Pipe Tip (for newbies): Slow it down

[dillonmcmurphy]

Many newbies have several problems all going on at once when they first pick up pipe smoking. The tobacco's burning too hot. It's burning too wet. It's hard to draw. It isn't burning all the way down.
Well I'm here to say that there is one answer to all of these problems. SLOW DOWN. Take your time when preparing the tobacco. Make sure it's the correct moisture content. Take your time packing the pipe. Make sure it's nice and even. Go easy when you light the pipe. Don't get it too hot. Puff niiiiice and slow. It ain't a race, so don't smoke like it is one. If you treat pipe smoking as more of a relaxing ritual I'm sure that everything will come together for you.
And most of all, make sure you're enjoying it. The answers will come in time, so just make sure you take it slow, and you enjoy it.

Happy Puffing!

[BrSpiritus]

good advice. I have been slowly teashing myself to smoke more slowly and enjoy the experience.

BrSpiritus

[8ball917]

Good stuff. Lately, I have been concentrating on slowing down my puffing which seems to improve the flavor by a good amount and has resulted in a much more relaxing experience.

[DeadFrog]

This is a great tip. I still have to remind myself to take it slow and easy. I find I speed up because I'm enjoying the smoke so much. Must learn patience!

[dillonmcmurphy]

Originally Posted by DeadFrog

This is a great tip. I still have to remind myself to take it slow and easy. I find I speed up because I'm enjoying the smoke so much. Must learn patience!

Haha yeah as soon as I learned to take it slow it came together. I personally don't even bother having a smoke unless I know I have enough time to sit and enjoy the entire bowl. That said, there's nothing wrong with leaving half a bowl of unsmoked tobacco and returning to it later. Just be wary, because it can often have a bad taste when you come back to it (at least for the first several puffs).

[uncballzer]

I've been smoking for about a year and half now, and I still have to tell myself to slow down every bowl!

[Hendu3270]

Great advice! I to find myself enjoying a smoke so much that I begin to notice I'm trying to "enjoy it" a little too quickly.

Something I also noticed I was doing is "filling" my pipe too tightly. I thought I was using the BMF method but actually was making it to tight. I could still draw easily but needed to relight a little too often I thought and when I would tamp it never really seemed to push down much and a typical smoke would last well over an hour. This past weekend, while watching the 8 + inches of rain fall here in Southeast Texas, I filled a pipe using very little pressure and the whole smoke lasted about 45 minutes. About 20 minutes into it I tamped and the top layer of ash easily, (almost effortlessly) dropped down to alomost the halfway point in the bowl. It was a much cooler smoke and I enjoyed the flavor much more. Just thought I'd share.

[Bassie]

Originally Posted by Hendu3270

Great advice! I to find myself enjoying a smoke so much that I begin to notice I'm trying to "enjoy it" a little too quickly.

Something I also noticed I was doing is "filling" my pipe too tightly. I thought I was using the BMF method but actually was making it to tight. I could still draw easily but needed to relight a little too often I thought and when I would tamp it never really seemed to push down much and a typical smoke would last well over an hour. This past weekend, while watching the 8 + inches of rain fall here in Southeast Texas, I filled a pipe using very little pressure and the whole smoke lasted about 45 minutes. About 20 minutes into it I tamped and the top layer of ash easily, (almost effortlessly) dropped down to alomost the halfway point in the bowl. It was a much cooler smoke and I enjoyed the flavor much more. Just thought I'd share.

It is the total truth. What a pleasure pipesoking has become for me. My newbie problems were mostly not correct filling the bowl, and smoke too fast. Right now, I learned pipesmoking needs time, it needs practice and time to get it "under the knee" ( dutch for getting the know how ) and everytime u think u "got" it, next time I found out i still dunno it all.

