Tips For Hands Free Smoking
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Clenching, breathsmoking, whatever technique you want to call it... it's all really as simple as just keeping the pipe in your clench, while smoking it as little as possible... really, just having it in your mouth without consciously doing anything with it is the best way. The key is just not overthinking it.
Your natural cadence with your breath, will expand the gullet of your throat, keeping a constant in and out of air, and will be just enough to keep it lit.
No, you don't blow smoke out at all. Really your best smokes are always going to be without any evidence that your smoking at all, so no one will ever really see me blow smoke. That's more of a cigar thing anyways.
I have accidentally walked into grocery stores, malls, and even the art museum while smoking my pipe. I just forget its there. And, I was all the way back to the contemporary art section when I realized I was smoking. No one said anything to me, mostly because you can't tell whether I am just walking around with an unlit pipe or smoking.
Big billows of smoke are more reserved for folks that just started. YMMV
Your natural cadence with your breath, will expand the gullet of your throat, keeping a constant in and out of air, and will be just enough to keep it lit.
No, you don't blow smoke out at all. Really your best smokes are always going to be without any evidence that your smoking at all, so no one will ever really see me blow smoke. That's more of a cigar thing anyways.
I have accidentally walked into grocery stores, malls, and even the art museum while smoking my pipe. I just forget its there. And, I was all the way back to the contemporary art section when I realized I was smoking. No one said anything to me, mostly because you can't tell whether I am just walking around with an unlit pipe or smoking.
Big billows of smoke are more reserved for folks that just started. YMMV
1. Get a light weight pipe.
2. Get a short pipe.
3. Get a bent pipe.
2. Get a short pipe.
3. Get a bent pipe.
Clenching a pipe isn't necessarily "breath smoking". Tips? Use as little pressure as you can. Change position every once in a while. Don't worry about anything else, except walking into a wall. Avoid clenching churchwardens.
Enjoy.
I often clench when putting or chipping, but never during a full swing, if that helps at all.
Enjoy.
I often clench when putting or chipping, but never during a full swing, if that helps at all.
My best is with a full-bent pipe, hanging off a lower tooth rather than clenched in the molars. It is the least effort and produces no excess saliva, which is my issue when I clench back in the molars. Preferably in a place with a bit of airflow so the smoke never gets in my eyes.
With practice I hope to master other styles. I’ve been shovelling snow this winter with a light straight pipe, and seeing how long I can go before I grab it out of my mouth to swallow extra spit. Getting pretty good, because we’ve had a lot of snow.
With practice I hope to master other styles. I’ve been shovelling snow this winter with a light straight pipe, and seeing how long I can go before I grab it out of my mouth to swallow extra spit. Getting pretty good, because we’ve had a lot of snow.
Place stem between teeth. Close teeth on stem. Puff. Release smoke. Learn to breath in without full inhale in order to release smoke through nose to enhance taste/flavor. Buy pipes that have a wide, thin stem that is conducive to clenching and also weigh less than 2 ounces, 5 1/2" or less in length. Enjoy.
Sit on your thumbs! Kidding, but really, be careful at first because if you don't know the ins and outs of breath smoking, it's easy to get tongue bite trying to clench. Also, some guys have iron jaws and don't have to worry about it, but if I clench too hard or for too long in the same spot, my teeth and gums will hurt later. Light weight shorter straight pipes and full bent "hangers" make things easier.
Also, everything @cosmicfolklore said gets a big +1. Just keep at it, it will eventually make sense.
+1 for the sentiments of just barely keeping the thing lit and using breath smoking (or breath smoking-ish) ...practice does indeed make perfect!
I am still not all the way there with this but have gotten a lot better. I think the real trick, for me, has been getting the thing lit in that zone of "not going to go out" and "not totally choochin' full steam" ...takes forever to get a flake in this zone but can 'set it and forget it' for an hour sometimes when the planets align.
I am still not all the way there with this but have gotten a lot better. I think the real trick, for me, has been getting the thing lit in that zone of "not going to go out" and "not totally choochin' full steam" ...takes forever to get a flake in this zone but can 'set it and forget it' for an hour sometimes when the planets align.
90% of the time I will just rub out flakes. I already smoke as slow as Christmas, never really getting one finished under an hour. And, I get amazing flavors, so having to stop and fiddle with a flake just makes a pleasurable smoke an annoying piddling experience for me. I hate having to stop, pull the pipe out of my mouth and get out a tamper and fiddle with a flake because it only wants to burn straight down the center.
Maybe flakes are more for beginners.
90% of the time I will just rub out flakes. I already smoke as slow as Christmas, never really getting one finished under an hour. And, I get amazing flavors, so having to stop and fiddle with a flake just makes a pleasurable smoke an annoying piddling experience for me. I hate having to stop, pull the pipe out of my mouth and get out a tamper and fiddle with a flake because it only wants to burn straight down the center.
Maybe flakes are more for beginners.
No question, flakes are not for novices. You have to have a competent packing and smoking technique to enjoy them.
Or forget what you're doing and take a deep breath through your mouth. When I first started this happened everytime I brought in the groceries. A big rip of pipe smoke to the lung can make you see stars.
I can get it great while driving on my work commute, often a bowl of rubbed or broken VA flake that will last me both ways (about 1.25 hour total). Great flavor, relaxing cadence, etc.
At home, forget it. If I try to clench while doing anything but sitting on my ass, then I'm drooling everywhere and it's running down the stem. I'm also unconsciously smoking it so fast that the pipe body is too hot to hold, and also blowing fine ashes everywhere to boot! First world problems, I know.
At home, forget it. If I try to clench while doing anything but sitting on my ass, then I'm drooling everywhere and it's running down the stem. I'm also unconsciously smoking it so fast that the pipe body is too hot to hold, and also blowing fine ashes everywhere to boot! First world problems, I know.
Would a larger bore help accomplish this impossible feat? Just tried to 'just park the pipe there' and no smoke would come into my mouth. Maybe it's my Brigham's not so large bore.
I'm by no means an expert. My research and experimenting has shown me that it all has a lot to do with how you pack the pipe, and moisture in the tobacco.
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