Noob with a Few Questions

[minerLuke]

I can't be the only one who read that as "now I can have more bowls".

Haha! with gravity fill, when finished my pipe is usually so dry I can wait perhaps 5 or 10 min for it to cool down a bit and load it right up again

 

[sparker69]

I found moving over to the gravity fill method over the 'three pinch' method to be one of the biggest gamechangers in improving my pipe smokes. In fact, with the gravity fill method I notice I'm less reliant on drying the crap out of everything to get a decent smoke. I can smoke blends that quite a bit more wet with near perfect success, including 'goopy' aromatics.

The only slight downside I have noticed with gravity fill is a tendency for my bowls to burn a bit quicker now because they are packed lighter, but for me the positives far out weigh the negatives.

I think what I've tended to do is be a bit of a codger when it comes to filling the pipe - especially when I have guests and want to smoke for awhile - I'll try to stuff as much tobacco in as I can get, flake or otherwise and end up packing too tight and having to relight a million times. Someone else had mentioned recently to pack lighter than you think you should and I've been keeping that in mind for my last smokes. Has made a huge difference! I'm going to have to try the side fill as well for the ribbon, etc.. (I'm a big flake smoker and for that I usually tend to fold and stuff for flake).

 

[Lucashly]

This can get overwhelming. I have been smoking for two years and I still don't have it down. But I am bending the curve and now joy a good smoke. I started my learning curve by packing and repacking and repacking using the different techniques that have been offered in this thread. I used the same tobacco and same pipe to keep things simple. In my opinion if you do not get a satisfying pack nothing else will follow. My turning point was three months. I know you realize that you use so little tobacco in a bowl that if you are constantly doing relights dump it out. There are so many good pipes out there but I agree that a Peterson is a good place to start. I know there are other ways to learn. This is what worked for me.

 

[troutface]

I would buy a BriarWorks or Savinelli pipe over a Pete. Better stems and better quality control. Just my opinion of course.

 

[OverMountain]

My Peterson 313 is my hottest pipe. No matter how slow I sip, it heats up! My Grabows all smoke cooler. Don’t worry about people complaining about Grabow pipes. The main points for beginners is to dry your tobacco, pack it to where you can draw on it and the resistance is similar to drinking a coke at McDonald’s through a straw, and SIP. Slow sips help bring the taste. Hot pipes vaporize flavor oils up the chimney.

Don’t get discouraged. You’ll get it. Your pipes are fine and soon you’ll be one of the lifers on here grousing about pipe quality control and how the whole industry is going to hell.