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Pipe smoking is a proud tradition that dates back centuries. Though it’s a simple pleasure, that hasn’t stopped several myths and misconceptions from growing up around it, as well as a few around the pipes themselves. In this post we’re going to address some of those myths and try to set the record straight. What we’re not going to do is wade into the smoking/anti-smoking fray because those who equate pipe smoking with cigarette smoking just don’t understand either one. So we’ll confine the discourse here to practical matters of pipe smoking and pipes.
Pipe and Pipe Smoking Myths That Persist
While millions of people the world over enjoy smoking meerschaum and briar pipes now and again, you’ll find plenty who disagree on the best way to enjoy a good smoke and what makes the best vessel for the experience. Here we’ll try to straighten out some common misconceptions.
MYTH: Cleaning a tobacco pipe after every use is overkill.
Despite all evidence to the contrary, this common misconception continues to hang around like gum on the sole of your shoe. Let’s be clear: you should clean your pipe after every use. It’s quick to do and doesn’t require a degree in engineering. Just let the pipe cool and run a cleaner completely through to the bowl. Then double the cleaner over and scour the bowl gently.
MYTH: It doesn’t matter how you pack a pipe's bowl.
How you pack your wooden pipe's bowl does, in fact, matter. You want the final pack to be firm but springy. The only tried and true way to achieve that is to be patient, invest in the process and add a pinch at a time. Tamp down each pinch lightly and make sure it’s evenly spread, then repeat. The number 1 reason you get a poor burn is that the tobacco is not properly seated in the bowl. Take your time and do it right.
MYTH: Getting a really fine smoke requires a really expensive pipe.
Not true. While a $100 pipe might provide a slightly better smoke than a $50 pipe, once you get above about $100 you encounter the law of diminishing returns. Because of that, a $500 pipe may not smoke noticeably better than, say, a $150 dollar pipe. What you will get in the expensive pipes is higher quality materials - silver instead of stainless steel, a perfect grain etc; and in the case of meerschaum pipes, peerless hand-carved works of art.
MYTH: You’ll get a really good smoke from a $10 pipe.
Unfortunately, you won’t. The fact is a quality pipe cannot be produced, marketed and retailed for only $10. It would have cost almost nothing to make, which means whoever made it used cheap materials and slapped it together quickly. Quality pipes start in the $40-$50 range; which is not that much when you consider the years of enjoyment you’ll get.
MYTH: "Tongue bite" is another way of saying "tongue burn."
Not true. Tongue bite is a bitter taste resulting from a chemical reaction. Tongue burn is the literal burning of the tongue typically caused by smoking too fast. Tongue bite will leave a bitter aftertaste but won’t physically affect the tongue the way tongue burn does. If you’re experiencing tongue burn, ease back. If you’re experiencing tongue bite, try a tobacco with a lower pH level.
MYTH: Meerschaum pipes have poor drafting qualities
Again, not true. There has never been a shred of evidence that they don’t draft as well as briar pipes. Perhaps this myth has its origins in the fact that briar pipes are often smaller than their meerschaum cousins, so people instinctively feel they need to pull harder on the larger meerschaum to get the same result. From a psychological viewpoint that’s understandable, but it doesn’t mean the meerschaum pipe actually has poor drafting properties.
MYTH: Meerschaum pipes dull the flavor of the tobacco
Since the meerschaum itself doesn’t burn you’re likely to get the truest flavor possible out of your tobacco. People may believe this particular myth because they’ll allow a generous cake to build up in the bowl of their briar pipe and this cake adds different flavors to the tobacco. When they switch to meerschaum they don’t experience this phenomenon and it may appear to them that the pipe is having a dulling effect on the tobacco flavor.
Order Quality Tobacco Pipes Online From Paykoc Pipes
Paykoc Imports sells only the finest quality briar and meerschaum smoking pipes for your enjoyment. Make sure to check out our entire line of pipes.
You can also contact our team online or call us at (888) 657-2881 with any questions. We hope this little foray into misconceptions surrounding pipe smoking has helped clear up some confusion and provided you with some useful information.