Bob3 Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Well, I'm not sure how to tell whether the inner core is brass or copper apart from colorations in the water, but either SHOULD be fine as long as the copper doesn't get heated to a point in which it emits vapors.Also, even if your hookah is wet inside, you can smoke it, so you can try it out tonight. It's just not good to smoke with hoses that are wet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shisha fan Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 maybe we can tell you more about it if you post a picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyhead Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 A picture is a good idea! I will try to borrow a digital camera so that I may post a picture. This will not happen until tomorrow, unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenSilk Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 It sounds like it needs a nice tyhourough cleaning, and that it probably hasn't been treated to one before. i would reccomend Vinegar or Baking Soda. Salt added in will work as a nice abrasive to clear the rust, and you can ourchase a stem cleaning brush from an Online hookah vendor and get the stem Spiffy! Once its clean i'm sure you will be able to smoke out of it, but i do not reccomend smoking out of anything that has build up, has not been cleaned, and my be rusting. Clean it up, post a pic, and we'll hook you up with our views. Good Luck my Friend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmonk7663 Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 If its all rusty then you have a steel hookah :-) Most Egyptians are made out of steel, and then "chromed." The hookah will probally feel relatively light as well...standard egyptian.Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyhead Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 I would agree with your idea that it is steel, because it fits your description well, except that there is one part of the shaft where the chrome has been worn away, and underneath is a completely non-rusty metal that is also orange/brown. It looks similar to a brand new US or British penny, in lustre and color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenSilk Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Haha, yeah, some parts of Egytpain hookahs are made of Copper. That's what it could be. And it wouldn't rust, it would oxidize, leaving this green scummy substance named "verti-green", which can be easily cleaned. If you want, purchase 420 cleaner and it will get your rig right as rain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyhead Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 Hello! Do you refer to Formula420.com's products? They have many different products listed there. Which will be rid of the vertigreen?Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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