Tips for the Novice Pipe Smoker

So you want to give pipe smoking a try eh? Perhaps you’re switching over from cigarettes, or maybe you’ve simply been told of the hobby’s allure. Pipe smoking has a bit of a methodology behind it, it’s not a cigarette, there is a process behind setting yourself up for an enjoyable smoking session. This post will let you know some of the basics of pipe smoking, and give you, as a novice, an enjoyable pipe smoking experience.

Picking a Pipe

If it’s your first time trying pipe smoking, it’s a great decision to start out with a corn cob pipe for a few reasons. 1. Corn Cobs are cheap and easily replaced if you somehow break them Plus, if you aren’t entirely sure this is a hobby you enjoy yet, you won’t have to sink a ton of money just to try it out. 2. It will still acclimate you to the pipe smoking experience, and give you a good idea of whether or not it’s a hobby you’d like to pursue. 3. Depending on what your tobacconist carries, you can try straight stemmed or curved stemmed corn cobs, and see which stem type fits more comfortably in your mouth.

Packing the Pipe

Once you have your pipe and tobacco, it’s time to pack the bowl and begin smoking. Now, packing your pipe perfectly dictates a great deal of how enjoyable your smoking session will be. If you don’t pack the pipe well you may find yourself re-lighting, re-packing, or susceptible to a great deal of tongue bite (tongue bite is an uncomfortable feeling of heat from the smoke on your tongue). A lot of people develop their own packing methods, developing the perfect pack however, takes time. I find that the Frank method is rather reliable for a good smoke, and isn’t too difficult to get down.

Lighting your Pipe

You are almost ready to start smoking! All we need to do now is light the pipe. Now, if you’ve smoked a cigarette before, chances are you nonchalantly lit it up with a trusty Bic lighter—do not light your pipe this way! Bic lighters are butane lighters, and butane, I’m afraid, kills flavor! I’ve found that the best way to light a pipe is with a good old match. Light your match, wait for a second or two, then slowly make circular motions above your pipe bowl whilst starting to puff to light your tobacco. This might be a little tricky at first, but once you get used to it, it is by far in my experience the best way to ensure you don’t neutralize the flavor of your tobacco while lighting. 

Conclusion

With these tips in mind you are ready to get into the basic art of pipe smoking. In a follow up post, we’ll cover some of the more advanced nuances of smoking.