Best Practices For Helping A New Pipe Smoker

PipeProfessor

I have a friend coming over on Saturday who has decided to give pipe smoking a go. I have many tips, advice, blends, etc for him but I want to hear how you help a new pipe smoker.....GO!

drac2485

I give them a decent pipe, MM cob not a cheap China that will burst into flames, and a tamper. If they aren't a smoker I'll give them one of my old Bic lighters to get started. I show them how pack by loading my pipe and let them daw off of it dry so they can get feel of what it should be. Then I guide them when packing their pipe until they are happy and ready to light it. Then comes the flame and the burnt finger. I plain the charring light and tamper and the true light getting them started on the smoke. The only thing varies is the tobacco I normally start them with. I make sure it's not too goopy and wet of a blend and not to strong if they aren't accustomed to smoking. In general I hook them up with the basics needed to start and if they like the tobacco they smoked I normally send them home with some or make a note on my list so I bring over when we get together. Oh and I teach the wonderful, evil, money pit known as the Internet in regards to online pipe and tobacco shops, then I watch them slowly spend their house mortgage...

thebadgerpiper

I second what @drac2485 said. Start with a cob to give them. That way, if they end up not enjoying it, there's less wasted cost. But cobs are dependable little pipes that will work well with a friendly aromatic.

Just go through packing and lighting with them, as well as how to properly draw from a pipe. You want the process to go as smoothly as possible for them.

judandhispipe

I'd second helping out with an MM. Personally, I wouldn't start him with an aro; I'd give him some Lane's Ready Rubbed. If he was a cigar smoker, I'd be more apt to give him something like Dunhill Standard.

tomatobodhi

The biggest danger, imho, is that your friend burns her tongue and can't taste anything. That seems to be the number one turnoff for new pipe smokers.

1) Show your friend how to pack (let her know that different cuts/tobaccos require different packing styles)

2) If it is packed too tight or too loose for good smoking, help her pull the tobacco out and start again. Encourage her that the ritual has already begun. This isn't a pre-smoking chore to race through. The game is already afoot!

3) When in doubt, pre-pack it for her.

4) Tell her to smoke slowly.

5) Remind her that she is tasting and savoring, not "making smoke." A lot of new smokers want to make billowing clouds of smoke, and that can lead to burnt tongue. Good smoking is measured by the enjoyment of the flavor of the tobacco, not the amount of smoke you are making.

lesliesrussell

I have to agree with judandhispipe, lane ready rub is a really good blend to start out smoking. Nice room note, nice tin note, smokes cool, burns well, not goopy.
The match version is closer to the original IMHO but only just.

PipeProfessor

Great advice guys! Let's hope this thread helps others who are just getting into it!

Darmon

This week we had some friends over for dinner, the husband was interested in getting into pipes.  So before they left I ended up giving him 2 cobbs (they were from my MM seconds grabbag), and about 6 different tobaccos to try (2aromatics, 2 va, 2english), talked him through the process (there wasn't enough time to walk him through it) but he was excited when he left.  I'm gonna try to keep talking with him about it and try to help him as much as my limited knowledge can.

tomatobodhi

Way to be, @darmon!

Hey, I'm interested in getting into pipes, too... ;D

PappyJoe

Tell them to not smoke Seattle Evening after eating Popeye's Spicy Fried Chicken. Man that hurts.

judandhispipe

Thinking about it, I would give them just one tobacco to try. It seems to me that too many new pipers try to jump in with both feet,and end up over their heads. Just learning the mechanics is enough to worry about. Learning more about tobaccos could come later. 

drac2485

I am starting to agree with @judandhispipe about not giving them too many things to try as it can get overwhelming.  

PappyJoe

When I'm asked by someone just getting into pipe smoking, I usually give them some Prince Albert or Carter Hall to start with. Both are good beginner tobaccos for learning. If they decide they like pipe smoking and stay with it, I then start expanding their horizons.

pipeman83

A good MM corncob is also what I suggest, its inexpensive and if they don't continue in the hobby their not out to much money. Also a good tobacco , no cheap OTC aromatic. Carter Hall is a good starter tobacco.

Bphasty

For me it was a MM Country Gentleman & Lane 1Q that worked. I had trouble getting it lit, so that would have been good to get help with at first. However I never had issues with knowing when to tamp (I could just sense it with the PipeForce) & I never had to re-light over & over. I think if other people paid closer attention to how the draw works (or feels in their mouths) they could better be able to tell when a tamp was needed & would have to re-light less often. But that was just me. Harder questions for me was...I'm in! So...now what? What's the next step after a cob, a briar? Which of 20 shapes do I pick? Which tobacco do I try now that I've had a Lane, more Lane, something completely different? That's where podcasts, youtube & pipesites came in handy.  

