Need Hookah Verification And Help Asap<3!

[navy876]

Nooo im confident all will be well, If jakes were nice then these clouds must be nice! Im using Starbuzz, coconaras, and the same hookah :]

[antouwan]

[quote name='navy876' timestamp='1328155778' post='537547']
[quote name='Chreees' timestamp='1328132721' post='537461']
[quote name='navy876' timestamp='1328131394' post='537455']
How can you tell when a Hookah is Mya,Namoor,Khalil Mamoon, Elmas ect? I wish they were labled -.-
[/quote]
[quote name='navy876' timestamp='1328131444' post='537456']
How can you tell when a Hookah is Mya,Nawras,Khalil Mamoon,Nammor,Farida? I wish they were labeld -.-
[/quote]

Over time after seeing different brands/styles of hookahs and stuff, you'll be able to easily identify them. Most common ways are by looking at a few things:

1. The overall style of the shank.
2. The hose port.
3. The purge valve (or lack thereof).
4. The tray rest, the tray, or the way in which the tray goes onto the hookah.
5. The bowl port (Turkish hookahs have a female bowl port, whereas most Egyptians and Chinese have a male).
etc... (I could think of more)

I'll use my pictures of current and past hookahs I've owned as examples...

Chinese (Mya brand):


Chinese (Mya brand):


Syrian (Al Fakher brand):


Syrian (Al Nawras brand):


Egyptian (Khalil Mamoon brand):


Egyptian (Khalil Mamoon brand):


Egyptian (Khalil Mamoon brand):


Turkish (Elmas brand):


See some of the similarities and differences between them? Once you've seen enough, you get a good eye for what's what. Hope this has helped.
[/quote]Many thanks Chreees You have sexyy ass Hookas if I may add! I will be using the 5starhookah website. & I'll be getting the Model you got for me! The one Jake has, Im in love with that Hookah. And because it has a purge valve which you said I still need. Before I order it, does it look like [b]the Hookah is 110% Real no Generic[/b]? & if so then the quality should be great. As in the material and clouds!
[/quote]

hey man, welcome to the forum. I've been lurking on this thread, but haven't chimed in yet because chris and a few of the other guys (and gals) here have been quick to draw - always good.

i just wanted to say that i think you might be over ephasizing (or completely creating) this type of mutual exclusivity between real vs. generic. when we say generic here, we don't usually mean that generics are "rip-offs" or fakes of more well-known brands; we usually just mean that we don't know the brand. there are some well-known brands out there which are established, but america is big on brand-loyalty to begin with, and there's no surprise that we carry that over into this hobby. in lebanon, for instance, i'm not sure of ANY types of brand distinction or brand loyalty.

the reason that brand loyalty is big on this forum is because it's online. we're not in the middle-east, and most people don't have the luxury of going down to some local market and having a wide variety of pipes at their disposal to choose from, let alone quality pipes. therefore, the forum (and its members) have developed intense loyalties to brands as well as vendors (that's a good thing, especially for people new to this hobby). since we don't have the luxury of going out and physically examining pipes and pulling the trigger based on great qualities one can notice based on physical inspection, we have to rely on track records. most people here, myself included, will just about blindly reccomend a khalil maamoon, almost without exception, because KM regularly delivers on quality. you could say the same with all of the brands chris mentioned. that's because those are the ones we know. that doesn't mean, however, that those brands are THE ONLY legit, quality brands out there. no, not at all. just because i can't get KM's locally doesn't mean i'm not going to buy pipes locally; you just have to know what you're looking for, and that comes with time. you could already have a pipe that's as good or even better than a KM, but doesn't bear the KM badge, and that really doesn't matter. as chris said, what's important is how you like it. i have almost 10 hookahs 3 KMs, 1 mya, 2 lebanese, 2 nawras, one chinese, and one generic mini egyptian fatota. the only major branded ones i have are the kms and the mya. i would consider the nawras more of a minor brand, but my completely generic lebanese pipes that i have no clue about at all, smoke just as well as the nawrases and the kms. i rarely smoke my kms at all any more, actually.

also, don't get stuck in the false trap of thinking that just because you have the same rig and setup as someone, means you're going to get the same results. nope. i wasted a lot of time, money, and getting my hopes up thinking like that - it doesn't work out.
granted, you want to have a good setup and a good rig, but just because you have the same things, doesn't mean the results will be the same (this is usually due to packing method and heat management - those are two of the most important factors in this hobby - you can't buy either of them).

