What is a smoking pipe?
A pipe is a tool used for smoking. It contains a mouthpiece and a pipehead. Tobacco goes into the pipehead and suction in the mouthpiece creates a smoke full of taste, for the smoker to enjoy.
Smoking pipes comes in various designs, sizes, materials and prices. Some are beautifully handmade and others are manufactured on a machine.
If you are new to smoking pipes, it can be difficult to choose from the huge variety in stores and online, but I recommend a smoking pipe in the price range of $62 to $77.
Cheaper pipes can sometimes cause a bitter taste. But you also have to note if the tobacco is too moist or dry. Smoking slowly is often the key to many pipe problems, so be aware of your smoking technique.
If you’re not sure how much money you want to spend on a pipe, you can just try a cornpipe, which is cheaper and does not require pre smoking. Be aware that a cornpipe can give the tobacco a slightly different taste than a Bruyere pipe.
Either way, you should choose a straight pipe because a bend pipe can be difficult to keep going.
If you are a newbie in the world of smoking pipes, I have made it easy for you with starter sets, that you can find at the website right here.
The best thing to do is to try different kinds of tobacco and find the right kind for you. It is very individual from smoker to smoker. I would like to suggest with a Virginiatype which has a mild taste and loose cut. A brand such as "My Own Blend" has for example “Jubilæumsblandingen” or “Kong Frederik IX´s Mellow Mixture”. You can also try the classic Mac Baren Mixture. Find tobacco here.
You should only fill half of the pipehead the first 10 times you smoke it. When you are getting used to smoking your pipe, you can fill the entire pipehead.
Take an amount of tobacco in your hand, that corresponds to half a filling. Loosen/untangle the tobacco a little in your hand and put it in the pipehead. You should try to have two layers of tobacco in the pipehead. The lower layer should be rather loose when you put it in, stamp it a little and add the top layer, which should be more firm.
The lower layer will become more firm as you smoke. You can take a draw on the pipe before you light it, to check if air can pass through the tobacco. If the tobacco is too firm, use a pipe tamper/tool, (for example like the ones you find at the website here), to get the tobacco out of the pipe and start over. It can be difficult to get it right, but practice makes perfect.
Now comes the fun part! Once the tobacco is placed correct, its time to light the tobacco and enjoy being a pipe smoker. Use a pipe lighter og matches. Make sure the entire surface of the tobacco gets lit while you puff slowly from the mouthpiece. If you dont succeed with getting the entire surface lit, its better to let the pipe go out instead of puffing frantically. You can burn your tongue.
Start over, take your time.
Unlike cigarettes, you should try not to inhale the smoke. Taste it, enjoy it. Let your tastebuds recognize the notes in the tobacco.
The smokingpipe will get warm while you use it, that´s normal, but its not supposed to get so hot you cant hold it. It will compromise the taste of the tobacco. Let it cool of for a few minutes. The pipe should be cooled down completely before you fill it again.
If the pipe has noises coming from the mouthpiece as you smoke, take a pipe cleaner and gently clean the mouthpiece and remove the moisture.
You have reached the end of my Pipe Guide. I hope you found it useful and that you feel better equipped to explore the world of smoking pipes!