For pipe smoking enthusiasts and connoisseurs, as well as entrants to the scene of pipe smoking who would like to learn more about the culture, customs, and pleasures derived from those who choose the pipe as their instrument to enjoy tobacco.
Choosing Proper Pipe Accessories
PIPE RACKS
A pipe collection is an investment calling for suitable protection. Any contraption that holds the pipe in a vertical position, with the bowl facing down, can act as a pipe rack. It can be an easily built homemade version, or, if you desire, you may opt for a pipe rack produced by a commercial manufacturer. This vertical position allows moisture in the stem and shank to run down into the bowl, where it will evaporate or be absorbed in the next smoke.
If you possess a large pipe collection, you may wish to keep your most treasured pieces in individual cases, so as to prevent unexpected breakage. This precaution is an especially good idea with meerschaum pipes. If you keep your pipe in a distinct case, clean and dry it thoroughly before storing it away. Because the pipe will not be in vertical position, any trapped moisture will remain in the stem and shank.
PIPE CLEANERS
Pipe cleaners, either with soft fluffy threads set in wire or firm bristles, are the smoker’s habitual aids. They cost very little and should be used liberally to clean both the pipe stem and shank, preferably after every smoke. Hard wire or plastic cleaners can be used first to comb the air passages and dispose of any gummy deposits. It is then a good idea to follow up with softer cleaners which will absorb all the oily and liquid remains.
Cleaners come in an assortment of various lengths and coarseness. The longer the tufts on the soft cleaners, the superior cleaning job they will accomplish. One should rinse ‘coarse-brush’ cleaners with a suitable pipe-cleaner liquid (available at most pipe shops) before use. By doing this, they will more readily dissolve any gummy impurities.
TOBACCO POUCHES
Any small, flexible, and relatively airtight container that fits easily in your pocket can be used as a pouch. However, don’t depend on your pouch to prevent your tobaccy from drying out for as long a time as will your humidor.
Most pouches are not completely airtight. When choosing a pouch, avoid those with fabric or ordinary rubber liners. These materials will crack within a few months. Additionally, they will absorb and react with oils in the tobacco and add an disagreeable odor to your smoke.
If you intend to carry a filled pouch for some time without replenishing it, it is recommended to put inside a small humidifying unit to keep the tobacco moist. This accessory typically consists of a small perforated metal box filled with absorbent clay or some other humectant.
HUMIDORS
If you are inclined to buy a few ounces of tobacco at a time, and then go on to smoke it immediately, you probably have no use for for a humidor. However, if you would rather save money by getting tobacco in larger portions, or if you elect to have your own blend made up by a tobacconist, you will need a proper container in which to maintain the tobacco against the effects of the environment and time.
The tobacco jar, or humidor, can be made of wood, ceramic, glass, or another chemically neutral material.
Most important, the humidor should be airtight, so as to prevent the tobacco from losing too much moisture. As tobacco easily absorbs odors, avoid leaving the tobacco jar open longer than necessary. Keep a piece of porous clay, plaster of Paris, or soapstone inside the humidor at all times to replace the moisture inevitably lost by evaporation. This humidifying material, or humectant, should be moistened with water at regular intervals. Secure it inside the lid of the jar, or some other spot where it will not come into actual contact with the tobacco itself.
PIPE TOOLS
Because the pipe bowl must be reamed out every so often, a reamer rates as an absolute necessity. If the reamer manages to fit the pipe precisely, so much the better. However, this is not essential, especially if one has an extensive pipe collection. There exist a number of modifiable reamers on the market whose cutting edges can be adjusted to fit any pipe bowl. They also adjust themselves during the reaming process so as to leave an even cake within the bowl. The reamer should never be too sharp, for it might then crack or gouge both the cake and the bowl itself.
Pipe smoking perfectionists have devised a number of other accessories. While none of these are necessary, you may discover after some research, that they add pleasure, as well as practicality, to your pipe smoking experience.
—
Join in the discussion. Learn more about pipe smoking.
