On multiple occasions I’ve had to field the question on why I chose to pick up pipe smoking. “Isn’t it obvious that it’s bad for you?” some well-meaning person will ask as they sip their favorite alcoholic beverage.
To me it isn’t about the nicotine. I don’t inhale when I smoke a pipe. For me the draw with pipe smoking (pun intended) is the sense of nostalgia, the act of relaxing in a manly fashion, the brotherhood of pipe smokers throughout the world, and the wonderful art that exists in every pipe. Sure, it’s bad for you, but pipes are no worse than drinking or consuming fast food.
A lot of pipes I own are made by skilled artisans who love what they do. Those pipes are one-of-a-kind works of art, each piece of wood having its own personality brought out skillfully in the hands of a master carver. Just holding one of these creations is like holding a sculpture by a fine Renaissance artist.
Getting Started with Pipe Smoking
You have your own reasons for wanting to pick up the pipe, and they may be similar to mine. Or they may be quite different. Whatever the reason, let me help point you in the right direction to get a good start that will help you enjoy the Brotherhood of the Briar.
Before starting, I suggest checking out a few online resources and learning the basic terminology used in the pipe world. Pipedia has several articles on pipes, such as a beginner’s guide, information on pipe construction, brands, suppliers, and tobacco. It’s a valuable resource and will help you learn a lot about the hobby very quickly.
Equipment
First off, you need to know your equipment and get the right gear. To start off, I would suggest holding back on plunking down serious money on an expensive briar or meerschaum pipe. Instead, let’s start with something solid, dependable, and easy to get going: a corncob pipe.
The Pipe. “A corncob pipe? I’m not a hillbilly”, you might protest. I don’t know why cobs have such a negative association with people, because in truth a good cob pipe is going to be an excellent smoker with little work and almost no impact to the pocketbook. If you break it during the learning process, you’re not going to be wasting a lot of money and you don’t have to worry about the sometimes difficult process of breaking in a new briar pipe. I recommend starting with a Missouri Meerschaum corncob pipe. That’s the only real reliable manufacturer of corncob pipes still around, and they do a wonderful job. You can pick up a Legend for under $5 and a lot of their pipes are available in both straight and bent stem varieties.
Cleaners. In addition to the pipe, I recommend getting some pipe cleaners. You’ll need them after smoking a pipe. You’ll need them during your smoke. Never light up a pipe without a cleaner handy! Don’t get the colored cleaners you find in the craft section of your local megastore. Those will do a piss-poor job cleaning your pipe and it will leave cotton fuzzies all over the place. Make sure you get some white pipe cleaners. I prefer the kind that are tapered, so one end is bushier than the other. These are under $2 for a pack of 100.
Tampers. You’ll need something to tamp down the tobacco in your pipe as you smoke, as well as something to gently scrape out the remaining bits of tobacco after you’re done. You can use your finger if you are brave, but I recommend a simple pipe nail: It’s a nail with a scoop end instead of a point and comes generally cheap. The one I use costs $1.
Lighters. To light your tobacco, you’re going to need a source of fire. A lot of veteran pipe smokers swear by using wooden matches to get the best smoke, but I find that is hard for beginners who are struggling to learn the ropes. So use a simple Bic lighter, a Zippo with a pipe attachment, or get a pipe lighter from your local tobacconist. Don’t use a butane torch as that burns too hot in a concentrated area. You risk charring your pipe and uneven heating on the tobacco. With a pipe you want a soft flame like what you get with a match or a Bic.
Tobacco
To smoke a pipe, you’ll need something to stuff in the bowl. This is the area where a lot of new pipe smokers have the most questions, as right now we’re in a good era of tobacco. There are plenty of choices, and until the government screws it up, the selection is still reasonably priced.
You can get “drugstore” or “over the counter” tobaccos at your local Walmart, Walgreens, or CVS. Most of these are pretty poor in quality, and sometimes mixed in with the “roll your own” cigarette tobacco that has been labeled as pipe tobacco to get around lofty taxes. You can get a fairly good smoke out of something like Prince Albert, Carter Hall, or Captain Black. A lot of people cut their teeth on those tobaccos so try one out if you have the chance.
