dizzing Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Okay, I've taken it upon myself to create this outline/concept of a hookah FAQ. I will follow this post up with subsequent posts fleshing out various sections, and I urge you all to do the same - contribute what you can, if it's vague or incomplete don't worry! We'll get to that later. Without further ado, here it is.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UNDER HEAVY CONSTRUCTION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [This is the very first draft of this FAQ.] Any annotations in !! []-style brackets are my own editorial comments, and are not !! intended to remain in subsequent versions of the document. !! Everyone is, of course, welcome to make any comments they want !! about this document. Also welcome, of course, is the writing of !! individual sections, or revisions to certain selections !! including but not limited to new content for each section. !! Please, contribute as much as you want/can![oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo][o THIS EDITION IS IN OUTLINE FORMAT; o][o SUBSEQUENT VERSIONS WILL BE FULLY o][o EXPANDED UPON. WORK IN PROGRESS! o][oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo][cool ascii header art goes here] :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: The Hookah Forum :::: HOOKAH FAQ v.0.0.1a &nbs p; &nbs p; &nbs p; :: ::---------------------------------------------------------- -----:::: Disclaimer: This FAQ is entirely unofficial. Its contents were:::: created independently and may in no way be construed as af- :::: iliated with the website located at www.hookahforum.com :::: or any of the website's creators, owners, or operators. :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::[and now, on with the FAQ]i. ForewordWell, this type of thing has been a long time coming. The hookah forum that we all know and love has been around for quite some time now, and remains the only viable source of specialized hookah knowledge drawn from immeasurable hours of experience that I've ever encountered. This FAQ in no way seeks to undermine the importance of the forum, simply to capture some of the basic ideas and "beginner knowledge" that we as a forum have amassed. I encourage everyone to continue experimenting, innovating, learning, and by all means to post your knowledge on the hookah forum. Only through sharing our experiences with others can we expand the hookah paradigm, as it were.ii. NOTICEThis should go without saying, but this is a WORK IN PROGRESS. By all means, what makes the internet great is the fact that it makes collaborations between dozens of people possible. The information exchange now commonplace for millions of people in the comfort of their own homes makes the printing press look like a mere footnote in history. If anyone has contributions for this FAQ, please put them in a relevant place (i.e., on the forum) and, hey, if you want, go ahead and add onto the FAQ yourself (make sure you do a decent job of editing). Perhaps at some point we can put a copy of the GPL in here; until then, just be reasonable.Table of Contents [outline for now]I. Some Brief Terminology A. The Nargile B. The Tobacco C. Other [??]II. History of the Hookah A. Origins B. Cultural Diffusion c. Evolution of Smoking D. The Pipe in Modern CulturesIII. Hookahs A. Anatomy of a Hookah B. Types [ie egyptian/syrian/lebanese] of Hookahs i.-iii...[subcategories for each type] C. Physics of Hookah Design i. Stem Length ii. Vase a. Chamber Size b. Shape c. Water/Ice d. Alcohol e. Other Liquids iii. Hoses [number? autoseal? length?] D. Choosing a HookahIV. Ma'assel A. Overview B. Flavorings [such as? citrus, berry, etc? much room for more info] C. Ingredients i. Tobacco ii. Glycerine iii. Honey/Molasses iv. Natural Flavors v. Artificial Flavors D. How-to-make [various recipes and techniques] E. Effects of bowl designV. Other Accessories A. Tongs B. Coals i. Types of Coal ii. Lighting Methods iii. Coal holders, chambers, etc. C. Windcover D. Filters/Mouthtips E. Other Innovations VI. How to have a session A. Setup i. Water ii. Bowl Preparation iii. Grommets/Paper Towels, Sealing the Hookah B. Heat Application C. Tips/Suggestions::END Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzing Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 [agh! formatting hell! oh well...]oh yeah, if you post any additions for sections it'd be cool to mark the section they're intended for, as i will do as follows.I-AWhat we commonly call a hookah goes by many different names around the world. Common terms are the Nargile, Argileh, Shisha, Hookah, Hubbly-Bubbly [does anyone actually call it that?], or simply "water pipe." The different names come from different cultures - none are 'more accurate' than any other. [I would like to specify which names are used by which respective cultures, but alas I don't know. Anyone have input?]I-BAlthough ma'assel is the currently accepted term to describe the molassed tobacco used in hookah smoking, there are many terms used (some of which are debated hotly). In modern american hookah smoking culture, it is frequently called "shisha," a fact that angers many hookah 'purists' who claim (quite correctly) that shisha is used in Egyptian to describe the pipe itself, and only encompasses the tobacco when used to describe a hookah already prepared with ma'assel. For example, one would order "shisha" to get a hookah packed with tobacco [as I understand it. PLEASE correct me if i'm wrong]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tico Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Excellent endeavour, my man! Expect a few contributions from yours truly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonthert Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Hey. Who told you I was writing a book and where did you get the outline to it!?!!If you need any contributions and you think I might have something worthy to say, I'm sure I can help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzing Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 hahah, i'm sure your book will be far better than anything we come up with. but i'm not looking for contributions, because i'm not trying to pass this as mine by any means. this is for all of us to write and edit, i just threw up a basic framework. basically, i'm asking for everyone to contribute everything they can. i'm just too tired right now, or i'd write more, but like i said, this is for all of us.ah, yeah, tired. back to smoking my hookah and clicking the refresh button to wait for people to post stuff ... what a great lifestyle, at 6:10 am Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzing Posted February 5, 2006 Author Share Posted February 5, 2006 IIIAThe typical hookah consists of four primary parts: The vase, the stem, the bowl, and the hose. In antiquity, there were separate craftsmen who specialized in each; today almost all parts are mass produced (although some companies do hold a larger share of the market on certain parts). The vase of a hookah is filled with water, and then the stem is inserted into it. The stem fits into the neck of the vase and extends several inches (usually 1 or 2 feet) to where the bowl attaches to it. There is almost always an ash catcher placed