Pipe smoking is a highly individual experience. Do you prefer an Oriental over a Virginia tobacco? Would you rather pair an evening smoke with a double scotch on the rocks or a steaming hot cup of Early Grey? Pipes can be crafted from briar wood, corn cob or meerschaum and come in an astonishing variety of shapes and sizes. Tobacco is distinguished by its aroma, flavor, cut, curing process, to name a few characteristics.

But despite how much room it leaves for personalization, pipe smoking still has quite a few rules of the road of which you need to be aware, especially if you’re a novice. Whether you’re new to pipe smoking or just want to freshen up an old hobby, be sure to adhere to the dos and don'ts of pipe smoking. In today's guide, the Paykoc Imports team explains the seven deadly pipe-smoking sins, which can damage both your pipe and your smoking experience, and then review seven essential practices for pipe smokers to stand by.

Stop Making These Seven Common Pipe Smoking Mistakes Now

1. Buying Cheap Pipes and Tobacco

We all want to save a few bucks wherever we can, but try to splurge a bit when it comes to your pipe smoking materials. Sure, there’s no need to have the most expensive pipe models—most of those are best left as decorations anyway—but don’t buy the cheapest stuff either. Cheap pipes and especially cheap tobacco can really take away from your smoking experience. Cheap tobacco gives you all the smoke without any of the flavor, often with a chemical taste and an unpleasantly burning sensation to match. While that's what we've generally found through our own experiences, that's not to say that they're aren't some cheaper tobaccos that are full of flavor. They'll just be a bit harder to find than if you were to part with a few more dollars.

2. Lighting Up with Matches

Lighters—from the cheap BIC lighters you buy at the convenience store counter to many of the more expensive, windproof torch lighters—are hot and not very precise. They tend to burn the rim of your pipe bowl, damaging its appearance irrevocably and causing a buildup of char. They also burn at much higher temperatures, which changes the flavor of the tobacco and could cause a bowl burn out. To make your pipes last longer, and to get a better burn, use matches. Typically, long, wooden kitchen matches work better than shorter, flimsier matches. Even when using matches, be sure to never let the flame touch the tobacco. Instead, hold the flame directly above the tobacco and use long breaths to draw it in. If you do insist on using a lighter, make sure it's of the soft flame variety, which are perfectly fine for pipe use, we just personally prefer matches; I guess we're just old fashioned :)

3. Taking Deep Drags

If you’re a cigarette smoker, you most likely have a tendency to inhale deeply with each hit. Pipe smoking is a bit different. The goal is not usually to get as buzzed as quickly as possible, but to enjoy the quiet and peace of the pipe smoking ritual. Like sipping a good vintage, pipe smoking is about savoring each inhale—tasting the flavor of the smoke, becoming intoxicated by the aroma, and relaxing under the cooling sensation.

4. Puffing Too Quickly

Not only should you not smoke too deeply, but you should also refrain from smoking too quickly. Pipe smoking is not a race, and smoking too quickly will only ruin the experience. Taking quick puffs causes the tobacco to burn faster and hotter, which could lead to your tongue getting burnt in the process. Pipe smoking is all about slowing down and taking the time to reflect, so don’t rush it and you’ll have a more relaxing and satisfying experience.

5. Never Cleaning

Let’s be honest, cleaning is not the most fun part of pipe smoking. Unfortunately, frequent and thorough cleanings are essential to keeping your pipe in tip-top condition. Pipe cleaners remove the residue left inside the stem and shank. Over time, these juices can be absorbed into the pipe, altering its flavor. A more thorough clean every so often helps to avoid oxidation.

6. Disassembling the Pipe Incorrectly

Handling your pipe the wrong way can cause it irreversible damage. After you’re finished smoking, let the pipe cool down before taking it apart. If it’s still warm when you disassemble it, it will eventually stretch out and the stem will loosen. When removing the stem, don’t twist it in both directions; this can lead to the stem becoming looser over time and eventually cracks or breaks. Instead, twist it in a clockwise manner until it's free.

