Advice for pipe smokers

You bought your first pipe? You need some advice to smoke peacefully?

This guide will help you to enjoy your pipe in the best conditions. First of all, it is really important to know the different parts of a pipe. The most important parts are the following ones:

How to prepare my pipe:

• Break my pipe in: when you buy a new pipe, you have to break it in or build up the carbon cake ("culotter" in french). This step is required to protect the hood from the heat. To build up the cake, you have to fill the chamber increasing the dose of tobacco as you smoke. For example, the first day you will smoke with a little bit of tobacco, then the second day you will smoke with a little bit more of tobacco... And so on during at least the 15 first pipes.
• Pack my pipe: to pack a pipe means fill the chamber with tobacco. To do this step, you have to crumble your tobacco between your fingers, then put it in the chamber, pinches by pinches. Do not compress the tobacco for the moment. When the chamber is full of tobacco, now you can press down using your pipe tamper. You have to do it slowly, without too much firmness, otherwise the pipe will go out.

How to smoke my pipe?

• Get comfortable: to enjoy your pipe, we advise you to sit in a spot protected from the wind, where you can relax and take your time.
• Light my pipe: to light your pipe, you have to use a pipe lighter or matches. Place your pipe between your lips and get your flame close to the surface of the bobacco, until it beggins to burn.
• Smoke my pipe: you won't smoke a pipe as you smoke a cigarette. The smoke must not get into your lungs. To smoke your pipe, you'll have to inhale the smoke through the stem, and exhale through your mouth, without swallowing.

Clean my pipe:

• Empty the ashes: once your pipe is done, you can empty the ashes using your pipe tamper. Do not tap your pipe against a hard surface to empty it, at the risk of breaking it. Instead, use a pipe ashtray, with a cork knocker.
• Let my pipe get cool: It is very important to let your pipe becoming completely cold before you disassemble it. This is required not to damage it.
• Disassemble the stem of my pipe: for this step, your have to hold the shank with one hand, and the stem with the other hand. Place your fingers near the junction, as close as you can. Then, turn the stem on himself while pulling gently.
• Clean or change the filter: if your pipe is equipped with a metallic filter, remove it and put it under water to clean it. If your pipe is equipped with a disposable filter, we recommend you to change it every 3 uses.
• Clean the shank and the stem: we advise to clean the shank and the stem after each pipe. For this step, you have to use a pipe cleaner. Simply pass it inside the shank and the stem to remove the tar.

Video, the pipe smoker's tips:

For more information, we advise to watch this video. Do not forget to turn the english subtitles on.
If you still have unanswered questions, please contact us by email or telephone.