If you got some cash that's really burning a hole in your pocket, i would recommend getting a good head (NOT a vortex. think more like crown classic or tangiers phunnel, or even a good quality standard egyptian), and a wide-gauge hose (something like a razan, nammor, KM, or narbish). those will be the things that make the biggest difference. you already have tobacco that will work (i would recommend al fakher, nakhla, or tangiers lucid) and great coals.

best of luck, and i'll definitely be keeping an eye on this thread.

[joytron]

^Some of the best advice you will ever hear on this forum, everything said is spot on. You don't often find years of experience condensed so perfectly into a few eloquent paragraphs. Someone give this man some reps!

[navy876]

[quote name='antouwan' timestamp='1328164808' post='537555']
[quote name='navy876' timestamp='1328155778' post='537547']
[quote name='Chreees' timestamp='1328132721' post='537461']
[quote name='navy876' timestamp='1328131394' post='537455']
How can you tell when a Hookah is Mya,Namoor,Khalil Mamoon, Elmas ect? I wish they were labled -.-
[/quote]
[quote name='navy876' timestamp='1328131444' post='537456']
How can you tell when a Hookah is Mya,Nawras,Khalil Mamoon,Nammor,Farida? I wish they were labeld -.-
[/quote]

Over time after seeing different brands/styles of hookahs and stuff, you'll be able to easily identify them. Most common ways are by looking at a few things:

1. The overall style of the shank.
2. The hose port.
3. The purge valve (or lack thereof).
4. The tray rest, the tray, or the way in which the tray goes onto the hookah.
5. The bowl port (Turkish hookahs have a female bowl port, whereas most Egyptians and Chinese have a male).
etc... (I could think of more)

I'll use my pictures of current and past hookahs I've owned as examples...

Chinese (Mya brand):


Chinese (Mya brand):


Syrian (Al Fakher brand):


Syrian (Al Nawras brand):


Egyptian (Khalil Mamoon brand):


Egyptian (Khalil Mamoon brand):


Egyptian (Khalil Mamoon brand):


Turkish (Elmas brand):


See some of the similarities and differences between them? Once you've seen enough, you get a good eye for what's what. Hope this has helped.
[/quote]Many thanks Chreees You have sexyy ass Hookas if I may add! I will be using the 5starhookah website. & I'll be getting the Model you got for me! The one Jake has, Im in love with that Hookah. And because it has a purge valve which you said I still need. Before I order it, does it look like [b]the Hookah is 110% Real no Generic[/b]? & if so then the quality should be great. As in the material and clouds!
[/quote]

hey man, welcome to the forum. I've been lurking on this thread, but haven't chimed in yet because chris and a few of the other guys (and gals) here have been quick to draw - always good.

i just wanted to say that i think you might be over ephasizing (or completely creating) this type of mutual exclusivity between real vs. generic. when we say generic here, we don't usually mean that generics are "rip-offs" or fakes of more well-known brands; we usually just mean that we don't know the brand. there are some well-known brands out there which are established, but america is big on brand-loyalty to begin with, and there's no surprise that we carry that over into this hobby. in lebanon, for instance, i'm not sure of ANY types of brand distinction or brand loyalty.