From your tobacconist or vendors online there are many blends that are beginner-friendly. If you enjoy aromatics (tobacco topped lightly with a natural flavoring), I recommend starting out with Lane Limited 1-Q, which you can find at just about any tobacconist across the USA under their own house name. You can either ask for it there and they’ll tell you what they call it, or you can order it online.
If you like the smell of Virginia tobaccos (complex, sweet, and with a hint of citrus) check out Orlik Golden Sliced which you can purchase online. This one is a flake, meaning instead of the ribbon-cut you may be used to it is pressed into sheets. You can roll a single sheet (a flake) and fill it in your pipe, or you can rub it in your hands until it looks like the more familiar ribbon cut tobacco and then fill as normal.
If you want to try your hand at an English blend (usually containing latakia, orientals, and Virginia tobaccos), there’s a mild and sweet tobacco I thoroughly enjoy, McClelland’s Frog Morton: Across the Pond which you can buy online here. (For the astute readers, Frog Morton is in reference to the village Frogmorton in the Eastfarthing of the Shire in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series). I smoke this one regularly and absolutely love it.
Filling Your Pipe
Once you have all your requisite equipment, filling the pipe is an art-form all on its own. If you pack it too tightly, you won’t be able to draw in air through the bit. If you pack it too loosely, the pipe will go out or burn the tobacco too quickly. You have to get it just right in order to have the “perfect” smoke.
Ideally, you should pack the pipe just enough so that when you draw on it, it feels like sucking liquid through a straw. I actually prefer mine just a smidge easier than that, but you will figure out what works best for you over time.
There are many methods people use to fill their pipe, but the easiest way to fill the pipe consistently is to watch this video. The creator of the video, Eric, breaks down the packing process to make it easy to understand.
In a nutshell, you drizzle tobacco into your pipe until it is full, letting gravity do all the work. Then gently press the tobacco down to about half the height of the bowl. Fill the pipe for a second time, then push down with just a bit more pressure until the pipe is 2/3 full. Fill the pipe one last time, then press down until the pipe is almost full. The resulting packed pipe should feel springy to the touch and if you suck on the bit it should have your straw-like resistance.
I recommend leaving just a bit of space at the top of the pipe. When you light, the tobacco expands. You don’t want it to overflow, potentially causing rim darkening or tar buildup on the rim of the pipe.
Lighting the Pipe
Bring your fire source to the pipe, and move it around the tobacco in a circular fashion. As you do this, inhale a few times, which will draw the flame into the tobacco. Count to three, then lift the flame up and away from the pipe. If all goes well, there should be a little smoke and you’ll see the tobacco expand a little.
This first light is known as the “false light” or the “charring light” because all you are doing is preparing the tobacco to stay lit. This first light (or two) will go out rather quickly. Wait a few seconds, gently tamp down the tobacco, then repeat the lighting process. After one or two lights the pipe should remain lit. Eric has another video showing you how to light the pipe, which I recommend viewing.
Enjoying the Pipe
Smoke your pipe slowly. It is meant to be savored and enjoyed. Don’t inhale, but roll the smoke around your tongue and exhale. Enjoy the smoke and the flavors and scents you experience. If your pipe gets too hot to touch, you are smoking too fast, so slow down and enjoy yourself. Typically I don’t have a smoking session that lasts under an hour. I once had a normal-sized bowl last me upwards of two hours and I had to just call it quits because I had other things to do.
The first few times you smoke, you’re going to notice the pipe going out often. That’s fine and normal! As you get used to it you’ll end up lighting it less and less, but there’s no harm in relighting your pipe. No one will dock you points for style.
The main thing is to enjoy yourself. After you decide pipes are something you’re interested in, check out some of the hand-crafted briars available online, delve into the world of meerschaum, or even try your hand at making your own.
Once started, you might find it easer to become hooked on the hobby if you find a group of local pipe smokers, or if you participate in an online community such as the Pipe Smoker’s Forum. It’s a great way to get help, ask questions, discover new pipes and tobaccos, and get to know other smokers. Enjoy!
