Who Says That Expensive Shisha Is The Best Quality?

[sheeshabum]

Who says that buying the most expensive shisha will guarentee the best smoke? I've seen from smoking about 30 brands that the opposite is often true. I have had all the Al-Fakher brand flavours (Not the fake ones-these came with the company hologram on it, from SouthSmoke.com). I found that with all the expectations along with the high price I was quite disatisfied with many of the fruit flavours being ambiguous.So much alike on AF. Some were great but not worth the $. Romman : the big boy with the high price. Was sent a free tasters pack of 15 flavours of Romman and found them not to my taste buds or liking at all. This is according to my opinion.I am sure that hundreds of people like it, but I'll never buy those two brands even if they went for cheap $.
Since I live in Israel we get many shisha brands not always available on the internet and many that are. Also many like Nakhla and Al-Waha are sold all over the place in grocery stores , cigarette vendors etc.
I have found that locally bought Nakhla is nowhere as fresh or as good as some sources online sell. Nakla is the cheapest brand but has tons of flavours and most are terrific (Except peach ).They have a new exotic line of flavours too.
The Nakhla brand comes to us from neighbouring Egypt. From next door Jordan are some wonderful brands such as "Al-Sultan, (not "the USA "Sultan"). They have many great realistic and exotic flavours which promise and come accross. "Al-Ouns", "Abed El-Khader," (fresh) "Al-Waha", "Saet-Safa"("moment of pleasure") and from India the strong bomber "Afzal".
Since this company (Smoking-Hookah.com) is in Israel and goes to Jordan and Egypt to buy direct I get from them ,but they also sell online all over the world.

Its fresher shisha than buying local and I don't have to pay big money.
With that, I have never had "Starbuzz" or the "Tangiers" or "Fumari" brands-just talking about the kinds I've tried.

[gaia.plateau]

Who says that buying the most expensive shisha will guarentee the best smoke? I've seen from smoking about 30 brands that the opposite is often true. I have had all the Al-Fakher brand flavours (Not the fake ones-these came with the company hologram on it, from SouthSmoke.com). I found that with all the expectations along with the high price I was quite disatisfied with many of the fruit flavours being ambiguous.So much alike on AF. Some were great but not worth the $. Romman : the big boy with the high price. Was sent a free tasters pack of 15 flavours of Romman and found them not to my taste buds or liking at all. This is according to my opinion.I am sure that hundreds of people like it, but I'll never buy those two brands even if they went for cheap $.
Since I live in Israel we get many shisha brands not always available on the internet and many that are. Also many like Nakhla and Al-Waha are sold all over the place in grocery stores , cigarette vendors etc.
I have found that locally bought Nakhla is nowhere as fresh or as good as some sources online sell. Nakla is the cheapest brand but has tons of flavours and most are terrific (Except peach ).They have a new exotic line of flavours too.
The Nakhla brand comes to us from neighbouring Egypt. From next door Jordan are some wonderful brands such as "Al-Sultan, (not "the USA "Sultan"). They have many great realistic and exotic flavours which promise and come accross. "Al-Ouns", "Abed El-Khader," (fresh) "Al-Waha", "Saet-Safa"("moment of pleasure") and from India the strong bomber "Afzal".
Since this company (Smoking-Hookah.com) is in Israel and goes to Jordan and Egypt to buy direct I get from them ,but they also sell online all over the world.

Its fresher shisha than buying local and I don't have to pay big money.
With that, I have never had "Starbuzz" or the "Tangiers" or "Fumari" brands-just talking about the kinds I've tried.

I think you'd have a hard time finding even one smoker on this forum that thinks price indicates quality. All you need to do is compare Tangiers to Starbuzz or Al Fakher to Romman or El Nahkla to Fantasia.

[Cheese//]

Afzal = Slightly cheaper and exceptionally crappier
AF = Slightly more expensive and boner-inducing

If you wanna compare two brands.

[ZenSilk]

We all know Tangiers is the best qulaity only not everyone likes to smoke it.

It's molasses based, has amazing right on taste, bomb smoke.. and it's cheap as hell. See, perfect shisha if you like buzzes.

[speel]

nakhla ftw!

[Johnny_D]

Horses or Courses.

I've allways found [As with most things actually] that the 'middle of the road' often offers the best quality/costs ratios.

Nahkla, Layalina are my two favourite tobaccos.

JD

[SafeSearchOff]

i'm going to agree with JD on the "middle of the road" idea.

my favs are
layalina, AF. AW

for a little more:
tangiers

[Cybersist]

I am growing a liking to Layalina. I really want to try Starbuzz and Tangiers though

[ZenSilk]

I would try Starbuzz through a Sample, but i am going to say smoking too much of one single flavor will get you to absolutely despise it. And it doesn't have that juicy fresh taste AF has. That's what i've noticed. The flavor is very accurate in most cases, sometimes.....and the smoke is of course amazing, but i think the tartness and realisti fruit flavor is found mroe in the AF flavors. Take Mango for instance.

