| Smoking a pipe requires more apparatus | | | | while the smoker puffs on the pipe to |
| and techinique than cigarette or even | | | | draw the flame into the tobacco. Most |
| cigar smoking. In addition to the pipe | | | | smokers will tamp out this initial |
| itself and matches or a lighter, smokers | | | | lighting after a few seconds, pack the |
| usually require a pipe tool for packing, | | | | surface down more tightly, and relight. |
| adjusting, and emptying the tobacco in | | | | If the tobacco catches fire during |
| the bowl, and a regular supply of pipe | | | | either light, it can be put out; the |
| cleaners. | | | | goal is to have the surface smoldering |
| Packing | | | | in a uniform way. |
| Pipe tobacco can be purchased in several | | | | Prevent Burning |
| forms, which vary both in flavour | | | | To prevent your wood pipe from burning |
| (leading to many blends, or the | | | | make a 50/50 mix of honey and water and |
| opportunity for the smoker to blend | | | | use your finger to spread it around the |
| their own tobaccos) and in the physical | | | | inside of the bowl. Let this mixture |
| shape and size to which the tobacco has | | | | dry. After a few bowls, the mix will |
| been reduced. Most tobaccos resemble | | | | create a barrier that will be burn |
| cigarrette tobacco, but substantially | | | | resistant. |
| more moist (so they must be kept in | | | | This method is not considered extremely |
| airtight packaging), and cut much more | | | | effective, and can also add a flavor |
| coarsely. This makes it rather difficult | | | | which may be undesirable to smokers. |
| to roll pipe tobacco into cigarette | | | | Most Briar pipes are already pre-treated |
| papers; but finely cut tobacco does not | | | | to resist burn, and if smoked correctly, |
| allow enough air to flow through the | | | | the cake will build up properly on its |
| pipe, and overly dry tobacco burns too | | | | own. |
| quickly with little flavour. Some kinds | | | | Smoking |
| are cut into long narrow ribbons. Some | | | | Pipe smoke, like cigar smoke, is usually |
| are pressed into flat cakes which are | | | | not inhaled. It is merely brought into |
| cut up. Others are tightly wound into | | | | the mouth and then released. It is |
| long ropes, then sliced into discs. | | | | normal to have to relight a pipe |
| Flake tobacco (sliced cakes or ropes) | | | | periodically. If it is smoked too |
| may be prepared in several ways. | | | | slowly, this will happen more often. If |
| Generally it is rubbed out with the | | | | it is smoked too quickly, it can produce |
| fingers and palms until it is loose | | | | excess moisture, producing a gurgling |
| enough to pack. It can also be crumbled | | | | sound in the pipe. A pipe cleaner can be |
| or simply folded and stuffed into a | | | | used to dry it out. The bowl of the pipe |
| pipe. Some people also prefer to dice | | | | can also become uncomfortably hot, |
| very coarse tobaccos up before using | | | | depending on the material and the rate |
| them, making them easier to pack. | | | | of smoking. For this reason clay pipes |
| In the most common method of packing, | | | | in particular are often held by the |
| tobacco is added to the bowl of the pipe | | | | stem. Meershaum pipes are held in a |
| in several batches, each one pressed | | | | square of chamois leather, with gloves, |
| down until the mixture has a uniform | | | | or else by the stem in order to prevent |
| density that optimizes airflow | | | | uneven coloring of the material. |
| (something that it is difficult to gauge | | | | Cleaning |
| without practice). This can be done with | | | | The ash and the last bits of unburned |
| a finger or thumb, but if the tobacco | | | | tobacco (the dottle) need to be emptied |
| needs to be repacked later, while it is | | | | after smoking, and the pipe should be |
| burning, the tamper on a pipe tool is | | | | cleaned with some regularity. A cake of |
| sometimes used. If it needs to be | | | | ash eventually develops inside the bowl. |
| loosened, the reamer, or any similar | | | | This is good for controlling overall |
| long pin can be used. | | | | heat, but if it becomes too thick it |
| Lighting | | | | needs to be scraped down. |
| Matches, or even separately lit slivers | | | | Sweetening |
| of wood, are usually considered | | | | When tobacco is burned, oils are |
| preferable to lighters. Some people | | | | vaporized and condense on the walls of |
| complain that lighters impart an | | | | the bowl, in the existing cake, and in |
| inappropriate taste to the tobacco. | | | | the shank. Over time, these oils can |
| Because a lighter must be held sideways, | | | | oxidize and turn rancid, causing the |
| putting the fingers much closer to the | | | | pipe to give a sour or bitter smoke. An |
| flame, they can be harder to use with | | | | effective measure called the Professor's |
| pipes than matches are. However, | | | | Pipe-Sweetening Treatment involves |
| lighters especially made for pipes exist | | | | filling the bowl with salt and carefully |
| that minimize or eliminate these issues. | | | | wetting it with strong spirits. Some |
| When matches are used, they are normally | | | | people find that regularly wiping out |
| allowed to burn for a couple of seconds | | | | the bowl with spirits is helpful in |
| to remove the sulfur from the tip, and | | | | preventing souring. Commercial |
| to produce a fuller flame. The flame is | | | | pipe-sweetening products are also |
| then moved in circles above the tobacco | | | | available. |