Basic newbie questions

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

nhbard

Lurker
Sep 19, 2013
10
0
Hello all,
I'm sure these questions have been answered to some degree, but I tend to always have follow-up questions, so I figured I'd start at the beginning.
I briefly smoked a pipe about 10 years ago, but never developed the habit, so I don't really know HOW to smoke a pipe. For example: it seems very difficult to keep the bowl lit. Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong? It goes out fast - like, as soon as I stop puffing.
Does the bowl have to be filled above the draw hole in order to work? If the tobacco is below that hole does it prevent the proper air circulation?
I currently have one pipe, but have ordered 2 more - all inexpensive at this point. Will different shaped pipes give different smoking experiences? What I mean is, some pipes are very curved while others are very straight (basically a bowl on top of a stem). I'm thinking Sherlock Holmes vs Norman Rockwell, LOL.
I'm sure I have other questions, but that's all for now.
Thanks

 

05venturer

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
1,622
2
Amery,WI
Welcome nhbard, first thing go to the :Pipe Smoking Basics & Beginner Questions " section of the forum. That will be a great starting point.

Welcome to the Club!!

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,211
60,627
Welcome to Forums. You'll get plenty of answers here. Most people breaking in a new pipe will fill the bowl about half full

at first, to develop carbon in the lower part of the bowl, then 2/3rds full, for two or three smokes each, then fill it up. Keeping

it lit depends on packing it just right, doing a little tamping to get started, and not being afraid to relight as necessary. You

should be able to get by with two or three lights most times, but don't keep count. Sometimes one light will do it. Big wide

bowls, like pot, prince and author shape pipes are especially good for big, complex blends, like English or Balkan. These are

a few answers, but there is a raft of material available on each of your questions. Keep on reading, and read the pipes magazine

articles and other material available online. The learning curve is part of the fun, and it never ends.

 

wilson

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 17, 2013
719
1
Yes, you need to fill your pipe above the draught hole in order to be able to smoke your tobacco. If not, air, necessary for combustion, will not be drawn through the tobacco and it will not stay lit. In most decently constructed pipes, the draught hole is at, or very close to, the bottom of the bowl, so you could have only a tiny amount of tobacco in the bowl if the draught hole is not covered.
In general, you want to fill your pipe. Some use partial bowls for break-in, and some pack a half-bowl for a short smoke (though there are some who would advise against this, at least on a regular basis). By and large, you cannot smoke just a pinch of tobacco: you need to fill up the bowl. You need not finish the bowl in one sitting. In contrast to cigars, which turn nasty if left to go cold, most pipe tobacco is just fine if you smoke part of the bowl and then put it down and return to it a few hours later.
Pipe tobacco, like a cigar, will go out if it is not puffed regularly. How regular? Depends. With experience we learn a cadence that works for us. Pipes will also tend to go out if not packed properly. There are some videos around, but there is an element of feel to this that you develop with a bit of practice and experience. For most tobacco, simply pouring some into the bowl is way too loose. On the other hand, the goal is not to cram as much tobacco into the bowl as is humanly possible.
As your learn your pipe and tobacco (each is a bit different) and develop your cadence, your pipe will sometimes go out. Mine still go out, particularly if I'm doing something else (like typing here) and not paying attention. No big deal. Tamp lightly and re-light. Tamp lightly. Again, the idea with a tamper is to even out the top and to get better contact between the burning ember and the tobacco below. The goal is not to compress the tobacco as much as you can.
The overall shape of the pipe (bent, half-bent, straight), I think, is mostly a matter of what you like and what is comfortable to hold. I don't think it makes much, if any difference, in the taste one gets from the tobacco. For me, bent pipes seem to collect moisture in the stem and gurgle more readily than straight pipes. I'm sure that someone else will claim the opposite. And another will claim that I simply have not yet fully mastered pipe smoking. So it goes. The bowl size, however, can make a difference for some as far as the taste of the tobacco is concerned. Those with more discerning palates than I will claim that a certain tobacco is best in a small bowl, while another blend is best in a large diameter bowl, etc. For a beginner, such subtleties are probably not noticeable, particularly as you struggle to learn how to pack and how to keep your bowl lit.
The good news is that it's not rocket science. In pretty short order, and some trial and error, you'll figure it out. And, ask questions here. Lots of good help available.

 
Status
Not open for further replies.