Hi guys, I just recently acquired a nice Peterson St. Pats. I don't know jack squat about pipe tobacco. Can someone educate me. I bought some meat pie and toasted black cavendish by DE. Haven't packed a bowl yet though.
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Pipe noob here.
- Thread starter Gunson
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Welcome to an extremely slippery slope!!!!
Is the pipe brand new or used??? We'll start with that.
Packing a bowl of pipe tobacco is a bit of a process, but once you get the hang of it then it's smooth sailing!!
I learned alot from watching youtube videos on pipe smoking especially packing the pipe. I'm sure some more seasoned pipers will chime in after me to help push you down the slope...I meant ummm....yeah....
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Is the pipe brand new or used??? We'll start with that.
Packing a bowl of pipe tobacco is a bit of a process, but once you get the hang of it then it's smooth sailing!!
I learned alot from watching youtube videos on pipe smoking especially packing the pipe. I'm sure some more seasoned pipers will chime in after me to help push you down the slope...I meant ummm....yeah....
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You'll have to "break it in." At least the first 5 bowls you smoke, let the pipe rest at least 24 hours between smokes. At least that's what I've always done.
Technically, there's a way you're supposed to smoke a 1/4 bowl, then 1/2 full bowl, then 3/4 full bowls and eventually a full bowl packed to the brim with tobacco to have it build cake with the bowl. Which acts as a coating to the briar. After the 5th bowl, hopefully a decent amount of "cake" built up and you'll be good to go. For me, I always smoked full bowls breaking in new pipes but let them rest minimum of 24 hours until they had the 5 bowls through them. And that's when you'll see you'd want a small rotation of pipes in the collection.
Re-lights aren't a bad thing in piping. You're going to have to do it at least 2x intially to get the baccy burning. Sometimes more or less re-lights depending on how fast or slow you'll smoke.
A tamper is another necessity as you'll need to "tamp" the baccy as it burns which basically you push it all together deeper into the bottom of the bowl. Might need relights here and there, sometimes you might be able to smoke it and tamp at the same time and have a solid burn of baccy too.
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You can always sign up for the pipe newbie trade to get some blends to try and a corn cob pipe to start.... That is a great way to get a bunch of blends to try
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Yes the same.
The Munt
Observe everything. Listen intently.
Should be a great pipe to start on mate, When you smoke the first 2 bowls just take it easy. Be gentle with the flame, some people smoke half bowls which probably isn't a bad idea anyway if you haven't smoked a pipe before.
Fill the bowl loosely with baccy and gently pack down (a lot of people pack to tight when they start, myself included), repeat this step until you have the desired amount, maybe only take 2 packs of its your first bowl. Your baccy should still have some spring in it when you touch it gently but it shouldnt pack down further. Light evenly and gently and the tobacco will unfurl. It should char the tobacco black. At this point tamp very gently so you have an even surface, light once more and you should be away, sip the pipe gently (don't gulp like a cigar) every 10 seconds or so until it's going properly, at this point you can take longer breaks.
Don't stress about relights, pipers need to do this from time to time.
The top of the bowl will fill with ash as you smoke, gently tamp this down and relight if needed. This works as a cooling system much like a cigar.
Some tobaccos form a thick ash halfway that makes it hard to relight, recommend starting with ribbon tobacco as it's generally easier to light, lighter ash etc
If you just popped the tin open leave it sit open for 30mins or so and just take the top tobacco for your bowl.
Try that and let me know how you go. There is much to learn young padwan, but much like the Karate Kid we need to start with the basics... Wax on Wax off
Great instructions. Tried my first bowl tonight. McClelland Christmas Cheer 2014. Part of a sampler Big Tex sent along with the pipe. Followed your instructions worked like a dream. Very tasty tobacco. I think I may have a new obsession. Thanks again for all the great info guys.
Not a problem!! Glad we could both help out @Gunson down the slope!!
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