What About This Hookah?

[magick777]

[quote name='joytron' timestamp='1294867447' post='494185']

You have some strong opinions on products you have never used. It is unfortunate that you have decided to generalize the smoking experience of all small hookahs based on the few unbranded pipes that you have used. Is it not possible that there were factors, other than size, that affected their performance? Read some of the reviews of the hookahs I have posted up, every one will agree with me that they are quality pipes. I have used plenty of KMs, temsaahs, some random egyptians, syrians, and a few Myas. The bambino certainly held its own. I believe hose, packing ability, bowl, a leak-free pipe, and heat management all are much more important.

I only would not suggest the pipe because I have not had any personal experience with it and will not stand behind a product I have not used. That stated it might be a pipe of exceptional quality. Simply overlooking a set-up because of its size is foolish. I do not suggest the OP buys a Mya, but am simply making a point that there are little pipes that provide excellent smoking experiences. In fact if you ever have the opportunity to try one I think it might change your views.

[/quote]

I do not particularly have "an opinion" on the Mya range, other than that it is an expensive import here in Europe. Neither have I argued that it is impossible for a small pipe to provide a decent user experience; clearly in your experience there is at least one that does. What I pointed out was that it is not comparable in terms of sheer surface area and volume; you can dismiss the impact of it as a matter of perception, but user perception is pretty important. I do have an opinion on the Aladin range, as I've used quite a bit of it, bar their actual stems.

For the record, I would agree that bowl, packing. seals and heat management make more of a difference than raw length of pipe. It is also my empirical experience that users learn to manage these issues better on a standard size pipe than on a small one, and that small pipes become suspect for being small. I agree that this is not [b]always[/b] the fault of the pipe.

However, I think it is entirely sound to draw the generalisation from experience of 3 small, cheap pipes and 15-20 large mid-range ones that the smallest, cheapest pipe in the range of any manufacturer does not normally provide the best possible smoking performance (at the risk of stating the bloody obvious). I don't think that I have written off small pipes as a whole; indeed, for all I know I might find a Bambino good enough to pick one up for a travel pipe; I'll try one if I come across one. However, that wasn't the question. The question was whether we'd recommend the OP to buy the smallest, cheapest pipe in the Aladin range, given his requirements.

[kuntakinke]

Thank you for this nice discussion, I really enjoyed reading it!

However, I got some money and decided to order Aladin Fata Morgana - 69 centimeters - but with ONE hose... 400kn or 55 euros or 70 dollars, think that would be great smoke

[magick777]

[quote name='kuntakinke' timestamp='1294881993' post='494211']
Thank you for this nice discussion, I really enjoyed reading it!

However, I got some money and decided to order Aladin Fata Morgana - 69 centimeters - but with ONE hose... 400kn or 55 euros or 70 dollars, think that would be great smoke
[/quote]


Colour me REALLY confused, I don't see how this is a good idea. Multiple hose hookahs are a nice idea, however, the problem with older models is that you either had to block off ports or to ask smokers to cover the tips of their hoses in order to be able to draw through the pipe. With newer models, they put a ball-bearing valve into the hose port, intended to seal the port when the pressure inside the pipe drops thanks to someone sucking on it. The problem with this is, the more valves you got, the more potential or probable leaks you've got. There is a general concensus on the forums that multiple hose pipes, while they may be nice party pieces, do not smoke as well as single hose pipes. I haven't used enough multiple hose pipes to give any personal commentary.

Now, if you were buying a multi-hose pipe with multiple hoses because you routinely smoke with LOADS of people and can put up with it being imperfect, great. I've got my eye on an Aladin 6-hose as a party pipe, one of these days. Or if you're prepared to do some work blocking off the surplus ports, also great, you might get it to smoke as if those ports weren't there. Otherwise, you're in the right price bracket, but I have some major confusion and reservations about what you're trying to achieve. Hey, it's your dollar (or kune), but...

1) the 69cm Fata Morgana is apparently pictured as a 4 hose pipe, yet the description says 2 hoses for your 400kn. So...first, why do you only [b]want[/b] one hose, if the pipe comes with two? Second, why does it only come with two hoses, if it's pictured with four? Third, if you don't want it for multi-hose use, is it the right pipe to buy at all? What has drawn you to this one?

2) Please don't do this without checking explicitly with the retailer whether the hose ports are valved. They are on [b]current[/b] Aladin multi-hose pipes, but, the Fata Morgana is not in the current Aladin range and has apparently been replaced by the Diwan, so I can't find out much about it from the manufacturer's web site. If the hose ports are not valved...[b] [/b]then either, you know how you're planning to block them off, or, you have a problem you don't know about. Also, if the ports are valved, you can use one as a purge valve. If they're not... then you don't have a purge valve. Are you sure this is what you're trying to do?

3) Almost irrespective of the answer to the above, it remains my humble opinion that you would do better to get the largest single hose pipe you can afford. Like I said, it's your money... but, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

[The Jester]

1.the pictures are switched on the site
there are two sizes of fata morgana...
his fata morgan actually is bigger with 2 hoses originally
2. the retailer will probably sell it with a seal instead with a hose
oh yeah
I just had my first session with the amira yesterday
will make pics and post tomorrow