Totally New To Hookah

[smurfette]

Hi everyone! I have no idea where to start. [img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/wallbash.gif[/img]
Well, my hubby has been talking about "hookahs" and he really wants one for his birthday. hint hint.

Can anyone give me advice as to what i need to buy to get him started and what kind of tobacco would be good to give a chocolate mint lover?
Also, where to buy em?
Like I said I have no idea where to start, I have never heard of a hookah until recently...
Thanks a bunch!!

[thatonethere]

First and foremost, welcome to the forum. This forum is a great place to start. There are some seriously knowledgeable people here who will be able to answer all of your questions. Personally, I think the best way to start is to find out whether he wants to start with a small hookah or something bigger. Depending on the price range, you can get some really decent hookahs. When shopping for a hookah locally, check out the craftmanship of what you choose. Don't choose aluminum!! Make sure the hookah you choose is very sturdy and durable. That was my first mistake. The base has to be heavy. The last thing you'd want is to have it tip over. Invest in a good washable hose. When I say "washable" I mean that you can run water through it without it rusting, plus it'll prevent you from having to buy a bunch of new hoses in the future. There are a lot of companies claiming their hoses are washable. What they mean is that the surface is washable, NOT the inside. I found that out the hard way. Store shisha in a tupperware under room temperature. Don't put shisha in the fridge because it'll loose flavor that way. I have no idea what shisha brand has a good chocolate mint flavor. I haven't tried that flavor yet, but I bet some of the other forum members could point you in the right direction.

Here is a thread that should have more information for you:
http://www.hookahforum.com/topic/10119-new-people-faq-check-here-for-the-basics/

Feel free to ask any more questions if needed.

Good luck!

[chinamon]

if you want something small then i would suggest Mya Saray.
if you want something bigger and more traditional looking then i would suggest Khalil Mamoon.

as for chocolate mint, definitely get Nakhla Chocomint.

[joytron]

I like nak or tang mint mixed with tangiers cocoa. As far as a hookah I would suggest letting him pick out the hookah as the most important thing is that he likes the way it looks. I would suggest looking at Mya, Khalil Mamoon, and Temsaah.

[Hassouni]

I wouldn't recommend Nakhla or Tangiers for a complete beginner. Nakhla is a bit finicky and Tangiers is VERY finicky unless everything is done right. I've found Al-Fakher the easiest to setup, and the best combination for ease of use, price, and flavor (not that I don't like Tangier and Nakhla, but AF is my default go to).

As for the pipes, I'd say other than Mya and some Syrians, the more decorative it is, the worse it'll be.

[thatonethere]

[quote name='joytron' date='24 March 2010 - 07:03 PM' timestamp='1269479018' post='459390']
[b]I like nak or tang mint mixed with tangiers cocoa.[/b] As far as a hookah I would suggest letting him pick out the hookah as the most important thing is that he likes the way it looks. I would suggest looking at Mya, Khalil Mamoon, and Temsaah.
[/quote]

mmmm. that sounds delicious. I might have to try that one myself.

[Arcane]

[quote name='Hassouni' date='24 March 2010 - 03:18 PM' timestamp='1269479901' post='459397']
I wouldn't recommend Nakhla or Tangiers for a complete beginner. [b]Nakhla is a bit finicky [/b]and Tangiers is VERY finicky unless everything is done right. I've found Al-Fakher the easiest to setup, and the best combination for ease of use, price, and flavor (not that I don't like Tangier and Nakhla, but AF is my default go to).

As for the pipes, I'd say other than Mya and some Syrians, the more decorative it is, the worse it'll be.
[/quote]
wait...wut? nakhla is practically idiot proof...if the video section was working, i could link the video i posted where i basically grabbed a handful of nakhla, dumped it in a bowl, shook off the excess and poked crappy holes in the foil. smoked fine...

OP: there's a few things you should find out before making the purchase.

1. Will this be a longtime hobby or just a fad?
2. Does he was a big or small hookah?
3. What styling does he like? egyptian, modern, syrian?

