stoked I got my first pipe!

[Toothpick]

Thanks to michiganlover!

Such a great guy to hook me up with this stuff

A new meerschaum corncob, pipe cleaners, pipe tool, filters, and two samples of tobacco: Prince Albert & a Cherry Vanilla blend. Plenty enough to get me started and refine my skills.

I tried the Prince Albert bout 45min ago (had to pop some advil, slight headache, guess i'm not used to nicotine). I had trouble keeping it lit and evenly lit. first couple puffs were great then not so much after that. Getting a nice ember to start with that stays burning is tricky. I did two relights then felt the nicotine rush (?) and put it down. I'm thinking of trying the cherry vanilla in couple hours.

let the fun begin!

 

[Hunter]

Congrats on the buy, packing and lighting will come in time with practice!

Happy Smoking!

 

[Dusty1]

Sucks you got a headache, but congrats on the new goodies, enjoy!

 

[2b1ask1]

Congrats on the buy, packing and lighting will come in time with practice!

Happy Smoking!

+1

 

[michiganlover]

Welcome to the new hobby!!

Keeping your pipe lite is a struggle at first.

As I am learning (I have been smoking a pipe for about 3 weeks), properly packing the pipe makes a huge difference.

The general recommendation is to gravity feed the pipe to the top (by sprinkling the tobacco in), and then tamp with your finger down to the half way point. Refill to the top, and tamp with your finger down to the 3/4 point. Refill to the top again.

At this point, you want to do a charring light. Light your match, and move the match in a circle across the tobacco while you take gentle puffs. The idea is to char the top surface of the tobacco. The tobacco should puff up a bit during this process.

Tamp the tobacco back down to the top of the bowl, and strike a new match. Move the match in a circle while taking gentle puffs on the pipe. The tobacco is now sufficiently lit, and you can now take one or two gentle puffs (often called a sip; because the force should be equal to sipping from a straw) every 30 seconds or so.

You'll need to occasionally tamp the top of the tobacco, so that the burning ember stays on top of fresh tobacco. This should require no more than the weight of the tamper, applying a ton of force with the tamper will lead to a too densely packed bowl.

Slow puffing is the key with a pipe. In my experience with the size of the bowl on your pipe, it should take you about 30-40 minutes to finish a bowl.

 

[KyMash]

I got my first pipe a few weeks ago and am trying to learn a few new things myself. Looks like you got yourself a nice set up!

 

[Toothpick]

Welcome to the new hobby!!

Keeping your pipe lite is a struggle at first.

As I am learning (I have been smoking a pipe for about 3 weeks), properly packing the pipe makes a huge difference.

The general recommendation is to gravity feed the pipe to the top (by sprinkling the tobacco in), and then tamp with your finger down to the half way point. Refill to the top, and tamp with your finger down to the 3/4 point. Refill to the top again.

At this point, you want to do a charring light. Light your match, and move the match in a circle across the tobacco while you take gentle puffs. The idea is to char the top surface of the tobacco. The tobacco should puff up a bit during this process.

Tamp the tobacco back down to the top of the bowl, and strike a new match. Move the match in a circle while taking gentle puffs on the pipe. The tobacco is now sufficiently lit, and you can now take one or two gentle puffs (often called a sip; because the force should be equal to sipping from a straw) every 30 seconds or so.

You'll need to occasionally tamp the top of the tobacco, so that the burning ember stays on top of fresh tobacco. This should require no more than the weight of the tamper, applying a ton of force with the tamper will lead to a too densely packed bowl.

Slow puffing is the key with a pipe. In my experience with the size of the bowl on your pipe, it should take you about 30-40 minutes to finish a bowl.

I thought i did all that but need to practice more. tamping pressure, charing time, lighting time, puffing, sipping.

once the pipe is lit, when would you tamp again? and what exactly are you doing when you tamp?.....pushing the ember down to the fresh tobacco?

 

[Hunter]

I thought i did all that but need to practice more. tamping pressure, charing time, lighting time, puffing, sipping.

once the pipe is lit, when would you tamp again? and what exactly are you doing when you tamp?.....pushing the ember down to the fresh tobacco?

tamp every few minutes, eventually it becomes second nature. When first filling the bowl if you do it in steps, you want the first bunch to feel like you are pushing with the resistance of raw steak, for the next you want the pressure of medium steak, and for the last should be like well done steak. But that is just one of many ways to pack a bowl. Learning is half the fun!

 

[oc_in_fw]

I thought i did all that but need to practice more. tamping pressure, charing time, lighting time, puffing, sipping.

once the pipe is lit, when would you tamp again? and what exactly are you doing when you tamp?.....pushing the ember down to the fresh tobacco?

Packing it too loose is better than too tight. Like has been said, it should be like sipping. If the draw is too easy, tamp it a bit and try again. If you pack it too tight it is much harder to loosen it up.

 

[nortac]

Tamp frequently to keep the tobacco somewhat compacted as it expands and burns down to the looser layers below, yes it keeps the ember or "cherry" close to the unburnt tobacco. If you pack it too tight, you can use the poker from your Czech tool to loosen it up a bit.

 

[showcattle]

Keeping something sugary on hand as well will help cope with the nic, whether sipping on a coke or sweet tea or putting some chocolate under your tongue.

