Shisha – Authentic Egyptian or Chinese Imposter?
Egypt has long been known from the Middle-East like the best spot to getting a shisha and shisha accessories. The land on the pharaohs, pyramids, and sphinx can also be the Motherland in the shisha (the Egyptian word for shisha). Egyptian craftsmen still make hookahs the old-fashioned way — by yourself and having a great deal of pride in craftsmanship. Making shisha ‘s still a family tradition, and also the best shisha makers in Egypt have earned their spots via the continuity of conventional techniques. Glass bases will still be produced from hand blown colored glass, & artists still decorate them manually using paint, glitter, decals, or etching. Hoses are made entirely by yourself, through the cutting of your fabric for the turning in the wood designed to become the handles into the addition of decorative things similar to braid, fringe, or fur. Shafts could be made up of metals like stainless-steel, brass, or chrome plated brass, but those metals are formed by the hands of master craftsmen, build by skilled welders, and sometimes etched or decorated by craftsmen. Potters still make use of a potting wheel to generate the clay bowls that people call the “head.” In short, every aspect of the original Egyptian shisha is crafted manually using conventional techniques which results in a one of a kind product everytime. Egyptian shisha are extremely admired and respected through the entire Middle-East that you’d be challenged to choose a pipe in another Middle-Eastern country that doesn’t have some part which was made in Egypt!
When the shisha craze hit the United States, the cultural icon in the Middle East fell prey to the assembly line mentality. It did not take very long for those hookah to generally be added to the list of counterfeit products being produced in higher quantities in China for export for the American market. Because neither the owners of manufacturing plants or assembly line workers in China have a cultural stake or identity associated with the product, the shisha that they produce involve no craftsmanship. The glass bases are molded and next spray painted; the glass itself is not coloured. Any designs about the glass are likewise spray painted on by machines. Machine made plastic hoses with plastic or simulated wood ends posess zero decorative elements on it. Machines mold shafts made out of tin, aluminum, or possibly a blend of those metals with stainless steel; sometimes, machines spray paint these questions color to fit the glass. Porcelain, a material in which the Chinese are famous, has replaced the traditional clay bowl created from the rich clay of your banks of the Nile River. Cold, computerized Chinese machines have replaced the intimate touch on the Egyptian craftsmen whose jobs are a resource of pride.
Because Egyptian shisha set the market standard, it’s become common for sellers to falsely label their Chinese look a likes as “authentic Egyptian” pipes. Many buyers are generally used by a deceptive description coupled with a minimal price and believe that they are buying a original Egyptian hookah when, in reality, they have an imposter. Don’t be duped! Watch for the identifying characteristics shown below to find out when the hookah you’re considering buying is the real deal.
Features of each Original Egyptian Hookah
Genuine Egyptian hookahs are still hand-made using centuries old conventional methods. Crafted via the hands of people which use a cultural stake and identity for their product, every aspect in the original Egyptian shisha involves craftsmanship and artistry.
The base of a realistic Egyptian shisha is hand blown colored glass that comes in a number of shapes and colors with hand painted designs. One of the most telling part of an authentic Egyptian base is its characteristic bands of authentic 18K gold or platinum paint.
Egyptian tubes are handcrafted using traditional methods and materials; they vary in design, color, & decorative elements.
Shafts are hand formed stainless-steel, brass, or chrome plated brass in several heights, variety of hose-pipe holders, designs, and decorative things.
Egyptian shafts will never be made of aluminum or spray painted in any color to fit the glass base!A geniune Egyptian shisha is obviously sold with a similar amount of hoses that the shaft will hold. If you’re purchasing a 2-hose hookah, you will get 2 tubes!
Anybody who sells original Egyptian hookahs will have replacement parts available. Glass bases break and hoses could be replaced every couple of months for the sake of hygiene, so it is essential to have access to individual parts for your hookah.
Characteristics of your Chinese Imposter Shisha
The Chinese imposter shisha are made in huge amounts in factories by machines and people who don’t have a cultural connection to the product. The shisha all look a similar, just as one would expect from anything made on an assembly line.
Chinese bases are constructed of molded glass or acrylic that’s spray painted with material that washes off with normal cleaning. Designs, if any, are identical without any variation in pattern or style because machines are preset to manufacture them look in certain manner.
Chinese tubes are made of plastic with plastic or simulated wood ends with no decorative elements. Sometimes the hoses are known as “pleather,” an advertising trick for making plastic sound better. Hoses are marketed as “washable.” No hookah hose-pipe is really washable because inside each one is a wire coil around in which the hose fabric is wrapped. Running water over the hose only speeds up the deterioration process of that wire coil! There is no such thing like a washable hookah hose pipe!
Shafts manufactured in China are bulk manufactured of tin, aluminum, or even a combination of those metals combined with stainless steel or chrome. They are generally spray-painted to suit the colour in the glass. A shisha with a shaft that matches the color of your glass is not Egyptian! The shafts of Chinese hookahs are constructed of inferior metals that don’t stand up to normal wear and tear. Egyptian hookahs, on the other hand, are constructed of strong and durable metals that could withstand time and usage.
Because dealers typically do not have replacement parts or accessories, you can purchase chinese people shisha from the box. Because of this multiple hose pipe shisha are often sold with only 1 hose. When you are purchasing a 2-hose shisha, chances are you’ll get only 1 hose pipe!
To ensure they are more appealing for the American consumer, Chinese manufactured shisha are frequently sold with a hard shell carry bag. Thats a fantastic way to hide an inferior product!
Using the recent recall of numerous products created in China, buyers ought to be particularly wary of hookahs made in and imported from China as they’re painted!
To truly appreciate the cultural importance in the hookah and get the most of out of your shisha experience, you should have the actual thing! As the price of some in the Chinese imports may look attractive, please keep in mind that this is definitely a case of getting what you have the funds for. An item that cannot face up to the usage for which it had been made is no longer a bargain if it has to be replaced over and over again. Buy an authentic Egyptian shisha & support the artists and artisans who, in the world dominated by machine made goods, continue to make shisha that they and their families have for years and years.
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