Putting The Ultimate Hookah Guide Together

[Zinite]

Hey guys, I'm trying to put together a guide that will go in the FAQ or maybe have a stand alone post. It will grow to encompass everything that I can think of. I just started this tonight, so it's a rough draft. Please give me any suggestions that you have. Let me know if I missed something obvious, or got anything completely wrong. Also please post any questions that you see floating around the forum on a daily basis.

Coming soon: types of tobaccos, packing methods, how to get bigger clouds, heat management, cheapest setup that will impress the ladies and get you laid, more logical organization, whatever else comes into my head

Types of hookahs:
Anodized Aluminum

Anodized Aluminum hookahs are probably the most popular type in North America. Don't confuse their popularity with quality. They are considered to be extremely poor quality hookahs. They are manufactured in China with parts that will corrode and break down easily.

You can identify a hookah like this by looking out for the colored stem. A quality hookah will usually be the normal color of whatever metal it's made out of. Sorry folks, no metal is naturally bright pink. They will also be very light, and have an almost plastic-like feel to them.

It's my suggestion that you skip any hookah like this.

Egyptian

Egyptian hookahs are considered to be the more traditional of the hookahs currently available. They are usually characterized by their tall, slender stems. They are available in both single metal, and multi-metal (frequently called trimetal) varieties. They can be made out of stainless steel, brass, and copper.

Some of the popular Egyptian brands include Khalil Mamoon, Magdy Zidan (possibly going out of business), and Temsah Wheat. In contrast to the machine manufactured modern aluminum hookahs, Egyptian hookahs are usually hand made. This can lead to visible weld spots. If you order one of these hookahs, don't expect it to look perfect and spotless.

Most larger Egyptian hookahs have wide downstems, allowing them to have a great draw.

Syrian

Syrian hookahs are a little bit more rare than their Egyptian counterparts. They are identified by a thin downstem, and upward angled hoseport. Quality brands include Al Fakher, Nour and Al Nawras.

Modern

Just like the anodized aluminum hookahs, modern hookahs, or mod hookahs, are mass manufactured - usually in China. The most notable brand of modern hookahs is Mya Saray. Mya hookahs can range from $25 to several thousand dollars. They are usually made with brass cores, and can be very heavy.

Windcover

(circled in red)
A windcover is an absolute necessity for any serious hookah smoker. It goes over the bowl/coals, and traps more heat in. It can keep a hookah session going even longer by eliminating the need to light a second round of coals. If you feel like your bowl isn't smoking well, try adding a windcover before reaching for another coal.

Coals
There are many different types of coals. The most widespread are disc shaped quick light coals:

These coals utilize a gunpowder-like substance that allows the coal to flame up as soon as a lighter is held to it. These coals usually impart a bad coal-like taste to your hookah session. They also are large, and make it difficult to effectively manage heat on your bowl. They usually last for about 30 minutes. Popular brands include 3 Kings and Rolland. There is also a natural coconut type of quick light coal, CH Quick lights (Hookahjohn's Quick Light). These are widely considered to be the best on the market.

Another type of coal is the finger shaped coal:

Finger coals must be broken by hand or with a knife to be made a usable size. They also must be lit with a stovetop. They last longer than quick light coals, and impart less of a coal taste.


Natural coconut coals are often considered to be the best option for the serious hookah smoker. They impart little to no taste onto the shisha, and burn for a long time. Depending on the brand, these can burn anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and 30 minutes. Popular brands include Coconara, CH Naturals (Hookahjohn's Natural Coconuts), Al Fakher Coconut and Shishaco. Like finger coals, these also must be lit on a stovetop.

If you are using any type of natural coal, it is highly suggested that you buy a coil burner. These can be purchased at Walgreens in the kitchen appliance aisle. They are usually on sale for $9.99:


(they are also being sold in a white variety)

Foil

I suggest that you use Heavy Duty Reynold's foil. One layer has always been enough for me, but some people use two layers. Experiment for yourself and find out what works best for you.

[Zinite]

Bowl

Egyptian Bowl


The Egyptian style bowl has a number of holes on the bottom of the bowl. These are the most standard bowls that come with every hookah on the planet. The main downside to using one of these bowls is that the juice from the shisha will drip down into your stem, causing the shisha to dry out quickly. Typical sessions with an Egyptian bowl will last from 30 minutes to more than an hour.

Tangiers Phunnel Bowl


The Tangiers phunnel is a recent development in the hookah world. It allows you to place the shisha in a ring, around a center hole. This stops the juice from flowing into the stem, keeping the shisha wet throughout the duration of your session. They come in three sizes: small, medium and large. The small will usually last about two hours. Some hookah smokers (including myself) have been able to get 5 hours+ out of a medium and large phunnel.

Vortex Bowl


The vortex bowl was released after the Tangiers phunnel bowl. It uses the same concept, allowing you to place the shisha around a center 'spire'. You get some of the benefits of the phunnel, with a few downsides as well. It is reported that it is more constrictive than a Tangiers phunnel, and that it is made of a lesser quailty ceramic.

Tobacco
coming soon

Tray


Hookah trays come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. They all perform the same task though: catching ash, and allowing you to ash your coals.

Stem


The stem is the part of the hookah that connects to the glass vase. This is the main part of your hookah.

Downstem


The downstem is the part of the stem that drops into the water. The bottom of the downstem should be approximately .5" to 1" below the surface of the water. On some hookahs, particularly modern hookahs, the downstem will be removable. It is rare, or nonexistant, for traditional hookahs to have a removable downstem. The inner diameter of the downstem is the main factor that determines the ease of smoking. The larger the diameter, the easier it will be to pull smoke through.

