Pipe Smoking 101

I began smoking a pipe soon after college, way back in the 1980s. Prior to that I had tried a cigar here and there, but never liked them too much (buying them from a drug store may have had something to do with that). I never smoked cigarettes, not caring for the smell or taste, but pipes always held a fascination for me.

My grandfather smoked one, as well as a favorite uncle and a neighbor. I was fascinated with the ritual that these men went through as they loaded and smoked their pipes, as well as the wonderful aroma from the tobacco.

So, soon after getting my BA in English from Ohio State University, I took up a pipe. I was working part time at a mall in Columbus and was friends with the manager of the Tinder Box. He recommended a basic bent pipe, nothing fancy, and set me up with a pipe tool, pipe cleaners and a sampler of aromatic tobacco.

I went home and eagerly lit up my first bowl. I was a little nervous lighting it for the first time, not exactly sure of the procedures, but it didn't take me long until I got the hang of it.

I soon discovered the contemplative properties of smoking a pipe. Smoking a pipe is a great relaxer, allowing the mind to drift off like the wisps of smoke from each puff.

This "down time" came to be very valuable to me over the years, allowing me to sort through any troubles I may be having, and look at things through a more relaxed and calm lens.

I thoroughly enjoyed loading and packing the pipe, lighting it, puffing away, and cleaning the pipe. The routine and ritual was part of the relaxation and became cathartic in its own way.

I soon found myself wanting to try different pipe tobaccos and add to my pipe collection. I experimented with different flavors, different pipe shapes and finishes, and eventually ended up, well, here. I have about 40 pipes in my collection, and although I enjoy the smell of an aromatic pipe tobacco, I usually prefer a non-aromatic blend.

Know also that pipe smoking is not just a solitary activity; finding other pipe smokers to socialize with has become very rewarding. I have found, over the years, that pipe smokers tend to have a lot of the same temperament and personality traits. In general, they're nice people!

So read on for an introduction to pipe smoking, a wonderful hobby and activity, one with a long tradition and rich with nuances and history.

Selecting a pipe is primarily a matter of personal preference, although there are some factors to consider. First is the overall shape, bent or straight. If you're new to pipe smoking and feel you want to clench the pipe in your teeth to keep your hands free, I would recommend a bent pipe. Such a pipe has a lower center of gravity and puts less strain on your teeth. A straight pipe must be clenched harder and can give your jaw muscles a real work out.

However, a straight pipe is usually easier to get a pipe cleaner through the joint where the stem and shank meet than a bent pipe.

When I worked in smoke shops and was recommending a pipe to a first time smoker, one thing I did suggest was to match the overall size of the pipe with the size of the face and hands. A large pipe just "goes" better with a larger person and, conversely, a smaller pipe "fits" better with someone of smaller stature.

Whether the pipe has a smooth or rough finish does not affect how the pipe smokes, however it may affect how hot the pipe feels in your hand. A rough pipe acts like a radiator and dissipates the heat better than a smooth pipe.

So bent or straight, large or small, rough or smooth...it often comes down to aesthetics and personal taste. If you're happy with your pipe, that's all that counts.

Should you spend a lot of money on your first pipe or go for the budget pipe? I always recommend to a first-timer that they go with a "board" or "basket" pipe for their initial one. These are pipes that are considered "seconds" by the pipemakers because of some flaw in the brair. They started out as "firsts" but when a flaw was discovered in the process of carving it, it became a "second" and the price commanded for it when down drastically.

So plan on spending $25-45 for your first pipe so that if you try it and don't like it, you haven't spent an inordinate amount of money on it. Later you can "graduate" to first rate pipes.

Understand that there is a world of difference between a $35 pipe and a $100 pipe. The more expensive pipe has undergone a lengthy curing process which allows the pipe to smoke cooler and dryer than the less expensive one. That being said, the difference between a $100 pipe and a $400 pipe is less dramatic. Aesthetics and attention to detail start to show a lot more at the higher price point, but it's been my experience that there's not much difference in the smoking quality.