the reason that brand loyalty is big on this forum is because it's online. we're not in the middle-east, and most people don't have the luxury of going down to some local market and having a wide variety of pipes at their disposal to choose from, let alone quality pipes. therefore, the forum (and its members) have developed intense loyalties to brands as well as vendors (that's a good thing, especially for people new to this hobby). since we don't have the luxury of going out and physically examining pipes and pulling the trigger based on great qualities one can notice based on physical inspection, we have to rely on track records. most people here, myself included, will just about blindly reccomend a khalil maamoon, almost without exception, because KM regularly delivers on quality. you could say the same with all of the brands chris mentioned. that's because those are the ones we know. that doesn't mean, however, that those brands are THE ONLY legit, quality brands out there. no, not at all. just because i can't get KM's locally doesn't mean i'm not going to buy pipes locally; you just have to know what you're looking for, and that comes with time. you could already have a pipe that's as good or even better than a KM, but doesn't bear the KM badge, and that really doesn't matter. as chris said, what's important is how you like it. i have almost 10 hookahs 3 KMs, 1 mya, 2 lebanese, 2 nawras, one chinese, and one generic mini egyptian fatota. the only major branded ones i have are the kms and the mya. i would consider the nawras more of a minor brand, but my completely generic lebanese pipes that i have no clue about at all, smoke just as well as the nawrases and the kms. i rarely smoke my kms at all any more, actually.

also, don't get stuck in the false trap of thinking that just because you have the same rig and setup as someone, means you're going to get the same results. nope. i wasted a lot of time, money, and getting my hopes up thinking like that - it doesn't work out.
granted, you want to have a good setup and a good rig, but just because you have the same things, doesn't mean the results will be the same (this is usually due to packing method and heat management - those are two of the most important factors in this hobby - you can't buy either of them).

If you got some cash that's really burning a hole in your pocket, i would recommend getting a good head (NOT a vortex. think more like crown classic or tangiers phunnel, or even a good quality standard egyptian), and a wide-gauge hose (something like a razan, nammor, KM, or narbish). those will be the things that make the biggest difference. you already have tobacco that will work (i would recommend al fakher, nakhla, or tangiers lucid) and great coals.

best of luck, and i'll definitely be keeping an eye on this thread.
[/quote]I am at loss of words. I was VERY serious about buying this Hookah http://5starhookah.com/Khalil-Mamoon-1-Hose-Copper-Heart-KMCPH.htm only because Jake (the gentleman on the Youtube video) gets huge clouds and hes like all into Hookah stuff so he must know what hes doing. With that being said, I thought that if hes smoking out of that particular Hookah then I MUST get it, and I will with out a doubt get the clouds he gets. And be able to enjoy the leisure that he seems to enjoy. The Hookah stuff is starting to frustrate me a bit, because like I said I want flavor and clouds.
You guys keep emphasaizing the importance of heat management, and how it plays a HUGE roll into your Hookah smoking expierience. In my mind I think how hard is it to just light some coconaras and just place them on top of your shisha. Its what I do and apparently, theres a "Way" of doing it that will enhance your smoking expierience.
Not saying I dont enjoy mine. I havent latley do to the problem with my shisha getting burned fast and it getting harsh quickly. But I just bought new foil, Im hoping that will be the solution to my problem. I was using a foil in which I got from the dollar tree. But I just want BIG clouds and enjoy alot of flavour.

I thought that each Hookah brand produced more smoke then other brands. And that each Hookah has its own personality and it will perform in its own unique way. I DONT GET WHY YOU SAY "also, don't get stuck in the false trap of thinking that just because you have the same rig and setup as someone, means you're going to get the same results. nope. i wasted a lot of time, money, and getting my hopes up thinking like that - it doesn't work out.
granted, you want to have a good setup and a good rig, but just because you have the same things, doesn't mean the results will be the same (this is usually due to packing method and heat management - those are two of the most important factors in this hobby - you can't buy either of them)." at this point im guessing im wrong. ugghhh... Idk what to do man. I feel stressed over a hobby.

[Bawhee]

hah, I had bad sessions when I was starting out and long into my firs year or two of smoking sometimes things just didnt work out and it was a shit session dont get worked up about it and keep trying, experience is your best friend with hookah! look at some packing vids on here and experiment a bit with heat, you will get the hang of it after a while
NEVER lose hope!

