Need Help Identifying Phunnel As Phake...

[agentscot]

i just received the phunnel i ordered from H-S. i ordered the Black color, and when they added the "generic" option, black wasn't one of the ones they changed, so i thought i was in the clear. However, i just want to be absolutely sure that its the original.
[attachment=2237:DSCN0592.jpg]
[attachment=2236:DSCN0591.jpg]
[attachment=2238:DSCN0593.jpg]

One other thing, when i put my finger in the bottom of it, it's very dusty and some of the material rubs off. i don't know if tangiers phunnels do this, but it seems like they shouldn't.

Thanks for the help. Edited September 17, 2008 by agentscot

[staygone]

That's a REAL phunnel.

I really don't get what all the hubub is with fake phunnels. Everything has a chinese counterpart nowadays. If the reputable company says it is a Tangiers phunnel, it is.

-QM

[agentscot]

If it helps, here's a picture of the bottom close up.
[attachment=2239:DSCN0595.jpg]

Also, I think its a large, but does anyone know if its a medium or small, as there was some discrepancy in the description on H-S.

[Voski]

That is a real one.

There is no way to tell its size unless you put it near an object which has a size we are all familiar with.

[Snacks]

Compared to your hand it's a fair bit larger then my small phunnel. Maybe it's a medium?

[mdl]

As others have said, that is a real one. The lower grade chinese rip-offs feel cheap and the ledge of the center hole is flattened more than a real Tangiers bowl. That also looks like a medium bowl.

[agentscot]

Here it is relative to a quarter.

[attachment=2240:DSCN0603.jpg]

Awesome to hear that its real. I am really excited and will likely post smoking pics this weekend.

[Wharbone]

Here it is relative to a quarter.

[attachment=2240:DSCN0603.jpg]

Awesome to hear that its real. I am really excited and will likely post smoking pics this weekend.

Here's a pic of my small with a quarter for comparison.

[GreatPigHookah]

As others have said, that is a real one. The lower grade chinese rip-offs feel cheap and the ledge of the center hole is flattened more than a real Tangiers bowl. That also looks like a medium bowl.

Curious. What makes them "lower grade" and "rip-offs"? Lots of things may "feel" cheap but function the same, if not better. Edited September 18, 2008 by GreatPigHookah

[SixPackSunday]

just look through any of the other phunnel threads going on from recent and you'll find all the information

[mdl]

As others have said, that is a real one. The lower grade chinese rip-offs feel cheap and the ledge of the center hole is flattened more than a real Tangiers bowl. That also looks like a medium bowl.

Curious. What makes them "lower grade" and "rip-offs"? Lots of things may "feel" cheap but function the same, if not better.

Oh they do function just fine, I'm not saying they don't. What I'm saying is that there's a reason they are cheaper. When I buy goods, I don't just go for the good that functions for the lowest cost, I go for overall build quality and how it feels, and quite frankly these bowls feel as though they are a lower grade.

The bowls are knock-offs of an original design. This same thing goes on in the automotive industry with knock-off parts. There's OEM, there's aftermarket, and there's knock-off E-bay brand goods. It's up to the consumer to choose which price/quality good they want, but if you want to support innovation, then purchasing knock-offs is not the way to go.

[GreatPigHookah]

As others have said, that is a real one. The lower grade chinese rip-offs feel cheap and the ledge of the center hole is flattened more than a real Tangiers bowl. That also looks like a medium bowl.

Curious. What makes them "lower grade" and "rip-offs"? Lots of things may "feel" cheap but function the same, if not better.

Oh they do function just fine, I'm not saying they don't. What I'm saying is that there's a reason they are cheaper. When I buy goods, I don't just go for the good that functions for the lowest cost, I go for overall build quality and how it feels, and quite frankly these bowls feel as though they are a lower grade.

The bowls are knock-offs of an original design. This same thing goes on in the automotive industry with knock-off parts. There's OEM, there's aftermarket, and there's knock-off E-bay brand goods. It's up to the consumer to choose which price/quality good they want, but if you want to support innovation, then purchasing knock-offs is not the way to go.

Gotcha. I was wondering if there was something inherently flawed with them, other than their quality may be a little lower and that they are copies of an original idea. Lower quality, lower price, I may be able to live with that in this instance. I have 5 or 6 Tangiers bowls, and their quality seems to be excellent, they are just too damn big for my uses. These chineese ones, although somewhat unscrupulous, are available in a significantly smaller size, so it is tempting. Sorry agentscot, didn't mean to derail your thread. Edited September 18, 2008 by GreatPigHookah

[EternalSoil]

i think its a small and wharbone just got a supersmall (lucky)...

[NickReppinThe909]

As others have said, that is a real one. The lower grade chinese rip-offs feel cheap and the ledge of the center hole is flattened more than a real Tangiers bowl. That also looks like a medium bowl.

Curious. What makes them "lower grade" and "rip-offs"? Lots of things may "feel" cheap but function the same, if not better.

it is a different material and it has a weird heating/cooling characteristic and is a bitch to keep the shisha from burning. my buddy josiah got one and it is porcelain not the strong ass ceramic and it seems like it would break if i flicked it too hard. i have dropped my small phunnel 3 times and it has only slightly chipped