How do you pack your pipe?

Krieg · June 2012

I typically like doing a tight pack, then a looser pack then another tight pack. What about u?

xmacro · June 2012

Three pinches at a time; gravity fill, then tamp - repeat two more times. By the time it's done, the draw is the same way I like my cigars. Gotta relight it a few times, but for the most part, it works, at least until I get down to the bottom, then it's relights every few minutes

The Kid · June 2012

xmacro:
Three pinches at a time; gravity fill, then tamp - repeat two more times. By the time it's done, the draw is the same way I like my cigars. Gotta relight it a few times, but for the most part, it works, at least until I get down to the bottom, then it's relights every few minutes

Still havent perfected, but alot has to do with the pipe, or so i think..Seems for me,, tighter= frequent relights=annoying

j0z3r · June 2012

The Kid:
xmacro:
Three pinches at a time; gravity fill, then tamp - repeat two more times. By the time it's done, the draw is the same way I like my cigars. Gotta relight it a few times, but for the most part, it works, at least until I get down to the bottom, then it's relights every few minutes
Still havent perfected, but alot has to do with the pipe, or so i think..Seems for me,, tighter= frequent relights=annoying

That's a pretty reasonable observation. Pipe tobacco expands as it heats, therefore a tight pack will be harder to keep lit due to decreased airspace. A general rule of thumb is to pack it loose on the bottom and progressively tighter, hence the "handshake" method. It's not rocket science, but it definitely requires practice.

J.S. · June 2012

For those who are new I would start with the Bob method. Bob Tate is the editor for Pipes Magazine. Here is the link, I know some of you guy's like to be able to just click it but I don't recall how to do it and haven't the time to dig through the site.
Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV9VppJzCxw Then I would look at the Frank method which is referenced in the video. Basically, after a few tries you will be smoking all the way to the bottom of the bowl with no more then 2 or 3 relights. Sometimes, with the right cut and a good pack and no interruptions no relights at all! It is worth the time if you you get tried of multiple relights.

How do you pack your pipe?

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