[Skoozle]

If you hop in an F1 car you're not going to be nearly as fast as professional F1 drivers. If you hop on the best bike in the world, Lance Armstrong can still beat you on a huffy. If you have the best set of golf clubs in the world, Tiger Woods will still kick your ass with Wal-mart clubs.

You have to have a working knowledge of hookah before you can get big clouds and flavor out of any pipe.

The smoke is produced in the bowl, and for the most part, that is what you inhale. Nothing changes in the pipe, base or hose. (there are some minor changes that you shouldn't worry about just yet).

Part of the enjoyment of hookah is learning how to do it better and better. That's why cigarettes aren't considered a hobby; just a habit.

Just slow down, pick up a few pointers and in no time, you will be having enjoyable sessions. Seriously, 5 or so sessions of trial and error and you will have it down well enough to enjoy it.

[king_lunchb0x]

when i started , i Used a shitty chinese made hookah. Rusted after about a year. But i learned to eventually get that thing to smoke like a champ. imo in the video that guy was using a grip of heat to get alot of clouds, but I have never used a vortex so we will leave it at that.If you have the money and want to spend it, then go ahead with the Km copper heart, nice looking hookah, my Km hasn't rusted or leaked and ive used it almost daily for 2years now. Just relax and start up a bowl. practice makes perfect

[Chreees]

[quote name='Skoozle' timestamp='1328230179' post='537657']
If you hop in an F1 car you're not going to be nearly as fast as professional F1 drivers. If you hop on the best bike in the world, Lance Armstrong can still beat you on a huffy. If you have the best set of golf clubs in the world, Tiger Woods will still kick your ass with Wal-mart clubs.

You have to have a working knowledge of hookah before you can get big clouds and flavor out of any pipe.

The smoke is produced in the bowl, and for the most part, that is what you inhale. Nothing changes in the pipe, base or hose. (there are some minor changes that you shouldn't worry about just yet).

Part of the enjoyment of hookah is learning how to do it better and better. That's why cigarettes aren't considered a hobby; just a habit.

Just slow down, pick up a few pointers and in no time, you will be having enjoyable sessions. Seriously, 5 or so sessions of trial and error and you will have it down well enough to enjoy it.
[/quote]

Well put, Ashley. +1

[Epoch]

Hookah mastery will come to you through trial and error. Don't lose hope, grasshopper!

[antouwan]

[quote name='navy876' timestamp='1328226324' post='537645']
[quote name='antouwan' timestamp='1328164808' post='537555']
hey man, welcome to the forum. I've been lurking on this thread, but haven't chimed in yet because chris and a few of the other guys (and gals) here have been quick to draw - always good.

i just wanted to say that i think you might be over ephasizing (or completely creating) this type of mutual exclusivity between real vs. generic. when we say generic here, we don't usually mean that generics are "rip-offs" or fakes of more well-known brands; we usually just mean that we don't know the brand. there are some well-known brands out there which are established, but america is big on brand-loyalty to begin with, and there's no surprise that we carry that over into this hobby. in lebanon, for instance, i'm not sure of ANY types of brand distinction or brand loyalty.

the reason that brand loyalty is big on this forum is because it's online. we're not in the middle-east, and most people don't have the luxury of going down to some local market and having a wide variety of pipes at their disposal to choose from, let alone quality pipes. therefore, the forum (and its members) have developed intense loyalties to brands as well as vendors (that's a good thing, especially for people new to this hobby). since we don't have the luxury of going out and physically examining pipes and pulling the trigger based on great qualities one can notice based on physical inspection, we have to rely on track records. most people here, myself included, will just about blindly reccomend a khalil maamoon, almost without exception, because KM regularly delivers on quality. you could say the same with all of the brands chris mentioned. that's because those are the ones we know. that doesn't mean, however, that those brands are THE ONLY legit, quality brands out there. no, not at all. just because i can't get KM's locally doesn't mean i'm not going to buy pipes locally; you just have to know what you're looking for, and that comes with time. you could already have a pipe that's as good or even better than a KM, but doesn't bear the KM badge, and that really doesn't matter. as chris said, what's important is how you like it. i have almost 10 hookahs 3 KMs, 1 mya, 2 lebanese, 2 nawras, one chinese, and one generic mini egyptian fatota. the only major branded ones i have are the kms and the mya. i would consider the nawras more of a minor brand, but my completely generic lebanese pipes that i have no clue about at all, smoke just as well as the nawrases and the kms. i rarely smoke my kms at all any more, actually.

