Jump to content

Naraagiil - Lebanese and Turkish Awesomeness


Hassouni

Recommended Posts

  • 1 month later...
Courtesy of HJ, I am now in possession of what is just about my dream Lebanese:

[img]http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/227500_654892308771_37003198_35075519_5883909_n.jpg[/img]


If you saw my "extending a downstem" post, it was about this. It came with a pitifully short downstem, 4-5". I managed to extend it to about 7.5" and now it's pretty much perfect. From where it clears the base, it's about 24" tall, so with base and bowl, anywhere from 36" to 38"

Big hose ports, both up top and in the heart:
[img]http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/249129_654892323741_37003198_35075522_7010135_n.jpg[/img]


Haven't smoked out of it yet, but looks like it's gonna hit like a beast with those big ports, and a 1/2" inner diameter pipe.

The big question now is, which base does it get?

Here are the options:

Blue larger Lebanese (currently used with another pipe):
[img]http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/250814_654892363661_37003198_35075527_2240502_n.jpg[/img]

Green larger Lebanese (also in use with another pipe):
[img]http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/246786_654892333721_37003198_35075523_7959666_n.jpg[/img]


Clear smaller Lebanese/Syrian with gold accents:
[img]http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/249064_654892343701_37003198_35075525_5173972_n.jpg[/img]


OR, a larger, taller, Egyptian sized base? (this is my Elmas base which it will NOT get, but it's comparable in size to a KM base):
[img]http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227285_654892383621_37003198_35075530_1039726_n.jpg[/img]


I personally think it looks good with a bigger base, what do you guys think? In any case, next smoke will be out of this one and I'll let you know how it handles
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The green vase and the clear/gold are the best in my book.

Once again, killer pipe. You probably have the most unique collection on HF.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

MABROUKKKKKKKKKK

holy shit, by far the sexiest rig i have ever seen - seriously. ever. seriously.

personally, i'm keen to the clear/amber syrian base - just makes sense.

this is making me want to beef up the downstem on my current lebanese rig - it's also super short

nice to see the larger ports. mine has a pretty decent hose port - big enough for the narb, but that's like a temsaah style port.

mabroukein, again.

(all of this has me thinking, what's with the tiny downstems on leb pipes?)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

that was actually a gift to me from a relative. (i really hope they don't get mad, even thought they said it was fine to sell) being that i have enough hookahs.
anyhow, someone asked if i would sell them..no plans now, it was purchased retail and when i told hass the price he thought it was too high. hass has experience around the same neighborhood.
hass, what about now, do you think it was worth what they paid for it? it seems it was bigger than you expected. it definitely cost more than i expected too, but, i think the person who bought it was young, female, and probably taken advantage of by about $10.
also, hass, i think she got it at the place of the hwy in jounieh, which probably gets them from the place by souk al ahad. you can go there directly and get a better deal. this is all assumptions though.
glad you like it!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This actually does look a lot like the stuff in that highway shop near Jounieh. But I asked the prices there, and they were way less than what you told me. I'd still wager that with a standard base, basic hose, tray, tongs, bowl, etc, the entire thing could be had in Lebanon for no more than $40, considering one of the smaller, plainer cafe ones can be had for about $20ish for a complete set. (Hell, $17 in a supermarket!)

John, there seems to be a lot of liking for this - I know you don't like the hollow aspect, but I think if you wanted the best of both worlds, Lebanese and Egyptian, this might be it (once I extended the downstem)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='antouwan' timestamp='1306307401' post='510642']
i would pay about $60 for that setup
[/quote]

Here, or over there? Over there $60 would get you three cafe-style ones
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i'll have to try on my own when i go there next time, unfortunately skipping this summer, it gets rough with a family of 5, tix are in the $8k range, i need to go alone, for business reasons, right? forget that they have my favorite nightlife in the world.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Hassouni' timestamp='1306342837' post='510667']
[quote name='antouwan' timestamp='1306307401' post='510642']
i would pay about $60 for that setup
[/quote]

