Before I get too far into this, I’d like to communicate that pipe packing is a pretty individual thing; there are a few good methods floating around. Some people have lots of success with one, some do better with others. Whichever method you choose, keep in mind that it takes a lot of practice to get things to work well consistently. Also, in many cases you’ll have to adjust for different tobaccos, different moisture levels, different pipes, etc.

In order to burn communally, the little tobacco bits in your pipe need two things: one, they need to be close enough to each other so that the burning pieces can set the other bits alight; second, they need enough air circulating to smolder properly. Smoking physics dictates that in order to accomplish this uninterrupted for the hour or so that it takes to smoke a full bowl, the tobacco needs to be packed in such a way that the density of the tobacco is lowest at the bottom of the bowl, and gets progressively more dense toward the top of the bowl. The more gradual this progression, the better the burn.

Here’s one traditional method of how to pack your pipe:

1. Take a good-sized pinch of tobacco and sprinkle it into the bowl of your pipe until the bowl is full. You’ll probably want to periodically shake the pipe to settle the tobacco; longer cuts of tobacco (like cavendishes) can have some trouble settling into the bowl.

2. Use your tamper or finger and tamp down the tobacco until it takes up half the bowl.

3. Fill the bowl again like in step 1.

4. Tamp it down to ¾ full.

5. Fill the bowl again (don’t worry, it’s the last time).

6. Tamp it down so it’s within about 1/8” of the top of the bowl.

The resulting fill should be slightly springy, but compressed. When you draw on the pipe, you should feel a little resistance, but not much.

If it’s too tight, I take the poker end of my pipe tool and just poke the tobacco a handful of times (like aerating your lawn). Try the draw again. It should have loosened up a little.

Here’s another method:
1. Take a pinch of tobacco and put it in your pipe.

2. Tamp it down very lightly.

3. Continue to fill your pipe pinch by pinch. With each pinch, tamp down slightly harder than the pinch before.

4. Keep going until you get about 1/8” from the top of the bowl.

The resulting fill should be slightly springy, but compressed. When you draw on the pipe, you should feel a little resistance, but not much.

If it’s too tight, I take the poker end of my pipe tool and just poke the tobacco a handful of times (like aerating your lawn). Try the draw again. It should have loosened up a little.

The third method is waaaaaay too complicated to explain in point form here. However, it’s a great method, and when I have the option, I use it. It was developed by a cool German dude who did a ridiculous amount of research into the physics behind pipe smoking, and I would agree with the superlative reviews it’s been getting from various pipe clubs. It’s definitely worth learning: The Frank Method.

There’s no dishonor to relighting a pipe. They can be a little temperamental and it takes a good lot of practice to pack a pipe so it burns well all the way down.

First, here’s what NOT to do:
Don’t use a torch (blue flame) style lighter – it burns too hot, and can do major damage to your briar.

Don’t use paper matches. The resulting light tastes bad.

Avoid using a standard lighter if at all possible. You can pull it off, but it usually involves tilting your pipe into the flame, which results in burn marks on the rim of your pipe.

Try not to flame the rim of your pipe.

If you’re lighting with wooden matches, do this:
1. I recommend lighting two at a time, as it gives a better flame that’s not as likely to go out immediately. Also it extends the amount of time you have to light your pipe before the matches burn down.

2. Light the matches, but let the sulfur burn out before you light your pipe. Nobody wants their tobacco to taste like rotten eggs.

3. Walk the flame around the top of the tobacco without contacting it. Puff SLOWLY and rhythmically on your pipe. The slower your draws, the better it will pull the fire into the tobacco.

4. Keep going until you’ve evenly lit the top.

5. Once you’ve got a layer of grey ash on top, tamp it down a bit and relight if necessary.

If you’re using a pipe lighter, do this:
1. Walk the flame around the top of the tobacco. Puff SLOWLY and rhythmically on your pipe. The longer your draws, the better it will pull the fire into the tobacco.

2. Keep going until you’ve evenly lit the top.

3. Once you’ve got a layer of grey ash on top, tamp it down a bit and relight if necessary.

Smoking your pipe
Okay, more to know. If you’ve never smoked a pipe or cigar before, you need to know one thing: inhale a lungful of clean air before you draw on your pipe. You need air in your lungs in order to expel the smoke from your mouth. Inhaling pipe or cigar smoke feels and tastes horrible!

If you're a cigarette smoker, welcome to the other side. Try not to inhale.

Puff rhythmically. Be relaxed. Take it slow. Smoking too fast will make the smoke acidic and it'll bite your tongue.

If your pipe is getting hot, you’re going at it too fast. A pipe will go out faster than a cigar when it’s not being smoked, but try to smoke at a pace that keeps the pipe well-lit but keeps it cool.

Take care of your pipe and your pipe will take care of you. Not really.

The goal of pipe smoking is the quintessential cool, smooth smoke. It’s a lofty goal, sure, but it’s attainable. That’s one of the things that makes pipe smoking so enjoyable – even as a novice, you will find glimpses of pipe smoking nirvana every time you smoke. It’s a cross between the flavor of the tobacco, the smell of the smoke, your state of mind, and proper burning in the crucible of your pipe.

Much of what makes up this Magical Smoke comes from your pipe itself. Your pipe will lend its own taste to the tobacco (especially if it’s a briar pipe), and the condition of the bowl of your pipe affects how well the tobacco burns; the condition of your stem is the final pathway of the smoke before it reaches your tastebuds. So it follows that you’ll want to keep your pipe in optimal condition.

Here’s what I recommend for periodic pipe maintenance:

Every time you smoke
(NOTE: don’t remove the stem from a hot pipe as this will cause your stem to become loose.)

1. Empty out the ash and dottle (unsmoked tobacco) from your pipe.

2. Without removing the stem, run a clean pipe cleaner through the stem and into the bowl.

3. Fold a pipe cleaner in half and use it to wipe the inside of the bowl. (NOTE: if you haven’t built much of a cake yet, you may want to skip this step until you’ve smoked 10 bowls or so.)

4. When the pipe is cool, take a clean soft cloth and wipe down the outside of the pipe and stem. There’s a great product called Briar Pipe Wipe which will make your pipe gleam. I use it and recommend it.

Every 5 smokes or so
1. Get some pipe stem polish and some pipe bowl polish and use these on your pipe as directed. Savinelli makes a good pipe conditioning kit, as does Dunhill. You can pick these up from various retailers online.

2. Take your pipe apart and go at the inside of the stem and shank with a pipe cleaner dipped in alcohol. DO NOT get any alcohol on the outside of your pipe as it will ruin the finish - pipe stains are alcohol based. Keep changing out the pipe cleaners until they come out as clean as when you put them in.

Things to check periodically…
1. Make sure your cake isn’t getting too thick. It should be, max, the thickness of a dime. If it’s going too far beyond that, it can crack your bowl. Get a pipe reamer (if you only have a few pipes, I recommend the British Buttner variety – if you have more, get a PipNet or a Senior reamer kit. These are all available online – just do a Google search).

2. If you like, you might want to do a pipe sweetener. Dunhill makes a good one, and there’s one called Bee Pipe Sweetener around as well. Just follow their directions. Some people also swear by a honey swab – that’s where you take a 50/50 mix of honey and water, lightly swab the inside of your pipe, and allow to dry for a couple days.