Select a pipe that suits you

Select a pipe that suits you:

• The width of the mouth piece should give a satisfactory grip
• The pipe should have the right weight for you.
• For the beginner, a medium sized bowl.

Fill your pipe bit by bit, pressing the tobacco slightly, firmer as the pipe gradually fills up, keeping in mind that the tobacco maintains its resilience. A pipe filled too tightly, will require strong pulling power, and a pipe filled too loosely, will result in fiercely burning tobacco and a hot bowl (A consequence may be wet smoking and an irritated tongue).

Care for an even burning pipe. Bring, after lighting, the curling tobacco back into the bowl, press lightly and, if necessary, relight. Should your pipe be extinguished during smoking, just remove the layer of ash, and relight the tobacco. Tobacco does not quickly lose its flavour. Use long matches so you have plenty of time to light the tobacco evenly.

Smoke in peace and quiet. Forceful and rapid draws cause a restlessness, fast burning pipe that does not taste nearly as good. Pipe smoking should become a natural extension of the breathing rhythm - unhurried and gentle. This might explain the pipe’s mystique. Peace of mind and relaxation are to be transferred to you.

Maintain a coin-thick layer of carbon in the bowl. From its first smoke a briar begins to form a coat of carbon within the bowl which will thicken, almost imperceptibly with each subsequent fill. The carbon should not be more than a coin-thick or otherwise you risk cracking the bowl.

Use pipe cleaners to keep the pipe clean and dry. Put the pipe aside with the stem upwards. When your pipe is empty, it is better to clean it right away with a cleaner, and set is aside for some hours with a cleaner in the stem. In this way much moisture is absorbed by the cleaner. On the other hand the cleaner should not be left permanently in the stem; a pipe benefits from ventilation.

Re-use the pipe only when it is completely dry. This will explain why regular smokers have a selection of pipes at their disposal; they smoke pipes in rotation.

Do not smoke a hot pipe or re-fill one that is still warm. If you need to relight halfway through a pipe, first remove all ash and tap the remaining tobacco down gently and then light up. But do not top up with new, until you have smoked or emptied out the remaining tobacco.

Beyond regular cleaning, a point demanding attention is the occasional need to clear the bowl of excess char. The best method is to use a pipe reamer or smoker’s knife. Insert it in the bowl and turn, slowly, stripping off the layer of carbon to the required depth.

Moisturising a new pipe is strictly speaking not required, yet is not advised against. A pipe can be moisturised by honey, syrup, rum, whisky, or another flavour you might prefer. Let this soak overnight into the pipe.

• How to Smoke a Tobacco Pipe
• How To Choose Gifts For A Pipe Smoker
• How To Clean and Care For Meerschaum Pipe
• How To Pack and Light Pipe Step by Step
• Four Pipe Buying Myths
• How To Select The Right Pipe

How to Keep Pipes from Freezing

Taking the steps below before freezing temperatures arrive can help you avoid frozen pipes--and the inside frozen meter charge.

* Seal cracks: Caulk around door frames and windows and around pipes where they enter the house to reduce incoming cold.

* Wrap all pipes in unheated areas: Pipes in unheated areas such as the crawl space under the house, attic, garage and unheated basement should be wrapped to prevent freezing. Use insulating tape and wrap it over the entire length of exposed pipe. You can also use flexible molded pipe sleeves. Cover all valves, pipe fittings, etc. with insulating tape or fiberglass. We do not recommend electric heat tape for insulating water lines.

* Protect outdoor pipes and faucets: In some homes, the outside faucet has its own shut-off in the basement in addition to the shut-off valve for the entire house. If you have a separate valve for outside faucets, close the valve, remove hoses and drain the faucet. If you don't have a separate valve, wrap the outside faucets (hose bibs) in newspapers or rags covered with plastic.

* Drain in-ground sprinklers: Check the manufacturer's instructions for the best way to do this.

* Open cupboard doors in the kitchen and bathrooms: Water lines supplying these rooms are frequently on outside walls. Any air leaks in siding or insulation can cause these pipes to freeze. Leaving the doors open when the temperature is below freezing allows them to get more heat.

* Let faucets farthest from the street or at the end of the system drip in below-freezing weather: This will add to your bill, but the amount will be nothing compared to the inconvenience and cost if the meter or pipes freeze.