1a) If it's a long time investment, go with your quality hookahs like Khalil Mamoon or Mya Saray. If you think he'll quit in about 6 months to a year, just get a knockoff chinese hookah from any smoke shop.
2a) If he wants a smaller hookah, stick with Mya Saray. If he wants a larger hookah, then you can go with either brands. The larger Mya Sarays tend to be more expensive than KMs of similar size.
3a) If he's into the more "tradtional" look, go with KMs. Mya Sarays are more modern looking. And Syrians are similar to Egyptian designs, except tend to have intricate etchings on the stem.

As far as supplies, you don't need much from the start. Most vendors like hookahcompany offer a "starter pack", which includes everything you need to get you smoking. Hookah, grommets, coals, tobacco, tongs and a hose. If you wanted to get a slightly better session from the start, I'd pick up 1 package of tobacco and maybe another box of natural or jap coals.

Lastly, for chocolate mint - Nak Chocomint is the best chocolate mint on the market, imo. You might also try buying a 50g pack of Al Fakher Pipe and Al Fakher Mint and just mixing those two together. That makes a nice Chocolate Mint mix.

(Everything mention can be bought from www.hookahjohn.com and www.hookahcompany.com)


--if you want some interactive help, there's usually helpful people on HF Chat...click the link in my sig, if you want to check it out.--

[antouwan]

welcome to the forum! i'm pretty sure that the people here will help you find what best suits your (and your husband's) needs.

what's your budget? Like most people said here, you're going to want to go with either a Khalil Mamoon (KM), MYA, some syrians and i'm going to add that you should definitely consider the solid brass and copper-tubed Temsah pipes (best i've seen/used so far).

[b][u]KM[/u][/b] - more traditional, usually larger in size (28"+) the construction is pretty good. usually purge in one complete puff. these pipes are made in Egypt.

[u][b]MYA[/b][/u] - more modern looking. solid construction. usually have intricate glasses (which can be pricey to replace). the construction of the common bell/chamber makes full purging (clearing any collected harsh smoke) extremely difficult and practically impossible. has both small and large hookahs, usually smaller though (below 26") these pipes are made in China.

[u][b]Syrians[/b][/u] - these are usually made in Syria and a few may come from Lebanon or Turkey. Usually heavy, heavily decorated and very ornate pipes with some of the etched work on the stem. These are usually medium sized pipes (most are from 24" - 34") the purge is decent, but because of smaller purge and tube size it will take a couple tries. There really isn't one manufacturer, so you really have to know what you're looking for and where to look for it. Al Fakher makes some good ones, but I think KMs and Temsahs are definitely better.

[b][u]Temsah[/u][/b] - These are about middle of the road sized hookahs (most in the 30" area). the [u]solid brass ones with the copper down tube are best[/u]. The tubes are gauged very widely allowing for amazing air flow. The pieces are first screwed together and then welded (instead of just spot-welding like KMs). these are the heaviest and most solidly constructed pipes I have ever seen - extremely heavy stems (that's a good thing). The pipes are decorated with etching (not as much as syrians, but similar style). These are made in Egypt.

for a chocolate-mint lover? the first that come to mind are Nakhla chocomint (VERY minty) and al waha after-nine. But as hassouni said, i think those might be a little much for someone starting right off the bat, going for something like Al Fakher would be MUCH easier, even tangiers LUCID cocoa with maybe some Al Fakher mint would be a good combo, however, i have been having some acclimation issues with the lucid. Final say: play it safe, go with the Al Fakher.

other things you're going to have to look into are heads/bowls. the standard here would be the small tangiers phunnel head, unfortunately those have been running dry, but should be coming back soon.

coals: most people will recommend coconut based coals. if you're going to get the natural coals you're going to need a coil burner or some other way to light them, if you go the instant light route, you won't need the burner BUT convenience comes at a price. I would heavily recommend Hookah-john's Chron. Coals. Both versions - natural and instant - are absolutely wonderful, fairly priced, and perform extremely well. They are available at most vendors.

