Confession is Good for the Soul (So They Say)

[Gavrin]

Title edited. Rule 9. -jpm

For all you experienced pipe smokers out there: How long did it take before you declared to yourself that you now consistently packed your pipe well? The second part -and one of note-to that question is: How did you measure your success? And now, last but not least: Was there a particular “Ah hah” moment for you causing the “light bulb” to turn on? If so please share it for us newbies. This is not asking for a repeat of what can be found on the forums in terms of technique but wanting your personal experience as you were starting out. Thanks!

 

[cigrmaster]

I knew I made it when I could consistently get a great smoke every time. I packed it properly, dried it perfectly and smoked it at a cadence that worked for me. It took years, and it was no easy task. You need patience and don't give up till the magic happens.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Like you, I am new. Tongue bite plagued me for months. I was concerned about lightings and packing. There were times where I just stopped for a week. Then, it happened that I could enjoy a bowl, taste the Latakia, and focus on other things.

I blame or give credit to the good internet friends and members here for any success I may now enjoy.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

From what I remember, I think from the first pipe that I that I ever packed 14 years ago, I did a pretty good job.
Nobody told me how. Simple enough really with a bit of common sense.

 

[mso489]

I don't think most ever ascend to pipe-smoking nirvana. Experience is wonderful and certainly smooths the way and puts a lot of pipe smoking on automatic pilot. But there is always a new and different blend, an unusual cut, odd smoking circumstances, variations in your own dexterity, and so on. At some point, you feel like you've graduated from pipe college, but like any new college graduate, you have a lifetime of learning ahead of you. Graduating just means that you now have a method for learning.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I have just never had an issue with putting the tobacco into the pipe. I just have always put it in with no fanfare or standing ovations. I've never packed too tight, because that would be stupid. And, if I packed it too loose, then that is what the tamper is for.
It wasn't till I was standing in a pipe shop with big goons staring into their pipes and consoling each other on this or that technique for packing a pipe that I realized that this was an issue for some folks. It baffles me.

Are there other things that people just pack too hard on? Like when making ice cream, do some guys just pack in the ice too densely? Or, when putting things in the garbage, so some guys just pack it in so hard that the can warps? I don't even fully understand the problems guys have that have issues with packing their pipes.

It has just always seemed like a simple common sense thing. But, nowadays we have signs on our car batteries for guys not to drink the liquids in the batteries, so...

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Don't remember when. I think the aha moments were accepting how dry the tobacco needed to be and loose was much better than tight.

 

[bassbug]

It's not so much perfect packing as it is knowing how to deal with a less than perfectly packed pipe....

I like to keep things simple. If it's to loose, use your tamper, if it's too tight, poke a hole or two in it.

 

[warren]

I wasn't aware of how competitive some pipe smokers can be. So, I kept it simple and enjoy the experience. I learned to stuff and light fairly quickly. Never tried to refine it as I was just looking for a satisfactory experience with each bowl. Relights (as necessary), gurgles (when they occur) and such don't bother me. I just keep the pipe simple and enjoy it. To those who strive for something else ... Enjoy as much as I do.

 

[STP]

I never had an “ah hah” moment. It just evolved from a suedo-Frank’s method to a lazy scoop, tap… scoop tap and go.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I don't recall any hassle over that. As long as the moisture level is right, loading a pipe is easy. No long playing "technique" or "system" here, except when experimenting.

 

[Ryan]

I don’t think I have quite had an “a-ha” moment with packing, but I did finally come to the conclusion a while back that I generally wasn’t packing tight enough.

I think that happened in part because I was reading about smoking more than I was smoking. I kept reading that you really needed it looser than you thought, and that rookies often packed too tight. I didn’t trust my eyes, hands, and brain and I packed it too loose and kept wondering why it wouldn’t stay lit. Yes, you can always tamp down, but I prefer getting it about right to begin with. It didn’t help that I was constantly smoking something different, and not really learning how to smoke and pack one blend. I took and week and smoked the same tobacco every day; I think I learned more from that than anything else I have done.

In terms of smoking, I did sort of have a moment a few weeks ago when someone mentioned how they breathe out through the mouth. It made me aware of how much I was blowing out through the pipe, and adding moisture. I stopped doing that, and pipe smoking has been better ever since.

 

[kcghost]

It was simply accepting that the pipe tastes a lot better when packed a little looser.

 

[warren]

Sometimes a poster writes a "stream of consciousness" when describing a particular bowl of whatever blend, in whatever pipe. I think some of the newer smokers want to attain such a state. Striving for such, wanting each bowl to be . . . exceptional?. might destroy the simple enjoyment of the pipe. Just an observation not, an indictment on those seeking such.

 

[timt]

I can't remember many bad smokes early on, except when I impatiently crammed some fresh out of the tin Dreams of Kadath into a pipe without breaking it up much and then proceeded to force my will on it. Learning how different cuts at different moisture levels behave after they've been lit took a little time.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Never really put much thought into it. I just packed the pipe and smoked it.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Title edited. Rule 9. -jpm

For all you experienced pipe smokers out there: How long did it take before you declared to yourself that you now consistently packed your pipe well? The second part -and one of note-to that question is: How did you measure your success? And now, last but not least: Was there a particular “Ah hah” moment for you causing the “light bulb” to turn on? If so please share it for us newbies. This is not asking for a repeat of what can be found on the forums in terms of technique but wanting your personal experience as you were starting out. Thanks!

Just a sympathetic post.

I'm still a novice. Last week had some issues with a couple bowls - too wet, too anxious, "where's that flavor", etc.

This afternoon - plenty dry, usually pack loose anyway, and just having the luxury of a few hours to myself to sit and do some things kind of slows everything down. On my second bowl - first was fine, and this one is even better - wife just walked in and wasn't sure at first I was even smoking the pipe in my mouth - took that as a good sign.

 

[Grangerous]

accepting how dry and loose was much better than tight.

I don’t wanna think ? so. But, then again…

 

[Eye-level]

I think drying it out was when a big change happened for me. Going from smoking one bowl every few days to smoking 3-4 a day helped a lot too.

 

[Streeper541]

There's a point at which we "make it" as pipe smokers? ?