around the stem right below the bowl; this is a tray to catch any coals or pieces of ash that fall from the top. Hoses attach to a section of the stem just above where it fits into the vase, and are piped into the top section of the vase as opposed to the smoke from the bowl which is piped down into the water. It is not uncommon to see hookahs with anywhere from one to six hoses, although any pipe with more than two or three is generally thought to be little more than a novelty. Single hose hookahs are generally equipped with air release valves which are located where another hose would generally be found. These operate with a ball bearing which seals a hole into the vase when there is vacuum pressure on the hookah. If the pressure is ever increased past equilibrium (i.e., someone blows into the hose), the bearing flies upward in its cage, releasing smoke from the vase into the air outside the hookah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[LB] Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 yaaa! thats alot of stuff hahaha. Great work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavlakos_politakos Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 i agree.i didnt read all of it but what i did read was good and well thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 um..not to criticize, but PP just accidentally made a very important contribution. he didn't read it all.... It reads like stereo instructions or some technical manual. We're trying to appeal to your average hookah smoker, someone who is going to want to do a quick look up, get an easy answer, and be on their way. They are unlikely to look at the index, go to chapter III, part D, subsection ? to read about picking out a hookah. They are going to turn around and post "hey, What hookah should I get?" on the forum... How about something like this? Hookah FAQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tico Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 [quote name='mushrat']2) Q: Does size matter? A: Depends on who you ask. There is no real concrete answer to this question. Hookah smoking is very personal. Some people like bigger hookahs, some smaller. This link is a good start: [url="http://www.hookahforum.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2379&KW=size+matter"] http://www.hookahforum.com/forum/forum_pos...asp?TID=2379&am[/url] p;am p;KW=size+matter://http://www.hookahforum.com/forum/fo...;KW=size+matter [/quote] That's a pretty important question, though I think we may be a bit biased. I suggest we let the few ladies that are active on this forum answer this one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tico Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Also, I was planning on doing some research on the origins and history out of personal interest. Guess I might turn that into a useful contribution while I'm at it. More useful than my last post, anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 tico: I'd done some research on the hookah and it's traditional origins a while back for a different thread...it had some good links in it: [quote name='mushrat'] Wonder if the folks thought the same thing long ago when the now "traditional" hookah's came into existance? [url="http://www.sacrednarghile.com/narghile/en/mystery.html"]http://www.sacrednarghile.com/narghile/en/mystery.html[/url] Lets face it, ideas change, machines evolve, peoples ideas of beauty change. If you like the idea that "non-traditional" places are starting to accept and use the hookah, like the US, Great Britian, and the rest of Europe, then you have to accept that these people will have a different idea of what they want their hookahs to LOOK like. Just look at the differences between Indian and Middle Eastern Hookahs. Which is "traditional" all brass bodies or glass bases? Besides Hookendo, do you smoke flavoured ma'asell? Its not "traditional." Apparently the fruit flavours didn't come into use until the 1980's. Traditional would be smoking only tombac or zaghoul. [url="http://www.nakhla.com/docs/molasses.htm"]http://www.nakhla.com/docs/molasses.htm[/url] [url="http://www.sacrednarghile.com/narghile/en/tobacco.html"]http://www.sacrednarghile.com/narghile/en/tobacco.html[/url] [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hookah://http://www.sacrednarghile.com/nargh...org/wiki/Hookah"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hookah[/url][/url] So before you start knocking modern hookah's because they are "non-tradional" remember, most of us here are just as "non-traditional" hookah smokers.[img]http://www.hookahforum.com/forum/smileys/smiley36.gif[/img] [/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheeshabum Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Nice idea Dizzing.Lots of hard work, I'm sure.Good luck and thank you. Sheeshabum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzing Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 haha, thanks everyone for the encouragement...and mushrat, you're right, it's really not much of an FAQ - i realized that about a day after i posted it... but oh well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Like I said, it would make a great "Complete Guide to Hooking." So work on it in that context. It is rather impressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzing Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 complete guide to hooking?wait till yo mama hears about this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 heh..now I understand. Well..ok..Hookahing? I used that term and got laughed at as well... So prey tell...what IS the proper term o' wise a...er one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonthert Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Pipingor the contra-case to "Poking Spots" isPoking Sipes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crimsonkingjv Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 I would be really interested in this (actually it's exactly what I am looking for). This is a pretty big task but a true newbie FAQ would be great. It could have things like the differences between styles of hookahs (syrian vs egyptian vs chinese, ect), difference in bowls, is screen better than foil (again I now know it is preference but still would be nice to have all in one place), what about coal, explain anything else that may be handy for someone buying a hookah for the first time should know (do I need a wind screen, a coal holder, things like that). That is just my 2 cents. Thanks everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheetz Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 I actually started one after this that was pretty comprehensive. However, it was brought to my attention that Social Smoke did not like the fact that I was borrowing some of their pictures. So I canned it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crimsonkingjv Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 Awww, that sucks you had to can it. I think something like this would be awesome for new people to get some quick info to get the basic information down. Hopefully this project continues because it's a great idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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