Caring for your pipe in 4 steps

You have finally found the right pipe, but how should you look after it?

Here are a few pointers to help you clean your pipe properly.

Step one: building the cake

This is the first thing to do when your pipe is new.
It consists in smoking tobacco in order to lay down a layer of carbon (known as “the cake”) and so protect the briar of the bowl from possible burns.

That way you can break your pipe in properly, while still getting the natural taste of the tobacco.

How do you build the cake properly?

Start by filling the bowl a third of the way up and smoking it like that for 10 days.
Then repeat over the same period with the bowl filled about two thirds. After this baptism of fire, smoke as normal.

Note: while the cake is forming, never use alcohol, honey or oil.

Step two: packing

Fill your pipe in several goes, one after the other.
Avoid large pinches and go for lighter ones, except for the last, which should be pressed down a little more.
Bear in mind that it is always easier to add a little tobacco than to take some out if the pipe is packed too tightly.
Take care, all the same, never to fill your pipe completely.

Step three: lighting

Light the whole surface and avoid using a petrol lighter, which could spoil the taste of the tobacco.
Go for a gas lighter (made for pipes) or simply matches, and do not hesitate to relight your pipe several times if need be.

Note: when lighting, avoid burning the rim of the bowl.

Step four: upkeep

Do not forget that your pipe is a delicate object.
To make it last, remember to clean it carefully.
A number of accessories will help you keep it in the best condition.
The essential ones are the pipe scraper and the pipe brushes.

More specific ones, such as the reamer, polishes and cleaners, are used more occasionally so that your pipe keeps its original finish.

To see our pipes and accessories, follow these links: pipe lighters ; accessories ; pipes