First Time Hookah Buyer - Best For Price...

[Merriweather]

Hello friends. I'm going to try not to be too obnoxious here as a new poster.

I love shisha. I've been smoking in hookah bars for years in Chicago. My girlfriend picked up a tiny little one in Turkey while she was overseas. Now, I'd like to buy one of my own. I see all sorts of names and reviews bandied about - Mya and KM get mentioned extremely favorably all the time. Really, what I'm looking to find is - what makes one hookah "better" than another? What should I look for? Do some just smoke better as a result of their construction?

I've enjoyed the shisha I've smoked out of the little one the gf has, and out of the big ones with the awesome ice chambers at the top (ice chamber is love) - they're both great.

Additionally, what vendor gets you the most bang for your buck? I've seen some that sell the hookah with free mouth tips, charcoal, shisha, etc.

Thanks HF.

[NIGHTS OF BAGHDAD]

for my money hookah john is the best..great service..fast service..very friendly guy..and is always willing to help you and hes not happy unless your happy.. http://www.hookahjohn.com/main.sc;jsession...26.qscstrfrnt02

i myself prefer egyptian hookahs cause of there quality,construction,build,design,looks, and they look oldskool....authentic..and i prefer km's

[mushrat]

i like Mya's. Better built than most Egyptians and a 50 buck qt will last you years.

oh and check the vendor threads and review threads for discount codes and the like.

[Zinite]

Here's what makes a good hookah, with some examples:
Quality materials. You usually want a brass inside and aluminum parts. This is to prevent rusting.

If a hookah is made out of anodized aluminum, there's a 99% chance it's going to blow balls. These are also sometimes called 'Modern Hookahs'. They look like these (notice the colored metal):


Now on the other hand, here's a 'Modern, Chinese Hookah' that is quality:

This is a Mya Saray. It has a brass core and wide, aluminum downstem. The inner diameter of the downstem usually determines how well the hookah smokes (not true for all hookahs).

Most of the freebies that come with new hookahs are trash anyways (metal screens suck, mouth tips are useless most of the time). Try www.hookahjohn.com. Take a look at what he has, see what you like, then come back and post links to them. We'll tell you if you're headed in the right direction.

[Merriweather]

i meant to include the question - what's the 'sweet spot' for hookah prices? can i get a good hookah for 50? 75? 100? 125? what if i include my demand for an ice chamber?

on edit: i'll look over Hookah John's site and see what i like. will post links.

on edit again: my favorite shisha by and large has been tangiers. there's a starbuzz flavor i'm in love with too. also al-fakher, layalina. haven't smoked tangiers at home yet, only in bars. Edited August 26, 2009 by Merriweather

[Zinite]

i meant to include the question - what's the 'sweet spot' for hookah prices? can i get a good hookah for 50? 75? 100? 125? what if i include my demand for an ice chamber?

on edit: i'll look over Hookah John's site and see what i like. will post links.

It really depends on what style you're looking for. If you like the more traditional look, you'll want to spend $100-$125 and pick up a Khalil Mamoon. If you like the look of a Mya, the small ones all smoke similarly. A $50 QT should smoke almost the same as a $120 Mya Gelato - it's really just a matter of looks.

[Merriweather]

as far as tangiers goes... do i need a special tangiers bowl and wind cover for smoking it?

also, what's the difference smoke-wise between a regular bowl and a phunnel bowl?

[Tyler]

Do you know what you're looking for as far as color, height, number of hoses, ect...?

Honestly, the new Al-Fakher hookahs are the top hookahs out there right now in my opinion. They're just as good as KMs but I think they look better (when you take the bottom ash tray off).

If you're looking for a multi-hose, I would go for a Mya. They seem to have the best quality of multi-hoses but for a single hose definately an AF or KM.

Also, if you're into a more traditional look, you might also check out the Tamseh hookahs that Hookah John has. They're the exact same quality as a KM but some people either love or hate the look of them.

[Merriweather]

Do you know what you're looking for as far as color, height, number of hoses, ect...?

Honestly, the new Al-Fakher hookahs are the top hookahs out there right now in my opinion. They're just as good as KMs but I think they look better (when you take the bottom ash tray off).

If you're looking for a multi-hose, I would go for a Mya. They seem to have the best quality of multi-hoses but for a single hose definately an AF or KM.

Also, if you're into a more traditional look, you might also check out the Tamseh hookahs that Hookah John has. They're the exact same quality as a KM but some people either love or hate the look of them.

can't decide between a little mya qt size or a nice tall one. definitely only one hose. i like the al-fakher hookahs (with the bottom ash tray taken off, WTF is that???) don't see any tamseh on john's site.. Edited August 26, 2009 by Merriweather

[Arcane]

as long as the hookah has good seals and is airtight, it'll smoke...the main differences between Myas, KM, MZs that you'll notice immediately from use is the draw...Mya's have a slightly restricted draw, while a KM has a very loose and open draw.

i can't say one is better than the other because people prefer different pulls. A couple of my friends prefer the chinese knock-offs at the hookah bar downtown, just because they say it doesn't fill your lungs up too much. I prefer my KMs because it feels like i'm just inhaling smoke from out of the jug itself.

[Zinite]

as far as tangiers goes... do i need a special tangiers bowl and wind cover for smoking it?

also, what's the difference smoke-wise between a regular bowl and a phunnel bowl?

Regular bowl:





Tangiers Phunnel:


With the regular bowl, the juices drip down into the stem. This causes a mess, and lets some of the flavor go away. With the Tangiers bowl, you pack the tobacco in the outer ring. This keeps the juice with the tobacco. Also, for some reason I can not explain, it makes your sessions last 2x as long. With a regular Egyptian bowl, I would get 40 minute sessions. With a Tangiers Small, I can get 2 or 3 hour sessions. With a Tangiers Medium, I've had up to 6 or 7 hour sessions.

