Setting up an Egyptian Hookah

Every Khalil Maamoon Egyptian hookah is handmade. Mass produced hookahs do not have the level of detailing or intricate design. Also, machine made hookahs may be a tad easier to set up, especially for beginners. That being said, a handmade Egyptian hookah is a class apart. It cannot be compared to machine made hookahs. There are two phases of setting up an Egyptian hookah manufactured by Khalil Maamoon. The first pertains to getting to know the parts, and how they work. The second pertains to setting up all the pieces to have the grand hookah ready for a session.

 

Components of Egyptian Hookah from Khalil Maamoon

A typical Khalil Maamoon box of Egyptian hookah comes with all essential pieces. Any accessories you may buy will come in separate boxes, even if you have placed the orders simultaneously. Open the package and unbox the hookah. If there is more than one box, in case of additional accessories, then unpack them as well.

 

The Egyptian hookah box usually contains the glass base, the stem or shaft, a metal tray, a clay bowl, a standard hose, three rubber grommets, and two cleaning brushes. As you may know already, an Egyptian hookah has the glass base at the bottom, the long stem is inserted into the base, then comes the tray, and finally the clay bowl at the very top. There are two ports near the base of the shaft. One is the purge valve. The other is the hose port.

 

There are three rubber grommets. The largest one is fitted onto the bigger end of the stem, which is its bottom, and this will go into the glass base. The medium sized grommet, which is not much bigger than the smallest one, is fitted onto the tip of the stem, where the clay bowl would be installed. The smallest grommet goes onto the base of the hose, which is inserted into the hose port of the stem.

 

Setting up an Egyptian Hookah of Khalil Maamoon

Set the glass base on a table. Slide the largest rubber grommet onto the bottom end of the stem. Ensure it is fitted properly. Slide the stem into the glass base, and ensure that it is tight. The stem should not wobble. The glass base and the stem should be stable with the upright installation. Do not shake or fidget with the stem while sliding it into the glass base. If you have issues to fit it in, gently twist the stem. The rubber grommet will facilitate this gentle twisting. There is no need to hard press, or thrust it down. Avoid left & right, back & forth, or other sporadic movements of the stem while it is being slid into the base.

 

The tray should neatly fit into the stem, from the top. It will get perched at the designated level. Take the medium sized grommet and fit it onto the tip of the stem. Take the clay bowl, and gently slide it down the tip. The rubber grommet should facilitate the sliding in. If you get stuck, twist the clay bowl gently as it slides down. All such installations should use twisting motions or gentle pushes, not great thrusts.

 

Take the smallest grommet, fit it onto the hose, and insert it into the larger port near the bottom of the stem. The hose port is almost always larger than the purge valve, so you should not have any trouble identifying it. Now, the whole setup is ready. If you have a model that supports two hookah hoses at the same time, then set that up as well. You should have one more of the smallest grommet to go into the second hose, and there should be two ports in the stem as well. If your design has a hose holder, then that could be already attached to the stem, or you may have to slide it onto the stem before the tray.

 

Expert Advice for Setting up an Egyptian Hookah

Always clean a new handmade Egyptian hookah before your first smoke. If some rubber grommets are not a perfect fit, you can use an additional rubber band, or some tape to get the extra volume. Grommets can suffer wear & tear after extensive use. These don’t cost much, so you can always get a few to spare. Some people also misplace or lose these smaller pieces. The grommets are seals, so you must take care of them, as well as the other crucial components.