Hello all! I noticed on the Gentleman's Essentials sticky a bit of a request for pipe information, so I thought (after checking with TimmyBoston) I would provide a bit of my own methodology and experience.
Packing a pipe:
When you get your first briar and choose a tobacco you might like, there is a method described by Richard Carleton Hacker in his Pipesmoking: A 21st Century Guide (great reference book btw; no affiliation, just a pleased and impressed reader):
Feed tobacco into the bowl of the pipe until the bowl is full; Hacker calls this "gravity feeding," meaning just let the tobacco trickle into the bowl until full. Gently tap the sides of the bowl to settle the tobacco down into the bowl a little more. Then, lightly compress the tobacco with your tamper (you'll want one, and a style called a nail tamper - one name for it as it is shaped like a nail - can be bought fairly cheaply). Then, repeat the process, tamping down slightly harder. Lastly, gravity fill the bowl until it is overflowing, and then press down a bit harder. Check your compression by taking a slow draw on the pipe before lighting. If the draw is too difficult (thick milkshake through a straw, cheeks sucking in cartoonishly, these are feelings you don't want) knock the pipe out and repack. You want a moderate amount of draw, but not too much or the pipe will burn "hot," which will cause the smoke to feel too hot in the mouth as well as possibly lead to "hot spots" in the pipe, where the burn is too hot and can ultimately burn through the pipe after time. A well packed pipe will form a cake inside it, where the ash and heat will carbonize the bowl and help cool the tobacco.
Once your have your pipe packed, light the pipe by puffing gently while moving your flame source of choice around the bowl, held a little above the tobacco and letting the inhalation draw the flame onto the tobacco. once lit all the way around, the tobacco will flow up over the bowl's lip. Take your tamper (see, told ya you'd want one) and gently compress the ash below the lip/rim again. this is called a "charring light," and provides a good "platform" as Hacker calls it for the rest of your smoke. Also, don't think that you have to draw hard. Think of it as more of a drink through a straw. Nice and easy will prevent what is commonly called "tongue bite," where the tobacco starts burning hot and gives a burning sensation to the tongue.
Pipes:
Briar is king, as I am sure you've all heard. However, there are alternatives for budgets. Good ole corncob can be an excellent foray into pipes, and can be bought fairly inexpensively at many chain drugstores (CVS, Rite Aid, etc). Of course, Dr. Grabow offers affordable briar pipes, around the $20-$28 dollar mark; I had one, I liked it a good bit, and it only lasted me about a year and a half. I was new though, and it was before I "educated" myself on how to use a pipe well. If you want to go for a more "quality" briar, I have had good experience with my first higher end pipe, which is a Savinelli (again, no affiliation, just a satisfied customer). Peterson, an Irish pipe maker, is another highly recommended company. A good entry level briar from a maker like this can be found in the $65-$85 dollar range. Buying at a pipe shop is ideal, particularly since you can handle the merchandise and the feel of a pipe is something you might want to test before buying, but there are many internet sites that are well respected. One major store with an online side is Iwan Ries, based out of Chicago. They seem to have a pretty solid rep, and sell pipes, tobacco, cigars, and all sorts of tobacco related accessories (no affiliation).
Tobaccos:
Tobacco tends to fall into two broad categories:
English - This is your unflavored tobacco. It tends to be a bit on the robust side, particularly for those who aren't smokers already before coming to the pipe. YMMV on this, obviously, but many new pipe smokers don't care for English blends right away.
Aromatic - These are your "flavored" tobaccos, which are enhanced with flavors that range from subtle to "why does my tobacco taste like a bowl of chocolate ice cream?" Again, YMMV, but many noobs trend toward aromatics. One of my faves is Dan Tobacco's Blue Note, a light vanilla-ish flavor, which is fairly easy to come by at most tobacconists. A good source, as is noted a few other places on the forum, is http://www.tobaccoreviews.com, where you can find various notes from users on how a tobacco rates in flavor, strength, and so on.
Well gents, I hope this helps. Again, I'm no expert and YMMV, but this is just a little info I've picked up over a few years of enjoying the briar that has served me well. Hacker's book is, again, a great place for a good foundation of information, but this little bit can get you started. Thanks for having a glance!