also, don't get stuck in the false trap of thinking that just because you have the same rig and setup as someone, means you're going to get the same results. nope. i wasted a lot of time, money, and getting my hopes up thinking like that - it doesn't work out.
granted, you want to have a good setup and a good rig, but just because you have the same things, doesn't mean the results will be the same (this is usually due to packing method and heat management - those are two of the most important factors in this hobby - you can't buy either of them).

If you got some cash that's really burning a hole in your pocket, i would recommend getting a good head (NOT a vortex. think more like crown classic or tangiers phunnel, or even a good quality standard egyptian), and a wide-gauge hose (something like a razan, nammor, KM, or narbish). those will be the things that make the biggest difference. you already have tobacco that will work (i would recommend al fakher, nakhla, or tangiers lucid) and great coals.

best of luck, and i'll definitely be keeping an eye on this thread.
[/quote]I am at loss of words. I was VERY serious about buying this Hookah [url="http://5starhookah.com/Khalil-Mamoon-1-Hose-Copper-Heart-KMCPH.htm"]http://5starhookah.c...Heart-KMCPH.htm[/url] only because Jake (the gentleman on the Youtube video) gets huge clouds and hes like all into Hookah stuff so he must know what hes doing. With that being said, I thought that if hes smoking out of that particular Hookah then I MUST get it, and I will with out a doubt get the clouds he gets. And be able to enjoy the leisure that he seems to enjoy. The Hookah stuff is starting to frustrate me a bit, because like I said I want flavor and clouds.
You guys keep emphasaizing the importance of heat management, and how it plays a HUGE roll into your Hookah smoking expierience. In my mind I think how hard is it to just light some coconaras and just place them on top of your shisha. Its what I do and apparently, theres a "Way" of doing it that will enhance your smoking expierience.
Not saying I dont enjoy mine. I havent latley do to the problem with my shisha getting burned fast and it getting harsh quickly. But I just bought new foil, Im hoping that will be the solution to my problem. I was using a foil in which I got from the dollar tree. But I just want BIG clouds and enjoy alot of flavour.

I thought that each Hookah brand produced more smoke then other brands. And that each Hookah has its own personality and it will perform in its own unique way. [b]I DONT GET WHY YOU SAY "also, don't get stuck in the false trap of thinking that just because you have the same rig and setup as someone, means you're going to get the same results. nope. i wasted a lot of time, money, and getting my hopes up thinking like that - it doesn't work out.
granted, you want to have a good setup and a good rig, but just because you have the same things, doesn't mean the results will be the same (this is usually due to packing method and heat management - those are two of the most important factors in this hobby - you can't buy either of them)."[/b] at this point im guessing im wrong. ugghhh... Idk what to do man. I feel stressed over a hobby.
[/quote]

i say that because of codename (a member here who isn't particularly active anymore)
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?fmt=18&feature=iv&v=nDdk9Uy-ysU&annotation_id=annotation_496631&src_vid=q4ucownikpQ"]http://www.youtube.c...vid=q4ucownikpQ[/url]

i spent a lot of time and money acquiring the same setups - to the t, as he used, with the false impression that just having the same gear that he had would get me the same results. essentially, it's what all the athletic clothing companies' ads want us to go and do, think that we can run as fast as usain bolt, so we go by the running shoes he does, or play soccer like cristiano ronaldo, so we go out and buy boots like him, but those things don't make us any better (exactly like skoozle pointed out). it didn't work. now, i wish someone would have made that clear to me when i was doing all of that running around.