[anathema]

somewhat of a troll comment: i'm pretty sure if you paid 1000000000000000000000000000000000000 dollars for 250g of shisha it would be the best quality ever.

People I know, they'd rather pay double for starbuzz rather than al fakher. I myself would pay double for marlette and pumpkin. except for the mint, though i think AF's mint has downgraded, a short while after their new packaging but we all get different batches, etc.

[mdl]

somewhat of a troll comment: i'm pretty sure if you paid 1000000000000000000000000000000000000 dollars for 250g of shisha it would be the best quality ever.

People I know, they'd rather pay double for starbuzz rather than al fakher. I myself would pay double for marlette and pumpkin. except for the mint, though i think AF's mint has downgraded, a short while after their new packaging but we all get different batches, etc.

The price of a good DOES NOT equal the value of that good to everyone. Ever watch Barret-Jackson auto auctions? I don't care how rare a specific model 66 Mustang is, you would not find me paying $250,000 for one. The utility individuals get out of products vary which is why those people you know would rather pay double for starbuzz over al fakher. Starbuzz has established itself as a "higher end, premium" tobacco and thus people believe such slogans and are willing to pay $20 for 250g of the product. I can pay the high markup for Starbuzz but that markup does not mean I'm going to receive the quality smoke I pay for.

[gaia.plateau]

somewhat of a troll comment: i'm pretty sure if you paid 1000000000000000000000000000000000000 dollars for 250g of shisha it would be the best quality ever.

People I know, they'd rather pay double for starbuzz rather than al fakher. I myself would pay double for marlette and pumpkin. except for the mint, though i think AF's mint has downgraded, a short while after their new packaging but we all get different batches, etc.

Hey buddy I have some shisha to sell you. The best stuff in the world. Only 1000000000000000000000000000000000000 dollars. Paypal that to scammy_mcscammerton@gmail.com, and it'll ship the next day.

[anathema]

Hey buddy I have some shisha to sell you. The best stuff in the world. Only 1000000000000000000000000000000000000 dollars. Paypal that to scammy_mcscammerton@gmail.com, and it'll ship the next day.

What's the name of the brand? Oh yeah and do you have any mountain dew flavor? hopefully you have the mountain dew halo 3 limited edition flavor, forgot what it was called. And what is it's nicotine content(or just make up an answer)? And it is free shipping right? because I don't believe in paying for shipping.


My comment, was an answer to the thread's topic, which was "Who says that expensive shisha is the best quality?" and I said in really lame terms, "I do."

So you have to define what expensive is, that would be subjective unless you take the average of all the brands of shisha available, and base it on that. But the expensive shisha part here is referring to starbuzz.

Mdl: You're right, the "price of good" is also relative to a person and the "value of good", aka price to quality. If you're commenting on my "troll comment" then I'll respond with the analogy of your choosing; cars. So I spend 10 million dollars to make a car(shisha) and you spend 1 thousand dollars to make a car(shisha); result: my car is faster.
Also, since I sarcastically categorized my comment as trolling, though it holds some truth, it can't actually be applied to shisha. Aka the apples and oranges situation.

And as for the people I know who would pay double for starbuzz (which is the case for me for starbuzz's marlette and pumpkin), it DOES mean I am getting the quality smoke that I want (you termed this "utility" earlier in your post) because to me there are no other flavors that can match those. And also because "they" or "I" have the "money."

And I'm guessing that truly was a troll post, grabbing me posts from a scammer and a car salesman.

edit: gaia: i couldn't wait so i tried to send it to your paypal but it wasn't working? maybe you had a typo or something, pm me with the updated paypal account information Edited November 26, 2007 by anathema

[btuner]

Is it just me or does all AF tobacco taste like licorice? AF is a big no thank you for me and all my friends

layalina is one of my favorite tobaccos, along with AA and nahkla for everyday smokes

[PirateNinja415]

Is it just me or does all AF tobacco taste like licorice? AF is a big no thank you for me and all my friends

layalina is one of my favorite tobaccos, along with AA and nahkla for everyday smokes

i've never gotten a licorice taste from AF. have you tried acclimating it? that might get rid of the bad taste

[mdl]

Mdl: You're right, the "price of good" is also relative to a person and the "value of good", aka price to quality. If you're commenting on my "troll comment" then I'll respond with the analogy of your choosing; cars. So I spend 10 million dollars to make a car(shisha) and you spend 1 thousand dollars to make a car(shisha); result: my car is faster.

Not if you spent 10million on the paint job The problem with comparing shisha to an automobile is that in the end, shisha is much like a food product where if you spent 10million dollars to develop a shisha I don't think that 10million would show in the final taste where as the money spent on the automnobile would show in the final product (think kevlar panels, Al chassis, etc). Like you said though, this is like comparing apples to oranges.

And as for the people I know who would pay double for starbuzz (which is the case for me for starbuzz's marlette and pumpkin), it DOES mean I am getting the quality smoke that I want (you termed this "utility" earlier in your post) because to me there are no other flavors that can match those. And also because "they" or "I" have the "money."

