When does it become relaxing?

[newbroom]

Here's head C&D Blender Jeremy Reeves back when he was working with SmokingPipes.

Jeremy

this one too, shows the importance of not packing too tightly,

too tightly?

 

[shaintiques]

Something new: the guys have given good points. I have been smoking for about 6 years. I have tried everything tobacco wise. And currently have probably 70 blends open from aros, to englishes and everything in between. I am mainly a flake smoker but enjoy an occasional Aro and or English crossover from time to time. Most of what I hear when guys are having trouble is the moist tobacco issue and relights, but relights are just a part of the game. That being said I will recommend a few tobaccos that always smoke well out of the gate for me. I have tried almost every flake on the market and smoke many regularly, but Escudo always burns perfectly and stays lit through the bowl and that is at the moisture level that it is right out of the can. It is my favorite tobacco, and it's even burn is one reason why. Aros: most are very moist and many despite drying time either don't really dry enough or as they dry lose some of their flavor. Nording Labrador however is a nice moisture level out of the can and has a nice flavor. I'm not a huge English fan and it seems that you perhaps aren't either by your above posts. So English Crossover. These tend to be more Aro than English. And the best in my opinion is Shortcut to Mushrooms. Also a wonderful flavor and good moisture content to burn right out of the bag. I smoke all three of these right out of the package with minimal trouble and great flavors. Hope this helps.

 

[mso489]

The most direct way to approach this is to just quit smoking a pipe, at least for now. Smoke cigars. Don't smoke for a while. Let it settle. Then if you start remembering fondly various aspects of pipe smoking, and you go back for a bowl, your vacation may have allowed you to put it together in a more comfortable way. I think people who enjoy pipes go at it with a kind of restful trial and error. Since they don't expect too much, they find a delight here and there, and the magic happens.

 

[lostandfound]

I'm almost tempted to agree with Warren on this.
I smoked 1Q very early on in my time as a piper, and can't recall needing to relight so many times. Actually, the only tobacco I remember having troubles with, was a drugstore Black Cavendish that was super goopy.
My guess is that your issues lie within your packing technique. Also, something that hasn't been mentioned yet- your tobacco might actually be burning when you relight- though you may be expecting more smoke to be generated- while you're only getting small puffs or wisps. This is how it should be throughout most of your smoke. This isn't like Vaping, or cigars. Big puffs of smoke mean you're smoking too hard.

 

[seadogontheland]

OP, I think you mentioned that you have been on and off again for the last two years? How long are the gaps in time? Pipe smoking, like anything else, requires some practice and of course if there is little reward then there is no incentive to continue once frustration abounds. Perhaps pulling away is a good idea for a little while as you collect yourself -or- perhaps you need more consistent pipe time and not just coming and going for protracted periods of time? Just something to think about.

 

[stanlaurel]

@stflorian - As a fellow novice I feel your pain. I have only been smoking for 6 months now. I have experienced the things you are referring to. But now I am finally coming into my own and having a fair amount of success.
First of all I have read and read and read and read these forums. They are a wealth of information. Have you done this? Also how often are you smoking? You need lots of practice. I have smoked on average once a day for 6 months. Every time I get thrown off the horse, I get right back on. I have also noticed recently that my tongue has gotten tougher and I don't get bitten all that much anymore. This came with time.
I found this in an old thread:

Dry your tobacco more than you think you need to.

Pack looser than you think you need to.

Smoke slower than you think you need to.

Tamp less, and more lightly, than you think you need to.

Clean your pipes after every smoke, using pipe spirits.

These are general rules and don't always apply but they are very helpful.
Also read this thread. It has very good advice. It suggests sticking to one tobacco. I would skip the aromatics and pick one medium Latakia blend or one Virginia. I highly recommend Red Rapparee.
Good Luck. Hang in there.

 

[bparks60]

If I don't enjoy smoking a pipe after two years or heck even one year I'm going to put the pipes up and stick to cigars. I'll be trying my fist pipe as soon as get my recently acquired granddad's pipes in smoking condition. I mean is it really that important that you'd be willing to try it every day for six months to a year and still not enjoy it? What's the point?

 

[tuold]

Taking this a slightly different direction....
Relaxation is not just something that happens to you when you smoke a pipe. Relaxation is an art and something that needs to be practiced and learned by itself. Granted, the smoking technique is important, but you need to actually go into your smoking ritual and start into that frame of mind. The pipe, tobacco, the glass of you wine you just finished, all contribute to reaching the state of relaxation, but you have know how to get there first. Of course, if you are constantly having to relight you pipe due to whatever problems you are experiencing, you won't get there.
Knowing how to relax will actually improve your pipe smoking technique because it can involve an intense awareness of what you are doing. You will know you are drawing too fast because you can feel the heat where if you were otherwise distracted you wouldn't know until after you burned you tongue.
I realize some will think this nonsense, but it has worked for me. There is a whole range of activities that have become more enjoyable after I learned how to recognize stress reactions and counter them with relaxation cues.

