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New technique

jsnakejsnake Posts: 5,979 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Pipes
Well new to me at least. I went from a pack the ever loving sh*t out of my pipe to trying to figure out something better and finally settled on the gravity fill. Several variations but what I went with was sprinkle tobacco until it slightly over fills the bowl and tamp a third of the way down and test it. Repeat and tamp down 2/3 and finally the last third. Making sure to roll the excess from the rim Ito the bowl. This worked with hit and miss results. 

Watched a a video the other day and I'm not sure what the method is. Tried it a bunch and so far this is the perfect way to pack a pipe. Works every time. Take your tobacco and get it loose and fill your palm with it. Take your pipe turn it upside down and roll the pipe over the tobacco. Probably better seen then written but basically keep the bowl down and rotate it in circular motions over your palm of tobacco with a little pressure. It works perfect every time I do it this way. Once filled I test the draw after tamping lightly with my finger first to make sure it filled all the way. Then sprinkle some baccy on top to char then tamp. 

Any pipe related techniques you've tried or changed over time? Please share. 

Comments

  • jsnakejsnake Posts: 5,979 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I also brought up on Facebook a discussion about cleaning your pipe after smoking. I always clean mine after I smoke. 

    I let the pipe cool down and stir the tobacco and dump it. I remove my stem (which I won't do anymore now after discussion unless it is a deep cleaning) and run a pipe cleaner through it. I then bend the pipe cleaner in a U to wipe the inside of the bowl to remove any ash residue. Sometimes the shank has some baccy or wetness in it and I'll use a pipe cleaner on that as well. I don't use a filter and my arromatics honestly need to dry out more but I am impatient. I leave a pipe cleaner in the stem overnight and remove it the next day and reassemble the pipe. I do this after each smoke without fail. I just can't let them sit dirty. Same with guns. If I shoot the get cleaned when done not later. 

    It it was brought up that many pipe makers say to try to not remove the stem very often. Most guys in the discussion said they clean with the stem attached and only remove when a deeper cleaning is needed. I see the merit in that and will be following that process now. 
  • onestrangeoneonestrangeone Posts: 2,441 ✭✭✭✭✭

     I use several different methods to load a pipe, I don't believe that there is one method that is the end all, fits all, absolute. There are to many variables involved, the cut of the tobacco and the moisture level of the tobacco are a couple of big ones, Your smoking style, cadence and whether you puff, sip or breathsmoke comes into play as well. Pipes have there own preferences as well, kinda temperamental, if you take the time to get to know her, she will reward you.

    Here lately the method I seem to use the most is to gravity feed, tap the bowl a couple of times, then take a pinch of tobacco that I estimate to be about a quarter of a bowl, wad it up into a ball  and work it gently into the bowl. I have also had good results with the 'cannonball' approach,

    As for cleaning, I run a dry cleaner thru the still assembled hot pipe, work it a couple of times, then repeat with the other end of the cleaner. after the pipe cools down I wipe out the bowl with a wadded up paper towel, after about a weeks worth of smokes 7-10 I will disassemble and swab out the mortise, draft hole and bit with  Everclear or  pipe freshener.

            

  • jsnakejsnake Posts: 5,979 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yeah the palm method I mentioned won't work with my really large pokers. I use the gravity method still on those. 

    Today I took two smaller mason jars of baccy that we're getting low and mixed them. It is a delicious blend but I have no idea what they were. While trying to sell and move a few jars didn't get labeled properly so I am trying to smoke those up. Any of you guys like mixing your own stuff? Whatever these two were they made an excellent smoke when mixed together. 
  • YaksterYakster Posts: 27,607 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Sometimes if I'm loading from a pouch or bag I'll scoop the pipe down into the tobacco to load it, otherwise I normally use the gravity method and tamp it down in thirds.
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  • onestrangeoneonestrangeone Posts: 2,441 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I haven't intenseusally tried to blend anything. but I do have a mystery jar, when I get to the bottom of a jar or tin and there's not quite enough for one more bowl it goes into the mystery jar, I  sample it about once a month or so,  it's usually not as bad as it sounds. ;) 
  • Amos_UmwhatAmos_Umwhat Posts: 8,838 ✭✭✭✭✭
    onestrangeone said:
    I haven't intenseusally tried to blend anything. but I do have a mystery jar, when I get to the bottom of a jar or tin and there's not quite enough for one more bowl it goes into the mystery jar, I  sample it about once a month or so,  it's usually not as bad as it sounds. ;) 
    I do this as well, last year it had produced a blend that was better than anything I had, I just didn't know exactly what was in it! ;)
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