tiltjlp
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- Jan 14, 2009
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While we usually only read about some new pipe smokers having problems figuring out the basics, from what I’ve seen on some other forums, experienced pipe smokers do have issues too. And I’m sure there are a lot of veteran pipers who have never quite mastered the basics. If that wasn’t a cut and dried fact, there wouldn’t be pipe smokers of five and ten years who stubbornly refuse to dry their tobacco, and still have packing woes.
If we’re honest with ourselves, at least, we should be able to admit that every now and then we get a little lax, even a bit sloppy, and need to start paying closer attention to the little things. Being willing and able to admit when we foul things up, and correct our miscues, is the first sign of a serious pipe smoker. Taking pride in not only your pipes and tobacco, but also your technique is what marks a pipe smoker as a pipe smoker. So, as a public service, I’m going to review the advice my dad gave me back in 1959. It is advice I’ve used ever since, and it has never failed me. Except when I get lazy and forgetful.
I’m not suggesting for a moment that my dad’s advice is the only method that works. I can only say that it’s never let me down. Dad’s advice will work best if you try all of its pointers at the same time, for at least a two-week period. Since there are no absolutes in pipe smoking, the Vernon Cool & Dry Method might not work for you, although it has worked its magic for a lot of other pipe smoker.
The Vernon Cool & Dry Method
Dry your tobacco more than you think you need to.
Pack looser than you think you need to.
Smoke slower than you think you need to.
Tamp less, and more lightly, than you think you need to.
Clean your pipes after every smoke, using pipe spirits.
Don’t worry if you have a few relights.
1, Dry your tobacco more than you think you need to.
While not everyone agrees, more and more pipe smokers are finding that smoking drier tobacco slower does in fact give them a cooler, more flavorful smoke. It also reduces tongue bite, which I think has a lot more to do with smoking moist blends too fast than it does with body chemistry, as some folks claim.
Tobacco can hold a fair amount of internal moisture, so the drier the better, up to a point. In fact, I recently talked to someone who has gone from smoking moist blends to drying them in several stages, and after two years, now feels his tobacco is at the proper moisture level. So, you might have to dry your tobacco more and more, in stages, before you’ll benefit from this pointer.
2, Pack looser than you think you need to.
Packing a pipe seems to give more pipe smokers more of a headache than anything else. Packing a pipe overly tight is what leads to puffing too much, and too fast, just trying to keep the dang thing lit. There are all sorts of ideas and methods about packing, most which don’t work very well, since experience is the only way most of us master the art of packing a pipe.
Many pipe smokers resist my dad’s advice at first, since it makes for shorter length smokes. But with the rising cost of tobacco, buying drier tobacco and packing it looser can save you a few dollars. But if you think about everything, packing looser allows for a better draw, which allows you to smoke slower, which will help you relax and enjoy your pipe smoking more than ever.
3, Smoke slower than you think you need to.
Once you have dried your tobacco and packed it looser than you ever have before, puffing slower should convince you my dad knew what he was talking about. Smoking slower is the key to enjoying your pipes and tobacco more than you have in the past. With drier tobacco packed looser, you’ll get a lot more flavor and taste from your tobacco, and a lot less moisture in the form of steam, which causes tongue bite and a hot, tired mouth. Doing all three of these things is the key to successful and enjoyable pipe smoking. Unless you do all three you’ll never master the basics.
4, Tamp less, and more lightly, than you think you need to.
Improper tamping can ruin the progress you’ve made so far, and even add some incorrect techniques to you troubles, if you use too heavy a touch. A tamper is actually intended, as I understand it, to compress ash and help bank burning embers, in order to keep your pipe going. Using your tamper to press down your loosely packed tobacco into the bottom half of your pipe defeats everything you’ve done so far. It compacts your perfect pack so that you once again have to puff like a fool in order to get and keep your pipe lit.
The weight of your tamper is all the pressure needed to get the ash under control, and to keep your ember glowing. The metal tamper is a plus, in that the metal will attract the heat of a dieing ember, and revive the ember into enough heat to keep your pipe smoking to the bottom. With much practice, you’ll be able to use your tamper to avoid some relights, moving you from novice to experienced.
5, Clean your pipes after every smoke, using pipe spirits.
From reading forums, it seems that a lot of pipe smokers don’t clean their pipes completely until they start to turn sour, or get funky. Even in 1959, my dad said tobacco cost too much not to smoke it in a perfectly clean pipe, so you could enjoy each pipefuls flavor to the fullest. I happen to agree with dad on this, and only rarely will refill my cobs with the same blend for a second smoke without first cleaning the pipe. I simply don’t understand why any pipe smoker would allow his or her pipes to turn sour, when a few minutes cleaning each pipe will keep them tasting so much better.
6, Don’t worry if you have a few relights.
New pipe smokers often fixate about having to relight their pipes. Of course this is more of a problem for novice pipe smokers, but few if any of us never have to relight once in a while. I’ve been a pipe smoker for over 50 years, and to be honest, seldom have to relight unless I get distracted and allow my pipe to go out. But since none of us is letter perfect, every now and again I’ll foul up my packing, or won’t dry my tobacco enough, and will need two or three relight. When that happens I shake my head, vow to pay more attention next time, and relight. It’s no big deal.
