Sipping a pipe

[charliejeffy]

I finally figured what "sipping" a pipe means... I know this sounds weird but I used to be a cigarette smoker and I inhaled smoke into my mouth by using my lungs and not breathing while doing so, not by suction. You are supposed to sip exactly like you are with a drink and breath normally while doing it. I hope this helps any ex-cigarette smoker or newbie(like me) who is trying to find out how to keep the pipe bowl and the smoke cool.

 

[deathmetal]

by suction. You are supposed to sip exactly like you are with a drink and breath normally while doing it.

I think this is one of the hardest skills to learn. Cigar smokers seem to get it off the bat, but it's harder for cigarette refugees.

 

[charliejeffy]

It took me one week and trying the breath smoking technique to finally figure it out. The bowl also stays lit better when sipping and the taste is wonderful.

 

[firehosen]

I first thought that having a red hot burning bed of tobacco coals was the key when I first got into pipes. I'm very glad I had someone steer me in the right direction. Keeping in burning but cool is a challenge to the newcomers, but pays in bid dividends. And deathmetal, certainly true. I came from cigars so I had no impulse to inhale with a deep draw, so that was very helpful. Had a few cigarette guys I know choke up big time when they asked to try what i was smoking.

 

[brian64]

One simple thing that helped me is to just focus on my breathing through my nose rather than on smoking the pipe.

 

[michaelmirza]

Took me a while to figure out sipping too, as I described in this thread a while back. It's a game changer for sure!

One simple thing that helped me is to just focus on my breathing through my nose rather than on smoking the pipe.

This is a good test for making sure you're not inhaling into your lungs. Hold the smoke in your mouth and exhale out of your nose. If the smoke stays in your mouth, you're doing it right.

 

[perdurabo]

Yea, once up master sipping, everything starts coming together. Although, tongue bite can still be blend specific. Ice cubes and water become your best friend.

 

[samanden]

The best advice I have for sipping a pipe is to pretend the pipe's stem in a straw; sip from the pipe bowl as you would a hot chocolate.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

That's a fantastic analogy Sam. I've been wracking my brain trying to describe "sipping" not as just "sucking through a straw" but also "very small quantity", but "hot chocolate" perfectly describes the activity here. Implying technique, and both positive and negative consequences.

 

[hextor]

I noticed that when I sip my pipe I tend to get more flavor out the tobacco and also breathing out through the nose, increases the taste even more, I love to exhale through the nose but sometimes it burns when I to that.