Hoses. If you go with a KM or a temsah, chances are you will also receive a wide gauge non-washable hose. those are pretty damn good hoses (and, you don't have to pay extra!). The mya hoses are complete junk and anyone here will tell you to replace it before you (or your husband) actually use it.

where to buy? the trusted vendors[b][u] that I would recommend[/u][/b] would be either Hookah John OR Hookah Company.

For this, since i'm recommending the Temsah pipe, those are really only available at Hookah Company, so buy from them, they also have everything else you need (except maybe the small tangiers phunnel heads - but no one has those right now).

if you do go with the KM (those are great pipes, and more people will recommend them to you, probably. then definitely go for john. his customer service and pricing (usually after discount) are either going market rate or better than. john personally takes care of his customers, and to me that makes him the best.

paranaesis: shop around. think about what he and you can or will enjoy possibly together. most importantly: make sure you run whatever you are seriously considering by the people here. if you go for the mya, km, temsah or whatever, the people here probably either have it or have tried it and can tell you from their experiences!

hope that helps!

[antouwan]

there's a deal right now at hookah company for 20% off certain temsah models: luckily, the solid brass ones with the copper down tubes.

Dahab Alaïm:[url="http://www.hookahcompany.com/dahab_alaim_temsaah_hookah_4348_prd1.htm"]http://www.hookahcompany.com/dahab_alaim_temsaah_hookah_4348_prd1.htm[/url]
139.95 less 20% = 111.96 less additional 15% forum discount = 95.17 = hell of a deal.

The same pricing applies for the:

Thaqib: [url="http://www.hookahcompany.com/thaqib_egyptian_hookah_4357_prd1.htm"]http://www.hookahcompany.com/thaqib_egyptian_hookah_4357_prd1.htm[/url]

and the Triple Wheat: [url="http://www.hookahcompany.com/triple_wheat_temsaah_hookah_4351_prd1.htm"]http://www.hookahcompany.com/triple_wheat_temsaah_hookah_4351_prd1.htm[/url]

i have a shakil ([url="http://www.hookahcompany.com/32_shakil_temsaah_argile_4302_prd1.htm"]http://www.hookahcompany.com/32_shakil_temsaah_argile_4302_prd1.htm[/url]) which if constructed essentially the same, solid brass outer with copper downtube. superb construction. for some reason HC is only giving the additional discount for their clear-based temsahs...odd. i guess they aren't as aesthetically appealing as the blue-based ones?

[Joel]

I would recommend a MYA for a first hookah. Served me well!
As for chocolate and mint, I have heard good things about Fumari's choc mint but I haven't tried it myself. Hope this helps!

[Hassouni]

Nakhla will smoke regardless of what you do, but in my experience it won't smoke well unless certain steps are followed. AF to me has always been much easier...Glad Antouwan agrees with me [img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/pardon.gif[/img]

[agunn1231]

I would recomend a small hookah to start with.
As far as chocolate mint....the BEST chocolate mint flavori have tried is Fantasia Ace of Spades

[TheyCallMeDave]

Don't sell yourself short by getting somethign less in price. Spending good money on a hookah now, no matter if it's a high quality small pipe or large pipe, will be a good investment.

Buy from a notable vendor talked about on the forum, and find who sells good shisha around your local area.

A quick question, does he know your getting it for him? Or are you trying to make this somewhat of a suprise? Like everyone has said in this thread, getting something he connects with is very important.

[smurfette]

OMG! Thats a whole lot of information! Really great information for a person like me. Thanks everyone. I really really appreciate it. Now, I guess its time for me to start looking into these things. Also, I will not be smoking with him. I am a non smoker and I think i will die if i smoked. HAHA. This is definitely a surprise for him. I am really leaning towards the smaller ones..I believe you all said Mya? Only because he will smoke outside and seems like it would be a little more convenient for him.
He seems to really be into it, so hopefully its not a just going to be a short lived "hobby"
anyway, we'll see. again thanks a bunch to everyone who contributed to my post!!!

wow, talk about bad grammar skills....sorry.