An excellent alternative to a briar pipe is a corncob. It is very inexpensive, usually less than $10, and is extremely absorbent, producing a very cool, dry smoke. It also imparts a slightly sweet, airy taste to the tobacco. Corncob pipes will not last forever though, as they will eventually burn through.

Next a little about pipe material nomenclature and then you'll learn about selecting tobaccos and how to properly load your new pipe.

Historically, many different materials have been used to create smoking pipes.

The most common is briar, a hard, dense wood that comes from the root of the heath plant (Erica arborea) which is grown throughout the Mediterranean. The hardness of the briar makes it especially desirable for pipes as it is resistant to heat and quite durable, and therefore will last a long time if cared for properly.

Meerschaum is a white mineral, similar to chalk, which forms along seashores ("Meerschaum" is German for "sea foam"). It is a relatively soft material, making it easy to carve intricate shapes, but it is also quite fragile. Because of their porousness, Meerschaum pipes (an example of one if pictured here) absorb the oils in the tobacco and, over time, become colorized with a marble-like finish, ranging in color from green, yellow, orange, red and brown, depending on the type of tobacco smoked.

Corncob pipes (sometimes referred to as "Missouri Meerschaums") are just that, pipes made from hollowed out, baked corncobs and a hollow stick attached (with mouthpiece of course). Corncobs are extremely absorbent and produce a very dry smoke. Because of their low cost they are essentially disposable, and will burn out over time.

Clay pipes were common in Great Britain in the Victorian era because it was simply the only material available. Clay pipes are, as one would guess, quite fragile, and are typically of one shape - the Churchwarden. This shape is characterized by a long, curved stem and small bowl. It is also all one piece, not a separate mouthpiece or stem.

Lesser woods, such as cherry, are sometimes used to produce inexpensive pipes, but their average life is usually less than a year as they are not as impervious to flame and heat as briar.

Pipe tobacco comes in two broad categories: Aromatic and Non-Aromatic. Aromatics are just what the word indicates, i.e. they have a pleasing aroma. Vanilla, cherry, honey and other flavorings are added to the tobacco during processing to give it that lovely smell. Non-aromatics are pure tobacco; there is no sweetener or flavoring added to it.

Most beginners start out with an aromatic and many stay with an aromatic throughout their lives. Others start with an aromatic but later discover the nuanced flavor of non-aromatic tobacco.

This is the path that I took, and once I became accustomed to the non-aromatic, sometimes called "English" tobaccos, I never went back to aromatics. An unfortunate side effect is that while I felt that flavor of an English tobacco was superior to that of an aromatic, the people around me definitely preferred the aroma of a flavored tobacco. Many complained that the English tobacco had too pungent, or sharp, of an aroma. You will, at some point, have to take this into consideration.

But it is certainly not an either/or proposition - many pipe smokers I know enjoy both aromatics and English tobaccos equally.

There are other factors to consider when selecting tobaccos, such as the cut of the leaf, how moist or dry it is, how the tobacco is packaged, is it predominantly a Virginia tobacco, or burley, latakia, perique, Oriental, etc. That discussion might be better covered in Pipe Smoking 102 (to come).

Next we'll discuss how to properly load and light your new pipe.

If you grew up watching your grandfather or an older uncle smoke their pipe, they probably loaded it by dropping the pipe into a pouch of tobacco and jamming the bowl full with their thumb. They would then withdraw the pipe, completely filled with tobacco, from the pouch and light it. And light it. And light it. And light it some more.

The problem with simply stuffing a practically solid column of tobacco into the bowl of the pipe is that there is very little air for the combustion to take place when you light the pipe. The result is you find yourself having to light and re-light it over and over again, creating a very hot and wet smoke. And a hot and wet smoke results in what is called "tongue bite", a sharp stinging sensation on the tongue.

The solution is to let gravity be your friend in loading the pipe. Hold the pipe in one hand and with your other hand, take a pinch of tobacco between your fingers. Sprinkle it into the bowl of the pipe, and keep adding more in the same manner until it's filled. Only then will you take your thumb or finger, or pipe tamper, and gently push down the tobacco until it's about halfway down into the bowl (or less).