Packing a pipe:
When you get your first briar and choose a tobacco you might like, there is a method described by Richard Carleton Hacker in his Pipesmoking: A 21st Century Guide (great reference book btw; no affiliation, just a pleased and impressed reader):
Feed tobacco into the bowl of the pipe until the bowl is full; Hacker calls this "gravity feeding," meaning just let the tobacco trickle into the bowl until full. Gently tap the sides of the bowl to settle the tobacco down into the bowl a little more. Then, lightly compress the tobacco with your tamper (you'll want one, and a style called a nail tamper - one name for it as it is shaped like a nail - can be bought fairly cheaply). Then, repeat the process, tamping down slightly harder. Lastly, gravity fill the bowl until it is overflowing, and then press down a bit harder. Check your compression by taking a slow draw on the pipe before lighting. If the draw is too difficult (thick milkshake through a straw, cheeks sucking in cartoonishly, these are feelings you don't want) knock the pipe out and repack. You want a moderate amount of draw, but not too much or the pipe will burn "hot," which will cause the smoke to feel too hot in the mouth as well as possibly lead to "hot spots" in the pipe, where the burn is too hot and can ultimately burn through the pipe after time. A well packed pipe will form a cake inside it, where the ash and heat will carbonize the bowl and help cool the tobacco.
Once your have your pipe packed, light the pipe by puffing gently while moving your flame source of choice around the bowl, held a little above the tobacco and letting the inhalation draw the flame onto the tobacco. once lit all the way around, the tobacco will flow up over the bowl's lip. Take your tamper (see, told ya you'd want one) and gently compress the ash below the lip/rim again. this is called a "charring light," and provides a good "platform" as Hacker calls it for the rest of your smoke. Also, don't think that you have to draw hard. Think of it as more of a drink through a straw. Nice and easy will prevent what is commonly called "tongue bite," where the tobacco starts burning hot and gives a burning sensation to the tongue.
Pipes:
Briar is king, as I am sure you've all heard. However, there are alternatives for budgets. Good ole corncob can be an excellent foray into pipes, and can be bought fairly inexpensively at many chain drugstores (CVS, Rite Aid, etc). Of course, Dr. Grabow offers affordable briar pipes, around the $20-$28 dollar mark; I had one, I liked it a good bit, and it only lasted me about a year and a half. I was new though, and it was before I "educated" myself on how to use a pipe well. If you want to go for a more "quality" briar, I have had good experience with my first higher end pipe, which is a Savinelli (again, no affiliation, just a satisfied customer). Peterson, an Irish pipe maker, is another highly recommended company. A good entry level briar from a maker like this can be found in the $65-$85 dollar range. Buying at a pipe shop is ideal, particularly since you can handle the merchandise and the feel of a pipe is something you might want to test before buying, but there are many internet sites that are well respected. One major store with an online side is Iwan Ries, based out of Chicago. They seem to have a pretty solid rep, and sell pipes, tobacco, cigars, and all sorts of tobacco related accessories (no affiliation).
Tobaccos:
Tobacco tends to fall into two broad categories:
English - This is your unflavored tobacco. It tends to be a bit on the robust side, particularly for those who aren't smokers already before coming to the pipe. YMMV on this, obviously, but many new pipe smokers don't care for English blends right away.
Aromatic - These are your "flavored" tobaccos, which are enhanced with flavors that range from subtle to "why does my tobacco taste like a bowl of chocolate ice cream?" Again, YMMV, but many noobs trend toward aromatics. One of my faves is Dan Tobacco's Blue Note, a light vanilla-ish flavor, which is fairly easy to come by at most tobacconists. A good source, as is noted a few other places on the forum, is http://www.tobaccoreviews.com, where you can find various notes from users on how a tobacco rates in flavor, strength, and so on.
Well gents, I hope this helps. Again, I'm no expert and YMMV, but this is just a little info I've picked up over a few years of enjoying the briar that has served me well. Hacker's book is, again, a great place for a good foundation of information, but this little bit can get you started. Thanks for having a glance!
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...would that be more in the realm of the "english" blends?
