Few basic questions

edward123 · Nov 3, 2018

Hello,
I have just started smoking a pipe and have a few very basic questions and probably with very obvious answers. I was wondering if people could offer some enlightenment!
1. I started on Kentucky nugget and then switched to Royal Blend Mac Baren from recommends on here. I can't taste anything in the smoke or the flavours when I smoke though. I haven't noticed a difference between the two at all and I'm not picking up the delicious flavours I've heard about Mac Baren. I only really taste the tobacco when I relight and get a big pull of smoke but as I'm smoking/sipping it all just tastes like smoke. What am I doing wrong?

2. I've seen people put their fingers over the bowl when they're smoking. What's the purpose of this?

3. Is it okay to gently blow through the pipe? Seems to keep the tobacco from going out.
Any info or advice would be much appreciated!
Cheers

mso489 · Nov 3, 2018

I don't know what your smoking experience is from the past, so I am in the dark, but it may be like first tasting coffee, when it is indifferent or somewhat unpleasant. Most tastes are indeed acquired, but you begin to achieve the experience and it comes along with a little time. Fingers over the bowl is a way to capture the heat and stoke up the ember just a little; do this gently and sparingly. You can put the pipe out if you cover it too much or too long. Some recommend blowing through the pipe to fire it up; I've never found it useful. My dad was my role model, so I follow his example. He smoked daily, continuously, one pipe only at a time, and only Granger -- from which I have departed completely. He'd slap his forehead to see my array of pipes and blends. He was a Depression kid and had a strong ethos of spare living.

dmcmtk · Nov 3, 2018

1. Try some different tobaccos, you will be surprised how different flavors will reveal themselves as you vary the type of tobaccos you smoke.
2. I'm going to go with the venturi effect.
3. I'm going to say, always make sure the airway is clear, and there is no dottle at the bottom of the bowl before packing and lighting your pipe. I just run a pipe cleaner from the stem end and blow through the pipe from the stem to make sure. The "spoon" on a Czech tool can be helpful with this. Sometime you may also need to run a pipe cleaner while smoking if some tobacco blocks the airway at the bottom of the bowl.

workman · Nov 3, 2018

For flavor, dry your tobacco until it is almost crisp. Steam from moist tobacco will mute the flavors.

I don't do the finger thing and I don't get it either. I would not recommend blowing through your lit pipe. There is a technique where the smoker will draw very slowly and then push some of the smoke back into the pipe and draw again. Forum member Chasing Embers has a video on youtube that explains it. But don't blow. If your pipe goes out, relight. It's as simple as that. And dry your tobacco. And try a looser pack. Try just drizzling the dry tobacco into your bowl without packing at all. Use your pipetool on the ashes while you smoke. That way you will get lots of flavor and from there, you might eventually find a packing routine that works for you.

edward123 · Nov 3, 2018

Thank you all very much for the advice and information. I shall report back once I've tried the pipe a few more times!

Chasing Embers · Nov 3, 2018

I only really taste the tobacco when I relight and get a big pull of smoke but as I'm smoking/sipping it all just tastes like smoke.

Try burley or Latakia blends starting out to attune your palate to tasting smoke then move on to the subtle blends.

2. I've seen people put their fingers over the bowl when they're smoking. What's the purpose of this?

Venturi effect. Forces more air into the bowl to keep the ember going out.

3. Is it okay to gently blow through the pipe? Seems to keep the tobacco from going out.

Chasing Embers has a video on youtube that explains it.

Here ya go!
https://youtu.be/Jw8R7mxECvY

edward123 · Nov 3, 2018

Thankyou! Watching it now.

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