My three rules of pipe smoking

[youdancer]

Good thread.

For me, tamping less than I thought was the best lesson...

 

[mso489]

Instead of rules, call them "three friendly pointers." See, it changes the whole thing. To our amazement, diction (word choice) matters.

 

[p40warhawk]

Some great rules and commandments! Ya see, you can teach an old dog new tricks!
Dan

 

[mso489]

Yup, mandates and commands punishable under pipe law. That'll win 'em over.

 

[warren]

One of the attributes of many pipe smokers is their abhorrence of “rules”.

Balanced by the dogmatic smokers who will insist that it is "their way or ... the highway" regarding how to achieve a satisfactory bowl. Pipe smoking seems to have more than it's fair share of self-appointed arbiters.

 

[cigrmaster]

Here are my rules.
Never load a pipe with dry tobacco as it burns hot and has no flavor.

Never pack a pipe too loosely as it will burn hot and lose flavor.

Always check the draw before lighting and look for the resistance that I know works best for me.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I think in general, smoking drier, packing lighter, tamping lighter, smoking slower and puffing shorter and slower work well. My primary rule though is to enjoy smoking my pipe. Each bowl of tobacco you load is slightly different. Every bowl size/shape/depth is different. The temperature and humidity varies. My palate and mood vary. There are enough things I do in life that have relatively hard and fast rules. No way I stick to a bunch of stupid rules when doing something for pleasure.

 

[jpmcwjr]

One little problem: No one knows what dry or moist tobacco is, in terms of another smoker. In terms of a given tin. In terms of ambient humidity. There are methods, but that requires arcane equipment, such as a five dollar hygrometer.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

My fingers adequately tell me all I need to know. It doesn't have to be that perfect.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Of course. Same with most smokers who have experience. But it's of little use to convey to others what level of moisture there is. (Not just you; everyone.) The advice of making a ball of it and see how/if it re-expands is useful, but rudimentary.

 

[anotherbob]

My immutable pipe rule. Is it's for enjoyment if ritualizing the perfect smoke is enjoyment for you do that. If dumping dripping wet tobacco into a pipe and using a blow torch is enjoyable for you do that. But knowing a little about how a pipe works might just make it more fun if you don't get bogged down with it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Good points. I try to know a lot about how my pipes work, and then try to let it become second nature.

 

[szconrad]

Totally agree with those points. I often find myself packing more tobacco into the bowl, thinking that packing more will mean a longer smoke. That's never been the case. To really enjoy the flavors of the blend, pack lightly!