Buy your first pipe

How to choose your first pipe? That's a good question isn't it... Someone who wishes to initiate himself to the art of smoking pipe will have to start by making a choice. Obviously, different questions will come to mind when we want to start smoking pipe. There are all kinds of pipes (different by their shape, length, colors or even finishes), and at different prices. So, how to choose it well? Based on which criterias? What should be looked at before buying your first pipe?

At La Pipe Rit, we perfectly know the subject. We ourselves have been smoking pipe for many years already, and advise our clients since 1996 in our shop in Saint-Claude (which represents more than 23 years serving beginners and confirmed smokers). On www.pipeshop-saintclaude.com, we have dedicated a specific page to help you choose the perfect pipe. However, if you are a beginner in this field, this page already contains too much details. This is why we have decided to make a short overview to help you in your search. Ready to take the step? Let's go together!

1. A matter of taste

The first item, certainly the most important; the pipe must be chosen because you like it. Immediately, some of them more than others will make eyes at you, and it's perfectly normal. At first sight, you may have flashed for a classical straight pipe that looks like the one your uncle used to smoke? On the contrary, you may be attracted by a pipe that is a little longer, made out of light wood and made in Fance? The most important thing is to find something that matches your taste; a pipe that actually matches your image.

A lady will be, for example, more attracted by a thinner and more sophisticated silhouette. On the contrary, a well shaped man will certainly prefer a pipe with a better hold in hand (and so will opt for something more stocky). These two examples do not represent at all generalities, but it is true that some pipe will fit better to some people. The one who likes to tink all day long may not have the same expectations and needs as the one who prefers to read in his armchair.

Bastien, La Pipe Rit

Each smoker is different and all tastes exist. As you will understand, the aesthetic appearance is crucial and above all very personal. So choose before all a pipe that you like!

2. A budget to spend

How much does a pipe cost? Why are there so big jumps of prices from a model to an other? Here are the questions that strike our minds when we discover the world of pipe. To answer the first one, if you have never smoked pipe before, the price will vary according to your own financial means. In our opinion, beginning with a budget of 100€ ( including the pipe, accessories and tobacco) is enough. In all cases we will find what you need, depending on what you are willing to put in. Unlike cigarettes and cigars that end up at the bottom of the bin, the pipe is an investment that you can keep for a long period of time. Some smokers keep them for years or even their whole life!

Another option to consider: buying a pipe made out of corn. Corn pipes are cheaper than the traditional ones made out of heather. Corn pipes may be more fragile, but they still are an excellent solution to smoke pipe on a tight budget.

Bastien, La Pipe Rit

When you are beginning, it may be interesting to start with something more classical and, maybe later, to reinvest on a second model of a superior quality if you are really into pipe. More experimented smokers also own several pipes. In this way, a turnover can be made (which allows the wood to rest between two uses), and eventually one pipe can be dedicated to one type of tobacco (the aromas of the different tobaccos permeating the wood of the pipe as the time goes by. It is therefore best not to combine different type of tobaccos to enjoy them).

Pipes mass-manufactured are more affordable when it comes to the price. A handcrafted pipe (meaning it is unique), made by an independent pipemaker, will require more time and work. This explains the price once finished (even if, again, the price can double depending on the reputation of the workshop, the quality of the materials, the complexity of the assembling and, of course, the veining of the briar).

Claire, La Pipe Rit

3. A shape to focus on

Straight, curved, short or long...? At first sight, the range of products seems wide. However, each shape got its benefits...

Straight or bent:

To explain it (really) simply, a straight pipe is really easy to hold in hand, whereas a bent one is easier to hold at the corner of your mouth. If you have never smoked pipe before, we advise you an intermediate: the "half-bent" pipe. This silhouette possesses the two benefits previously described. In general, to start smoking pipe, it is not recommended to choose one with a strong curve. Indeed, when you are not used to smoke pipe, too much of a curve will tend to cause more condensation. And such moisture will be confusing for an apprentice. Let's add to this that the cleaning of a bent pipe will be a little bit more difficult (rest assured, it is not insurmountable).

