Hookah Buyer's Guide

I figured this would be a good post for those of you that are in the market for your first hookah or even if you are just looking for an upgrade. There are a number of factors in construction and design that get overlooked by many new to the hookah world that I will discuss in this post.

Construction

I'm sure its obvious to most that construction is an important factor in how well a hookah preforms. Not only does the metal or wood that a hookah is made of impact the integrity and longevity of a hookah but in some ways it can actually effect the way a hookah smokes.

Steel

Standard every day steel is a common metal for most chinese hookahs to be made out of, and while it works just fine it presents a number of issues as far as longevity is concerned. Most steel built hookahs have a tendency to rust quite quickly regardless of how much care you take in making sure that your hookah is dry after each use. My suggestion is to stay away from such hookahs as I have heard nothing good about steel built hookahs. I personally have never owned one but I don't like the idea of my brand new hookah rusting in a few short months.

Stainless

Stainless is normally the choice for a decently priced hookah that will last a good deal longer than any lower grade stem could even think of lasting. Although stainless will rust over time it is normally a mere surface imperfection that can be fixed with some elbow grease. The only real down side to these kinds of hookahs is that they are normally hollow and very light, not that it effects the way the pipe smokes any but it is something to consider when buying a hookah.

Brass

Brass is considered by most hookah smokes one of the best metals for a hookah to be made out of. It does not rust or corrode quickly and can be polished back to a brilliant shine despite how old or new the stem may be. Brass is also  a very heavy metal when solid cast. On all ends brass is one of the best materials for a hookah to be made of, it will not rust, it stays shiny and new looking, it is heavy, and it is durable.

Wood

Wood is another choice in material that has its benefits for certain applications. For the most part these hookahs are sought after as tombac rigs or used to smoke only one flavor. These kinds of hookahs take more care than their metal counterparts but serve to intensify flavors by sucking up the juice from the tobacco. There are also a few hookahs on the market that have a wood stem with an aluminum down stem which can be used to smoke multiple flavors of tobacco without sucking up the flavors.

Down Stems

Down stem construction is another important thing to consider when buying a hookah as there are a number of different materials that can be used. For the most part any metal down stem is going to preform the same but it is possible to find hookahs with steel, stainless steel, brass, copper, aluminum, and wood down stems. It all comes down to what suits your fancy. Obviously steel and stainless steel have the ability to rust if not properly maintained, where as copper, brass, and aluminum down stems will not rust. Wood down stems are normally something that is found on wooden hookahs and serves to retain flavor.

Style

Style is another important thing to consider when buying a hookah as some "styles" of hookahs are built better and made out of higher quality metals or wood. Below are some of the more popular styles and brands available.

Chinese

Chinese hookahs come in a large variety of shapes and sizes and are constructed out just about any metal you can think of. The biggest problem with this style of hookah is that for the most part anything not made out of steel is normally a hard thing to find, and thus most of them have a severe rust issue. They also normally have poorly functioning purge valves because of their common chamber design. As far as chinese hookahs go one of the only high quality brands on the market are Mya Saray hookahs, which are normally constructed out of stainless steel with an aluminum down stem.

Egyptian

Egyptian hookahs are normally considered medium ground on build and smoke wonderfully. They can be made out a number of different metals and often times feature dual or tritone designs with copper, stainless steel, and brass being common metals in their construction. These hookahs are known for their open draw and functioning purge. They are almost always made out of rust resistant or rust proof metals which means you will have a functioning hookah for a long time, with out any real issues. Notable Egyptian hookah brands include Khalil Mamoon, Magdy Zidan, And Nammor. For the most part though even off brand egyptian hookahs are of high quality.

Syrian

Syrian hookahs are considered of higher build quality than egyptians and are more times than not solid cast brass hookahs that sometimes have chrome or nickel plating over the brass.  These hookahs are known for being very heavy and sturdy, and often times have a very open draw with a slight restriction, as well as a working purge system.   Syrian hookahs are often not hand made but rather machined with many intricate engravings on the stem. The most notable Syrian hookah brands are nawras and nour.

Turkish

Turkish hookahs are some of the most sought after hookahs by collectors because of their heavy build, intricate engravings, and high quality brass construction. Turkish hookahs are unique in the fact that they more often than not feature no purge valve, those that do have a purge are rare. These kind of hookahs are not overly common in the states and when available are far from cheap. The only notable brand that is available in the us at this time is Elmas.

Height 

Height of a hookah is something that most people over look as being important when purchasing a quality hookah that will smoke well. Although it is true that most small hookahs will smoke just as well as a monster hookah, hight does have an effect on how cool your smoke will be. The general rule of thumb is that the more area the smoke has to travel the cooler it will be, thus the recommended hight for a smooth smoking hookah is considered to be about 28" or more. It is also however important to consider how tall is too tall, when a hookah reaches over 36"-40" it often times will have stability issues and become harder for the user to heat manage without having to stand up form the possession they are smoking in. Obviously having a tiny or huge hookah wont effect allot but it is important to consider what effects a certain size hookah will have on stability and cool smoke.

Weight

Weight is a little more of a straight forward idea when it comes to a hookah. Heavy is generally considered better for the simple fact that for the most part it means that the construction of the hookah is solid instead of being hollow. Obviously a heavy stem is preferred because it means that the hookah is more sturdily built and will take some abuse if necessary and come out just fine. In the case of weight the heavier the better unless you plan on taking you hookah somewhere besides your own home.

Purge

Whether or not you care to have a purge on your hookah is something to consider too. Most chinese hookahs have a purge but they often times don't work because of the way they are built. Lebanese, Turkish, and some Syrians don't even have a purge valve on the hookah, but as long as you are comfortable with your heat management you should never need the purge to begin with. For those newer to the hookah world I would recommend something more similar to an egyptian so that stale or harsh smoke can be purged from the hookah when needed.

Chamber Design

Rather than going into chamber design in great detail in this section, I would suggest checking out this previous post if you want to know more on the subject. Chamber Design

Ending Notes 

So in conclusion, from the material that has already been shown I will outline what qualities are most desirable in a hookah that will last for years to come and give you a great smoke, and of course what to avoid in a hookah. For the most part as far as style goes anything will go aside form a chinese hookah, because of the lower quality materials used and because of the purge design, you will be better off with an egyptian, syrian, or turkish hookah if lack of a purge suits your style. The stem construction should be solid heavy and if possible solid cast brass or stainless though brass is preferred because of it's resistance to oxidation and because it can be polished easily. Hight wise a hookah should be somewhere in the 25"-36" for cool smoke and for stability. Also consider when purchasing a hookah what the down stem is made of and wether or not it screws into the hookah or is welded to the stem. More often than not down stems are made of stainless steel but if an aluminum or copper one is available jump on it. When looking at the down stem make sure that it does not screw into the pipe as the treads tend to wear down quickly.