Hassouni Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 And they've taken a page out of the Egyptian Gaudiness Guidebook: http://www.elmasnargileusa.com/shop/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 yah it has been up for a bit, not done yet of course. The pipe they show in the "pipes" picture is the next one on my list if I can get one for a decent price which may be damn tough now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wek-sos Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Looks promising. Despite the prices, I'm glad there is another Elmas USA vendor coming around. My experiences with 5star have been okay at the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 yah too bad elmas usa banned any turkish vendor from selling to us so they could jack their prices up and give us a reach around. I am in touch with one of the employees and she said they are "restructuring" their pricing ... maybe what I said made a difference ... who knows we will see when the pricing is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
â€On Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 It would take something really stunning for me to pick up another Elmas. I like them, but between my 628 and Papatya, I feel I've pretty much got that market segment covered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hassouni Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 yah it has been up for a bit, not done yet of course. The pipe they show in the "pipes" picture is the next one on my list if I can get one for a decent price which may be damn tough now. Which picture is that? edit: nevermind, found it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hassouni Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 And the shop has launched. $180 for a 628 that isn't actually a 628, it looks simpler, cheaper, and crappier: $230 for a 639 (I got mine for $150 SHIPPED from Nargilestore...) with visibly sloppy welds: $545 for Osmanlı (not surprising) $65 for a hose (we knew that) But, get this, TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS FOR A STANDARD TURKISH BOWL. What the actual flying fuck?? Trays and windcovers have been cheesed up big time too Everyone, I fail to see how this is anything but extortion. I urge you to boycott Elmas USA until their prices come into line with their apparently downgrade in quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epitocom Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Boycott! Boycott! Lol. I'm definitely not dropping that much coin on a shoddy elmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 All I can say is wow. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Oh, and just go with Tokel brand instead. If prices on those don't go up as well! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hassouni Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 The 628 actually looks like one of the other brands' (can't remember which, but similar to what Bora is selling at Turkeysonline). This is what a real Elmas 628 looks like: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Yahp ... knew this was coming ... the camel looks wack too, way more wack than the NS version. I am very happy I didn't buy the Buzlu Meyveli Takim Ve Yonlu it looks like shit compared to my kafesli I got. The ripples they do in the metal are waaay to big compared to the caging. The caging gets lost in the pipe. The only one worth looking at on their site is the canary and it doesn't looks nearly as nice as the one I got direct from Turkey especially for $425 ... it's laughable what they are trying to pull. They dropped the ball hard, they could have been so successful if they were fair with their pricing ... it truly is a shame. And yes hass, the islemeli they are selling is a joke, you and I both have the real deal version and they look 10x nicer. The ONLY thing I feel is worth the price even with the increase is the hoses, and MAYBE the brush set, (best brush set and has lasted the longest out of any brush set I have ever used) that's it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wek-sos Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Looks like shit. Hass I think you mean El Nefes? Yeah that stuff is subpar. I am done with Elmas as well. Very happy with my Tokel and Dogan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitchy Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Looks like shit. Hass I think you mean El Nefes? Yeah that stuff is subpar. I am done with Elmas as well. Very happy with my Tokel and Dogan. Your not a fan of el nefes how come ? Just curious as I love the look of the sultan and colonial Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 I personally prefer the elmas molds 10x more than the el nefes molds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wek-sos Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) Looks like shit. Hass I think you mean El Nefes? Yeah that stuff is subpar. I am done with Elmas as well. Very happy with my Tokel and Dogan. Your not a fan of el nefes how come ? Just curious as I love the look of the sultan and colonial I still have a Colonial from the first batch. Different engravings on either side, it's great. But the hose port is more constricted than on the Gazi or Pasha while the downstem is as wide as a Regal. So it makes for a very awkward draw, especially on a jumbo base. And then you look closely at the engravings, where it looks like the casting molds had crap built up on it. Not very clean engravings, and a rough feel to certain parts of the brass that should have been smooth. And then if you ever see an Elmas, the area where the two halves of the cast were welded together is very smooth. On the Colonial Sultan (and most other El Nefes) it is very rough, like they did a half-ass job of grinding the finish down. The Sultan is the same way, and if you ever see one in person you will realize the Colonial sultan is literally a Sultan cut in half. The only reason I bought the El Nefes Colonial Sultan is because there is no other Turkish copy of it. If Elmas also made this style stem, I would have gladly paid the extra $$ for it. Just get a cheap Turkish stem like the Elmas 632, and buy a Lotus tray for it. You have a much cleaner stem and the tray is removable, for half the price. I paid $80 for my Colonial Sultan stem and I paid $50 for another Lotus tray. That should tell you something about what you are really paying for. Edited April 20, 2014 by wek-sos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodsytheowl Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 These are creepy as fuck: http://www.elmasnargileusa.com/accessories/leather-bound-nargile-base-female-2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 These are creepy as fuck: http://www.elmasnargileusa.com/accessories/leather-bound-nargile-base-female-2 And $110?! They crazy! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hassouni Posted April 21, 2014 Author Share Posted April 21, 2014 I personally prefer the elmas molds 10x more than the el nefes molds. Yeah, what John said, and also their initial not-even-trying QC issues, and also I prefer male bowls. Plus the whole bogus nature of their brand... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 yeah those leather vases are not only creepy and overpriced but just look like shit too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