Things I found out so far :
I have too clean my pipe properly
I do not love Latakia
How to prepare a flake
Girls love the smell off pipe tobacco
I have to build a cool cellar/humidor for my tobacco's
Virginia makes a good match with perique
I want "the pipe book " by A. Dunhill
My fav tobacco is Peterson irisch whiskey, strange thing is that the first bowls where nice but not that good, but on a sunday afternoon, filling my new Venini straight billiard with it, I found out it has a plaesant and nutty taste, verry nice. probably my first bowls where packed too tight, and too small bowls.
U can smoke a pipe while driving a scooter ( according to utube , though even noticed talking muppets with a corncob)
I had too quit trying too many tobacco's. i stick with the few I love, and now and than i try som new......
Strange thing happened to me,....I did not like Erinmore mixture at all,..but after a few bowls,.......love it.

Well,..so far,

Ciao

[Hendu3270]

Originally Posted by Hendu3270

Great advice! I to find myself enjoying a smoke so much that I begin to notice I'm trying to "enjoy it" a little too quickly.

Something I also noticed I was doing is "filling" my pipe too tightly. I thought I was using the BMF method but actually was making it to tight. I could still draw easily but needed to relight a little too often I thought and when I would tamp it never really seemed to push down much and a typical smoke would last well over an hour. This past weekend, while watching the 8 + inches of rain fall here in Southeast Texas, I filled a pipe using very little pressure and the whole smoke lasted about 45 minutes. About 20 minutes into it I tamped and the top layer of ash easily, (almost effortlessly) dropped down to alomost the halfway point in the bowl. It was a much cooler smoke and I enjoyed the flavor much more. Just thought I'd share.

Oh and I forgot to mention. The smoke mentioned above was on Saturday. My "less pressure" filling method was also used twice on Sunday and again last night with the same results. It's also eliminated the gurgling that seemed to happen a couple of times throughout the smokes.

Now I sit at work and can't get a nice relaxing bowl out of my head. Might just have to have one at lunch......

[gglen]

Great tips, though I must say that I am a lover of Latakia. One tip I was given is that if the bold gets to hot to touch stop smoking and let it go out.

[Arizona]

"Take your time packing the pipe."

All good advice Dillon, but I cringed when I read the sentence above - if Mister Moo sees that term PACK he'll have a FIT!!! - a better adjective would be FILLING the pipe... This stresses the fact that you fill it and avoid PACKING it cuz too tight is a common problem with newbies. The tobacco doesn't have to be packed firmly - err on the side of looseness if anything.

Also I like to describe it as SIPPING on the pipe... Puffing frantically is definitely another mistake of newbies. This lends to a burnt tongue, HOT pipe, etc. You gently SIP the pipe and draw on it softly. If the pipe is filled properly it should have the same resistance as sipping soda thru a straw is how I'd describe it.

Good thread!

[dillonmcmurphy]

Originally Posted by Arizona

"Take your time packing the pipe."

All good advice Dillon, but I cringed when I read the sentence above - if Mister Moo sees that term PACK he'll have a FIT!!! - a better adjective would be FILLING the pipe... This stresses the fact that you fill it and avoid PACKING it cuz too tight is a common problem with newbies. The tobacco doesn't have to be packed firmly - err on the side of looseness if anything.

Also I like to describe it as SIPPING on the pipe... Puffing frantically is definitely another mistake of newbies. This lends to a burnt tongue, HOT pipe, etc. You gently SIP the pipe and draw on it softly. If the pipe is filled properly it should have the same resistance as sipping soda thru a straw is how I'd describe it.

Good thread!

Thanks for catching that for me Jeff! Yes, I remember Mister Moo's thread on switching the word pack to fill, prepare, etc. Also, thank's for the addition of the advice on not packing the pipe too tight. That's very important, and it was actually you that taught it to me when I was a newbie on this forum .
For anyone that would like to see a visual example of how loose you should be FILLING you're pipe, there is an excellant video on youtube by 1968eric. Here's the link:
YouTube - Pipesmoking101 - Filling your pipe - Part 5 of 7

I also highly recommend watching his video on lighting your pipe, and for that matter go ahead and check out some more of his videos. They are very informative.