You don't NEED a Tangiers bowl to smoke Tangiers. It just really helps. At some point you're going to want to buy a Tangiers phunnel anyways... besides a good hose, it is the single most important and game-changing upgrade.(make sure you get the official one, there are a lot of imitations).

[Zinite]

Do you know what you're looking for as far as color, height, number of hoses, ect...?

Honestly, the new Al-Fakher hookahs are the top hookahs out there right now in my opinion. They're just as good as KMs but I think they look better (when you take the bottom ash tray off).

If you're looking for a multi-hose, I would go for a Mya. They seem to have the best quality of multi-hoses but for a single hose definately an AF or KM.

Also, if you're into a more traditional look, you might also check out the Tamseh hookahs that Hookah John has. They're the exact same quality as a KM but some people either love or hate the look of them.

can't decide between a little mya qt size or a nice tall one. definitely only one hose. i like the al-fakher hookahs (with the bottom ash tray taken off, WTF is that???) don't see any tamseh on john's site..

Temsah here:
http://www.hookahjohn.com/category.sc?categoryId=21

I can't say whether they are good or not though.

[Tyler]

Temsah* not tamseh lol, sorry. But yeah, if you're going for a 1 hose I would really reccomend the AF light, we serve some at the hookah bar here and they smoke AMAZINGLY. I've tried the Temsah wheat and it smoked just as well as the KMs and Myas that we have but didn't have the pull that the AF had.

[Merriweather]

are the hoses that ship with an AF/Mya/KM good hoses?

i guess i didn't realize that all 'phunnel' mentions were that tangiers bowl.

finally, where's a good place to buy AF hookahs? plenty of KM out there, and mya as well, john and otherwise..

on edit: just saw john has AF. ignore.

on edit: do solid and light refer to the weight of the hookah only? Edited August 26, 2009 by Merriweather

[Arcane]

With the regular bowl, the juices drip down into the stem. This causes a mess, and lets some of the flavor go away. With the Tangiers bowl, you pack the tobacco in the outer ring. This keeps the juice with the tobacco. Also, for some reason I can not explain, it makes your sessions last 2x as long. With a regular Egyptian bowl, I would get 40 minute sessions. With a Tangiers Small, I can get 2 or 3 hour sessions. With a Tangiers Medium, I've had up to 6 or 7 hour sessions.

the way i figure, with an egyptian bowl...the juice drips down into the stem, allowing the tobacco to dry out faster...which means you get your standard lengthed session.

with the phunnel, the juice are kept with the tobacco...giving it a chance to re-absorb into the tobacco leaf....or even just vaporize at the bottom of the bowl...since you're basically goin to burn up all the juice, it takes a longer while to cash the bowl.

[Zinite]

are the hoses that ship with an AF/Mya/KM good hoses?

i guess i didn't realize that all 'phunnel' mentions were that tangiers bowl.

finally, where's a good place to buy AF hookahs? plenty of KM out there, and mya as well, john and otherwise..

on edit: just saw john has AF. ignore.

on edit: do solid and light refer to the weight of the hookah only?

Solid/Light refer to the stem being hollow or solid. Weight only.

KM hoses are fine, but they are not washable.
Al Fakher and Mya hoses suck.

You want to buy a Razan/Nammor (they are the same thing).

[ProbablyTaken]

Hookahjohn also has the Narbish hose that is pretty good.

[Merriweather]

ty. you guys rock. just made an AF coconut/pineapple at my g/f's place and am going to be sad moving back to school this weekend.

[Merriweather]

do nammor hoses fit any hookah? all the AF/Mya/KM for sure?

[Zinite]

Yup

[Codename067]

Here's what I have to say:

Do you want better build quality?

or

Do you want better smoke quality?


KMs are DECENTLY built, don't get me wrong, they only have some solder/welding spots because they are put together by another human, not a machine or an assembly line. Unlike MYAs, they are all machine made, so there is almost no flaw in the design.

Every single KM I own/have owned is still in perfect shape, 100% smokable.

MYAs just seem to take longer to "age".

[sleeperhit]

MYA QT has been smoking like a CHAMP!
I put a Difuser on her, a Nammor Hose and a Phunnel. Best thing ever.

There are some other good bangs for the buck also but the QT is a great starter and can be used even after upgrades for a fantastic session.

After you narrow down your picks, check out the review section. Those guys have been a ton helpful!

[RingsMaster]

MYA QT has been smoking like a CHAMP!
I put a Difuser on her, a Nammor Hose and a Phunnel. Best thing ever.

There are some other good bangs for the buck also but the QT is a great starter and can be used even after upgrades for a fantastic session.

After you narrow down your picks, check out the review section. Those guys have been a ton helpful!

amen the QT is a nice little starter hookah, once you get into the game and get your packing and whatnot right id get a larger one like a KM of MZ or AF. i find that i like to smoke a bigger hookah better, but thats just my opinion.

[Chreees]

I say get the Mya QT right now. I just ordered mine; I'm a newbie myself. I plan on eventually upgrading to a KM or AF someday.

[ngraz617]

Get a Mya to start with, they are the best company to come out of China and for the price if you select the right one it will smoke as well as if not better than most other brands including Egyptians. They are all interchangeable parts and break down for easy cleaning. If you're looking for a lot to come with it Hookahsheesha.com has great packages and they are a great company with a huge selection of myas all with a lot of reviews from people who bought them. Consider a Mya with an acrylic base they don't breal and lok great and keep the price down.