Then repeat with another pinch or two of tobacco, i.e. sprinkling it in until it reaches the top and gently pushing it down so that it's now about two-thirds from the top.

Repeat this procedure once or twice more until the tobacco is now at the top of the bowl, and is kind of spongy to the touch.

I've also found that between each filling of the bowl if I suck a little air through the mouthpiece and it remains clear, i.e. unimpeded, I'm loading it correctly.

If done as outlined above, the tobacco will be very loose at the bottom of the bowl and tighter toward the top, allowing ample combustion to take place without excessive re-lights.

Now to light the pipe...with a butane lighter or matches (preferably wooden), approach the top of the bowl with the flame. As soon as the flame is over the tobacco, draw air in through the stem like you're sucking from a straw. You're not going to inhale the smoke, like a cigarette, but rather draw it in and exhale it back out right away.

Give the pipe several good deep puffs while moving the flame evenly around the opening, lighting all areas. Remove the flame and give the pipe several more good puffs, generating a lot of smoke.

Then, and this is important, let it die out. You have just given the pipe its "charring" or "false" light. At this point you want to very gently tamp down the thin layer of ash using a pipe tamper, golf tee, head of a nail or similar.

Now you will light the pipe again using the same procedure as in the charring light, but this time the pipe should stay lit. Give it some good puffs to get it going, but then slow down the pace and vigor of your puffing. The object now isn't to produce great volumes of smoke, but rather keep the fire going by light, even puffing and occasional tamping down of the ashes.

Never force the ashes down, always use easy, gentle pressure when tamping. I've found that taking a puff or two once to four times a minute will keep it going nicely without the pipe getting too hot.

If you find that the pipe is too hot in your hands put it down for a few minutes. While briar pipes are heat resistant, they will burn or crack if smoked too hot. Wait until the pipe is warm to the touch, but not hot, and re-light.

Depending on the size of the pipe, the type of tobacco, and slow or fast you smoke, a pipe can last anywhere from a half hour to three or more. The taste of the tobacco will often change as it gets closer to being all burned up. The oils from the leaf will concentrate in the bottom of the bowl and the tobacco may seem a bit stronger.

Next we'll talk about proper care and cleaning of your pipe.

Briar pipes will last virtually forever if properly smoked - that is, not too hot - and cleaned. I have pipes I've owned for over twenty years and they still smoke as well, if not better, than when I first got them.

After you're done smoking your pipe, take your pipe tool and with the "spoon" end, scoop the ashes and any unsmoked tobacco from the bowl into an ashtray. Don't scrape the inside of the bowl too vigorously; you actually want a coating of ash on it to build up what is called "cake". More on that later.

If a pipe cleaner will run all the way through the stem through the shank, go ahead and run several through, soaking up moisture and oils. Use as many pipe cleaners as necessary until they come out clean - don't be shy, they're cheap! If your pipe does not accomodate a pipe cleaner going all the way through (cleaners often get hung up on bent pipes), wait until the pipe is completely cool and twist apart the stem and shank.

This cannot be stressed enough - the pipe must be cool, i.e room temperature, before you separate the mouthpiece from the pipe. If not, the tenon (the part of the stem that inserts into the shank) often swells when hot and can crack the shank as it's being removed.

After you have run several pipe cleaners through the pipe, gently knock out the bowl of any bits of tobacco. Do this against your hand, or onto a cork knocker that is affixed to an ashtray. It's not advisable to bang the pipe against the side of an ashtray, or any other hard object, as it can damage the briar.

That's it, your pipe is clean and ready for the next smoke. Speaking of which, if you only have one pipe, give it a day's rest before you smoke it again. This will give the briar time to absorb the moisture and oils from the first smoke.

I mentioned "cake" earlier. This is a thin buildup of carbonized tobacco and ash and acts as an insulator, extending the life of your pipe and preventing cracks and burnouts. If the cake builds up unevenly, it can be shaped using a special pipe tool, and this is often better left to a professional at a pipe and tobacco shop.

Liberal use of pipe cleaners after - and even during - your smoke will go a long way toward keeping your pipe clean and free of sour tastes and smells.

A good pipe is an investment that will give you years of enjoyment if taken care of properly.

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