Getting started with the pipe

A real smoker is recognized by the way he takes care of his pipe. He must have a tool (pipe tamper, pipe cleaner, and scraper blade), absorbent pipe-cleaning brushes, and keep his tobacco in a leather or metal pouch, or an airtight tobacco jar.

The 6 tips for starting well with the pipe

Below, you will find 6 articles dedicated to the use and maintenance of the pipe. If you are new to the world of the pipe, these tips will be valuable to you and will also help you in your first steps in this varied and complex universe.

Quickly become a pipe professional thanks to these 6 tips for starting well with the pipe, tips created by experts in the field.

1. Breaking in

A poorly broken-in pipe cannot be recovered, and gives a harsh taste to the tobacco. To smoke a new pipe, it is important to protect the bowl with a layer of carbon, because an untreated briar can burn, so you should only fill the first ten pipes halfway, smoke them slowly, and down to the last strand of tobacco so that the carbon deposits at the bottom of the bowl.

Let new pipes rest very often, never smoke them more than twice a day, and especially avoid artificial breaking-in.avoid abnormal drafts that activate combustion.

Never use alcohol or other liquids, remember that the blanks have been dried for six months.

Then, gradually, the pipe will be filled until the bowl is completely carbonized.

2. Filling

• Always use a cold wooden pipe, also most smokers have several pipes to maintain a certain rotation. The ideal for a good smoker is to choose three pipes each morning, the next day three others and repeat.
• Choose a tobacco that is neither too dry (It stings the tongue and can burn the pipe) nor too moist (It causes excessive salivation and makes the pipe gurgle).
• Fill the bowl slowly, pinch by pinch, pressing firmly without forcing.

3. Lighting

The best is done with a match to avoid burning the outside of the bowl. You can also use a special pipe lighter. 

Light the entire surface of the tobacco, then, as the tobacco rises, press it down to the level of the bowl and relight if necessary.

Before relighting a half-smoked pipe, you must empty the ashes, pack down the remaining tobacco, but never relight it if it has already cooled.

4. Smoking

Inhale slowly to obtain a gentle smoke without heating the pipe. The tobacco must be regularly packed down to maintain a moderate draw that avoids spitting.

Smoke the pipe to the end. A medium pipe should last about 40 minutes, with the world record exceeding two hours.If your pipe gets clogged, wait for it to cool down and use another one.

5. Rest

The extinguished pipe must be emptied of its ashes immediately. If there is a bit of wet tobacco left, remove it right away with the pipe cleaner to prevent the pipe from giving off a bad smell as it dries.

The pipe should be tapped on the palm of the hand, never on a hard object that could alter its appearance or even break the stem or the tube, since the pipe is hot.

Resting is done on a rack, with the bowl always facing down to allow moisture and the nicotine to evaporate from the bowl when it comes into contact with air.
To facilitate this evaporation, you can slide a pipe cleaner to the bottom of the bowl and leave it there until the next use.

6. Cleaning

A clean pipe always smells good; for this, it must be checked frequently, that is to say:

• Disassemble the pipe by holding both parts near their assembly point, and turn as if it were screwed together.
• Never disassemble a hot pipe; the stem having been exposed to more heat than the briar, it may crack.
• Wash the system if necessary.
• Clean the stem and pipe with an absorbent swab. The exterior should also be rubbed with a soft cloth to restore its appearance.
• Keep and use the pouch provided at purchase to maintain your pipe's beautiful appearance.
• Carbon deposit: Since wood contracts when heated faster than carbon, a pipe with excessive deposit risks cracking. Similarly, if the layer is too thin, the pipe heats up and may cause the wood to char. The normal thickness of the crust is 1 to 2 mm depending on the size of the bowl. Therefore, to remove excess carbon, the smoker's knife blade should be used to avoid the risk of puncturing the bottom of the bowl, which could be caused by a sharp object.