Smoking a Pipe is Simple ... Unless You're Doing it Wrong

[admin]

While reading Gregory Pease's new article for April, I was nodding my head in agreement throughout the entirety. I don't often think about what I'm doing when filling and lighting my pipe, and it usually works out ok. Usually.

Then there are the times when it's just a complete failure - smoking hot, tasting horrible, and then I had a nice refresher that made me realize what the problem was. Check it out right here.

Bad Advice?
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[didimauw]

That was a great article! Really makes you think.

 

[FLDRD]

Thus we get the variable explanations of how to "improve" the steps in the experience and why they sometimes seem to conflict with each other.

 

[kcghost]

Greg is blessed with a superb palate and taste things at the @JimInks level. So, he has an awful lot going for him in his search for the perfect smoke. I, too, suffered from over packing when I was younger. Its youthful exuberance that leads to this. Nothing will prevent it other than someone who knows how to smoke showing you. And of course, young people have zero patience. You end up with very few young people sticking with it. Pipe smoking is definitely an older person game.

 

[Scottmi]

Great article, and this is gold:
"After that, I spent some time exploring the impact of these two variables, moisture content and packing density, on different mixtures and blends, always with similar results. Latakia mixtures, and to a lesser extent, those with a high percentage of oriental leaf, taste and smoke better when they’re on the dry side and the bowl is filled loosely, while Virginia blends tend to work best with a little more moisture and a denser fill. Burleys seem to work best somewhere in between, except for cube-cuts, which don’t like to be packed with much pressure at all. (Gravity fill, tap the bowl to settle the cubes. Repeat until full.) For such a simple act, pipe smoking is filled with undefined complexities! "

 

[dottlejockey]

Nice read. I wholeheartedly agree that playing with the many variables is essential, but also part of the reward and thrill of pipe smoking.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[PipeIT]

Nice article, thanks!

 

[ThermionicScott]

Proper preparation is great, but I figure the master pipe-smokers have accumulated a lot of ways to course-correct a bowl that doesn't start off right, too. Some of them may be so instinctual that they don't think to discuss them.

 

[Medy]

Very informative especially from a newbie’s perspective

 

[PipeIT]

I forgot to mention I found it extremely interesting that it was mentioned;

Virginia blends tend to work best with a little more moisture and a denser fill.

Every discussion I’ve seen in regards to the irritability of VAs, was to dry more and pack lighter. And I’ll be honest I was always in this crowd of more drying and lighter packing, but still finding VAs irritating the roof of my mouth.

I will certainly try moister and pack VAs tighter, and see how that works out.