If we’re honest with ourselves, at least, we should be able to admit that every now and then we get a little lax, even a bit sloppy, and need to start paying closer attention to the little things. Being willing and able to admit when we foul things up, and correct our miscues, is the first sign of a serious pipe smoker. Taking pride in not only your pipes and tobacco, but also your technique is what marks a pipe smoker as a pipe smoker. So, as a public service, I’m going to review the advice my dad gave me back in 1959. It is advice I’ve used ever since, and it has never failed me. Except when I get lazy and forgetful.
I’m not suggesting for a moment that my dad’s advice is the only method that works. I can only say that it’s never let me down. Dad’s advice will work best if you try all of its pointers at the same time, for at least a two-week period. Since there are no absolutes in pipe smoking, the Vernon Cool & Dry Method might not work for you, although it has worked its magic for a lot of other pipe smoker.
The Vernon Cool & Dry Method
Dry your tobacco more than you think you need to.
Pack looser than you think you need to.
Smoke slower than you think you need to.
Tamp less, and more lightly, than you think you need to.
Clean your pipes after every smoke, using pipe spirits.
Don’t worry if you have a few relights.
1, Dry your tobacco more than you think you need to.
While not everyone agrees, more and more pipe smokers are finding that smoking drier tobacco slower does in fact give them a cooler, more flavorful smoke. It also reduces tongue bite, which I think has a lot more to do with smoking moist blends too fast than it does with body chemistry, as some folks claim.
Tobacco can hold a fair amount of internal moisture, so the drier the better, up to a point. In fact, I recently talked to someone who has gone from smoking moist blends to drying them in several stages, and after two years, now feels his tobacco is at the proper moisture level. So, you might have to dry your tobacco more and more, in stages, before you’ll benefit from this pointer.
2, Pack looser than you think you need to.
Packing a pipe seems to give more pipe smokers more of a headache than anything else. Packing a pipe overly tight is what leads to puffing too much, and too fast, just trying to keep the dang thing lit. There are all sorts of ideas and methods about packing, most which don’t work very well, since experience is the only way most of us master the art of packing a pipe.
Many pipe smokers resist my dad’s advice at first, since it makes for shorter length smokes. But with the rising cost of tobacco, buying drier tobacco and packing it looser can save you a few dollars. But if you think about everything, packing looser allows for a better draw, which allows you to smoke slower, which will help you relax and enjoy your pipe smoking more than ever.
3, Smoke slower than you think you need to.
Once you have dried your tobacco and packed it looser than you ever have before, puffing slower should convince you my dad knew what he was talking about. Smoking slower is the key to enjoying your pipes and tobacco more than you have in the past. With drier tobacco packed looser, you’ll get a lot more flavor and taste from your tobacco, and a lot less moisture in the form of steam, which causes tongue bite and a hot, tired mouth. Doing all three of these things is the key to successful and enjoyable pipe smoking. Unless you do all three you’ll never master the basics.
4, Tamp less, and more lightly, than you think you need to.
Improper tamping can ruin the progress you’ve made so far, and even add some incorrect techniques to you troubles, if you use too heavy a touch. A tamper is actually intended, as I understand it, to compress ash and help bank burning embers, in order to keep your pipe going. Using your tamper to press down your loosely packed tobacco into the bottom half of your pipe defeats everything you’ve done so far. It compacts your perfect pack so that you once again have to puff like a fool in order to get and keep your pipe lit.
The weight of your tamper is all the pressure needed to get the ash under control, and to keep your ember glowing. The metal tamper is a plus, in that the metal will attract the heat of a dieing ember, and revive the ember into enough heat to keep your pipe smoking to the bottom. With much practice, you’ll be able to use your tamper to avoid some relights, moving you from novice to experienced.
5, Clean your pipes after every smoke, using pipe spirits.
From reading forums, it seems that a lot of pipe smokers don’t clean their pipes completely until they start to turn sour, or get funky. Even in 1959, my dad said tobacco cost too much not to smoke it in a perfectly clean pipe, so you could enjoy each pipefuls flavor to the fullest. I happen to agree with dad on this, and only rarely will refill my cobs with the same blend for a second smoke without first cleaning the pipe. I simply don’t understand why any pipe smoker would allow his or her pipes to turn sour, when a few minutes cleaning each pipe will keep them tasting so much better.
6, Don’t worry if you have a few relights.
New pipe smokers often fixate about having to relight their pipes. Of course this is more of a problem for novice pipe smokers, but few if any of us never have to relight once in a while. I’ve been a pipe smoker for over 50 years, and to be honest, seldom have to relight unless I get distracted and allow my pipe to go out. But since none of us is letter perfect, every now and again I’ll foul up my packing, or won’t dry my tobacco enough, and will need two or three relight. When that happens I shake my head, vow to pay more attention next time, and relight. It’s no big deal.
