The History of Vape

While many of us vapers consider ourselves very modern and progressive while sporting our very “now” vape devices, the fact is, vaping is just about as old as time. While we may be incredibly cutting-edge and innovative early adaptors, we are at the same time a part of a very long tradition of vaping that extends to the earliest of civilisations.

Scythians: The first known cool kids

The first known vapers emerged as early as the 5th Century BC. The Scythians, who lived primarily in Iran and Central Asia, were the first known vapers. Herodotus wrote that the Scythians would heat up herbs on hot stones to produce sweet-smelling vapor. According to Herodotus, also known as the father of history and thereby a very reliable sources, they would “take some of this hemp-seed and throw it upon the red-hot stones; immediately it vaporises and gives out such a vapor as no Grecian vapor-bath can exceed; the Scythians, delighted, shout for joy.” But to be clear, it has not been indicated that all Scythians participated in this vaping activity, apparently it was just the cool kids.

The Moguls take vaping to the next level

Just about 1000 years later, the Moguls took vaping to the next level with the creation of the first known “vaporizer” or “water pipe.” The man behind the invention was called Irfan Shiekh, who lived during the Safavid Dynasty in, what is now considered, modern-day Afghanistan. This same device would later become known as a hookah or shisha. The moguls of the Safavid Dynasty would use these devices for the same purpose as our Scythians and as we do today, they would use these water pipes to inhale the vapor of scented herbs. For me, the only difference between me and the moguls is that i` prefer my sweet-smelling herbs to be that of the roly poly variety.

Birth of the Hookah

While the very innovative Irfan Shiekh did create the first hookah, it was not in the shape and form that we would recognize today. That first hookah as we know it today did not emerge until the 16th century. This first hookah was created in India because of the exporting of glass in India through the British East India Company. Before the use of glass, hookahs used coconut shells as its base. The birth of the hookah correlated with the rise in popularity of tobacco. At the time, tobacco was becoming very popular amongst noblemen. and to purify the tobacco smoke, the modern-day hookah was born. The hookah soon after became a status symbol of the upper-class elites. And with that, vaping was adopted by the very uncool posh kids.

The Pretty Persians

As the hookah evolved into the 17th Century, they got prettier, better, and even more popular. Enter the Persians. The Persians also upped their game with the tobacco that was used. They used a strong, dark leaf tobacco called Ajami. During this time, the Persian craftsmen began to enhance the aesthetics of the hookah, using their woodworking skills to create ornate patterns and elaborate designs. Some of the hookahs became so elaborate and valuable that a new many of the shahs of the day began hiring servants dedicated to the hookah maintenance. Also, during this time, the hookah grew in popularity and became accessible to everyone, not just the uncool elites.

Turks put their faith in the Hookah

Next stop for the illustrious hookah was Turkey. In the 18th century, the Turks continued the Hookah design innovation started by the Persians. The Turks began to use castings on brass to create intricate designs. They began adorning the pipe with meaningful religious markings which, in turn, elevated the importance of the Hookah within the local culture. The hookah was often a central feature of important gatherings such as royal dinners and diplomatic meetings. For the Turks, the hookah became so important that offering a hookah to a guest became a sign of trust and good faith. On the flip side, when you did not present a hookah to your guests, this was met with indignation as it could be seen as a serious insult.

The Hookah unifies the masses

By the 19th Century, the use of the hookah has spread across most of the Middle East. In Egypt in particular, the use of standard tobacco was enhanced to create sweeter new flavours. The Egyptians used honey, dried lemon, grape, watermelon, and mint to create a reformulated version of tobacco known as Mu’Assel. It was also during this time that the hookah was massively integrated into popular Middle Eastern culture through integration into cafes and hookah bars. The hookah was seen as a unifier as people from all classes, races, genders, and religious backgrounds all shared a common interest, the love of vaping. The hookah became a central component of social gatherings and of bonding with friends and strangers.

Enter the Vaporizer!

It wasn’t until the 20th Century that we started to see innovations beyond that of the hookah. At this point, we saw vape pioneers looking toward portable hand-held vaporizers, much like we use today. In 1927, an American man named Joseph Robinson filed a patent for a device that would be known as the nicotine vaparizor. Then in 1963, Herbert A. Gilbert, to cut back on his smoking, invented the first e-cig. This e-cig did not include nicotine though, this used flavoured vape only. But these guys were ahead of their time, the world was not ready. In the 80s, Phil Ray and Norman Jacobson managed to commercialise the idea of e-cigs. But, still, the world did not embrace it. In fact, even though the popularity of vaping rises each year, vape hesitancy is still pervasive.

While there is a long and rich tradition of vaping that began around the same era as time and space itself, it is still not fully adopted among mainstream Western culture. But then I think, who cares. F the mainstream. As a vaper and a rebel (in my own mind), I rather go my own way. I rather commune through vape with the Scythians, Moguls, Indians, Persians, Turks, and Egyptians of the past, they seem way cooler anyway!

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