7. Packing Too Tightly

There is a right and several wrong ways to pack a pipe. Tightly packed tobacco goes out more frequently, which makes smokers resort to smoking too quickly, inevitably burning their mouths. Conversely, loosely packed pipes usually cause smokers to over-tamp, leading to an ashy-tasting smoke without any of the pleasant aroma or flavor.

Avoiding these common smoking errors will result in less of a chance of doing damage to your pipe and a mellower, smoother smoking experience.

Now that you know what to avoid prevent damage to your tobacco pipes, let's review seven guidelines to follow when preparing, using, and caring for your pipes and tobacco to optimize your pipe smoking experience.

To help you meet this goal, we’ve compiled a list of dos and don’ts to follow when preparing, using, and caring for your pipes and tobacco.

How to Get the Best Taste From Your Pipe Tobacco

1. Mix Your Tobacco

Unlike with a cigarette or cigar, smoking pipes allows you to experiment with the tobacco you smoke. Truly make your smoking experience your own by creating your own tobacco blends. Think of your pipe tobacco as your own personal test kitchen—you never know which ingredients will bring out each other’s subtler flavors or release a sumptuous, all new aroma. Mix together a concoction of different tobacco flavors and brands to find the magic combination that will become your signature flavor.

2. Blend Your Tobacco

Tobacco shops—whether physical or online—usually sell so much more than just tobacco. They also sell artificial flavors like coffee, chocolate, essential oils, or essences that you can blend with your tobacco to produce a truly unique and flavorful experience. Play the mad scientist and try to blend in the refined tastes of alcohol like Amaretto, rum, brandy, or whiskey. Simply add a small amount of the substance to your tobacco, shake, and let the tobacco sit with a lid on. When it’s been thoroughly coated, remove the lid and let the tobacco dry for an hour a day until it’s the perfect level of dry.

3. Age Your Tobacco

After you’ve bought new tobacco, you’re probably pretty excited to try it out. But do yourself a favor and wait for your tobacco to age properly—it will taste far better and you’ll be happy you did. To do this, just seal your tobacco tightly in aluminum foil or the container it came in and leave it in a dry, warm place for a few months.

4. Store Your Tobacco

If you store your tobacco correctly, your tobacco will remain fresh and moist for months to come, ensuring the best taste. Most of the time, the tins that tobacco come in let in too much air, which will wreak havoc on your tobacco. Instead, store your tobacco in a mason jar, pressing the tobacco in tightly so that there is little room for air to seep in. Use a Water Pillow to keep your tobacco moist. Just be sure to place it in its plastic bag before putting it directly on the tobacco, otherwise it could start growing mold.

5. Use the Three-Step Method

Pack your pipe using this easy-to-remember method:

• Pick up a pinch of tobacco and slowly sift it into your pipe until it fills it to the top. Slowly and lightly tamp down on the tobacco to about halfway into the bowl.
• Fill it again and compress it down to two-thirds.
• Fill it one last time and tamp it down to the bowl height.

6. Inhale Lightly

Just as wine tasting comes with a particular ritual to best extract the subtle flavors of a full-bodied red or refreshing white, pipe smoking also requires a slow and methodical inhale to get the best taste out of the tobacco. Inhale the smoke shortly and lightly to truly let the flavors linger on your tongue.

7. Clean Your Pipe

Unless you clean your pipe after every use, you’ll probably end up tasting the residues of the last time you smoked. Get a clean smoke by using a pipe cleaner after every smoke. Use a reamer to remove most of the carbon cake from your bowl to keep it from cracking. Clean the exterior of your pipe with pipe polish or natural beeswax to maintain luster and shine.

These simple tips and tricks will help you avoid damaging your treasured tobacco pipes - and keep your tobacco fresh, your pipe clean, and your smoke decadent and delicious. Enjoy!