@Jbirdsall Welcome to the forum. We are glad to have you become a part of our group. Motie2 has given some great links above. Part of the joy of pipe smoking is in the packing and lighting of the tobacco. Sometimes the tobacco needs some drying time and some tobacco is just hard to get going, but that is part of what makes this hobby so enjoyable. We are all continually learning.
@Jbirdsall Welcome to the hobby and to TPL! Packing is one of those things that you'll get over time. Each tobacco is a bit different in how well it packs, but there's some good tips on how to generally get it right.
The three step method is this: 1) Fill the bowl loosely with tobacco until it reaches the top, then pack it down to the middle of the bowl. 2) Fill the bowl a bit firmer until it reaches the top, and pack it down until it's 2/3rds full. 3) Fill the bowl to the top and pack it down to the rim. 4) Take a draw from the unlit pipe. The air resistance from the tobacco should feel like you're drinking a milkshake from a straw. If you're drawing too easily, then the tobacco is too loose. Fill the bowl more and see if that helps. If its too difficult to draw any air, then the bowl is packed too tightly. Dump the bowl and try again. 5) You'll also want to try drawing from an empty pipe beforehand. If there's any resistance, run a pipe cleaner through it. Likewise, if the air resistance is too difficult when full, try the pipe cleaner again. This will clear any loose tobacco that might be lodged in the stem and shank. This is also useful when smoking your pipe, as sometimes ash will build up by the draft hole.
Welcome @Dgroff , @dougowen, and @ItsJustDoc to the forum. I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you as you join in the conversation. Please post with confidence. We are all hear to share and learn.
From: Emory, Texas Pipe Smoker: 3 months Started smoking on: My Late Uncles Meerschaum. Favorite Tobacco: all I have tried so far! There are the basics, looking forward to meeting everyone!
Welcome all new members, individually and collectively. We look forward to your participation and contributions to our discussions and generalized carrying-on.
While I realize we are all in hiding from the FDA and don't want to give out the specific location of our stash of pipes and pipe tobacco, I don't think keeping where you are from when introducing yourself is working. Giving a generalized descriptor of your location (i.e. SE Louisiana) is useless in telling people where you are from. You might as well say, "Hi! I'm a pipe smoker from the SE United States."
By telling us what town, city or village you live in, you tell us that you may be interested in meeting with other pipe smokers who live nearby. I know. You're sitting there saying, "but I've never seen another pipe smoker in the wild." However, chances are there may be other pipe smokers living within 25 miles of you and you don't even know it.
So, please, when you decide to tell people where you are living, be a little more specific than, "Hi, I'm Pappyjoe, I live on the North American Continent."
Howdy Y'all. My name is Will and I have been enjoying smoking pipes for over 40 years. I have a modest collection of the briar and a few meershaums to boot.
Comments
Howdy, Welcome, saddle up and hold on🙂
Looking forward to meeting y'all!
-Jeremy
Welcome to TPL. Good to have you join us.
These videos should help:
Packing a pipe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so9QxvkJ0kE
Lighting a pipe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huwp7cO1NDI
If you have more questions, feel free to ask anyone.
Meanwhile, we look forward to your paticipation in our discussions.....
Welcome to the forum. We are glad to have you become a part of our group. Motie2 has given some great links above. Part of the joy of pipe smoking is in the packing and lighting of the tobacco. Sometimes the tobacco needs some drying time and some tobacco is just hard to get going, but that is part of what makes this hobby so enjoyable. We are all continually learning.
The three step method is this:
1) Fill the bowl loosely with tobacco until it reaches the top, then pack it down to the middle of the bowl.
2) Fill the bowl a bit firmer until it reaches the top, and pack it down until it's 2/3rds full.
3) Fill the bowl to the top and pack it down to the rim.
4) Take a draw from the unlit pipe. The air resistance from the tobacco should feel like you're drinking a milkshake from a straw. If you're drawing too easily, then the tobacco is too loose. Fill the bowl more and see if that helps. If its too difficult to draw any air, then the bowl is packed too tightly. Dump the bowl and try again.
5) You'll also want to try drawing from an empty pipe beforehand. If there's any resistance, run a pipe cleaner through it. Likewise, if the air resistance is too difficult when full, try the pipe cleaner again. This will clear any loose tobacco that might be lodged in the stem and shank. This is also useful when smoking your pipe, as sometimes ash will build up by the draft hole.
In addition to @thebadgerpiper's excellent instructions, please refer to the pdf, found below, covering various bowl filling techniques.
From: Emory, Texas
Pipe Smoker: 3 months
Started smoking on: My Late Uncles Meerschaum.
Favorite Tobacco: all I have tried so far!
There are the basics, looking forward to meeting everyone!
You can’t do much better than a good meer🙂
While I realize we are all in hiding from the FDA and don't want to give out the specific location of our stash of pipes and pipe tobacco, I don't think keeping where you are from when introducing yourself is working. Giving a generalized descriptor of your location (i.e. SE Louisiana) is useless in telling people where you are from. You might as well say, "Hi! I'm a pipe smoker from the SE United States."
By telling us what town, city or village you live in, you tell us that you may be interested in meeting with other pipe smokers who live nearby. I know. You're sitting there saying, "but I've never seen another pipe smoker in the wild." However, chances are there may be other pipe smokers living within 25 miles of you and you don't even know it.
So, please, when you decide to tell people where you are living, be a little more specific than, "Hi, I'm Pappyjoe, I live on the North American Continent."
My name is Will and I have been enjoying smoking pipes for over 40 years. I have a modest collection of the briar and a few meershaums to boot.