Is the pipe tamper really useful?

Pipe smokers fall into two schools: those who use a tamper and those who prefer to do without. Is the accessory really useful, or does it sound like a relic of another age? Let us shed some light on the tamper and on the reasons for using it, or not.

The tamper is an accessory bound up with the pipe

The tamper has always been associated with pipes. It is part of the packing ritual which, let us be honest, would not be carried out as well without it. Our forebears already used it to press the tobacco into the bowl. The habit has stayed. Tobacco that is well packed means not having to worry about tobacco burning too quickly or about a pipe that keeps going out.

A few smokers will say that pressing with a finger is enough, or that any long, thin object could serve as a tamper. Even so, for anyone attached to tradition the accessory remains essential, and a good deal safer. So find your tamper right away.

Lastly, using a tamper is rather more refined than resorting to a piece of wood, or to a finger. The movement is precise, driven by a well-honed technique. The user even conveys a certain authority to anyone watching the ritual.

The tamper is definitely hard to do without

Although its detractors will claim that the accessory is not vital, it will protect your fingers from any number of burns and from the smell of tobacco. And whatever anyone says, having to break off a conversation with a pipe smoker because he is looking for a stick to press down his tobacco, or because he is using his finger, prompts a single thought: buy him a tamper.

And since we are on the subject of gifts, tampers are made from various materials, wood and metal among them, and come in a range of shapes and colours. It is therefore easy to find the right accessory to match the temperament of a pipe smoker.

Beyond the simple tamper, some also act as a "Swiss army knife" by being multi-purpose: pipe tool or spoon, a pick to clear the stem, and so on.