I tell my friends its like painting or woodworking they will NOT be masters right out of the gate. It takes time, practice & patience but they WILL be rewarded.

weedsnager

Pappyjoe nailed it-

Prince Albert or carter hall...great tobacco that stays lit. It's a confidence builder

Subtilis87

For s non aromatic starter I think McClelland Virgina Woods is amazing. After years of smoking aromatics and enduring tongue bite, this is the first blend I fell in love with.

motie2

Too often, I take certain things for granted when counseling a newcomer to pipe smoking. Recently, I came across http://www.brighampipes.com/ and its almost obsessively detailed list of best practices and rules to live by:

1.   Rest your pipe between smokes no matter how much you like it.

2.   Run a pipe cleaner through your pipe after each smoke. It is recommended that you continue to run pipe cleaners through the stem and shank until the cleaner comes out clean. When the pipe has cooled, you may gently twist the stem off the bowl and clean more thoroughly.

3. If your pipe has a filter, follow the pipe maker's instructions regarding when to replace it or if possible, how to clean it.

4.   Depending on how often you smoke your pipe you may need to use a pipe freshener (available at any reputable tobacconist) to remove tar and smoking residue that builds up in the smoking channel of your pipe. Separate the stem from the shank and using a pipe cleaner dipped in pipe freshener, run it through the stem. Run dry pipe cleaners through thew stem until they all come out clean. Repeat this with the shank of the pipe (the briar arm into which the pipe is inserted). Allow at least two days for the pipe too dry completely before smoking it again. Do not allow freshener to spill on the outside of the bowl as it may affect the finish.

5.   Ensure that you do not leave wet tobacco bits (dottle) in the bowl after a smoke. Gently remove them with a bent pipe cleaner, pipe spoon or other blunt (i.e. not sharp) instrument.

6.   You definitely want an even layer of carbon to build up in the bowl of your pipe. This helps protect the wood from excessive heat and makes the smoke cooler. Ensure the cake does not get more than the thickness of about a nickel - a thick cake can cause the bowl itself to crack or split.

7.   Store your pipe away from direct sunlight, fluorescent or strong incandescent lights as this will fade a vulcanite stem, leaving it bitter tasting.

8. Do not attempt to clean a Vulcanite pipe stem with water. This will cause serious discoloration and an awful taste which can only be removed by a professional. If you are unsure about whether your pipe is Vulcanite or not, err on the side of caution.

9.   Avoid smoking your pipe where there is a draft or wind. This movement of air can cause your tobacco to burn quickly and hotter increasing the potential for burnout.

10. Do not empty the pipe by holding the stem and banging the bowl on a hard surface. This will cause stress to the pipe and eventually cause it to break, fracture or split.

11. Use a proper pipe reamer with no sharp or pointed edges to remove excess carbon. Uneven removal of cake or accidental puncture of the inside of the bowl will create weak spots that may become susceptible to burnout.

Topaz75

Reading through the above list, it appears that I've been doing this pipe smoking thing all wrong for the last 53 years.

motie2

<giggle> Me, too.....

motie2

More on #5, above: Ensure that you do not leave wet tobacco bits (dottle) in the bowl after a smoke. Gently remove them with a bent pipe cleaner, pipe spoon or other blunt (i.e. not sharp) instrument.

Most pipe smokers discard the dottle with their ashes once the bowl if finished, but you may come across references to some folks who save their dottle. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes tales, for example, the legendary consulting detective was known to dry out his dottle and save it for a later smoke — though in that context, it seems Doyle was more trying to emphasize Holmes' desperation.

motie2

http://pipesmagazine.com/python/pipe-smoking/reading-between-the-lines/

<<There is very little in pipe smoking that I consider hard set ‘rules’. Yes, there are some ‘rules’ that should be followed very closely. Such as cleaning your pipes after every smoke and having a good rotation, but even that is debatable. Does cleaning your pipes after every smoke and having a good rotation help the enjoyment of pipe smoking? In my opinion, yes it does. But back before pipe smoking became a hobby and there were a lot more people smoking pipes, a lot of them smoked the same pipe every day and did not clean them after every smoke. They certainly seemed like they enjoyed their pipes just as much as I do. Am I right and they were wrong? Or were they right and I am wrong? The answer is neither. Pipe smoking is all about enjoying YOUR pipes, tobacco, and smoking.

