"Sipping" technique discovery

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Tim in Ohio

Tim in Ohio

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I have made a 'discovery' with at least one of my pipes in particular. Now, not being formally trained in the finer points of pipe smoking... I may very well be about to state something that is well known to every pipe smoker but me... the "discovery" equivalent of finding lint in one's bellybutton.

Anyhoo, this happened yesterday and then again today. I was smoking some Full Virginia Flakes in a medium sized billiard. I noticed this after the halfway point of the bowl although perhaps it would have happened sooner... here's the thing. I found that NO PUFFING WAS REQUIRED at all. By some strange force of physics, every time I simply and deliberately closed my lips I could feel a slight sort of 'pulling' pressure drawing smoke into my mouth. In the past when I 'sipped' I would just do a slight sucking as if drinking gently thru a straw. I'm talking ZERO sucking required. And in so doing, as my mouth filled up with smoke, it seemed more flavorful and less harsh. I am a business man and not a scientist but I'm thinking that the forces at work here have to do with the ambient pressure differences in the room versus in my mouth... beats me but it was sort of interesting. Anybody else stumbled across this phenom?

Try it! Report your results here. :cyclops:
 
WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHoooooooa, Nelly !

I'm gonna give this a try and see if my total lameness with flakes improves any.
Thanks for the idear :geek:
 
Rick,
Just kinda press your lips somewhat tightly together on the mouthpiece. I don't know if this makes sense... but kinda like you are underwater and don't want the water coming into your mouth... :silent:
Tim
PS... I SWEAR I am not making this up... and I am not smoking anything 'funny' in my pipes either!
 
Tim in Ohio":z1em6q31 said:
I have made a 'discovery' with at least one of my pipes in particular. Now, not being formally trained in the finer points of pipe smoking... I may very well be about to state something that is well known to every pipe smoker but me... the "discovery" equivalent of finding lint in one's bellybutton.

Anyhoo, this happened yesterday and then again today. I was smoking some Full Virginia Flakes in a medium sized billiard. I noticed this after the halfway point of the bowl although perhaps it would have happened sooner... here's the thing. I found that NO PUFFING WAS REQUIRED at all. By some strange force of physics, every time I simply and deliberately closed my lips I could feel a slight sort of 'pulling' pressure drawing smoke into my mouth. In the past when I 'sipped' I would just do a slight sucking as if drinking gently thru a straw. I'm talking ZERO sucking required. And in so doing, as my mouth filled up with smoke, it seemed more flavorful and less harsh. I am a business man and not a scientist but I'm thinking that the forces at work here have to do with the ambient pressure differences in the room versus in my mouth... beats me but it was sort of interesting. Anybody else stumbled across this phenom?

Try it! Report your results here. :cyclops:
Click to expand...
I've experienced this over the years as well, but then, as anyone that knows me can attest, I naturally suck! :lol:

Natch
 
Sounds like you were employing the "breathing method" of smoking a pipe. It has been talked about a bit over the years, some advocate it for exactly the same reasons you discovered that it enhances the taste of otherwise delicate, difficult to smoke tobaccos. I think the venerable GLP has written some articles on his website about it.
 
By calling Greg venerable are you saying that he is deceased and in the process of canonization in the Latin Rites, that he is an Archdeacon of the Anglican Church, that he is a Monastic Saint of Eastern Orthodoxy, that he is an Ordained Buddhist Mok, or that he is very old?
 
If the outside of the bowl isn't glowing red I'm not interested :cheers:

all kidding aside, sipping works
 
Buddy Springman":adohi8nl said:
Hunter5117":adohi8nl said:
Sounds like you were employing the "breathing method" of smoking a pipe. It has been talked about a bit over the years, some advocate it for exactly the same reasons you discovered that it enhances the taste of otherwise delicate, difficult to smoke tobaccos.
Click to expand...
http://glpease.com/Articles/BreathSmoking.html

Buddy
Click to expand...
Yep... I'd say that we're pretty much talking about the same thing.
 
this might help anyone who can't visualise it properly, perhaps not exactly on the button with regards to the techniques being identical but more or less there.
 
icon_flower.png
You my friend have achieved Nirvana.
icon_flower.png
 
I know this is heterodox thinking, but do you suppose that the "sip" technique explains the appeal of filter pipes?

That's what filters do (besides recondense and absorb a bit of moisture), after all--turn a puff into a slower and less-forceful draw.
 
I've got several filter pipes and most have a draw that's not much different than my "regular" pipes. The attractive factor I find with the 9mm filters is reducing moisture (steam, tongue bite),and no gurgle ever, but mostly is makes for a slightly milder smoke, without removing much taste. Not trying to convince anyone they should, and not wanting to start an argument (at least not this time!) but I find when I smoke a filter pipe, I can actually take deeper, longer draws. But that's just the way I do it.

I also use the breathing technique with my filter pipes, esp. if I'm using the balsa Savanelli filters that really don't filter at all, but absorb a lot of the steam.

Natch
 
Imagine if you had reached that state with Walnut rather than FVF! Then my friend you would have achieved the ultimate euphoric state of a pipe smoker! Maybe you will reach that milestone some day............ :cheers:
 
Anyone know where the article on "breath smoking" is located? Maybe on Greg's site. I think it was there years ago. Greg's not the author.
 
puros_bran":drnrcg94 said:
By calling Greg venerable are you saying that he is deceased and in the process of canonization in the Latin Rites, that he is an Archdeacon of the Anglican Church, that he is a Monastic Saint of Eastern Orthodoxy, that he is an Ordained Buddhist Mok, or that he is very old?
Click to expand...
No.
 
Justpipes":5j7ghgoy said:
Imagine if you had reached that state with Walnut rather than FVF! Then my friend you would have achieved the ultimate euphoric state of a pipe smoker! Maybe you will reach that milestone some day............ :cheers:
Click to expand...
Had to go there, didn't you? :twisted:
 
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