Many people take up the pastime of smoking a pipe. They make sure they have a wonderful looking pipe and they buy only the best tobacco. They choose their pipe cleaners and their windproof lighters and they think they are ready to go. However, one of the most difficult things about smoking a pipe is actually getting it packed correctly.

It is very important that you keep your pipe clean at all times. If it is the first time you are smoking the pipe, you won’t have to worry about cleaning it, but you need to keep these steps in mind for all of the subsequent uses. The first thing that you want to do is to remove all of the debris and ash from the bowl of the pipe. You can dump it into an ashtray. Next, you are going to want to use a pipe cleaner through the stem of the pipe and toward the bowl to remove and clean buildup in the pipe.

When the pipe is clean, you are ready to start packing. Choose strands of tobacco that have no clumps or stems in them and then pack the bowl until it is one quarter from the top of the bowl. Tamp the tobacco down until it only takes up half the bowl and then hold a flame over the tobacco, drawing the heat into the bowl. Tamp again and then fill the bowl until it is full. Tamp once more, and then you are ready to light it. Hold the flame to the tobacco so that it is just touching and then draw through the step. This should light the tobacco and you should not have any trouble keeping it lit.

Next, you are ready to pack the pipe. Take out your pipe tobacco and grab some. Sift through it for any knots or stems that might cause blockage and remove them. You only want the strands of tobacco. Take these strands and pack your pipe until it is about three quarters of the way full. Take your tamping tool and tamp until the bowl appears only halfway full. Now take a lighter and hold the flame just above the tobacco ” take a draw through the stem and pull the heat into the tobacco, never letting the flame touch.