I do not put much value into those who consider themselves ‘Expert Pipe Smokers’. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not including pipe makers and tobacco blenders in this discussion of being an expert. They are obviously some form of an expert because they have studied the art of pipe making or tobacco blending and they apply their knowledge in their trade and make a living from it. So they have to know quite a bit about what they are doing are they wouldn’t be able to make a living doing what they do.

The ‘Expert Pipe Smokers’ I am referring to is, the people who say; “I have been smoking a pipe for so many amount of years and I have all of this knowledge and this is how you are supposed to smoke a pipe”. In my opinion, the individual person finds their own way to smoke a pipe. If you enjoy smoking a pipe the way that you smoke it, you are doing it correctly. Once again, that does not mean the so called ‘experts’ are wrong, because they are not. They are enjoying their pipe smoking as well.

I do always listen to and read every bit of information that becomes available to me because I am always learning. There is almost always some bit of information that I was not previously aware of. Sometimes the new info or tip helps me to enjoy my pipe journey better and sometimes it does not. I keep using the things that work for me and do not use the things that don’t work. I do not discard any info whether it works for me or not because it might help out a fellow piper even though it did not work for me. A prime example is the fold and stuff method with flake tobacco. I know that a lot of people use that method with much success, but I can not use that method. I do not get satisfactory results from it although others do.

This applies even more to tobacco reviews. Remember that every one has different tastes and what tastes good to me, might not taste good to you and vice versa. When I write a review, I keep that in mind and try to remain objective. I really hate when I read a review and the reviewer tears apart a blend that he doesn’t like just because he doesn’t like it without any explanation of why he doesn’t like it.  I have seen reviews of aromatic blends and the reviewer starts his review with, “Let me start by saying that I hate aromatics.” And then proceeds to bash the tobacco. Well if they hate aromatics and can not be objective, then why are they reviewing an aromatic?

When I read reviews of a tobacco that I have not had before, I look for certain things in the review. I tend to disregard the reviewers personal taste as far as the blend goes, unless I know the reviewer and know what their tastes tend to be. Here are some of the things that I look for when reading a review; what type of tobaccos make up the blend, what type of blend it is, does it sound similar to a blend that I have smoked and if so did I like it or dislike it, if it had a lot of bite to it, etc.>>

ghostsofpompeii

Since there are two possibly three camps in the pipe smoking community ... aromatics, English, and non-aromatic Virginia Perique it can be hard to tell exactly what camp your friend might be suited. First thing I'd ask is what is it about pipe smoking that attracted you to the possibility ... was it simply a way of transitioning from cigarettes to an alternative yet maintaining that nicotine hit ... or do they associate pipe smoking with a pleasant aroma. That might narrow it down some. Since I'm an aromatic smoker I'd seduce them with the best smelling and tasting aromatics in my cellar. Explaining the pitfalls of the moist aromatics in the process and drive home the point about smoking techniques to keep from getting tongue burn. Being familiar with the blends I have I know which can be a bit hotter and those which I've never had a tongue bite issue with.

I concur with the advise you're getting from the members on the site. @motie2 has presented a nice list to follow. And I would recommend you reading the recent post from @SERENTIL "20 Things I've Learned Since I Started Smoking A Pipe 7 Months Ago".       

motie2

http://www.talkingtobacco.com/2012/05/pipe-tobacco-academy-common-pipe-smoking-errors/

[Edited for length]

<<There’s no one right way to smoke a pipe, but we all commonly do things that either reduce our enjoyment or shorten the lifespan of our pipes. Let’s take a look at some routine mistakes we tend to make.

Lighting improperly- The most common error is to touch the flame directly to the tobacco. This lets the tobacco become too hot, which changes the flavor and also helps to build up that char or crust on the crest of the bowl. Just let the flame hover above the top of the tobacco and use long, gentle draws rather than short, quick puffs for the best taste. Avoid torch lighters for pipes. I’d rather deal with the bit of taste from a Zippo pipe lighter to get wind resistance than to fry a good pipe.

Infrequent cleaning- Routine cleaning consists of running pipe cleaner down the stem and shank after finishing a bowl, but many pipe smokers don’t do it. This allows juices to be absorbed by the briar and after a while, the pipe can get sour. Wiping the stem down with something like Obsidian Stem Oil, olive oil or petroleum jelly can help avoid oxidation, but few people do it (myself included). Reaming a pipe when the cake gets as thick as a nickel will help avoid damage.

