Hello all,
I'm coming into pipes from cigars and I'm having many of the typical newbie problems. I'm trying to follow experts' advice but not having a great deal of success. Let me indulge here briefly.
The wife won't allow cigars in the house but tolerates aromatics. I've also tried a couple of latakia-blends but (a) I didn't like the overpowering taste and (b) the wife didn't like the room note. I do have one store-brand with a touch of latakia that's quite pleasant. Frog Morton, on the other hand, was far too strong.
The issue for me is technique, or probably in my case, the lack thereof. I've tried the Frank method of packing as well as 1-2-3 and the "stuff it in lightly with you finger but not too tight" method. I've used soft-flame pipe lighters and matches and prefer the lighter. I don't tamp too often and very lightly at that. I sip lightly, not draw as I would on a cigar.
But with all that advice followed, I'm still having problems keeping a bowl lit. At least 10 relights are necessary, at the very least. My pipe will go from smoking nicely to "out" with no warning whatsoever and I always get gurgle. I can also never, ever smoke everything down to the end; there's always about 2 or 3 mm worth of unburnt t'baccy in the bottom of the bowl. If I pack loosely I get no smoke. Too tight, it goes out. Relight, relight, relight, relight. If I leave it alone for more than 20-30 seconds it's out or only yields a wisp or two of smoke when I draw on it again. If I sip lightly I get very little smoke. Too much, I get tongue burn.
As for the tobacco, how best should I be storing it? I keep it in the ziplock baggie it comes in from the shop. When I squeeze it together it invariably feels clumpy and I get an oily residue on my hands, yet that's how it comes from the tobbaconists (De La Concha and Nat Sherman in Manhattan), so I assume they're storing it correctly. My "gut" is telling me it's too wet. What should I do to dry it out? Or if it's not too wet, what am I doing incorrectly?
I ask you, fellow Brothers Of The Briar, what corrective measures should this pipe newbie undertake to get that elusive cool, great tasting smoke?
My thanks in advance.
I'm coming into pipes from cigars and I'm having many of the typical newbie problems. I'm trying to follow experts' advice but not having a great deal of success. Let me indulge here briefly.
The wife won't allow cigars in the house but tolerates aromatics. I've also tried a couple of latakia-blends but (a) I didn't like the overpowering taste and (b) the wife didn't like the room note. I do have one store-brand with a touch of latakia that's quite pleasant. Frog Morton, on the other hand, was far too strong.
The issue for me is technique, or probably in my case, the lack thereof. I've tried the Frank method of packing as well as 1-2-3 and the "stuff it in lightly with you finger but not too tight" method. I've used soft-flame pipe lighters and matches and prefer the lighter. I don't tamp too often and very lightly at that. I sip lightly, not draw as I would on a cigar.
But with all that advice followed, I'm still having problems keeping a bowl lit. At least 10 relights are necessary, at the very least. My pipe will go from smoking nicely to "out" with no warning whatsoever and I always get gurgle. I can also never, ever smoke everything down to the end; there's always about 2 or 3 mm worth of unburnt t'baccy in the bottom of the bowl. If I pack loosely I get no smoke. Too tight, it goes out. Relight, relight, relight, relight. If I leave it alone for more than 20-30 seconds it's out or only yields a wisp or two of smoke when I draw on it again. If I sip lightly I get very little smoke. Too much, I get tongue burn.
As for the tobacco, how best should I be storing it? I keep it in the ziplock baggie it comes in from the shop. When I squeeze it together it invariably feels clumpy and I get an oily residue on my hands, yet that's how it comes from the tobbaconists (De La Concha and Nat Sherman in Manhattan), so I assume they're storing it correctly. My "gut" is telling me it's too wet. What should I do to dry it out? Or if it's not too wet, what am I doing incorrectly?
I ask you, fellow Brothers Of The Briar, what corrective measures should this pipe newbie undertake to get that elusive cool, great tasting smoke?
My thanks in advance.
