Hookahs – Genuine Egyptian or Chinese Imposter?
Egypt has extended been identified in the Middle East as the greatest 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 nevertheless make hookahs the old-fashioned way — by hand and with a good deal of pride in craftsmanship. Producing hookahs is still a family members tradition, and the most effective hookah makers in Egypt have earned their spots through the continuity of standard approaches. Glass bases are nonetheless produced from hand blown colored glass, and artists still decorate them by hand using paint, glitter, decals, or etching. Hoses are produced completely by hand, from the cutting of the fabric to the turning of the wood that will grow to be the handles to the addition of decorative elements such as braid, fringe, or fur. Shafts may possibly be made of metals like stainless steel, brass, or chrome plated brass, but those metals are formed by the hands of master craftsmen, put collectively by skilled welders, and sometimes etched or decorated by artisans. Potters nonetheless use a potting wheel to make the clay bowls that we get in touch with the “head.” In quick, just about every element of a genuine Egyptian hookah is crafted by hand utilizing traditional approaches which final results in a a single-of-a-sort solution every time. Egyptian hookahs are so admired and respected all through the Middle East that you’d be challenging pressed to locate a pipe in a further Middle Eastern nation that does not have some portion that was created 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 didn’t take lengthy for the hookah to be added to the list of counterfeit merchandise becoming mass created in China for export to the American industry. Since neither the owners of manufacturing plants or assembly line workers in China have a cultural stake or identity linked with the item, the hookahs that they generate 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 created plastic hoses with plastic or simulated wood ends have no decorative components on them. Machines mold shafts created from tin, aluminum, or a combination of these metals with stainless steel occasionally, machines spray paint them in a colour to match the glass. Porcelain, a material for which the Chinese are famous, has replaced the traditional clay bowl made 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 operate is a supply of pride.
Simply because Egyptian hookahs set the market regular, it has come to be common for sellers to falsely label their Chinese look-alikes as “genuine Egyptian” pipes. Several shoppers have been taken in by a misleading description coupled with a low price tag and assume that they are buying a genuine Egyptian hookah when, in reality, they get an imposter. Never be duped! Appear for the identifying traits listed beneath to determine if the hookah you are thinking about purchasing is the real deal.
Traits of an Genuine Egyptian Hookah
Genuine Egyptian hookahs are still handmade employing centuries old standard solutions. Crafted by the hands of people who have a cultural stake and identity in their item, every aspect of the genuine Egyptian hookah requires 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 styles. The most telling aspect of an authentic Egyptian base is its characteristic bands of genuine 18K gold or platinum paint.
Egyptian hoses are handcrafted utilizing conventional approaches and materials they differ in style, colour, and decorative components.
Shafts are hand formed stainless steel, brass, or chrome plated brass in various heights, quantity of hose holders, designs, and decorative elements. Egyptian shafts are in no way produced of aluminum or spray painted in a color to match the glass base!
An authentic Egyptian hookah is usually sold with the same number of hoses that the shaft will hold. If you are getting a 2-hose hookah, you get 2 hoses!
Any individual who sells authentic Egyptian hookahs will have replacement components offered. Glass bases break and hoses should really be replaced every handful of months for the sake of hygiene, so it is important to have access to individual components for your hookah.
Qualities of the Chinese Imposter Hookah
The Chinese imposter hookahs are mass produced in factories by machines and people who have no cultural connection to the solution. Best Shisha Alicante look the same, just as 1 would anticipate from something produced 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. Designs, if any, are identical with no variation in pattern or style simply because machines are preset to make them look a certain way.
Chinese hoses are produced of plastic with plastic or simulated wood ends with no decorative elements. Often the hoses are known as “pleather,” a marketing and advertising trick to make plastic sound improved. Hoses are marketed as “washable.” No hookah hose is genuinely washable for the reason that inside every single a single is a wire coil around which the hose fabric is wrapped. Running water by means of the hose only speeds up the deterioration method of that wire coil! There is no such point as a washable hookah hose!
Shafts created in China are machine created of tin, aluminum, or a mixture of those metals blended with stainless steel or chrome. They are often spray painted to match the colour 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 standard wear and tear. Egyptian hookahs, on the other hand, are made of robust and sturdy metals that can withstand time and usage.
Because sellers normally do not have replacement components or accessories, they sell the Chinese hookahs straight from the box. This signifies that various hose hookahs are frequently sold with only one hose. If you are buying a two-hose hookah, chances are that you will get only 1 hose!
To make them additional appealing to the American consumer, Chinese manufactured hookahs are often sold with a tough shell carrying case. What a terrific way to hide an inferior solution!
With the current recall of different solutions manufactured in China, purchasers want to be especially wary of hookahs created in and imported from China for the reason that they are painted!
To actually appreciate the cultural significance of the hookah and get the most of out of the hookah experience, you have to have the true thing! Even though the value of some of the Chinese imports could appear attractive, please preserve in mind that this is absolutely a case of having what you pay for. A item that cannot stand up to the usage for which it was created is no longer a bargain when it has to be replaced more than and more than once more. Acquire an genuine Egyptian hookah and help the artisans and craftsmen who, in a globe dominated by machine made goods, continue to make hookahs the way they and their families have for centuries.
