If
www.frenchyspipes.com can't set you right, I will.
Read his "Cobs" page, first. Cobs are easy to learn with, inexpensive and make excellent pipes for environments that might beat the snot out of a fancy briar. Most all of us smoke them and we like them. Frenchy has a starter kit that includes some tobacco, pipe cleaners and a tamper. He'll start you off in a good direction.
All other questions are discussed in one place, enough to make you dangerous -
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.s...d1b87db15204e0
Light the way.