â€On Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 I'd buy one if they made it look like the necronomicon from evil dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pending Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Hello all, We appreciate all the feedback we receive, negative or positive. With that said, we would like to take this opportunity to address some of the comments made by participants of this forum: 1. Quality and Design. Elmas has been following the same production process for the past 40+ years, with the same attention to quality and detail. You can view the production methods in practice on our website. As all Elmas nargiles are hand-made; no two items are identical. Welding, for example, is done by a live craftsman, not a machine so minor imperfections are to be expected. This does not compromise the quality of the product in any way, if anything, it contributes to its uniqueness. During Ahmet Elmas's decades of producing nargiles, there may indeed have been some variations in the patterns and engravings featured on various models. As with any handmade item, production styles evolve over time, Despite any such variations, all Elmas products are constructed of substantial solid brass. In the end, the product simply feels superior to the offerings of other nargile manufacturers. All of that said, we are hookah enthusiasts ourselves. We take pride in these nargiles, and are naturally quite sensitive to questions about the quality of the products we sell. Accordingly, any concerns you may have will be taken with the utmost seriousness. If there are any questions as to particular design features or changes in the products, we are happy to discuss them with Ahmet Elmas. However, please note that we are not personally involved in the production process. Ultimately, we can assure you that any item purchased from our store is, in its entirety, an authentic Elmas Nargile, without any substituted cheaper imitation parts--a chief concern of Ahmet when reviewing the offerings of other websites. Indeed, this is one of the core reasons that all Elmas nargiles are identified with individual serial numbers, and that ash trays and wind screens are now stamped with Elmas's trade markings. Although some may find these features gaudy or cheesy, we genuinely believe they contribute to, and maintain, the authenticity of each product. 2. Pricing. There is no doubt that cost is a considerable concern for any consumer. However, please be mindful of the fact that each Elmas nargile is a handmade product--each one requiring substantial manpower and time to complete. For example, a small batch of hoses can take a team of craftsmen up to a week to complete. What's more, each component is made with high quality materials using special time-consuming processes. As another example, please consider the leather-bound vases. The high quality leather used in the construction of each vase undergoes a lengthy process of preparation and softening to achieve the aged and distressed look of the final product. After the binding of the leather to the glass vase, each face is sculpted and hand-painted by a skilled artist. Although some tastes may differ (some enthusiasts may find the faces on these vases "creepy"), each represents a significant amount of work and craftsmanship. As an incidental point of clarification, an earlier post noted that the cost of a Turkish bowl was $25 each. In fact, the cost is $25 for a set of three bowls, which can be mixed and matched. The price points we have chosen reflect not only the quality of the raw materials and craftsmanship that goes into the production of each nargile, but also the cost of delivering a delicate and heavy item from Turkey to the United States, as well as the associated customs fees. Handmade items are low-volume, low-margin products. Please consider the cost of constructing a similar product domestically in the United States. Then consider the cost of shipping such an item internationally. As for comparisons of Elmas Nargile USA pricing to other websites, we cannot speak for other vendors. We cannot assess the authenticity of the components used in products sold by other vendors, or vouch for the legitimacy of the sources through which they were acquired. However, please do note that Elmas Nargile USA is the currently only vendor selling to buyers in the United States with whom Ahmet Elmas is dealing. This exclusivity was not done to monopolize the market on Elmas's products. Rather, it was done to address concerns that Ahmet had over the authenticity of products that were being sold as genuine Elmas nargiles, but were in fact constructed of "cannibalized" parts from other hookah manufacturers. Finally, please be aware that the price points some other vendors may have sold Elmas products for in the past are not necessarily indicative of the actual cost of production. For various reasons, some vendors were able to acquire product at no cost, and sell for 100% profit. Unfortunately, this arrangement is not an option for us--nor is it an option for 99% of other businesses. As many posters on this forum are themselves business owners, we are sure you can appreciate the need to cover the costs of acquisition, shipment, and overhead. Finally, as with any other business, we do hope to turn a profit. However, that is not the primary impetus for our operation. Many would probably be quite surprised by how marginal our profits are on each sale. Again, we are sensitive to all of your concerns. Although we may not be able to satisfy every concern, we are legitimately interested in offering a product that is of the highest quality for the most fair and reasonable price possible. We are happy to respond to any inquiries about specific product details via email: contact@elmasnargileusa.com. We invite you to try a product from the Elmas Nargile line on offer before rendering judgments about quality or aesthetic appeal. Thank you kindly for taking the time to read our response. We look forward to hearing from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 If you aren't monopolizing your brand why did you cut off nargilestore from selling to us, when they are right down the road from you, and you KNOW they are selling legit elmas products? Heck all they sell is elmas products. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fouda Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 I'd buy one if they made it look like the necronomicon from evil dead. Id stay the fuck away from that thing just like ash and his friends should have done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuie Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 These are creepy as fuck: http://www.elmasnargileusa.com/accessories/leather-bound-nargile-base-female-2 1 puff, 2, puff, 3 puff... okay i will quit smoking demon base! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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