thaklar Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Hello to all! I'm thaklar from italy (close to milan). I found this wonderfull forum and i decided to subscribed. I'm in istanbul for vacation now. Few days ago, I enjoyed narghile' for the first time in a very famous place here in istanbul and I liked it very much! So I'm thinking to buy one! I found a shop specialized in professional narghilè (not touristic ones) but the owner doesn't speak english and or me is very difficult to understand if the product is really good or not. I suppose yes, but i don't know at the end. Any suggestion for me? What are most important parts of narghile I have to check? How can I understand if the quality is really good? For example... The hose is better to be in leather (more expensive) or silicon? And what about the main tube (in contact with water)? Inox or copper? I'm a beginner and I need help! Thank you very much in advance for your nice support. Ps: sorry for my english (it is not really good) and the narghile' I've seen at the shop costs about 60 tl (30 euro). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Brass hookahs are the most solid. Many will come with a nickle (silvery) plating. You want the hookah to be solid, not hollow. You want the welds to be clean and solid. No gaps or holes in the welds at the hose port, the purge valve, anywhere. You want the downstem (the piece in the water) to be solidlt attached to the body of the hookah. There should be a small ball bearing IN the purge valve. There should be a separate tray that sits under the bowl, usually on a small platform, that catches the ash. The hookah should look like something you want to have in your living room. The glass base or bottle it sits in should be free of cracks, but if it is hand blown it may have bubbles in the glass, and that is ok. It should sit flat on a surface, no wobble to the base. The stem should have a rubber grommet that makes it fit snugly in the glass base. It should not wobble or move too much. To make sure it is air tight, out the hookah together without the bowl and put your hand over the top hole in the stem to block it. You should then try to draw air through the hose port. If you get air it is leaking. The hose is going to rust anyways, get soemthign reasnably priced that looks good. Plug one end of the hose and try to draw air in with the other. if you get air the hose is leaking. Try to draw air through the hose with the other end open, if it is a hard pull, the hose is blocked. Does that help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 what? no one else is going to chip in with suggestions? You all feeling ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coleman Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I think you pretty much covered it all mush hahaha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang67n Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 yeah Mush.... Nothing else to be said really.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Mush basically covered it all, so I will contribute by showing examples of crap versus quality... Crap (Chinese junk): [img]http://oasis-smokeshop.com/shop/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/miniblue4.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.hookah-shisha.com/store/pc/catalog/Sahara-Smoke-Hookah-Nemesis-L.jpg[/img] Quality (Egyptian, Turkish, Syrian brands, displayed below in that order): [img]http://www.nazarhookah.com/images/OGSHookah.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.nazarhookah.com/images/Elmas618.jpg[/img] [img]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p40/INCUBUSRATM/Hookah/IMG_0481.jpg[/img] Mya Saray hookahs are the exception when it comes to Chinese made hookahs. They are actually well built and can last you years: [img]http://al-fakher-tobbaco.com/cart/images/d2_QT_MED.jpg[/img] Just make sure to avoid any of the Econo models. They're junk. I'm not sure what you'll find in Istanbul (some places will probably be very traditional, whereas others will only carry the Chinese crap), but I hope the info you find here helps you pick out a decent rig while you're there. Fully digest Mush's advice and take in lots of pictures. Get familiar with the way the ports and purge valves look, etc. You'll soon develop a good eye for spotting gold and trash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pavo21 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Chris you just had to put your own hookah on there didn't you lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 [quote name='Pavo21' timestamp='1344406592' post='553586'] Chris you just had to put your own hookah on there didn't you lol [/quote] Lol, believe it or not, it actually popped up on Google Image Search. I tried to find the best example of each type, and it just happened to be the best image that popped up (clearest picture showing the port and purge and whatnot, while being a decent size) when I searched Al Nawras Syrian hookah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang67n Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 [quote name='Chreees' timestamp='1344414155' post='553590'] [quote name='Pavo21' timestamp='1344406592' post='553586'] Chris you just had to put your own hookah on there didn't you lol [/quote] Lol, believe it or not, it actually popped up on Google Image Search. I tried to find the best example of each type, and it just happened to be the best image that popped up (clearest picture showing the port and purge and whatnot, while being a decent size) when I searched Al Nawras Syrian hookah. [/quote] Well, I'd imagine it would be the first to pop up.. I mean.. as often as you post pictures of it, it's got to be the most common picture in all of the interwebs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 :-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Shows you how popular our forum really is though if google is pulling images off it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaklar Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 Thank you very much for your nice support! One other question... I don't understand a point. Which is the best material for inner tube, copper or stainless steel? I'll see to update you! Bye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Lol, you guys are assholes. But I love you. Thaklar- That's debatable. Some people really prefer the copper downstem (available on Elmas and Khalil Mamoon brand hookahs mostly from what I know), whereas others don't really care. I'm in the boat of not really caring. I've owned a hookah with a copper downstem and didn't see any difference. My three hookahs right now all have brass downstems. Stainless has been the material on many other hookahs I have owned (Khalil Mamoon and Mya Saray); no issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skoozle Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Copper orBrass will develop an oxide coating over time. Some people don't like this because it makes the pipe seem dirty. You will notice the water turning green when you wash it. I like the oxide because it converts carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. Carbon monoxide can give you a headache if you inhale too much of it. I have had a headache when smoking from a stainless steel pipe and not had a headach when having a similar session with a brass pipe on many occasions. Some people will tell you that it doesn't make a difference, but to me it does sometimes. I think I am more sensitive to carbon monoxide than the average hookah smoker. There are also a lot of other variables that can contribute to headachs so this is all difficult to prove or disprove. So, if you want easier cleaning, go with stainless (or nickel plated brass). If you want possibly less carbon monoxide, go with brass or copper. If you don't care, go with what looks good to you. P.S. If you can, take some pics of some pipes you are thinking of buying and post them here so the experts can give you some information on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joytron Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 [quote name='mustang67n' timestamp='1344417299' post='553593'] [quote name='Chreees' timestamp='1344414155' post='553590'] [quote name='Pavo21' timestamp='1344406592' post='553586'] Chris you just had to put your own hookah on there didn't you lol [/quote] Lol, believe it or not, it actually popped up on Google Image Search. I tried to find the best example of each type, and it just happened to be the best image that popped up (clearest picture showing the port and purge and whatnot, while being a decent size) when I searched Al Nawras Syrian hookah. [/quote] Well, I'd imagine it would be the first to pop up.. I mean.. as often as you post pictures of it, it's got to be the most common picture in all of the interwebs [/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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