Enjoy Pipe Smoking, Appreciate it’s Sweet Aromas
Firstly, before your read further, “Warning Smoking is Bad for Health”
However, I enjoy pipe smoking.
Many people look at tobacco pipe smoking with interest. Even those that have no interest in, actually smoking a pipe can appreciate the sweet aromas and intricacies of quality pipe tobacco. But if you’ve never smoked a tobacco pipe before, it can be a confusing and sometimes daunting accomplishment for beginners.
Compared to other forms of smoking and tobacco use, smoking a tobacco pipe requires a bit of practice and patience to really get the process down. This is a technique that has been mastered by millions of pipe smokers and each of us had to gradually learn how to pack, light and puff on a good tobacco pipe. It takes some commitment, but we would all agree that in the end, the effort is worth it.
Let’s start with packing your tobacco pipe. This is actually the most important part of the process because it determines how your tobacco will burn and the experience that you will get from smoking.
First, take a pinch or two of tobacco and place it in the bowl of your pipe until there are flakes peering out of the top. Then take your tamper or finger and press in on the tobacco lightly but enough to pack the tobacco to half its original volume (half the bowl). Next, add another pinch or two of tobacco until the level reaches the top of the pipe bowl. Depending on the strength of the tobacco blend, some smokers stop here but for beginners it is advised to pack this tobacco down (with a little more pressure) until you only have about 1/4 space at the top of the bowl.
Now, sprinkle a bit more tobacco into the bowl of the pipe until it is barely overflowing. Now it’s time to light her up.
This will take some practice, but you want to inhale or “draw” in air very lightly at first to determine if you have packed the tobacco correctly.
If you start chewing flakes of tobacco then you packed it too lightly and if you are busting blood vessels trying to breathe, then you packed it too hard.
Ideally, it should feel something like breathing through a straw.
To light the pipe, matches work best and of course a non-windy environment is a good idea. Be sure to draw the flame slowly into the bowl and you will see the outer flakes of the tobacco begin to burn. The tobacco will actually expand.
Take a few light puffs and then tamp the tobacco so that the flame is out and you have a nice, softly compressed pack of tobacco again. Light the pipe again and take very slow puffs.
The biggest mistake that new pipe smokers make is to puff too hard or too fast. This can result in a bad burn and even burnt tongue (or tongue “bite”)! If you need to relight (and you will), follow the same procedure without the repacking.
It will take a great deal of practice to get your tobacco pipe lighting process down but that is a good thing because the more you smoke, the more tobacco “cake” forms in the bottom of the bowl. Not unlike a wok, a pipe that has been thoroughly used presents unique and wonderful flavors to its user.
If you are smoking your pipe for the first time, be sure to smoke all of the tobacco to form a nice initial cake in the bowl.
Of course, you don’t want so much cake that you can’t smoke the pipe, so the next thing to know is how to clean the pipe.
Cleaning your pipe is very easy and should theoretically be done after every smoke.
To start, empty any loose tobacco in the pipe by turning it upside down and lightly tap the back of the bowl. Be sure to hold the pipe from the shank and not the stem when doing this.
The next step is to use a pipe cleaner. Bristled pipe cleaners are available in most craft stores and of course at your local tobacconist. Simply stick the pipe cleaner into the stem of your tobacco pipe and lightly scrub around.
Every 5th or 6th time you smoke, you should let your pipe cool and clean it a bit more thoroughly. To do this, remove the stem and dip a pipe cleaner in some whisky or scotch (or something you don’t mind adding to the flavor of your burns). Then run the pipe cleaner through the stem and do the same for the rest of the pipe. Do NOT get alcohol on the outside of any parts of the pipe as it will most likely damage it.
Following these basic guidelines during the life of your tobacco pipe should keep it in good condition. After some practice, packing and lighting your tobacco pipe will become second nature to you.
Hopefully, this article will help get you started on the road of full enjoyment of tobacco pipe smoking. “Warning Smoking is Bad for Health” 
