18 April 2017

How to Use Your New Smoking Pipe

Tobacco Pipe

You might not already be aware that your new tobacco pipes should always be broken in. You can break in pipes by only filling half of the pipe’s bowl and drawing very gently, in order to char the pipe’s insides as you do. This will allow your pipe to toughen and give you the best smoking experience.

Light your smoking pipe using a pipe lighter or a wooden match. Using a petrol lighter can cause an unpleasant taste. Although lighting your pipe might seem like an incredibly simple task, there’s actually an art to doing so. First, you’ll need to char the top part of tobacco, allowing the flame to catch while avoiding burning the bowl of the pipe. This is called the charring light. Tamp this charred tobacco down and then apply another flame, and as you do, puff gently. If the tobacco goes out, relight the pipe. You may hear or taste some moisture in the pipe and if this is the case, put a pipe cleaner through the flue. Tamp and relight again if you have to.

If a pipe is properly cared for, it can last for years and even improve with age. In order to ensure that this happens however, you must keep your pipe well maintained. When refilling a pipe, make sure that it is not warm and wait until it cools. Many smokers keep two pipes at hand in order to allow enough time for each to cool while still being able to smoke. When cleaning a pipe, hold it by the bowl, and tip the ash from it, then run a pipe cleaner through its stem, removing any moisture. Do not bash your pipe on the wall, or against your shoe, for this will damage the bowl.

Following the beginning of the pipe’s use, a thin layer of carbon will begin to form, this should never exceed 1.5 mm of thickness, or you will risk cracking the bowl. To manage the layer, use a pipe reamer or a smoker’s knife, do not use a penknife or a pointed object. To use a reamer, insert it and then rotate slowly, this should remove any excess carbon.

When used properly, smoking a pipe can be a very pleasurable experience and in some opinions, better than any other form of smoking but care is needed in order to maximise the quality of the experience and to prolong the life of your pipe.