Now on to the art of tamping…  The reason you need to tamp as you are smoking is because when you pack the bowl, there are some gaps in the tobacco.  Also, as you smoke, the tobacco expands and as it expands, it pushes some tobacco away from it and causes air gaps.  As you get more experience, you will learn that sign when it starts to burn itself out.  You will first notice that your normal pull isn’t giving you the same amount of smoke.  This is when you should hit it with the tamper.  Don’t hit it hard, just give it a light tamp.  Think of it like you are stoking a fire; sometimes just a light poke of the logs will cause a flare up.  If you tamp too hard, not only will you pack it too tight and you will have to pull too hard, you could also tamp the ember out.  All it takes is a light touch.  As you gain more experience you will learn when you need to tamp, and how hard to tamp.  Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get it right in the beginning.  All of us have had to learn the proper techniques through experience and we all do it differently because it works for us.

If you’re like me you may be reading this saying “aw you experienced pipe smokers are just crazy.”  Believe me, I didn’t see the value in it either.  Over time though, I learned it is the best way to keep a consistent smoke going and it completely ended all tongue irritation problems I had.  I no longer have to deal with pain when drinking hot coffee or eating salty food, or even dealing with the pain when swishing with Listerine.  I can smoke to my heart’s content without having to worry about it.  Some tobaccos don’t need a tamp and others need more attention.  You will learn the signs and just do it without thinking about it as needed no matter what you are smoking.  Give it a try and keep working at it.  You too will see that tamping will increase the enjoyment of puffing on your favorite pipe and tobacco.

Keep on piping!