Vase


Hookah vases are largely decorative. They just contain the water that allows for the filtration of the smoke. Vases come in all shapes, sizes and designs.

Hose


Purchasing a quality hose is one of the easiest things you can do to enhance your hookah experience. The wider the inner diameter of your hose is, the easier it will be to pull smoke through it. There are two main types of hoses: washable, and nonwashable. Any hose that has a metal coil on the inside is considered to be nonwashable, no matter what the manufacturer says. Washing a hose with an inner metal coil can cause rusting. The rust will then be inhaled by you during your next session. Washable hoses usually use a plastic coil, or no coil at all. These can be washed out with water after every session, keeping your hoses flavor-free. One downside of washable hoses is their tendency to fall apart. The frequent washing of these hoses can deteriorate the glue holding them together. Popular washable hose brands include Nammor, Razan, Grand Washable and Narbish. The Nammor and Razan hoses are the exact same hose, just different colors.

[r1v3th3ad]

wow man, A+...keep up the good work

[twoapplesplease]

How about different kinds of tong's and popular hole poking tools and hole patterens

[ilikemyusername]

good job, I look forward to seeing the final product.

[Tyler]

Looks good so far

[Spats]

Now this is the start of a beginners guide. WOW!!!

Wish I had this early on.

Worthy of pinning and PDF'ing.

Great work!

[Bandito]

I really suggest thoroughly going through the different brands of tobacco and what you know about them according to heat management, how tight to pack them, acclimating or no acclimating, how many holes, which bowl is best, advantages/disadvantages of each, washed or unwashed, etc

I know a lot of that is subjective to each person, everyone has their own opinions on which methods work best, but you cant deny that knowing nakhla can take more heat than al fakher, and often can be packed much tighter, and stuff like that wont help out a beginner. I looked around for a thorough guide to shisha and couldnt find one, and i know there is a wiki on the site but this would put it all in one easy-to-find place

But otherwise looking great so far! Edited October 18, 2009 by Bandito

[Tyler]

I really suggest thoroughly going through the different brands of tobacco and what you know about them according to heat management, how tight to pack them, acclimating or no acclimating, how many holes, which bowl is best, advantages/disadvantages of each, washed or unwashed, etc

I know a lot of that is subjective to each person, everyone has their own opinions on which methods work best, but you cant deny that knowing nakhla can take more heat than al fakher, and often can be packed much tighter, and stuff like that wont help out a beginner. I looked around for a thorough guide to shisha and couldnt find one, and i know there is a wiki on the site but this would put it all in one easy-to-find place

But otherwise looking great so far!

I beg to differ, stuff like that seperates a beginner from a broseph

[ryno]

You could add alot of this to the wiki we have on the site. Great job though!

[mattarios2]

lookin good, keep it up!

[Zinite]

How about different kinds of tong's and popular hole poking tools and hole patterens

It's coming up

[delSol_si]

I think K1024 made a bowl guide a long time ago...may look at that. Also, I noticed A LOT of things missing, but then again, if you encompass EVERYTHING, it is going to be super long, almost too long to be useful. Maybe have an idea set out on how broad you want to cover things. One suggestion is maybe to talk about all the normally used and common items, and then just list all of the other not so common items.

Good job.

[NIGHTS OF BAGHDAD]

maybe just add the basics to get you smoking..everything after that we usually pick up on by trial and error..i think if you throw too much at it its gona be confusing and intimidating..

[Zinite]

I'm thinking about turning this into a webpage on Google Sites. That way I could have a proper table of contents, so it's not just a run on post.

[delSol_si]

I'm thinking about turning this into a webpage on Google Sites. That way I could have a proper table of contents, so it's not just a run on post.

Now THATS an idea!

ooo, i also suggest making a separate thread on here about each part of the hookah to be covered and let everyone have their input...maybe, unless you are wanting this to be YOUR thing, which is completely understandable.

[Zinite]

I'm thinking about turning this into a webpage on Google Sites. That way I could have a proper table of contents, so it's not just a run on post.

Now THATS an idea!

ooo, i also suggest making a separate thread on here about each part of the hookah to be covered and let everyone have their input...maybe, unless you are wanting this to be YOUR thing, which is completely understandable.

I'll be posting anything I write on here. I want as much feedback as possible. I'd like to think I know a lot about hookahs, but I absolutely need input from other people.

Page will be located here: http://sites.google.com/site/ultimatehookah/home

This gives me something to work on while I'm smoking

[NIGHTS OF BAGHDAD]

maybe a section on how to clean a hookah and what types of solvents and soaps to use what types to stay away from

[delSol_si]

maybe a section on how to clean a hookah and what types of solvents and soaps to use what types to stay away from

Cleaning? What the fuck is that?

[Click]

Cleaning? What the fuck is that?

Well, I could be wrong, but I believe cleaning is an old, old wooden ship that was used during the Civil War era.


Great job so far Zinite!

[delSol_si]

Cleaning? What the fuck is that?

Well, I could be wrong, but I believe cleaning is an old, old wooden ship that was used during the Civil War era.

Aw, I was under the impression that was diversity

















(thanks click, that made me laugh)

[Zinite]

Tangiers packing guide up! Opinions please.

http://sites.google.com/site/ultimatehookah/tobacco/tangiers

[mattarios2]

awesome, only thing is you lose juice putting on that paper plate.

[Zinite]

awesome, only thing is you lose juice putting on that paper plate.

I'll add that in there. Thanks mattarios.

[r1v3th3ad]

thats why I use Styrofoam plates