You are correct that the good smokes, the okay smokes ad the frustrating smokes are all part of the journey. This will be how you learn what works for you. There is no short cut to learning how to properly smoke a pipe. Keep at it and you will look back and be grateful for the journey.Thank you all for the warm welcome. It's been 5 days since I bought my first pipe and I'm just starting to get a good smoke out of the pipe. There are so many variables that can change the outcome and in my opinion is what makes it so rewarding, and sometimes frustrating but it's part of the journey I suppose