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-Beyond
smoke
inhalation: |
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Pipe smoking requires patience and exploration. In return, a higher level of pleasure is the reward when you find your tobaccos for your pipe(s). There are numerous ways of smoking a pipe. Here is a few suggestions I have found beneficial: |
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| 1.
BREAKING IN YOUR
PIPE |
As with good shoes, pipes need to be broken in: Your 10-15 first pipes smoked should be gradually filled with 1/3 to 2/3 of the full tobacco level. Smoke your pipes to the bottom each time. Thus a protective carbon layer is formed from the bottom up preventing burning of your briar pipe wood. Note that these first pipes produces a warmer smoke with a sharper taste, but it should not "bite" your tongue - the primary "turn-off" of new pipe smokers. | |
2. FILLING
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Correct filling ensures your pipe does not unlit. Fill your tobacco looser in the bottom and harder towards the top. Humid tobacco should be filled looser than drier tobacco. Please practice filling. Too loose, and the light goes out. Too hard, and you get a pipe hard to smoke that often becomes moist. While smoking, you need to stuff the tobacco with the pipetool once in a while to ensure a good flame. | |
| 3. LIGHTING | Use matches or a gas lighter for lighting. Ensure the lighting of your entire tobacco surface while you gently smoke it. Some prefer to let the initial light die out before "tightening" and relighting. Find your own preferred way. | |
| 4. SMOKING PIPES | Pipes
are smoked in a calmer manner than cigarettes.
This ensures a cooler, tastier smoke. Initially you might experience a smoke too hot for comfort. A thin line of smoke emerging from your pipe is the tell-tell-sign of a calm smoker. Inhalation is not necessary in order to enjoy the taste. |
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| 5. CLEANING | To avoid acidification in your pipe, smoking the tobacco all the way down is essential. Thus you should fill your pipe according to the time at your disposal. When the pipe is totally empty, it can easily be emptied by a few taps with your finger. Please do not hammer, I have broken a nice pipe that way. Another way to break a pipe is to remove the mouthpiece before the pipe is cold... | |
6. MAINTENANCE
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Good caretaking influences the taste. I use paper napkins and pipe cleaners. From time to time the carbon layer needs to be trimmed with a special pipe knife or a profiler. I prefer a layer of about 1 mm in thickness. Ensure a uniform layer and avoid pointed knives as they easily damage your pipe. | |
| 7. REST | Pipes benefit from breaks for cooling and drying. Having several pipes to alternate between is a simple way of ensuring this. | |
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8. CHOOSING
YOUR TOBACCO |
My favorite tobaccos include several brands made from pure virginia blends. I prefer the taste of tobacco to the aromatic and spiced varieties. In any case, I believe it is a good idea to start with "pure" tobaccos. Then it is up to you to explore. | see details on tobacco |
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9. CHOOSING
YOUR PIPE |
For
most people, the design is the main criteria when purchasing a pipe. That
is fine as long as a few other things are taken into consideration:
For technical reasons, I stay away from the cheapest pipes. These pipes do not always have the adequate properties. One of these you can visually check for yourself: Make sure the smoke channel is aligned with the bottom of the tobacco hole. If too high, your pipe becomes acidy. Also ensure that the mouthpiece is properly fitted to the pipe head. I normally hold my pipe with my fingers rather than holding it with my teeth. If you do not use your fingers, you should consider the weight of your pipe. |
an
essential history of the pipe |
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| 10. ETIQUETTE | I
prefer to believe that pipe smokers care as much for our
fellow beings as for our pipes. Smoking is a matter of personal choice and I like to
make sure
that it stays that way
for my surroundings.
Enjoy your pipe. |
literature & links
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