So, you want to buy a hookah and enjoy a centuries old Middle Eastern social activity?  Before you spend any money on a hookah, argile, nargileh, shisha, hubbly-bubbly, or whatever name you know it by, make sure that you are getting the real deal and not a Chinese manufactured imposter!  This guide will help you recognize the differences between an authentic Egyptian hookah and those produced on an assembly line in China.

Know Your Hookah

The hookah may have been born in India and spent its youth in Turkey, but it matured in Egypt.  Long known in the Middle East as the best place to get a hookah and hookah accessories, Egypt is the Motherland of the shisha (the Egyptian word for hookah).  Artisans still make hookahs the old-fashioned way -- by hand and with a great deal of pride in craftsmanship.  Making hookahs is still a family tradition, and the best hookah makers in Egypt have earned their spots through the continuity of traditional techniques.  The glass bases are still made from hand blown colored glass; artists still decorate them by hand using 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 become the handles to the addition of decorative elements such as braid, fringe, or fur.  Shafts may be made of metals like stainless steel, brass, or chrome plated brass, but those metals are formed by the hands of master craftsmen, put together by skilled welders, and sometimes etched or decorated by artisans.  Potters still use a potting wheel to make the clay bowls that we call the "head."  In short, every part of a genuine Egyptian hookah is crafted by hand using traditional techniques which results in a one-of-a-kind product every time.  So respected and admired are Egyptian hookahs that it is nearly impossible to find a hookah in another Middle Eastern country that does not have some part made in Egypt. 

As the hookah's popularity began to spread in the United States, it became victim to the assembly line mentality.  Factories in China began to mass produce this Middle Eastern cultural icon for an American market.  Because the owners of manufacturing plants in China have no cultural stake or identity associated with the product, the hookahs that they produce involve no artistry.  The glass bases are molded and then spray painted; the glass itself is not colored.  Any designs 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 made from tin, aluminum, or a combination of those metals with stainless steel;  sometimes, machines spray paint them in a color to match the glass.   Porcelain, a material for which the Chinese are famous, has replaced the traditional clay bowl.  Not a single part of the assembly line hookah made in China involves artistry; cold, computerized machines have replaced the intimate touch of the craftsmen whose work is a source of pride.

Buyer Beware!

Because Egyptian hookahs set the industry standard all around the world, some sellers falsely label their Chinese look-alikes as "authentic Egyptian" pipes.   Many buyers have been taken in by the misleading title of an auction and think that they are buying a genuine Egyptian hookah when, in reality, they get an imposter.  Don't be duped!  Look for the identifying characteristics listed below to determine if the hookah you are considering buying is the real deal. 

Authentic Egyptian Hookah:

• Handmade using centuries old traditional methods.  Every aspect of the authentic Egyptian hookah involves artistry and craftsmanship because they are 100% handmade by people who have a cultural connection to their products.
• The glass is hand blown colored glass in a variety of shapes and colors with hand painted designs; they nearly always have bands of genuine 18K gold paint.
• Hoses are handcrafted using traditional methods and materials; they vary in style, color, and decorative elements.  
• Shafts are hand formed stainless steel, brass, or chrome plated brass in various heights, number of hose holders, designs, and decorative elements.  Egyptian shafts are never made of aluminum or spray painted in a color to match the glass base! 
• Multiple hose hookahs are sold with the same number of hoses that the shaft will hold.  If you're buying a 2-hose hookah, you get 2 hoses!

Chinese Manufactured Hookah:

• Mass manufactured in factories by machines and people who have no cultural connection to the product.  The hookahs all look the same, just as one would expect from anything produced on an assembly line.  Even though they may called Egyptian, Chinese manufactured hookahs are easily distinguished from the authentic ones made by hand in Egypt.
• Bases are made of molded glass or acrylic that is spray painted with material that washes off with normal cleaning.  Designs, if any, are identical with no variation in pattern or style because machines are preset to make them look a certain way.
• Hoses are made of plastic with plastic or simulated wood ends.  No decorative elements.  Sometimes the hoses are called "pleather," a marketing trick to make plastic sound better.
• Hoses are marketed as "washable."  There is no hookah hose that is truly washable because inside each one is a wire coil around which the hose fabric is wrapped.  Running water through the hose only speeds up the deterioration process of that wire coil!  There is no such thing as a washable hookah hose!
• Shafts are machine made 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 color of the glass is not Egyptian!  The shafts of Chinese hookahs are made of inferior metals that do not stand up to normal wear and tear.  Egyptian hookahs, on the other hand, are made of strong and durable metals that can withstand time and usage.
• Multiple hose hookahs are often sold with only one hose.  If you're buying a 2-hose hookah, chances are that you will get only 1 hose!
• To make them look better, Chinese manufactured hookahs are often sold with a hard shell carrying case.  What a great way to hide an inferior product!
• Watch out for inflated shipping fees and low opening bids or buy-it-now prices!  This is a tactic used quite often by those who sell Chinese imposters. 
• With the recent recall of various products manufactured in China (it's not just toys!), buyers need to be especially wary of hookahs made in and imported from China!

To truly appreciate the cultural significance of the hookah and get the most of out of the hookah experience, you must have the real thing!  While the price of some of the Chinese imports may look more attractive to you, please keep in mind that this is definitely a case of getting what you pay for.  A product that cannot stand up to the usage for which it was made is no longer a bargain when it has to be replaced over and over again.  Support the artisans and craftsmen who, in a world dominated by machine made goods, continue to make hookahs the way they and their families have for centuries.