Short or long:

The length of a pipe will have an impact on the smoke released. The shorter the pipe, the more the smoke will arrive hot to the mouth (which is commonly called a "face burner", or "brûle gueule" in french). A long pipe will promote a softened smoke because it will slightly cool down during its way along the stem (it is called a "lisseuse" or "churchwarden"). A beginner will tend (uncounsciously or not) to inhale harder when smoking a long pipe even if it is not needed. As a result, you just risk to overheat the pipe and potentially damage (or even deteriorate) the wood. To avoid this, we advise you to choose a pipe of a middle length, around 15 centimeters long. This will be an excellent start to begin smoking pipe.

Some pipes are sold with two stems: one more "classical", and one longer. Practical to evaluate the difference before really investing in another model! This kind of pipe is actually an idea to keep in mind when making your first purchase. A example: the Chacom Ideal.

Bastien, La Pipe Rit

Small or big:

In the same way, the size of the bowl (the part designed to accomodate the tobacco) varies from a model to another. The bigger the bowl, the longer you will be able to smoke your pipe (because you will be able to put a lot more tobacco in the bowl). For someone who wishes to begin, we advise you a "standard" bowl (between 3 and 3.5 centimeters of depth). We talked about it in the first paragraph, but if you (or the one to whom you wish to offer the pipe) have big hands, it might be better to opt for a bigger bowl, which would be easier to hold.

Antoine de Caunes himself came in person at our shop in Saint-Claude. He was looking for a straight pipe, practical, easy to smoke and hold in hand, with a medium-sized bowl. His choice finally fell on the Peterson Tankard pipe, an Irish brand renowned throughout the world.

Jean, La Pipe Rit

4. To go even further...

The three points we mentioned earlier should be enough to help you choose your first pipe. Of course, these are not the only elements we can look at before buying a pipe. To go even further in your research, you can find right below other leads to investigate in order to narrow down your selection.

You want to buy a pipe to smoke your tobacco? You have two options: you can either go directly on the Internet on our website www.pipeshop-saintclaude.com, or you can come to our pipe shop in Saint-Claude, Jura. In both cases, our team of experts will be able to guide you, whether it is by phone, mail or directly in person in front of the shop window (and our secret drawers). We will be pleased to see you and share with you to find what will make your happiness!

Jean, La Pipe Rit

A pre-carbonized, or bowl coated pipe:

When you buy a (new) pipe, you have to build up a thin layer of carbon on the tobacco chamber's walls (the inside of the bowl), in order to build up a cake, the layer of carbon that will protect the bowl from burning, and we call that process breaking in a pipe. This necessary step may seem a little unclear for beginners. Someone who starts will find that stage somehow binding. To break in your pipe more easily and enjoy as soon as possible your first pipe, you can actually choose a pipe that already has that thin layer of carbon: it is called a "pre-carbonized", or "bowl coated" pipe. The dedicated article "A well caked pipe" will help you to dig deeper in the subject.

Smoke with a filter ?

You may have noticed when going through our catalogue that some of the pipes are equipped with a filter. The question is: should you choose a pipe with a filter ? Again, this is all a matter of taste. Each smoker has their preferences. As long as you've not tried it, it is difficult to know what you prefer... At Chacom (the great French brand), a lot of pipes are equipped with an adaptor. The latter will give a choice to the smoker: you can smoke without or with, whether with the classical system (a metal filter), or with a 9mm filter (that should regularly be changed). The benefit of the latter is that the 9mm filters allow to effectively address impurities and residual humidity. For or against a filter in your pipe? Anyone can tell the pros and cons. But there is one thing for sure: try to make your own mind!

According to the vast majority of our clients (but also from our own experience), try a pipe made for 9mm (active charcoal) filters, and you will adopt this "new" system on all your next pipes! If you make the decision to opt for a 9mm pipe, do not forget to get a pack of filters ahead to change the filter every two smokes.

Bastien, La Pipe Rit