Pipe smoking is a great way to kick back and relax at almost any time of the day. When it comes to the art of smoking a pipe the first thing know is what you’ll need to get started:

A Pipe Pipe tamper tool Pipe cleaners Wooden matches or a pipe lighter Pipe tobacco

PACKING THE PIPE

Now that we’ve covered what supplies you need, let’s get to how to get your pipe properly set to enjoy.

Take your selection of tobacco and fill the bowl of your pipe.

This step can be difficult to get the hang of but is important to get right because it can affect the experience. Start out by filling the bowl of your pipe loosely with tobacco and press down on it gently with your tamper. This should fill the bowl halfway. Add more tobacco on top and press a bit more firmly with the tamper until your pipe is about ¾ of the way full. Top off the bowl with more tobacco and press down firmly. You should see a small space between the top of the bowl and your tobacco.

Once you have your pipe packed with tobacco put the pipe in your mouth and take a test draw.

Air should flow freely through the tobacco. If it doesn’t the tobacco is packed too tight, and just simply remove the tobacco and start again. When you get a good test draw, you’re ready to light your pipe. To properly test the draw, put the pipe in your mouth and puff. If it feels like you’re drinking a thick shake through a straw, you’ve packed it too tightly. If it feels like sucking air through a straw, you’ve packed it too loosely. If it feels like sucking soda through a straw, it’s ideal.

Light your pipe with either wooden matches or a pipe lighter.

Matches are less expensive, and the pipe lighter is designed specifically for pipes, so it won’t alter the tobacco taste. If you choose to go with matches, strike the match and let it burn for a few seconds letting the Sulphur leave, then take gentle draws on your pipe while moving the match in a circular motion over the surface of the tobacco. Continue to do so until the tobacco is evenly lit. When it’s evenly lit, let it go out, and repeat the process to get the true light.

COMMON PIPE SMOKING ISSUES

Now you’re ready to enjoy your tobacco but do so slowly and steadily. If you puff on your pipe too quickly, you’ll get a burning sensation on your tongue. This is sometimes called “leathertongue.” When smoking your pipe, if you get gurgling, that means there’s too much moisture in the stem. To fix this, just put a pipe cleaner through the airway for a couple of seconds to remove the moisture. To prevent this from happening try to keep your mouth as dry as possible. If the pipe gets too hot while smoking, let it go out and relight.

Now you are ready to enjoy many bowls! Just remember after you’ve enjoyed your tobacco always let your pipe cool down before cleaning it out. If you found this article helpful, check out some of our others that might interest you like How to Break in a New Pipe and How to Clean a Tobacco Pipe.