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Bad habits of an old pipe smoker
Danfriedman
Master
in General
I got caught with my finger ... where it should never be. Today My wife saw me tamping with my finger. I have plenty of tampers, but today I forget my manners. I am good about where I ash my pipe. I am careful to discreetly dispose of my used pipe cleaners. Is it really such a sin to, on occasion, use my finger to tamp?
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<<When I first started smoking the pipe, I had no idea what to use a tamper for. If I puffed hard enough, it would stay lit and if it went out, I just re-lit it. My tongue was constantly raw, and I thought I was either smoking to hot, or the tobacco was irritating my tongue. Little did I know that the art of tamping was what I really needed to get the full enjoyment out of pipe smoking, and end tongue irritation for good. Once I became a full-time pipe smoker, I received a couple of free tampers that I would use before a re-light, or with the Czech tool I would only use it for scraping the dottle out. As I became more experienced, I somehow learned subconsciously how and when to tamp, and my tongue irritation disappeared completely.
First let me say that there is a difference between “tongue bite” and “tongue irritation.” “Tongue bite” is when a tobacco has a certain chemical compound when smoking that causes a burning feeling. Sort of like you are eating a hot pepper; the pepper has a chemical in it that is supposed to keep you from eating it by burning your tongue as a natural defense mechanism. Unfortunately we as Humans enjoy the burn so we keep eating them. With pipe tobacco, certain casings can cause bite, as can a naturally cured tobacco. The curing process could cause a reaction that causes a chemical to be released when you’re smoking it that your body just doesn’t agree with. Some have this issue with Perique like I used to. My Perique bite went away, but most straight VAs still get me.
“Tongue irritation” is when you actually burn, rub, or otherwise irritate your tongue (yes I used the same word I am defining in the definition). Just like if you burn your tongue with a hot cup of coffee or tea, or if you get an ultra-thick shake that you really have to suck on the straw hard to get a dribble from. If you are pulling to hard and too often, you will get the smoke too hot and burn your tongue, and you will also irritate your tongue just from the act of pulling too hard or too much. Packing the bowl too tight will cause this as well.
Now that we have defined “bite” and “irritation,” we can continue. The more you have to pull to keep it lit, the more of a chance you have of getting irritation. You want the draw to be easy, like drinking through a straw, so enough air keeps moving past the ember to keep a nice smoke going, but not so easy you have to pull a lot of air past the ember to keep it lit. If the bowl is packed too tight you can’t get enough air through to keep it lit and if it’s packed too light the ember can’t move through the tobacco as the tobacco above burns out.
Now on to the art of tamping… The reason you need to tamp as you are smoking is because when you pack the bowl, there are some gaps in the tobacco. Also, as you smoke, the tobacco expands and as it expands, it pushes some tobacco away from it and causes air gaps. As you get more experience, you will learn that sign when it starts to burn itself out. You will first notice that your normal pull isn’t giving you the same amount of smoke. This is when you should hit it with the tamper. Don’t hit it hard, just give it a light tamp. Think of it like you are stoking a fire; sometimes just a light poke of the logs will cause a flare up. If you tamp too hard, not only will you pack it too tight and you will have to pull too hard, you could also tamp the ember out. All it takes is a light touch. As you gain more experience you will learn when you need to tamp, and how hard to tamp. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get it right in the beginning. All of us have had to learn the proper techniques through experience and we all do it differently because it works for us.
If you’re like me you may be reading this saying “aw you experienced pipe smokers are just crazy.” Believe me, I didn’t see the value in it either. Over time though, I learned it is the best way to keep a consistent smoke going and it completely ended all tongue irritation problems I had. I no longer have to deal with pain when drinking hot coffee or eating salty food, or even dealing with the pain when swishing with Listerine. I can smoke to my heart’s content without having to worry about it. Some tobaccos don’t need a tamp and others need more attention. You will learn the signs and just do it without thinking about it as needed no matter what you are smoking. Give it a try and keep working at it. You too will see that tamping will increase the enjoyment of puffing on your favorite pipe and tobacco.>>