Everything about pipes and tobacco


What are pipes used for?

Smoking a pipe requires more apparatuswhile the smoker puffs on the pipe to
and techinique than cigarette or evendraw the flame into the tobacco. Most
cigar smoking. In addition to the pipesmokers will tamp out this initial
itself and matches or a lighter, smokerslighting after a few seconds, pack the
usually require a pipe tool for packing,surface down more tightly, and relight.
adjusting, and emptying the tobacco inIf the tobacco catches fire during
the bowl, and a regular supply of pipeeither light, it can be put out; the
cleaners.goal is to have the surface smoldering
Packingin a uniform way.
Pipe tobacco can be purchased in severalPrevent Burning
forms, which vary both in flavourTo prevent your wood pipe from burning
(leading to many blends, or themake a 50/50 mix of honey and water and
opportunity for the smoker to blenduse your finger to spread it around the
their own tobaccos) and in the physicalinside of the bowl. Let this mixture
shape and size to which the tobacco hasdry. After a few bowls, the mix will
been reduced. Most tobaccos resemblecreate a barrier that will be burn
cigarrette tobacco, but substantiallyresistant.
more moist (so they must be kept inThis method is not considered extremely
airtight packaging), and cut much moreeffective, and can also add a flavor
coarsely. This makes it rather difficultwhich may be undesirable to smokers.
to roll pipe tobacco into cigaretteMost Briar pipes are already pre-treated
papers; but finely cut tobacco does notto resist burn, and if smoked correctly,
allow enough air to flow through thethe cake will build up properly on its
pipe, and overly dry tobacco burns tooown.
quickly with little flavour. Some kindsSmoking
are cut into long narrow ribbons. SomePipe smoke, like cigar smoke, is usually
are pressed into flat cakes which arenot inhaled. It is merely brought into
cut up. Others are tightly wound intothe 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 theit is smoked too quickly, it can produce
fingers and palms until it is looseexcess moisture, producing a gurgling
enough to pack. It can also be crumbledsound in the pipe. A pipe cleaner can be
or simply folded and stuffed into aused to dry it out. The bowl of the pipe
pipe. Some people also prefer to dicecan also become uncomfortably hot,
very coarse tobaccos up before usingdepending 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 pipestem. Meershaum pipes are held in a
in several batches, each one pressedsquare of chamois leather, with gloves,
down until the mixture has a uniformor else by the stem in order to prevent
density that optimizes airflowuneven coloring of the material.
(something that it is difficult to gaugeCleaning
without practice). This can be done withThe ash and the last bits of unburned
a finger or thumb, but if the tobaccotobacco (the dottle) need to be emptied
needs to be repacked later, while it isafter smoking, and the pipe should be
burning, the tamper on a pipe tool iscleaned with some regularity. A cake of
sometimes used. If it needs to beash eventually develops inside the bowl.
loosened, the reamer, or any similarThis is good for controlling overall
long pin can be used.heat, but if it becomes too thick it
Lightingneeds to be scraped down.
Matches, or even separately lit sliversSweetening
of wood, are usually consideredWhen tobacco is burned, oils are
preferable to lighters. Some peoplevaporized and condense on the walls of
complain that lighters impart anthe 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 thepipe to give a sour or bitter smoke. An
flame, they can be harder to use witheffective measure called the Professor's
pipes than matches are. However,Pipe-Sweetening Treatment involves
lighters especially made for pipes existfilling the bowl with salt and carefully
that minimize or eliminate these issues.wetting it with strong spirits. Some
When matches are used, they are normallypeople find that regularly wiping out
allowed to burn for a couple of secondsthe bowl with spirits is helpful in
to remove the sulfur from the tip, andpreventing souring. Commercial
to produce a fuller flame. The flame ispipe-sweetening products are also
then moved in circles above the tobaccoavailable.



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