Pipes
Choosing a Pipe
Pipes comes in various shape and a multitude of designs, and a choice of a pipe is more related to a personal taste and lifestyle.
The majority of pipes sold today are made of Briarwood burls composed of very dense, fire-resistant wood and known for its durability. The pipes made from Briar can withstand the heat of burning tobacco which may exceed 700 degrees Fahrenheit. High quality briarwood also absorbs moisture from the tobacco, thus producing a drier smoke that is highly prized by pipe smokers. Compared with other hardwoods, such as hornbeam, beech, chestnut, olive, oak and cherry, briarwood does not impart an unpleasant taste to the smoke. Briar can come in different finish types, such as Carved, Brushed, rustic, Sandblast and Smooth.
How to smoke a Pipe
1. Pack the Bowl
Fill the bowl with a loose pinch of tobacco, then press it down gently with the tamper. It should now be filled about halfway. Top it off with another pinch, then tamp it down again. At this point, the bowl should be about two-thirds of the way full. Now add and tamp one more pinch of tobacco, leaving a tiny bit of space to the top of the bowl.
2. Test Draw
Before lighting, give it a few quick test puffs to make sure that air flows freely. If it doesn’t, start over.
3. Light Up
The first step in getting a pipe lit is the charring light. Holding the flame above the bowl, take about half a dozen shorter puffs, while moving the lighter in a circle around the bowl, in order to char the top of the tobacco. After this, tamp it down once more to create a nice caking on the top. After this charring light, once again hold the flame above the bowl, and this time take a dozen deep draws to really get the flame down into the tobacco. Once lit, continue to take some deeper puffs to make sure you get a nice ember that will last a long time.
4. Puff
5. Pace Yourself
Don’t attempt to smoke your pipe too fast — you might get what experienced pipe smokers call “tongue bite,” which is a burning, irritated sensation across the surface of your tongue. Puff at a leisurely pace and enjoy. It’s not uncommon for a pipe to go out and require relighting several times within a single smoking session.
6. Clean Out When Finished
When your session is over, be sure to tap or scrape out the bowl, as letting it sit for too long can make it difficult to clean later. If your pipe is making a gurgling sound or sensation, moisture has built up in the stem and it needs a deeper cleaning. Regular cleaning is also important for ensuring that the taste of the tobacco isn’t tainted.
In addition to the pipe itself, pipe accessories often go in pair when purchasing a pipe. Pipe Lighter, Tamper, Pipe Pouches, Pipe tool, Pipe Reamer, Pipe ashtray, Pipe stand, cleaners and filters are requested for a complete smoking experience.
Different forms of Pipes
Pipes can be shaped Straight, Bent or Half Bent.
The shape of the stern is a matter to consider. Whether straight or curved, it all falls on someone’s taste and preference. The argument for straight is that some people prefer when the bowl sits higher avoiding the smoke to head directly on the face. A curved stem, on the other hand, is much easier on the mouth and sits more gently rather than having to work to keep the pipe situated.
Pipe Cleaner
Pipe Cleaners can be used for many applications. The main one being: removing moisture and residue form smoking pipes. A pipe cleaner is small and bendable. The average pipe cleaner is 15 – 17 cm long. This makes it long enough to reach any place in the stem of your pipe.
The pipe should be cleaned once it cooled for an hour or so, the stem should be removed and then the cleaner must be run through it many times.
Pipe Filter
Some pipes are filter free whether the majority of pipes comes with one. Filters help you to slow down your smoke, as you can smoke too quickly and draw too hard when puffing without one. This, in turn, helps to keep the smoke cooler and allows you to experience more of the tobacco’s flavour. We recommend replacing the filter every two or three smokes; the saturation of the filter can vary depending on the type of tobacco used and how you smoke. When the mouthpiece is removed from the bowl, take the opportunity to clean the pipe with a cleaner.
Tobacco
Pipe tobacco can be easily found at a tobacconist were a multitude of aromas and blend are found. Usually, people choose what smells best to them among the fruiter varieties, darker, lighter and more classic tobacco blends.
“I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgement in all human affairs”