Whether you prefer briar pipes or meerschaum pipes, you can't enjoy the pipe contents without lighting it. That's a given. But for a lot of pipe smokers, it's also something of a conundrum because it is so easy to light the pipe the wrong way and ruin the entire experience. Of all the ways there are to enjoy tobacco, pipes require the most finesse. Lighting and relighting your pipe the right way is a multi-stage process that will require practice, and we'll take you through that process now.

Which Method Should You Use to Light + Relight Tobacco Pipes?

The relationship between the flame and the tobacco is the key to getting a controlled burn and a satisfying outcome. Each of the three main lighting options - matches, Zippos, and butane lighters - require a slightly different approach.

Matches

For time immemorial people have used matches to light their tobacco pipes. It's no doubt the traditional method, but there's a right way and a wrong way to light a pipe using matches. Don't just light the match and hold it motionless against the top of the pack. Instead, keep the flame moving across the entire surface of the bowl, drawing gently while you do.

Zippos

From an aesthetic standpoint, it's hard to beat the Zippo lighter. But while it may be the most aesthetically satisfying way to light a pipe it's also the most problematic. We don't recommend using a Zippo simply because the larger flame they produce is hard to control and often produces an overly hot burn that fouls the taste of the tobacco. The large Zippo flame can also damage the pipe bowl.

Butane Lighters

There are a couple of different kinds of butane lighters. Everyone is familiar with the cheapo ones available in convenience stores, but there are also more high-end butane lighters designed specifically for lighting a pipe. The bottom line is that even cheap butane lighters have an advantage over Zippos because they provide much more control over the flame.

We would recommend using either matches or a butane lighter to light and relight your pipe. That said, let's look at the lighting and relighting process.

Packing the Bowl

A good light begins with a properly packed bowl. Here are a few key things to remember:

A properly packed bowl will be fairly loose at the bottom in order to enable airflow and yet tight enough at the top to hold a light. It can be tricky and it will take some practice. But once you've mastered the packing process you'll be glad you did.

Before you put flame to tobacco make sure you take a test draw. If you have packed the bowl properly you should experience a bit of resistance, but no more than you would drinking soda through a straw. If you find it hard to pull air through the pipe, repack the bowl. Once the draw is perfect, sprinkle a little more tobacco on top of the pack and tamp it down just a bit. This looser material will help create an even burn.

Lighting the Pipe

Now that you have your bowl properly packed it's time to spark up your tobacco. Follow these steps to achieve lighting perfection:

• Whether you're using a match or a butane lighter, move the flame around above the tobacco for a few seconds to char the surface.
• Begin to draw air through the pipe. Do so using gentle non-continuous puffs and continue to move the flame around the surface, ensuring an even burn.
• Once the surface is evenly lit remove the flame, then periodically take steady moderate puffs to ensure the tobacco remains lit.

Relighting Your Pipe

It's not uncommon for people to master the art of packing and lighting the bowl, but to also struggle with keeping it lit. The source of the problem lies with the fact that the bowl needs to have air flowing through it in order for the tobacco to stay lit. For this reason, people tend to overdraw on the pipe. But doing so overheats the tobacco, fouls the taste and in many cases damages the wall of the bowl.

When it comes to keeping the pipe lit the truth is that it's better to let the pipe go out than to draw too heavily on it. Letting the pipe go out, however, raises the issue of relighting it and what is the proper way to do so. The first thing to do before you put flame to pipe to relight it is to remove any ash on the top of the pack. To do this just tip the bowl up a bit from horizontal and give it a few gentle taps against the ashtray. The ash on top should fall out leaving unburnt tobacco exposed.

SHOP BRIAR PIPES

Before you relight it let the pipe cool for a couple of minutes. Then reintroduce the flame in the same way as before, keeping it moving across the surface while gently puffing on the pipe. If you encounter a bowl that simply refuses to stay lit it may be the result of a bad pack, holding the flame too far from the tobacco or the way you are drawing on the pipe.

For high-quality briar and meerschaum pipes, visit Paykoc Pipes at our brick-and-mortar location in Denver, or browse our online store's selection.