How to Fill up Your Pipe like a Pro

[jorgesoler]

I have tried so many filling methods so far, but there is no one like my own, that is, the "Soler-Sanz" method. If you want to smoke your pipe to a white ash and avoid throwing away your dottle, just follow my instructions. Fill up the first 1/3 of your bowl by dropping tobacco in it without pressing it. After you do this, tap your pipe on the outside to let it sit on the bottom. Then, start filling your pipe up to the rim (or as much as you want), pressing the tobacco against the wall inside of your bowl as you do this. You can achieve this by rotating your pipe as you are filling it in. When you are happy with the amount of tobacco you put in it, press it down to make it tight on the top. The next step is to fetch your pipe tamper, pull out the pointed bit (see picture bellow) and stick it all right through your tobacco inside of the bowl until you reach the bottom. When you do this, use the tampering tool to press the tobacco against the walls to make a hollow shaft from the top to the bottom of your bowl. After you do this, pull out the tamper and press the tobacco down again with your finger to make it tight.
¿Why is this a good method?
1. You will smoke your tobacco quite evenly inside of the bowl (no more unevenness)

2. It prevents your pipe from burning

3. It is a good method to tame unruly tobaccos that will bite the tongue

4. It is a good way to have a cool smoke with very little condensation at the bottom of your bowl

5. No more dottle

6. It keeps the heat in the middle of the bowl

7. It does nor require as much tampering when you smoke

8. It will keep your tobacco lit if you pay attention to your smoke

9. As less juices are created at the bottom of your bowl, you reduce the drying time on your pipe rotation

10. This, in turn, will prevent your pipe from acquiring a nasty/sour taste over the time

 

[phil67]

It all basically amounts to experience, and most importantly, the type of tobacco you smoke at any given time as you cannot always pack the bowl the same way given many variables, i.e. flake, coins, shag cut, (drying time) etc. Pressing the tobacco against the side of the bowl? Yep, I've had those occasional enlightening moments over the years where I thought I had the perfect solution, but again it all amounts to experience and the aforementioned variables. Hey... whatever works for you as that is all that really matters. :wink:

 

[warren]

Ahhh . . . Phil, your cogent answer killed it!

 

[zekest]

Great information.
I would try it myself, but alas, I am but a simple man.
I sprinkle some in until the bowl is filled.

Gently smash it down with my finger.

Repeat until the bowl is filled.
I don't know what "dottle" is, I have only fine gray ash remaining.

 

[jorgesoler]

This method is just great. The whole idea is to make your bowl burn from the inside/centre out as to avoid the ambers be in touch with the inner walls of your pipe. If you pack your pipe like this, the ambers will propagate outwards right from the centre/middle of your bowl. This is to make the centre bowl consume first, so when you tamper down, you will avoid all unevenness as everything will sit in the middle again. As you keep smoking your pipe, you will probably notice how a cone starts forming downwards right in the middle of the bowl. This is nothing but an indication you are doing things right.

 

[frank13]

I tried it. Basically, it smoked a hell of a lot hotter. I didn't like it. I fill my pipe, press it down until the top is still springy, give a charring light, and then tamp lightly and light again. Not much more to it than that, as far as I can tell.

 

[Waning Embers]

I just pack mine until it has about the same resistance of a stale sponge cake. Once lit, I direct the ember in a downward spiral with my tamper.

 

[darthcider]

Nice tampers, are they yours or from a stock photo.

 

[dottiewarden]

I have tried so many filling methods so far, but there is no one like my own, that is, the "Soler-Sanz" method.

This is very valuable information for guys just starting out. If it wasn't for the different methods propsed, I really wouldn't have known where to begin.
Hey, and if the "Soler-Sanz" method gets pipcked up by enough people, you just may leave Frank by the wayside!
Who is Frank by the way?

It all basically amounts to experience

Now I load my pipe without much thought. Somehow I know how to pack different tobaccos in different pipes. As you get to know your pipes and tobaccos, you end up just loading your pipes on auto pilot.

 

[crusader]

I just tried it and it worked very well! I used a Bjarne 1/4 bent brandy shaped bowl, GH dark birds eye shag cut. It burned very cool with few relights. I have been using the Frank method with varying results. I think I will keep using this with other blends and shapes for a while. Thanks :D

 

[ssjones]

I do a variation of this with a big Ferndown.

 

[waxmojo]

Just want to comment on tapping the bowl to get tobacco down to the bottom. For me, the smallest particles of tobacco will go down to the bottom when I have done that and I end up sucking bits of tobacco when lighting so I never tamp the bowl.

 

[delro]

I like to gravity fill most of the time then tamp it down, works for me.

 

[chalbach72]

I like the 3-step packing method. Simple, but it hasn't failed me yet!

 

[mortonbriar]

i will give it a go out of curiosity!

 

[iamn8]

So wait, there are Professional Pipe fillers?!?!

 

[phil67]

Yep, but I had to let mine go when I retired. Financial reasons ya know.

I believe he's on Peck's personal staff of professional pipe fillers now.