* Turn off all your water and drain your system if you are leaving for a long time: Turn off the main shut-off valve, then turn on all faucets, sinks, tubs, showers, etc. and flush the toilets. Turn off the water heater. Then go back to the main shut-off valve and remove the plug so it can drain completely. Leaving your furnace on a low setting while you are gone helps, but it may not prevent freezing.

Pipe and Tobacco Combinations

Pipes can sometimes be very finicky when it comes to the kind and type of tobacco that it will burn well. It pays to try 2 or 3 bowls of a specific tobacco in a specific pipe and record how it smoked. Then try a different tobacco and take note of the results. Continue to experiment until you find a tobacco that burns cool, dry and clean. You'll find that a pipe will burn one specific tobacco better than anything else you might pack in it.

You might also encounter the rare pipe that will burn most tobaccos equally well. Sometimes it comes down to engineering but often times it's inexplicable. As a rule of thumb tall narrow bowls burn flakes well and wide shallow bowls burn mixtures well.

Wide bowls also tend to tame hot burning tobaccos due to the greater surface area. The shape of the bowl can make a difference to. Conical or V shaped bowls will do a better job of burning tobacco that is hard to keep lit or has a tendency to smoke wet and will intensify the flavors of the tobacco. Cylindrical bowls that have basically the same diameter from top to bottom will tend to burn a bit cooler and slower which will bring out the subtleties in the tobacco.

As much as finding the right tobacco is a journey so is finding the magical combination of pipe and tobacco. Enjoy the ride!

Without ever having to re-light trick

There are many tricks that can be using to keep your tobacco burning without constant re-lighting. This little trick will take a little time to master but once you do it will become second nature and part of your smoking habit. The concept behind this method is similar to a bellows.

When you sense that your pipes is going out, simply blow into the stem very gently. After a few gentle breaths into the pipe you'll notice that your tobacco will begin to smolder and re-ignite. Now partially cover your bowl with your thumb and take a couple of deep puffs. Your tobacco should once again be fully lit.

Ideally, you should practice this technique the whole time you are smoking your pipe and not wait until it is about to go out. Master this technique and you'll be able to smoke your pipe all the way to the bottom without ever having to re-light.

Five Tips for Your Briar Pipes

1. Above all, be patient, and take things slow. For most, the pipe smoking experience isn't pleasant until skills in packing, lighting, tamping, and smoking cadence are mastered, and you've found some tobacco blends and a pipe that suit you. Tongue bite means you're doing something wrong. If you don't like it at first, keep experimenting, and discuss your new hobby with experienced smokers.

2. Keep a pipe cleaner handy. At the first sign of moisture coming through the stem of the pipe, stick the pipe cleaner into the stem and let it absorb any condensation.

3. If the pipe gets hot, let it go out and cool down. Smoking a pipe too hot won't taste good, and it may damage your pipe and/or your tongue. A good guide as to whether your pipe is too hot is if you can't hold the bowl against your cheek comfortably then let it cool down.

4. Allow briar pipes time to rest between smokes - the consensus is at least a day. Consider adding some corn cob pipes to your rotation while you build your collection of briar pipes. A meerschaum pipe is a great investment due to their smoking quality and the fact that they don't need to rest between smokes.

5. Avoid buying the cheap "basket" or department store briar pipes. A corn cob pipe will smoke much better than a cheap briar, and cost much less if finances are a problem.

Six Tips for Your Pipes

Q: How often should I clean my pipes?
A: Depends on the tobacco you smoke. Pipes used for wet smoking tobaccos, such as aromatics will need to be cleaning more often then pipes used for dry smoking tobaccos such as Virginias and English.

Q: Should I clean my pipes when they are hot or cold?
A: Only clean your pipe when it is room temperature. Cleaning a cold or hot pipe could lead to damage.

Q: Should I store my pipes with a pipe cleaner in the stem?
A: No. This will slow or inhibit the evaporation of excess moisture in the pipe.

Q: Why does my pipe gurgle?
A: There are many reasons. Improper packing, tobacco that is too moist and mis-drilled airways are some of the many things that will cause this problem.

Q: Why can't I seem to smoke my pipe to the very bottom of the bowl?
A: Again, there are many reasons. Often times they are the same problems that cause pipes to gurgle. Most commonly it is the lack of a proper "cake" in the bottom of the bowl.

Q: Why does my pipe taste sour?
A: This happens when I pipe hasn't been properly clean for quite some time. Tars and nicotine that has absorbed into the bowl and adhered to the stem are the culprits.