 

[Toothpick]

i smoked it again last night and had to relight often again. i'm thinking its to tight. i'm going to experiment with different loading techniques today. also i use regular kitchen matches but I cant seem to get a good cherry with them. or the torch. torches arn't really made to be held sideways or upside down, the torch turns in to a little blue flame. it's pretty irritating when ya gotta relight every couple minutes.

 

[michiganlover]

also i use regular kitchen matches but I cant seem to get a good cherry with them. or the torch. torches arn't really made to be held sideways or upside down, the torch turns in to a little blue flame.

I am not sure what you mean by a torch. Sounds like something that could generate too much heat, and damage a pipe.

As for the match, make you sure you draw in on the pipe as you move it in a circle over the tobacco. I usually do three draw/ exhale cycles before I declare the pipe sufficiently lit. Draw in on the pipe, while moving the match in a circle over the tobacco. The tobacco should have red embers, and puff up some. Expel the smoke, and repeat the process again.

Once lit, you should immediately lightly tamp the tobacco down, as it puffs up during the lighting process. I usually draw in on the pipe anytime I am tamping the tobacco.

Unless you want to burn your tongue, don't attempt to light the pipe with one continuous draw cycle.

it's pretty irritating when ya gotta relight every couple minutes.

Relights are part of the experience of learning. It will get better with time, and practice. The more you smoke, the easier it will get.

When I started three weeks ago, I thought I would smoke perhaps on the weekends, but I like it so much it's become a daily enjoyment.

 

[Toothpick]

A. I am not sure what you mean by a torch. Sounds like something that could generate too much heat, and damage a pipe.

As for the match, make you sure you draw in on the pipe as you move it in a circle over the tobacco. I usually do three draw/ exhale cycles before I declare the pipe sufficiently lit. Draw in on the pipe, while moving the match in a circle over the tobacco. The tobacco should have red embers, and puff up some. Expel the smoke, and repeat the process again.

B. Once lit, you should immediately lightly tamp the tobacco down, as it puffs up during the lighting process. C. I usually draw in on the pipe anytime I am tamping the tobacco.

Unless you want to burn your tongue, don't attempt to light the pipe with one continuous draw cycle.




Relights are part of the experience of learning. It will get better with time, and practice. The more you smoke, the easier it will get.

When I started three weeks ago, I thought I would smoke perhaps on the weekends, but I like it so much it's become a daily enjoyment.

A. It's a lighter that uses butane and produces a very hot "torch" flame. the kind you can't see in daylight and can hear it burning. recommended for cigars but not for pipes for the exact reason you said. I was desperate lol

B & C. I wasn't doing these two things. And that might explain why the cherry would almost go out when I would tamp it. I was likely tamping to hard as well. seems like after the initial pack everything is done with a light touch or light sip.

when pipe smoking becomes 2nd nature i'll be a better man. thats what im looking forward to

 

[Tim_McD]

i smoked it again last night and had to relight often again. i'm thinking its to tight. i'm going to experiment with different loading techniques today. also i use regular kitchen matches but I cant seem to get a good cherry with them. or the torch. torches arn't really made to be held sideways or upside down, the torch turns in to a little blue flame. it's pretty irritating when ya gotta relight every couple minutes.

Yup, the dreaded relight. It was killing me, because I watched a couple of videos and followed the procedures and it still wouldnt stay lit. It was like trying to pull a real thick milkshake up a straw - in retrospect a sure sign that I was packing the pipe too tight.

I then did what I wasnt supposed to do - just did a quick scoop in the tin, a quick thumb press and lit it with a Bic lighter. It smoked! I still had a clump of soggy unburnt tobacco at the bottom (dottle), but that was as much the fault of using an aromatic tobacco as it was my noob skills.

The flavored tobaccos are sticky and burn wet, so you really are going to need a loose (fluffy) packing of the bowl as you start learning. Once I started smoking the bolder English style pipe tobacco, I was able to pack the bowl like they did in the videos and it smoked fine.

Wooden matches, Zippo lighters and butane candle lighters *can* work - but I find that the cheap Bic lighters are best, esp when you are relighting frequently. I charred the edge of my cob pretty good with a cigar torch, but at $3.99 a pop - I didnt sweat it (NOT going to happen w/my briars).

Pack loose, puff like a steam train while lighting and then lightly tamp after you get a couple of good draws.

I w/b using a pipe now if it wasnt so damn cold outside

 

[nortac]

For outdoor use,I would suggest the Zippo pipe lighter. A standard Zippo will work, if you have one, but you could send it off to Zippo and they will give you a free pipe lighter insert and return the original. What ever you use, you want a soft flame, not a torch.

 

[Toothpick]

i've got my Zippo packed and ready for postage and to be returned with a pipe insert. havent used my Zippo in years, gives me a good excuse now!

 

[duotone]

Soon after buying a pipe I found some good videos on Youtube. If you search on there for "packing a pipe frank method" it should bring up those videos.

 

[Toothpick]

I just came back in from a smoke. tried Franks method this time. not really any better results but my 3rd (? already loosing count humph) pipe smokage so what do ya expect.

one little ole cherry. can't seem to get a bigger one going yet.

 

[Liberty_2112]

Are you smoking it with the filter in place? If so, I would try it without the filter.