Egypt has long been known in the Middle East as the best place to get a hookah and hookah accessories. The land of the pharaohs, the pyramids and the sphinx is also the homeland of the shisha (the Egyptian word for hookah). Egyptian artisans still make old-fashioned hookahs, by hand and with great pride in craftsmanship. Hookah making is still a family tradition, and Egypt’s best hookah makers have earned their place thanks to the continuity of traditional techniques. Glass bases are still made from hand-blown stained glass, and artists still decorate them by hand with paint, glitter, decals, or etching. The hoses are made entirely by hand, from the cutting of the fabric to the turning of the wood that will become the handles to the addition of decorative elements such as braid, fringes or hair. Shafts can be made from metals such as stainless steel, brass, or chrome-plated brass, but those metals are formed by the hands of master craftsmen, assembled by skilled welders, and sometimes engraved or decorated by craftsmen. Potters still use a potting wheel to make the clay bowls we call the “head.” In short, every part of a genuine Egyptian hookah is handcrafted using traditional techniques, resulting in a one-of-a-kind product every time. Egyptian water pipes are so admired and respected throughout the Middle East that it would be difficult to find a pipe in another Middle Eastern country that does not have a part that was made in Egypt.

When the hookah craze hit America, the cultural icon of the Middle East fell prey to the assembly line mentality. It wasn’t long before hookah was added to the list of counterfeit products that were mass-produced in China for export to the American market. Because neither manufacturing plant owners nor assembly line workers in China have a cultural interest or identity associated with the product, the water pipes they produce do not involve any art. Glass bases are molded and then spray painted; the glass itself is not colored. Any design on the glass is also spray painted with machines. Machine-made plastic hoses with plastic or simulated wood ends do not have decorative elements. The machines mold shafts from tin, aluminum or a combination of these metals with stainless steel; sometimes machines spray paint them in a color that matches the glass. Porcelain, a material for which the Chinese are famous, has replaced the traditional clay bowl made from the rich clay of the banks of the Nile River. Cold computerized Chinese machines have replaced the intimate touch of Egyptian artisans whose work is motive. of pride.

Because Egyptian water pipes set the industry standard, it has become common for sellers to falsely label their Chinese knockoffs as “authentic Egyptian” pipes. Many buyers have been misled by a misleading description coupled with a low price and think they are buying a genuine Egyptian hookah when, in fact, they have an imposter. Do not be fooled! Look for the identifying characteristics listed below to determine if the hookah you are considering purchasing is the real one.

Characteristics of an authentic Egyptian hookah

• Authentic Egyptian water pipes are still made by hand using centuries-old traditional methods. Crafted by the hands of people who have a cultural interest and identity in their product, every aspect of the authentic Egyptian hookah involves art and crafts.
• The base of an authentic Egyptian hookah is hand-blown colored glass that comes in a variety of shapes and colors with hand-painted designs. The most revealing aspect of an authentic Egyptian base is its characteristic 18-karat gold or platinum paint bands.
• Egyptian hoses are made by hand with traditional methods and materials; they vary in style, color and decorative elements.
• The shafts are made of stainless steel, brass or chromed brass hand formed in various heights, number of hose holders, designs and decorative elements. Egyptian rods are never made of aluminum or spray painted in a color to match the glass base!
• An authentic Egyptian hookah is always sold with the same number of hoses that the shaft can hold. If you buy a 2 hose hookah, you get 2 hose!
• Anyone selling authentic Egyptian hookahs will have replacement parts available. The glass bases break and the hoses need to be replaced every few months for hygiene reasons, so having access to individual pieces for your hookah is important.

Features of the Chinese imposter hookah

• Chinese imposter water pipes are mass-produced in factories by machines and people who have no cultural connection to the product. All hookahs look the same, just as you would expect from anything made on an assembly line.
• The Chinese bases are made of molded glass or acrylic spray painted with material that washes away with normal cleaning. The designs, if any, are identical with no variation in pattern or style because the machines are preset to look a certain way.
• Chinese hoses are made of plastic with plastic ends or simulated wood without decorative elements. The hoses are sometimes referred to as “faux fur,” a marketing gimmick to make plastic sound better. The hoses are marketed as “washable”. No hookah hose is truly washable because inside each is a coil of wire around which the hose fabric is wrapped. Running water through the hose only accelerates the deterioration process of that coil of wire! There is no such thing as a washable hookah hose!
• Shafts produced in China are machine made of tin, aluminum, or a combination of those metals mixed 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 color of the glass is not Egyptian! The shafts of Chinese water pipes are made of inferior metals that do not resist normal wear and tear. Egyptian hookahs, on the other hand, are made of strong, durable metals that can withstand time and use.
• Because sellers generally don’t have replacement parts or accessories, they sell Chinese hookahs straight out of the box. This means that multi-hose hookahs are often sold with only one hose. If you are buying a 2 hose hookah, you will most likely get only 1 hose!
• To make them more attractive to the American consumer, Chinese-made hookahs are often sold with a hard case. What a great way to hide an inferior product!
• With the recent recall of several products made in China, buyers should be especially careful with water pipes made and imported from China because they are painted.

To truly appreciate the cultural significance of the hookah and get the most out of the hookah experience, you must have the real one! While the price of some of the Chinese imports may seem attractive, keep in mind that you are definitely about getting what you pay for. A product that can’t stand its intended use is no longer a bargain when it has to be replaced over and over again. Buy an authentic Egyptian hookah and support the artisans and artisans who, in a world dominated by machine-made products, continue to make hookahs the way they and their families have for centuries.