Smoking tobacco pipes, be they briar pipes, meerschaum pipes, or corn cob pipes, should be relaxing. There should be no conflict. When smoking with others, the same idea applies, especially in a group of pipe smokers. The pipe-smoking guidelines below should help you achieve this ideal, relaxed experience even in the face of less-than-relaxing conditions.

Share Your Tobacco – But Not Your Pipe

While it's fine to allow another person to view or handle your smoking pipe to admire, offer advice, critique, or otherwise comment on it, offering to let them smoke it or for them to do so is discouraged.

Tobacco, on the other hand, should be shared if in good company. In exchange, the person who was shared with should offer to do the same on another occasion and offer some comment on the shared tobacco.

Don't Spit

Spitting in public places is discouraged, whether you're smoking a pipe or not. It's seen as both disgusting and insulting. In the US, spitting on property that is not yours is a crime in most places, even if it is not enforced. In private, on your property, you're free to do it if you have to.

Don't Smoke If You're Asked Not To

There is a time and a place for all things and smoking is one of them. Enjoying your pipe shouldn't need to come at the cost of others enjoying their lives. If there is a policy in place in a specific location, such as a park or building, it's generally recommended that you follow this policy. If you happen to start smoking and do not notice a posted policy or if you are reminded of it, it's a good idea to politely stop smoking or move to another area.

Remain Calm

A pipe may fail to light, an ember may jump from your pipe, or it may rain. Whatever the situation is, there is always a solution. In the case of failure to light, asking another, politely, for a match or the use of their lighter can lead to pleasant conversation. If an ember jumps from your pipe, it can be brushed away. These are rarely dangerous and should easily be snuffed out. If it rains, cover your pipe and head indoors.

Gesturing is Fine, Chewing and Hitting Is Not

A tobacco pipe can make a fine pointer or elongate any gesture as you speak. However, it should never be used to tap, as a weapon, or as something to idly chew on during a conversation that's less than invigorating. All of these things, while being unfortunate to witness, can also damage a tobacco pipe. Of all of these, chewing can be tolerable if it is only done during a smoke at natural intervals. Always use a bit if you are prone to chewing on the stems of your tobacco pipes.

You Are Always Allowed to Comment- Positively

As a tobacco pipe smoker, making positive comments over the pipe choices and tobacco in the possession of another are always encouraged, as long as those comments are positive. Complimenting a pleasing meerschaum pipe may allow you to learn where it was purchased. Perhaps it is one of the Paykoc meerschaum pipes or an estate pipe with an interesting history. Complimenting another's tobacco may, not always, allow you to score a bit for yourself.

Give Non-Smoker's The Same Respect You Want From Them

Even in places where the general attitude is against smoking of any kind, showing that you can be respectful and smoke calmly in any public space will often earn you plenty of space to do what you came there to do. If anyone insists on bothering you, pretending to cough, etc, and you have given them plenty of distance, your best option is to ignore them.

Remain Patient with New Smokers

While it can be a challenge, there are always people who are new to a hobby and think they know best. Be polite and, if possible, offer what advice you can if the opportunity arises. Share the tobacco you have and help broaden the scope of what they know. Having a new person to share the hobby with, or passing on what you know, can help the tobacco pipe community thrive.

Be Mindful of Your Matches and Ashes

Dropping matches or ashes anywhere, even out of the ground, can be seen as littering and is disrespectful of shared spaces. Always be careful to dispose of your matches, ashes, pipe cleaners, and other trash in the right way. Further, always make sure that all matches are cool before letting them go. The same goes for embers and ashes. Starting a park, green space, or trash can on fire earns no points.

Discreet ash containers are often on offer in places where pipes are sold. These often make a good addition to the collection of pipe accessories you own, especially if you like to smoke outdoors.

Don't Light Another Person's Pipe

If you've been smoking a pipe for any amount of time, it may be a strange thing to suggest that anyone would offer to light the pipe of another. However, some people equate pipes with cigarettes and attempt this, especially people who don't smoke tobacco pipes. Lending a lighter is fine, but attempting to light another person's pipe can result in heat and scorching that no one wants.

Respect The Choices of Other Smokers

Tobacco pipes come in many kinds because everyone has different budgets, smoking preferences, and personal experiences. Offer positive comments but save any negativity or critique for private conversations unless you are asked for them. Snobbery isn't a good color on anyone. Tobacco pipe smoking should be a relaxing hobby and one to be encouraged, not discouraged, for the health of the community.