Taking a pipe apart while warm- It’s a bad practice. If the pipe is warm (or hot) when disassembling, the tenon can stretch and become thinner, leading to a loose stem. Always let the pipe cool before pulling the stem out.

Removing the stem improperly- A lot of people will twist the stem from the button end or middle, but the safest way is to grip it with the last three fingers while keeping the thumb and index fingers on the shank. This way the stem will be pulled out straighter so angular pressure won’t crack or break the tenon.

Packing too tightly/loosely- Tightly packed pipes go out frequently and cause puffing too often/fast which winds up frying tongues. Loosely packed pipes lead to similar problems because people wind up over-tamping. >>

Smoking overly moist tobacco- Most pipe tobacco is a bit too moist because the manufacturers don’t want the tobacco to dry out before it gets to the consumer. The problem is that smoking tobacco with too much moisture will cause the smoker puff too often in an attempt to keep it lit. When that happens, the water becomes steam, and steam will burn the tongue more than smoke will. Allow the tobacco to dry out a bit before packing by taking a bowlful and putting it on a piece of paper for 45 minutes to an hour before packing. It should then be dry enough to smoke well.

Bonanzadriver

Some great points here.

I like my tobacco more on the drier side of the moisture spectrum, subsequently it seems to flame out less often.

When I'm introducing a first timer to the pipe I let them go through the jars and open tins that I'm smokin, not cellarin, and smell em.

If they pick one that I think has a little bite I might try to steer em to maybe their 2nd choice, hopefully it will be less bitey. 

As I've stated on previous posts, I encourage them to pack it lightly and take er slow and easy.

I also state before and during the experience that this is not like smoking the cigars most of them are familiar with.  That there's no shame in re-lights.

I also generally use matches up in the mancave and save my lighters for the office or the golf course.  I think that by showing them how to let the flame "lick" the tobacco and not incinerate it, that they will have a more pleasant experience.


BWTHDIK
YMMV


dino

motie2

@Bonanzadriver -- Wise words!!!

PappyJoe

The old pipe smokers I knew back in the 70s would scoff at that rule #1 @motie2 posted earlier. They would smoke the same pipe over and over and if it did burn out on them, they would go to the drug store and buy another Kaywoodie, Dr. Grabow or Yello Bole. 

That being said, my grandfather was a pipe smoker. He had one pipe he took to work with him and would smoke it when he had a break or during his lunch. He was a mechanic who worked on car transmissions back in the 50s & 60s. This was also back in the dark ages when smoking was actually allowed on city buses, so he would smoke going to and from work. He had other pipes he would just smoke at home, but it usually smoke the same pipe every time one day and a different pipe the next.

While I can see the advantage of letting a pipe rest a day between smokes, I often wonder if this is an incredibly smart marketing ploy developed by a pipe retailer to sell more pipes? The old "You need at least 7 pipes so you can give them a complete rest between smokes!" story. "Oh! You smoke 4 or 5 bowls a day? Then you must have 28 to 35 pipes so you don't stress them out!" 

IN MY OPINION (notice the emphasis) a new pipe smoker can start with a single pipe that is cleaned with a pipe cleaner and allowed to sit and dry out for an hour or two between smokes. When they get to the point of wanting to smoke two or three bowls in succession, then its time to buy another pipe or two. Smoke one, let it rest while smoking the next one. Let it rest and smoke the third one. Repeat. 

After that it becomes pipe collecting.

motie2

@PappyJoe -- That's the way my father drove a DeSoto in the 1950's. He bought it used and ran it until it died. Never changed the oil or any other maintenance. Wasn't a good idea then; isn't a good idea now. The same applies to continuous smoking of the same pipe. Yet, as Pappy points out folks still do it.

The best resource I've found, for the new pipe smoker is, without question, 

http://www.alpascia.com/moments/d/Tips-for-new-pipe-smokers-i22386.html

PappyJoe

@motie2 - I was fortunate in that my father and other men in my life as a child were they type who believed in keeping the vehicles running. By the time I was 14 I was taught how to change oil, pull apart a generator and replace the brushes, replace the points in a distributor,  do brake jobs and replace the U-joints on a drive shaft. I even assisted in replacing the clutch plates on manual transmission a time or two.

motie2

Pappy, I basically know where the key goes. Although back in the day I could change the oil on a VW Beetle.

PappyJoe

@motie2 - I had back surgery in 1997 which limits my ability to bend and get up and down off the ground so I no longer do mechanical work on my truck. That and the fact that the auto companies decided to add computers and fuel injections systems and make it where you basically have to jack the engine up to change spark plugs.