 

[stanlaurel]

@bparks60
I guess that you'll decide what is important to you and I will decide what's important to me.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Amen. Stan, is that James Dean in your avatar box?

 

[iamn8]

You mean smoking a pipe isn't relaxing?! Here's what you need to do.... Smoke the pipe and relax while listening to classical music. If it helps, try stroking a bunny rabbit. If it's not relaxing you're doing it wrong. Try again and focus on your breathing.... Take the smoke in.... Blow the smoke out... Gentle and rhythmic. In... Out.... Relaxed now? No? JUST RELAX! Gah what's wrong with you?!? Maybe you need to see a doctor if you can't relax!! Try it laying down!! No? Still nothing? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND ALL THATS HOLY JUST RELAX!!! MY GOD R E L A X!!! You're inabity to relax is stressing me out!!! STUPID PIPE SMOKING AND STRESS!!! JUST CLOSE YOUR STUPID EYES AND RELAX!!!!! DAMNIT FLORIAN!!! SORRY BUT IM FINISHED HELPING YOU IF THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR ATTITUDE!!
Sorry but helping you relax gave me a panic attack :D

 

[smeigs]

your situation sounds pretty awful... I personally have found pipe smoking enjoyable for basically the whole 4 years I have been piping. Granted.. the first couple months were a bit of a learning curve. But once I found out what tobacco didn't taste awful and burn hot as hell I enjoyed it more... Now I can load a bowl of VA flake and light it twice and it will last me about 45 min or so.. Don't know what your doing wrong.. But, if its not for you, its not for you... More tobacco for us!! Good luck

 

[iamn8]

I think it's seriously great that you recognize its not working. Sometimes it's best to know when give up and move on. At least you didn't spend thousands before realizing this.

 

[jkrug]

Lots of good advice above. For me relaxation came when I stopped trying so hard, stopped counting relights and stopped paying to much attention to all the details. I had many of the issues you mentioned but when I stopped worrying and fretting over them it all seemed to come together by itself. Good luck and happy piping to you. ::

 

[stflorian]

Tuold, great call! Not something I would not have thought of myself, but mentally going through my smoking ritual has caused a few light bulbs to come on. Specifically one that I am going to be looking into more is the question.."am I relaxed prior to smoking?" It is hard to pick up a brand new hobby and expect it to help you relax if you don't first go into it relaxed. I can see how with my crazy schedule that I have the habit of trying to squeeze in smoking a pipe here and there, but feeling rushed along with whatever other daily stress. Add in the learning curve and it all spells disaster. That of course isn't all the time, but I wonder if it has happened enough to almost put me on stressful edge when I light up, make sense? Regardless, it makes sense in my crazy mind! For the next week or so I am going to try to sit down and relax before lighting up, and see if that helps things. Make sure I am set up to enjoy my time smoking because it is time away from everything else, not looking at it as something else to check off of my list for the day.
Truly, thank you for making that point. This is why I began another thread, hoping for something outside the box that would show me what I was doing wrong. I'm beginning to think it started before picking up my pipe to pack it.

 

[bparks60]

I would say do whatever you normally would do to relax...then just add a pipe. I think sitting on my back porch on a cool evening with a nice cold beer or glass of bourbon is relaxing. So I'm going to do that and just add a pipe to the equation.

 

[thomasmartin]

I have/had similar issues. Letting dry the tobacco helps. I've found that flakes tend to burn longer without relighting. The best I've tried so far is Mac Baren Golden Blend (a flake in rubbed form). I've once had a pipe in my coat for about a 15' bus ride without having to relight it. Too bad I don't like Burley and absolutely crave for Latakia, otherwise GB would be my go to blend. Don't sweat it too much. It's not a contest. I smoke pipes (on and off) for 30 years now and still have days where my smokes suck but then I have some of these fantastic bowls which reward me for all the trouble and make me stick to it.

Edit: I might add that when I grab a pipe "to relax" I often fail at it. The best smokes I have is when I'm with friends, discussing or doing some ordinary deed and do not focus too much on the pipe.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Tuold, great post.
I have to admit, even if I were smoking Brown Bogie (the antithesis of a sweet aromatic) I could probably still manage to be amused by the whisps of smoke coming out of the pipe (half the reason I smoke through the pipe rather than blowing most of the smoke out my mouth).

If nothing else, it's aesthetically pleasing.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Also, on the subject forced relaxation, in recent years I've come to learn it's actually fairly common. In many work environments people use coffee as a break time regulator. Once the coffee is poured, it's at least ten minutes before that person can possibly do anything else, lest the precious black nectar go to waste.

At my last job I got my first exposure to the infamous "smoke break". It's kind of ironic but you almost couldn't take a break if someone wasn't smoking a cigarette, sitting on your hands just looks bad even if company policy was to take regular breaks.

I have to imagine the pipe has historically served a similar purpose for many people over the years. The implied "do not disturb" sign, the advertisement of contemplation, or promotion of patience.

 

[thomasmartin]

One could also mix some black afghan into the tobacco. That would make it reeeeeeally relaxing!