Egypt has lengthy been known in the Middle East as the best place to get a hookah and hookah accessories. The land of the pharaohs, pyramids, and sphinx is also the Motherland of the shisha (the Egyptian word for hookah). Egyptian artisans still make hookahs the old-fashioned way — by hand and with a great deal of pride in craftsmanship. Creating hookahs is nonetheless a family members tradition, and the most effective hookah makers in Egypt have earned their spots by means of the continuity of standard techniques. Glass bases are nonetheless produced from hand blown colored glass, and artists still decorate them by hand utilizing paint, glitter, decals, or etching. Hoses are made entirely by hand, from the cutting of the fabric to the turning of the wood that will come to be the handles to the addition of decorative elements such as braid, fringe, or fur. Shafts may possibly be produced of metals like stainless steel, brass, or chrome plated brass, but these metals are formed by the hands of master craftsmen, put together by skilled welders, and occasionally etched or decorated by artisans. Potters still use a potting wheel to make the clay bowls that we call the “head.” In brief, every single portion of a genuine Egyptian hookah is crafted by hand working with regular methods which final results in a 1-of-a-kind solution each time. Egyptian hookahs are so admired and respected all through the Middle East that you’d be really hard pressed to uncover a pipe in one more Middle Eastern nation that does not have some component that was produced in Egypt!
When the hookah craze hit the United States, the cultural icon of the Middle East fell prey to the assembly line mentality. It did not take extended for the hookah to be added to the list of counterfeit merchandise becoming mass developed in China for export to the American marketplace. Mainly because neither the owners of manufacturing plants or assembly line workers in China have a cultural stake or identity linked with the solution, the hookahs that they create involve no artistry. The glass bases are molded and then spray painted the glass itself is not colored. Any styles on the glass are likewise spray painted on by machines. Machine made plastic hoses with plastic or simulated wood ends have no decorative elements on them. Machines mold shafts created from tin, aluminum, or a combination of these metals with stainless steel at times, machines spray paint them in a colour to match the glass. Porcelain, a material for which the Chinese are renowned, has replaced the standard clay bowl produced from the wealthy clay of the banks of the Nile River. Cold, computerized Chinese machines have replaced the intimate touch of the Egyptian craftsmen whose perform is a source of pride.
Due to the fact Egyptian hookahs set the sector common, it has develop into prevalent for sellers to falsely label their Chinese look-alikes as “genuine Egyptian” pipes. Quite a few shoppers have been taken in by a misleading description coupled with a low value and feel that they are purchasing a genuine Egyptian hookah when, in reality, they get an imposter. Do not be duped! Look for the identifying characteristics listed beneath to establish if the hookah you are taking into consideration buying is the actual deal.
Qualities of an Authentic Egyptian Hookah
Authentic Egyptian hookahs are still handmade employing centuries old regular techniques. Crafted by the hands of folks who have a cultural stake and identity in their solution, just about every aspect of the genuine Egyptian hookah involves artistry and craftsmanship.
The base of an genuine Egyptian hookah is hand blown colored glass that comes in a wide variety of shapes and colors with hand painted designs. The most telling aspect of an genuine Egyptian base is its characteristic bands of genuine 18K gold or platinum paint.
Egyptian hoses are handcrafted working with traditional techniques and components they vary in style, colour, and decorative elements.
Shafts are hand formed stainless steel, brass, or chrome plated brass in numerous heights, number of hose holders, designs, and decorative components. Egyptian shafts are under no circumstances produced of aluminum or spray painted in a color to match the glass base!
An authentic Egyptian hookah is often sold with the exact same quantity of hoses that the shaft will hold. If you’re shopping for a two-hose hookah, you get two hoses!
Any person who sells authentic Egyptian hookahs will have replacement parts offered. Glass bases break and hoses really should be replaced every single couple of months for the sake of hygiene, so it is significant to have access to person parts for your hookah.
Qualities of the Chinese Imposter Hookah
The Chinese imposter hookahs are mass created in factories by machines and persons who have no cultural connection to the solution. The hookahs all look the very same, just as one particular would count on from something created on an assembly line.
Chinese bases are created of molded glass or acrylic that is spray painted with material that washes off with typical cleaning. Styles, if any, are identical with no variation in pattern or style mainly because machines are preset to make them appear a particular way.
Chinese hoses are produced of plastic with plastic or simulated wood ends with no decorative components. Occasionally Hookah Shop Near me are called “pleather,” a promoting trick to make plastic sound superior. Hoses are marketed as “washable.” No hookah hose is really washable due to the fact inside each one is a wire coil about which the hose fabric is wrapped. Operating water by means of the hose only speeds up the deterioration process of that wire coil! There is no such thing as a washable hookah hose!
Shafts created in China are machine produced of tin, aluminum, or a combination of those metals blended with stainless steel or chrome. They are often spray painted to match the color of the glass. A hookah with a shaft that matches the colour of the glass is not Egyptian! The shafts of Chinese hookahs are produced of inferior metals that do not stand up to regular wear and tear. Egyptian hookahs, on the other hand, are created of robust and tough metals that can withstand time and usage.
Since sellers ordinarily do not have replacement parts or accessories, they sell the Chinese hookahs straight from the box. This means that multiple hose hookahs are typically sold with only a single hose. If you happen to be shopping for a two-hose hookah, probabilities are that you will get only 1 hose!
To make them more appealing to the American customer, Chinese manufactured hookahs are usually sold with a really hard shell carrying case. What a terrific way to hide an inferior item!
With the recent recall of numerous merchandise manufactured in China, purchasers need to be particularly wary of hookahs made in and imported from China due to the fact they are painted!
To actually appreciate the cultural significance of the hookah and get the most of out of the hookah knowledge, you should have the genuine thing! When the price tag of some of the Chinese imports might look attractive, please preserve in mind that this is surely a case of finding what you spend for. A item that can’t stand up to the usage for which it was made is no longer a bargain when it has to be replaced over and more than once more. Acquire an authentic Egyptian hookah and help the artisans and craftsmen who, in a planet dominated by machine made goods, continue to make hookahs the way they and their households have for centuries.