Does anyone on these forums smoke a pipe? I really would like to get into them but i honestly have no clue where to start. And as another plus my mother actually wants me to smoke a pipe because she loves the smell! Any input is appreciated, happy smokin everyone!

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God is great. Beer is good. People are crazy.

Alex Williams:

Does anyone on these forums smoke a pipe? I really would like to get into them but i honestly have no clue where to start. And as another plus my mother actually wants me to smoke a pipe because she loves the smell! Any input is appreciated, happy smokin everyone!

Do a search on pipes on these forums, I know that Maddy and Urbino and others all had HUGE discussions around pipes and brands and blends and step by steps... they were really getting into it...

I even think that Maddy started www.pipe.com just to compete with www.cigar.com ;)

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I'd rather be a Smart-A$$ than a Dumb-A$$

Bought a pipe, tamp,and an ounce of tobacco today and I'm gonna try to get started on it tomorrow afternoon. Any tips?

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God is great. Beer is good. People are crazy.

Alex Williams:

Bought a pipe, tamp,and an ounce of tobacco today and I'm gonna try to get started on it tomorrow afternoon. Any tips?

dont let failure get you down. a good pipe is hard to keep going. try leaving the tobacco for that bowl out a bit (30 min) before packing. this should help keep it lit.


pack it three times. first pack it with the hand of a child. on top of that, pack it with the hand of a mother. last time pack it with the hand of a father.

im not big into a pipe myself but i have one and every now and then i break it out. I find cigars much more social while smoking. less fuss. pipes are good for quiet contemplation.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

Learning how to pack the tobacco is going to be the hardest thing your going to have to figure out. Actually I just found a pretty good starter article on it here.

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brsmith21:

I've heard the first step is admitting that you have a problem. Thankfully, I don't have a problem. I'll just smoke more.

thats a way different way than i was taught. im gunna give that a try next time a pipe is in order.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

The guy at my B&M taught me to do it the same way you said kuzi. Great terminology haha

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God is great. Beer is good. People are crazy.

I dont get it, you pack it three times right after each time? do you add more tobacco between each pack?

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"...And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear." -Haggai 2:5

yup.

the goal is to have the tobacco be lose on the bottom and tighter on the top.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

If it's a wooden pipe, briar, etc., not a synthetic, don't pack it all the way to the top. Fill it halfway for awhile until the pipe starts to "season" and builds up some material along the inside. You will find it smokes smoother after that.

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“A good cigar is like a beautiful chick with a great body who also knows the American League box scores.” – M*A*S*H, Klinger

With my pipe I fill it up loosely, then pack that down till it's about half full, then I fill it again loosely and pack it till it's about 3/4 full, then I fill it again loosely and pack it till its about 3/4 full again. That usually keeps it lit pretty well for me. I usually find myself correcting a bit more than a stick, but I'm a novice...I also was taught to treat a new pipe for a couple days before smoking it by rubbing it down with whiskey, then a dab of honey on your finger, spread around, then rub it again with whiskey to clean most of the honey off. Let it sit with the whiskey residue for a day or two, then when you smoke it the coating builds up on the inside to smooth out the smoke quicker.

YankeeMan:

If it's a wooden pipe, briar, etc., not a synthetic, don't pack it all the way to the top. Fill it halfway for awhile until the pipe starts to "season" and builds up some material along the inside. You will find it smokes smoother after that.

yes! you wanna build a up a "cake"

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

Well, like others have said:

When you first get the pipe, you'll crack it if you fill it up immediately. Fill up the bottom 1/3 of the bowl, and smoke that about 10-20 times; then fill up another 1/3 another 10-20 time - after that, you can fill the entire bowl up and smoke however you like. Like a humidor, new pipes need to be seasoned

They make clay pipes, but I wouldn't recommend them - they get too hot to actually hold. Briar is a very nice wood and I've never had a single problem with it, but if you've got the money, I'd recommend Mersham (I probably spelled that wrong) - it's a white wood that turns yellow the more you smoke (some of them become really beautiful after a few years of smoking). Don't buy any pipe that requires a filter in it - those kinds of pipes are cheap and are complete pain in the ass

Lastly, buy some pipe cleaners - if you start getting tar in your mouth or the tobacco becomes bitter, clean that sucker out

If you want to find some nice pipes, Peterson pipes are among the best (can't remember any other names at the moment), but go to here to find a nice selection: http://www.cupojoes.com/

My favorite tobacco is Captain Black (I never met anyone who didn't like the smell of this tobacco - I get compliments from non-smokers all the time) or Borkum Riff (the original and cherry flavors are pretty good)

EDIT - a pipe smoking tip - you need to suck smoke in as well as blow smoke out to keep the pipe lit; any by blowing out, I mean blowing out through the pipe, so after sucking in smoke and exhaling it, you blow a blast of air back into the pipe stem. Unlike a cigar, blowing out helps keep the pipe lit, the smoke fresh, and the experience better. An experienced pipe smoker can keep a full bowl lit for over an hour without re-lighting. But if your pipe goes out, don't be afraid to relight it - so long as you relight it quickly, there won't be any taste difference (if you wait and the ashes go cold, it'll taste disgusting though)

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Happiness is a warm gun, a lit cigar, a good woman and a faithful dog

Thanks Kuzi, the word went right out of my head and somehow "soot" didn't sound so nice!

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“A good cigar is like a beautiful chick with a great body who also knows the American League box scores.” – M*A*S*H, Klinger

xmacro:

EDIT - a pipe smoking tip - you need to suck smoke in as well as blow smoke out to keep the pipe lit; any by blowing out, I mean blowing out through the pipe, so after sucking in smoke and exhaling it, you blow a blast of air back into the pipe stem. Unlike a cigar, blowing out helps keep the pipe lit, the smoke fresh, and the experience better. An experienced pipe smoker can keep a full bowl lit for over an hour without re-lighting.

I've been asking the people at the (now far less reputable) store where I buy my pipe tabacco from, why I can't keep it lit for very long. They kept telling me I'm packing it wrong, and they even gave me pampflets and instructions on how to pack, light, and smoke, but blowing back into the pipe was never in anything they gave me or told me... Watson!! you're a genius! I mean Mr. Macro. But seriously, you've just made my day. For over a year now, I've been fighting with my pipe thinking I'm just doig it all wrong, but that makes perfect sense.

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"If I cannot smoke in heaven, then I shall not go" Mark Twain