Oh, I have no doubt you are getting the quality smoke you want because otherwise you wouldn't buy Starbuzz brand. The problem with answering the OP question is that everyone values everything differently. This becomes a huge problem when applying it to physical taste because we all have different tastebuds. I personally don't think ~$20/ 250g container is worth any Starbuzz flavor, but you and many others do, which is why it's so difficult to answer the question of "is expensive shisha better in quality?".

[anathema]

I personally don't think ~$20/ 250g container is worth any Starbuzz flavor, but you and many others do, which is why it's so difficult to answer the question of "is expensive shisha better in quality?".

Except that the question was "Who Says That Expensive Shisha Is The Best Quality" (dude go easy on the caps there), which you answered in the bolded text. It was as easy to answer as "Who's favorite color is pheonix yellow?"

[Ooph]

To be very honest...Al Fakher tastes better to me then Starbuzz.

[ZenSilk]

Expensive shisha... Well, i don't understand it. I will not include Tangiers, for it is too amazing.

Here is my simple take on it.

If you have not noticed, the expensive brands (Tonic, Romman, Starbuzz) have a variety of flavors that are generally different than your run of the mill fruit flavors you get with AF, Nakhla, AW, AA, HH, Layalina, etc. I think this is where they get you. You see, Strawberry Margarita in a snazzy tin can sounds much better than Strawberry in a box. Yet, the boxed (or jarred) strawberry contains the same amount of flavor and gooey juices that the tin does. With all those snazzy new flavors to miz and match, how could you not buy?

BUT....

for the price of a single can of Starbuzz, you can get 2 flavors of Al Fakher or Layalina. Let's take for instance the flavor "Peaches & Cream" from Starbuzz. They offer this amazing delicious flavor in an easy tin can, already mixed so you don't have to do it. Do they use cream? No. They use Vanilla. Now, let's say you buy some delicious Peach Layalina and some Vanilla. What does that equal? 500 grams of Peaches and cream for 20 bucks (give or take), compared to 250 grams of it for 20 bucks. And the Layalina will naturally have more flavor and juice, as you are mixing 2 juicy shishas together. More juice=More flavor. And it will always be consistent to your tastes because you will be the one creating it and mixing it.

Expensive shishas are selling shortcuts. Is that bad? Not necessarily. But they are also selling wacky flavors never before heard of in shisha. Pumpkin Pie, Caramel Apple, Irish Cream. Are they delicious? Well of course they are, why wouldn't they be? There's no way a common person could mix up a batch of Pumpkin Shisha with lower priced brands.
So if you are a person of different tastes, or are too lazy to mix your own mixes, then you buy expensive. I am guilty of both. But i have realized that, and have now begun to experiment. Which makes smoking all the mroe enjoyable, knowing your hard work created that delicious smoke you are currently endulging in.

Plus, imagine the possibilities you have with the freedom of Single flavor tobacco mixes.

[mdl]

I personally don't think ~$20/ 250g container is worth any Starbuzz flavor, but you and many others do, which is why it's so difficult to answer the question of "is expensive shisha better in quality?".

Except that the question was "Who Says That Expensive Shisha Is The Best Quality" (dude go easy on the caps there), which you answered in the bolded text. It was as easy to answer as "Who's favorite color is pheonix yellow?"

caps? I'm confuzzled.

Both questions seem the same to me. Meh.

[hookah hippie]

Yeah um... Though this whole topic is a never ending argument But, if money wasn't an option I would smoke Fumari most of the time. But in my personal situation I like to buy many different flavors and brands and I feel middle of the road is the best bang for your buck.

[poiboi]

[quote name='hookah hippie' date='26 November 2007 - 02:11 AM' timestamp='1196068262' post='173436']
Yeah um... Though this whole topic is a never ending argument But, if money wasn't an option I would smoke Fumari most of the time. But in my personal situation I like to buy many different flavors and brands and I feel middle of the road is the best bang for your buck.
[/quote]

I agree, Fumari is a very nice smoke, I've tried their watermellon and their blackberry and both are incredibly juicy and make excellent smoke.

[Tom1]

MDL has it right, everyone likes different brands and flavors, smoke what you like.

Nak peach is my favorite flavor of the brand by the way...

[Tyler]

I think anyone who eliminates a brand based on price:quality ratios deserves to miss out on the fact that every brand has something to offer that others cannot. Every brand has flavors that are better than other brand's similiar flavors and even though, for example, multiple brands have an orange flavor, different brands might have the "best" orange for a number of reasons and taste completely different.

Smoke what you like, dont worry too much about what others like or don't like, besides -- if they won't listen, then they're the ones missing out.

But to answer directly: Starbuzz, Tangiers, Fantasia, Layalina, and Mizo are all the bet quality and are all on the high end of the price range. So I say that expensive shisha is the best quality.

[mushrat]

Now listen VERY carefully.

If someone finds an old thread that they have something to add to, then *I* see no problem bringing it back. It obviously was interesting enough that people began adding to the thread. So, Let US do the moderating and YOU all can add to a thread if you want or ignore it if you want. But flaming people who bring up an old thread will NOT be tolerated.

Very clear?