New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart

[spectrrr]

I just picked up the pipe this week (so uber noob). strolled down to the local tobaconist (thank god there is a GREAT one 3 blocks away!) and picked up four 1oz bags of the first bulk blends that caught my eye in jars. Mostly aromatic names like amaretto, black&gold, cake box, and balkan 1 (that ones not so aromatic). I stayed away from the stronger stuff because I'm learning to smoke inside and don't want a stinky house

NOW ON TO THE QUESTION:
I can't keep the $@&^)@*%#@ thing lit! Using 3 different well broken briar pipes. Tried loose and tight loads, etc..... I just don't seem to be finding the groove. (I'm a fairly hands on kinda guy, so NOT finding the groove yet is strange to me). Is is possible that the bulk blends just have too much something or another in em to keep them moist and they'll never burn right? should I got back and pick up a few tins for trying?? If so, recommendations for a few tins? (doesn't have to be aromatic, just shouldn't stench the house too much, strong stuff will have to wait until summer).

Originally Posted by spectrrr

I just picked up the pipe this week… Tried loose and tight loads, etc... I can't keep the thing lit!

Did you pop out of the womb and hit the floor running? Master driving a car in 1 week?

If you can strike a match you can smoke a cigar, the pipe requires some knowledge, some practice and some patients.

Start by learning to learning to properly fill the tobacco chamber. I was taught the three step method.

1. Sprinkle, don’t pinch or stuff, sprinkle tobacco into the chamber a little at a time until there is a slight dome of tobacco above the rim of the pipe, then gently push this down so the chamber is about half full. Now puff on the pipe, there should not be any more restriction than an average cigar.
If it’s to tight, remove the tobacco and start again, with practice you’ll be able to do this by feel.

2. Sprinkle tobacco into the chamber again until there’s a slight mound above the rim of the bowl. Now press it down with a bit more pressure than the first time, this time so the chamber is three quarter filled, that’s half the volume left after step 1.

3. Sprinkle tobacco into the chamber until it’s full to the rim, this time press the tobacco down with more pressure, there should be roughly an eighth of an inch between the top of the tobacco and the rim of the bowl.

Don’t over fill the chamber or you’ll scorch the rim of the pipe when lighting it. DO NOT use a torch lighter; these are great for lighting cigars and charring the hell out of briar pipes.

The three step light is most often prescribed for the pipe novice. That’s two charring lights to toast the tobacco and form a bit of ash on top followed by the smoking light, using matches or standard flame butane lighter.

I’ve found a series of short quick puffs work better than long draws to get a pipe smoking.

Originally Posted by spectrrr

Is it possible that the bulk blends just have too much something or another… to keep them moist?

Yes. It’s possible that some type of humidicant (Propylene Glycol) has been used to prevent the tobacco from drying out… or it may simply be to damp. If the tobacco is in plastic bags it will dry out soon enough. If you have the tobacco in an air tight jar (the best way to keep it), leave the lid off the jar for a couple of hours and see how it feels.

If the tobacco does not ever dry out it has been chemically treat and I’d find a better source for pipe tobacco.

You’ll also learn over time just how moist you prefer pipe tobacco, and be able to tell by feel if it needs to by dried out or hydrated.

D.