Pipe smoking

B

bama_lou

Joined
Jun 15, 2004
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I want to introduce myself to the world of pipe smoking. Any suggestions to the novice? Also, I have inherited a Zippo lighter from my uncle who is now 'up in the Great smoke'. Is lighting a pipe with a lighter such as this can be tricky to a beginner? More advices appreciated. :)
 
It's very easy... the trick is in the tamp... tamping the tobacco so that it's not too tight and not too loose. Have a good pipe tool and a few pipe cleaners on hand.
 
There are a couple of good online guides to decent technique. Like the man says, there is a bit of an art to filling, tamping, and lighting.

Most serious pipe smokers eschew the Zippo, both as being poorly designed for lighting pipes and flavoring the tobacco with naptha.... The standard wooden match is hard to beat.
 
Matches are the way to go. Get a good pipe too if you can afford it. Better to save up for a Peterson than to go through a bunch of $10.00 specials. I "inherited" some old pipes from my grandfather-in-law. They had laid fallow for several years. I cleaned them all up and they are fine now.
 
Check these out:
http://www.pipes.org/how_to.html
http://www.pipes.org/FAQ.html
http://www.pipes.org/article.php?story=20040218003923236

What the other said... and try getting some decent tobacco. Nothing wrong with drug store tobacco (if you can still by it in your local drug store :confused: ) but you may want to experiment with some premium brands that are more likely to burn cooler and drier.

Get yourself some pipe cleaners to run down the stem if the pipe gets moist.

Personally I like the zippo pipe lighter - I choose matches if I'm sitting still somewhere and I've got two hands - but I smoke in the car a lot and it's tough to relight with a match while driving ;)

Enjoy!
John-Boy
 
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In fact, I want to help myself to some pipes left over by my uncle and grandpa. But I want to buy my first pipe. What do you recommend?
 
I found a local cigar/pipe/tobacco shop and asked for advise from the owner. He was very helpful and had many different blends to try out. If you have a place nearby, I recommend you start there. Oh, wood match 1st, Bic 2nd, Zippo last, IMO.
 
If you buy a cheap pipe and cheap tobacco, you will NOT have a good experience and you won't ever truly know if you like pipe smoking or not.

Start with a new pipe. I have my dad's pipes, but I don't smoke them. An old ("estate") pipe can be great or it can stink.

As mentioned earlier, Peterson probably has the best bang for the buck. Get a model in the $50.00 to $100.00 range. Go to a tobacco shop and ask for a mild aromatic tobacco. One with a vanilla flavor is a good bet.

The tobacco should be moist, not dry. If it is dry at the shop, find another shop.

Break in your new pipe slowly. Fill it only half way for the first few smokes. Don't reload and "chain smoke" your pipe. The bowl needs to cool down between smokes. That is why most pipe smokers have several pipes which they rotate.

My wife gave me this quote: "A pipe gives a wise man time to think and a fool something to stick in his mouth."

Have fun.
 
I like the good ol corn cob pipe. They are not very expensive, and most have a filter which I feel cuts down on the bite of the tobacco. When they start to skunk, just throw them away and start a new one. I use Prince Albert and Half and Half.
Scott
 
there is never a good reason to introduce yourself to smoking.

quitting sucks. :(
 
How cheap is cheap? What about the Sav-On pipes? I'm not going to spend a lot for one beginner pipe so...
 
If you do need to go cheap - go with a corn cob. You'll get a decent smoke for about 5 bucks.

JM Boswell makes decent briar pipes in the 40 dollar range. Anything under that - unless it's an estate pipe - is probably "cheap."
 
I smoke cigars, but I've always enjoyed the smell of pipe tobaccos. Do you inhale into the lungs, or is it like a cigar smoke, only into the mouth?
 
Like cigars, pipe smoke is not for inhaling. Just draw it in and puff it out. I don't know anyone who actually inhales it, but I guess there's bound to be some iron lung out there that does.
 
I love a good cigar, but I'm not much of a pipe smoker. But (I work in the media industry) this plea from a reporter just came across my desk:

Whatever happened to pipes? Remember? Any male over 50 used to smoke one, usually while reading a hardcover book with a dog on the rug at the foot of his recliner as he (the man) drank a scotch, and the captain of a ship stared out at him from the oil painting next to the fireplace on whose mantle rested a pewter tankard (not to put too fine a point on it). So, what happened? How come cigars are still around, and hookahs, God help us, are hip, but the pipe is a rare thing indeed? When and why did it fall out of favor? Tell all. Contact: Lenore Skenazy, lskenazy@yahoo.com

Just thought some of you guys might want to contact the lady and enlighten her. She works for a major newspaper.
 
Just wanted to throw an extra reccomendation for a cob as a starter pipe. My cobs still smoke better and more consistently well than several of my briar pipes. Finding a good pipe shop and letting the fellas there show you a few tips and tricks would be a very good idea. You'll also be able to pick out a blend that appeals to you.

I would also suggest sticking with matches, at least for a time. They don't leave any hint of gassy aftertaste, which is a good thing to eliminate.

Figuring out how to pack and tamp, and developing your smoking 'cadence' makes the process all very personal and methodical, and relaxing.
 
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