Here, or over there? Over there $60 would get you three cafe-style ones
[/quote]

i would pay $60 here for that exact setup. i think that's enough money to cover shipping, expenses, and leave a healthy margin for profit for the retailer.
i understand that everyone has to eat and make money, but don't rip me off.

fa5aar style ras, nice nabriche, and a glass comparable to that one. not some shit hose and shitty ceramic mod head.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

FYI for everyone, and especially John if you're still reading the thread and considering importing these one day- this hits like a CHAMP. Pull is in between KM and most Syrians - for a wider pull, use a Narbish/Nammor/Razan/Pro/etc type hose, for a tighter pull, use a more restrictive hose. I'd say the pull with a wide hose is easy but just tight enough to avoid that "simply breathing" feeling that I'm not that fond of with a lot of Egyptians. Also, despite the tiny purge, it works, it just takes about 7 seconds to clear completely, vs another Lebanese I have with a more Egyptian style big purge, which clears in 4-5 seconds.

I tried it with a friend's smallish base, and then also the pale blue base picture above - it definitely needs a bigger base


I have only two criticisms, both of which were easily fixed.

1. the downstem, but a $3 pipe from the local hardware store fixed that
2. the Hose port is bizarrely shaped - it flares out very suddenly, unlike any pipe I've seen, Lebanese, Syrian, Egyptian, or Turkish. If you use a hose grommet this is a non-issue, but I tend to use paper towels, and they don't work so well when it's that wide. For all that use grommets regularly, this won't be an issue at all
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
And another tale of eventual triumph with Nargilestore continues. Having ordered around Christmas, I got the package in about 3 weeks, when they sent me the wrong one! You've all seen Chreees's, well that was the mistaken one. I ordered the larger version, which they then sent me at great discount for screwing up. It arrived less than an hour ago :D

[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F2OIEiajWeI/Tz6RcXjPmRI/AAAAAAAAAqo/k4BtTxAVDjU/s720/IMG_5791.JPG[/img]



[img]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-NJLK8v6qDSU/Tz6ReNo6c6I/AAAAAAAAAq4/RqmEk5xeVMI/s720/IMG_5798.JPG[/img]

[img]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-eIfmerJiOng/Tz6RcABPObI/AAAAAAAAAq8/wK-Nke8Y0t0/s1050/IMG_5796.JPG[/img]

And with her sister:

[img]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QIKwqqUEoUY/Tz6ReD9ixcI/AAAAAAAAAq0/06ZjcWbSeuY/s720/IMG_5801.JPG[/img]

Overall, VERY nice. The finish is nicer than the 628, in terms of wells and smoothing out the casting marks. The model itself, much like Chreees's 618, is less ornate than the 628, and is constructed differently. The 628 is one solid chunk of metal with the main body of the shank cast in one piece. This, the 639, and the 618, appear to have been welded from 2 pieces of brass -
[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UI74EINi8ME/Tz6RcIDc5uI/AAAAAAAAAqk/4N0Gb3WYAkI/s720/IMG_5794.JPG[/img]

This teardrop part (containing the [i]tuğra[/i], or Ottoman royal seal, hence the designation [i]tuğralı[/i]) is a separate piece of brass welded to the lower part of the shank, with the seam visible at the waist. My seam must have got rattled in transit, because it jiggles ever so slightly. Not falling apart by any means, and since it's solid brass, the airway is still airtight. I'm thinking a drop or two of JB weld should take care of it, but I may not even bother. Overall, the shaft feels a bit heavier, but not that much, which makes sense - it's a taller pipe, but not as stout as the 628.

The tray is the same as on almost all Elmas pipes, but the tray holder doesn't have the lovely detail of the 628. I always thought it was sort of wasted since you never see it...

Glass is the standard Elmas glass, though I had to specifically say I wanted that and not the clear ones like Mahir and I got before.

Total height with the bowl is 31," with windcover, 34"

Can't wait to smoke it!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...