the best thing you can do is measure the ports on your hookah (where you put your bowl, where you put your hose, where the hose port goes into the glass jar, and the diameter of the openings in your hose) and post those up here, as well as the pictures of all of that. my goal (as well as that of everyone here, as well as the point of this whole community) is to imrpove our own experience, as well as sharing that experience with other members (as well as lurkers, which is why the forum is open for view even to people without memberships); so your well being and hookah prosperity (for lack of a better term) is in my and the community's best interest.

i'll tell you a little story: my buddy had a hookah that someone brought for him from egypt or somewhere. it was a little egyptian fatota (couldn't have been more than 12" - 14" tall). he abused and neglected the hell out of it: the tray was completely rusted, the head (bowl) was cracked and superglued together, the hose was rusted and had holes in it, and the purge was rusted shut. generally speaking, this thing was a pile of junk. this was a couple of years ago when i asked if i could barrow it from him to restore it for him for his birthday. he handed it over to me and i went about completely restoring this bad boy. i bought a new, wider tray, a new egyptian and tangiers phunnel head, a new wide gauge KM hose (that was back in my everything km phase), cleaned up the purge and replaced it with a plastic bb. i even replaced the glass for him and cleaned the whole pipe up super well. after i was done putting all of these elements on there, i packed a head, sat down with my buddy, and we enjoyed a phenomenal session - one that was as good as one with my kms.

i did something similar with one of my other friend's hookahs: he has a nice size 26 or 28 bohemian base (similar to the jumbos, but a tad smaller), but has one of the shitties hoses, heads and even crappiest chinese stems on that gorgeous base. his friend brought it back for him from dubai. after a couple of poor sessions on that rig, when i went over there i brought a standard egyptian (one that came with one of the hookahs i bought) and a nuhose. with the addition of those two things, as well as me packing the bowl, the smoke output was just as good as a km or nour.

my point is this. having the right tools is key, yes, but they aren't every piece of the puzzle. can you have a phenomenal session out of a pumkin hookah (i would say no, but some say it's possible - just a lot harder). barring a pumkin hookah, can you still have a good session out of a chinese rig: yes, you just have to know what you're doing.

a manufacturer's rep came to work to demo some products of his and one of the things he said, which is universal imo, was: "the technicians need more machine because they have less experience. all of the guys with more experience, they don't need a product like this, they can get better results out of less machine." it was a combination of having fixed up my friends' hookahs, as well as hearing that line that made it hit me. the penny dropped. yeah, good tools are a must - but they aren't everything.

my advice, shoot some pictures and ask for some advice for improvements. i can tell you my suggestions before i see anything:[list]
[*]wide gauge hose (washable is preferred)
[*]new head (standard egyptian is a must; either small tangiers phunnel or crown classic recommended)
[*]good tobacco (like alfakher, starbuzz is good, but is the furthest thing from a value for the money. AF is better than SB for me, especially considering the price points - you're looking at 500g of AF for every 250g of SB)
[*]good coals (you already have this one, coco naras are a good choice)
[*]foil (i stick with store brands' heavy duty foil - i notice a difference on the non heavy duty types)
[/list]
that's really it. no tricks, no magic, no crazy wonder products. the most important stuff you need to do this well is the stuff you can't buy - experience and patience. but as was mentioned earlier, after about 5 sessions of trial and error, you'll be well on your way, especially if you look around at the wealth of information here (there's a [b]lot[/b] of it). i had smoked for a couple years before i joined this forum - and my "progress" was static; there wasn't any. after joining this forum and talking to people and taking their recommendations to heart, the progress was drastic and quick.

best of luck

[Tyler]

[indent=1]If no one else has said it, I've noticed with a vortex bowl the best way to pack it ive found is to stick tooth picks in the holes while you're packing then pull them out when you're done, that way there's always direct air paths.[/indent]

[navy876]

[quote name='Tyler' timestamp='1328400512' post='537858']
[indent=1]If no one else has said it, I've noticed with a vortex bowl the best way to pack it ive found is to stick tooth picks in the holes while you're packing then pull them out when you're done, that way there's always direct air paths.[/indent]
[/quote]
What do you mean? Please specify.