When the majority of us use a pipe there's a really good chance that we don't completely know what we are doing. Of course, we like to imagine ourselves as mature, cultured people, perhaps akin to a well dressed bearded gentleman, sitting beside the fire, reading the autobiography of some revered greek philosopher and pondering the mysteries of life, while, of course, puffing on an ornately carved tobacco pipe. However, if we are only just venturing into the world of pipes we may need a bit of help in getting up to speed with the most professional and seasoned pipe smoking techniques. Never fear, as we are here with this article to show you exactly how to smoke your pipe properly.

You will need:

A pipe - these come in many shapes and sizes. We recommend that beginners start with corn pipes, which are both cheap and effective, as they are made from corn cobs. They also do not require a break-in period, unlike their wooden carved cousins. As such, these pipes are great for tasting new kinds of tobacco to avoid tainting more expensive pipes with bad tobacco.

A tool - this consists of a variety of smaller gadgets that are designed to aid you in packing. Smoking as well as emptying your pipe, this is often found in the form of a three in one tool, which is made up of a pick, reamer and a tamper. The pick in itself is a narrow pin that can be used to clear the shank of any debris or to properly aerate any tobacco that has been packed too tightly. It should not be used for scraping as you may accidentally scratch the pipe which would not be a good resolution at all.

Pipe cleaners - this is also a crucial part of the smoking experience, far-flung from using them to build arts and crafts, pipe cleaners are needed to clean pipes.

Lighter - it's really easy to assume that any such lighter will do the trick in this regard, but when it comes to smoking pipes, you're going to want a specially designed light that is made specifically for this purpose. Both a cigar lighter and a pipe lighter should be of the butane variety. Pipe lighters are often a softer flame that covers a wide area. And usually jets from a lighter’s side to ignite the tobacco without burning your fingers.

Tobacco - this should be sourced from an expert, specialist tobacconist who will be able to set you up with the most appropriate tobacco. Ti comes in a variety of flavours and strengths, so having someone knowledgeable to go to will be a good idea.

Now, for the smoking part. You should first fill your bowl with tobacco loosely, press it down with a tamper tool. This should be filled halfway to the bottom. The bowl’s remaining space should then be filled with more and compressed firmly. This should be three-quarters full, from now, press down, there should be a small space between the rim of the bowl and the tobacco. We now start with a test draw, if the air does not flow freely, you have packed it too tightly. If that is the case, then simply remove the tobacco and start over again. If your test draw proves a success, you are all ready to light it up.

Light the pipe, avoid using matches as the sulfur on it can affect the taste of the tobacco, instead use the pipe lighter we prepared and aim it towards the bowl as you take in gentle draws. Move the lighter in a circular motion to ensure coverage.

Now sit back, relax and enjoy your pipe.