As a pipe smoker, even a new pipe smoker, you want to make the most out of your investment. This can take a little more time than you initially thought you were signing up for, but spending that time will help increase the quality of your experience. Not only will the following 10 habits reduce the lifespan of your tobacco pipes, but they can also ruin your pipe smoking experience. Avoid them if you can.

Smoking with Wet Tobacco

Many people underestimate the time it takes to let their tobacco dry properly. This can lead to excess moisture during a smoke, allowing steam to fill the stem and pipe or be drawn into the mouth, leading to tongue burn. Warning signs of tobacco that may be too “wet” include pipe gurgling or frequent accumulation or bitter liquid in the stem of the pipe that must be cleaned several times during a smoke.

Letting Your Pipe Get Too Hot

If you're ever worried that your pipe is too hot, try to hold it against your cheek. Is this uncomfortable? Does it burn? If so, your pipe is too hot. Allow it to cool before continuing. If too much heat becomes a common issue or you need to stop more frequently and re-light than you would like to, consider trying a different pipe or tobacco.

Meerschaum pipes, for example, can be smoked hotter without being uncomfortable or causing damage. Aromatic tobaccos will generally burn hotter than other kinds of tobacco. Wet tobacco will also require a hotter temperature to burn than drier tobacco.

Lighting Up Too Close to the Bowl

A good lighter or long matches are one of the simplest and oft-overlooked tobacco pipe accessories. While matches are sometimes used because of how easy they are to store and keep around, investing in a good lighter with an adjustable flame and consistent temperature can greatly improve how easy it is to relight your pipe and will give you greater control over the process.

Cheap lighters with varying flame quality and short, all-purpose matches can increase your likelihood of lighting your pipe too close to the bowl. If this happens, especially if you have a new pipe without much or any buildup or wax, the rim of the bowl or the bowl itself may scorch. Sometimes this can be cleaned up easily, other times repairing the scorch or burn may be nearly impossible.

Cleaning a Pipe Without Letting it Cool

As with letting your pipe get too hot, introducing moisture of any kind, even alcohol, to a warm or hot pipe can cause enough of a sudden change in temperature to lead to warping or cracking, especially if there is any flaw in the wood or construction. With proper care, many “flawed” pipes can last for years or never have these flaws come to light.

Washing a Pipe with Soap and Water

Any product made with wood, cob, or that requires the necessary buildup that a tobacco pipe does should never be washed with soap and water. Learning to clean your pipe without these substances, using only alcohol and the right tools, is a key step to making your tobacco pipes last as long as possible.

Treating Every Tobacco Pipe the Same

Every type of tobacco pipe will require different handling and care. For example, meerschaum pipes can be smoked hotter and for longer at a time than briar pipes. However, these pipes are more sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and added moisture, meaning you should use drier tobacco and only ever clean them when they are completely cool.

Waiting Too Long to Clean a Pipe

Unless you've got a store of wholesale tobacco pipes in the back room and your hobby is breaking them in, you'll inevitably need to clean your pipe. For many who are new to the hobby, cleaning takes a back seat to all of the new options they have. Waiting too long to clean a pipe may result in buildup so severe that the pipe becomes unusable and cleaning it out becomes a long, drawn-out endeavor. If the buildup is too severe or the wrong tools are used, it's possible to break the pipe itself.

Starting Off With the Wrong Cut of Tobacco

When you are breaking in a new pipe, choosing the right cut of tobacco can ensure you have an easier and more pleasant time. For example, ribbon-cut tobacco will be much easier to settle into a new pipe more evenly, reducing the potential for uneven heat and sour flavors.

Chewing on the Stem of Your Pipe

This is one of the many problems that tobacco pipe accessories are there to solve. Biting the mouthpiece of your pipe can cause cracking, even if it's just a little over time. It also doesn't look the best. Having the right pipe bit can save your pipe both cosmetically and functionally. Cube and flake tobacco are best saved for use after you have broken in your tobacco pipe for the best experience.

Storing Your Pipes in the Wrong Place

There are a few places where it can be both more enjoyable and more relaxing to smoke your pipe, like in the car after work or on your front porch. However, leaving your pipe in these places can cause excess stress over time. For example, a car parked in the sun can jump 19 degrees Fahrenheit after just 10 minutes and 34 degrees Fahrenheit after 30 minutes.

Even if it's only 70F outside, this additional heat can easily cause any type of pipe to split along the shank or bowl. Sheds are also subject to these kinds of temperature jumps. Porches and other rooms open to the elements can also have temperature shifts, and the uncontrolled humidity can be just as dangerous to your tobacco pipes.