New guy question

[matchstickman]

Ive found that volumes of smoke actually vary for me depending on what blend I am smoking. There are some English blends and burley blends that if I puff too fast and have big clouds of smoke, they bite my tongue something awful. Now if I sip and have small volumes of smoke, I dont have this problem, and I also find that the flavor is better. Now some aromatic blends that tend to bite other peoples tongues, I can puff, puff, puff away on them and get huge clouds of smoke and never have a problem with my tongue.In any case, you should never feel like you are doing something wrong if your pipe goes out. Its part of the experience, and some tobaccos even taste better relit. I have been doing this for close to a year now and I still find myself having to relight 5, 6, sometimes even 9 or 10 times during a bowl. The main thing is just for you to enjoy the hell out of it! :puffpipe:

 

[baronsamedi]

As a vet, thanks for your service! Just keep the draws long and slow and don't fret if you need a relight. At some point, you'll feel how much to tamp, how long to draw and your own smoking rhythm. It differs a bit whether you clench it in your teeth or hold it in hand and it differs with each pipe and tobacco, but not so much that it's crazy.
Focus on enjoying, rather than the technique and the technique will come, sort of the opposite of what you'd expect. Instead of "practice practice practice" it's just "relax, relax, relax".
Soon you will understand the quirks of each tobacco and learn to deal with them.
Remember, like martial arts, you are always a student, even when you find yourself teaching others.

 

[unclearthur]

Thanks for your service! For a slightly more economical choice of aromatics look into the Mc Barens 7 Seas blends. So far I am impressed with each one.

 

[ohin3]

Tamp brother tamp! You have to keep your ember on your tobacco. When the smoke seems to be getting thin, give a very gentle tamp with a tamper. Just use the weight of the tamper and gravity to crush the ember and ash back down to the yet unburnt tobacco and puff while doing it.
Aromatics are not meant to taste like they smell. Those agents are added because of their smell not their flavour. Ever taste perfume or eat a flower for that matter? They don't taste like perfume and flowers eh?

 

[jar15a1]

Well thank you all for the advice and service support. This pipe smoking adventure is shaping up to be a great experience. My cigar smoking boss is intrigued but what Im telling him about my inter-active smoking experiment. Who knows, maybe he will come on over to the pipe side. I still like cigars but pipes are turning out to be much more fun.

 

[jcsoldit]

Hey Jar... As you can tell we all appreciate you and your efforts to keep our country safe. You've already received some pretty good advice. By slowing down or by what is often refered to as sipping (easy shollow puffs)you will be less likely to suffer from tongue bite and you will also be more likely to pick up the flavors within the blend you're smoking at the time. The way you pack and tamp your pipe is also very important so don't pack it too tight you want the tobacco in the bowl to be somewhat springy kind of like a feather pillow or a pile of freshly racked leaves. To tight will make you puff to hard and the tobacco to burn to hot...
Be safe!

 

[lordnoble]

Thanks for your service! I think matchstickman has something though. Some blends will produce tons of smoke and taste great with only the slightest pull. I think though that there are many factors, including but not limited to: tobacco moisture, relative humidity, lighting method, etc.
-Jason