You've long considered yourself to be a casual pipe smoker, more as a way to relax after a long day on the job or at the office than anything else. Back in the day, you'd sit with your grandfather at the family cottage on the lake and watch as he'd enjoy a pipe and entertain you with stories of his younger days. Ahh, nothing like a good pipe. But now, even as a casual smoker and more than a newbie, you find yourself preoccupied with tobacco pipe accessories that could make your experience more convenient and enjoyable.

TOBACCO PIPE ACCESSORIES FOR EVERY NEED

Pipe Cleaners

Run a pipe cleaner through your pipe after every use, and if you use tobacco that tends to smoke wet, you’ll need to use one while smoking. There are pipe cleaners that are regular, which are thin; extra absorbent, better for larger-bore pipes or mostly wet smoking pipes; pipe cleaners with nylon bristles to help wash out an extremely dirty shank and/or stem; and, tapered cleaners, which are ideal for tobacco pipes which are hard to push a cleaner through.

Pipe Nails

A pipe nail - also known as a pipe tool - is used to tamp the burning tobacco and clean out the chamber after a smoke. The nail is the easiest, with a scraper at one end and a tamper at the other. A pipe tool has three components – a tamper, a rounded-tipped knife blade or scraper for reaming, and a pick for removing debris from the shank or loosening moist tobacco from the heel.

Tobacco Plates

If you prefer flake-style tobacco, you need somewhere to break it down before packing your pipe. Heirloom-quality and handmade tobacco plates give a delightful place to break up tobacco or air it out before smoking. The plate can be used to catch any debris that falls outside the bowl as you pack your pipe.

Pipe Racks

The best way to store your pipe is vertically, and pipe racks do this in a stylish and efficient manner. Some racks hold tobacco pipes horizontally, but this is mostly for display rather than long-term storage.

Lighters

Did you know that the first mechanical pipe lighter was invented in Europe, and observed in use as early as the 16th century? There are better lighters available today than ever before, and a purpose-built pipe lighter can make your smoking experience more enjoyable easier.

Mass-market pipe lighters are soft-flame butane, with the flame coming out the side for safety – to prevent the flame from burning your fingers while lighting. Many have tampers that protrude out of the bottom. Butane is tasteless, and the soft flame likely won’t blacken the pipe. You can also choose between two liquid fuel pipe lighters, one made by Zippo with a hole in the side for putting over the top of the bowl, and one by Sportsman, which resembles a big bolt and nut. These perform well in windy conditions but are less popular because the fuel sometimes leaves an unpleasant taste, with the exception of the newer brand of Zippo Lighter Fluid.

Pipe Cases

There are a number of cases and accessory pouches for sale that will help you transport your pipes and tobacco. What you should choose depends upon your needs. You can get pouches that hold multiple tobacco pipes but if you're not a pipe bag person, you could start small, with the single pipe combo pouch. Stylish and tiny, this handsome bag fits one pipe, a lighter or tamper, or both, in a zippered pocket, and a small quantity of tobacco in a built-in pouch. It's ideal for a day excursion or just running doing errands.

Pipe Cleaners

Cleaners and polishes, which are designed to freshen a pipe, normally by dipping a pipe cleaner in the solution and running it through the pipe. Not everyone chooses to use these, but most pipe smokers swear by them. There are also different polishes for the wood, which are non-aromatic and don’t have a perceptible smell while pipe smoking. You can also buy gently abrasive polishes for stems to clean, shine and remove oxidation.

Humidors

These are tightly sealed jars that generally have a humidification component inside for keeping your tobacco at optimal moisture levels.

Reamer tools

Reamer tools are utilized to trim back the carbon build-up in the chamber if too much accumulates. They use a blade that removes a small amount of the cake at a time but doesn’t damage the pipe in the process.

CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE TIPS

If you’re a new pipe smoker, it’s a good idea to follow some common maintenance and cleaning tips to ensure the usefulness and lifespan of your pipe.

• Don’t empty the pipe by gripping the stem and pounding the bowl on a hard surface. This will cause stress fractures and eventually cause the pipe to break, fracture, or split.
• Use a proper pipe reamer without pointed or sharp edges to get rid of excess carbon. Unbalanced removal of cake or accidentally puncturing the interior of the bowl could result in weak areas that may become prone to burnout.
• Use a pipe cleaner after each smoke. We recommend that you be sure to run pipe cleaners through the shank and stem until the cleaner appears clean. Once the pipe cools, you may gradually twist the stem from the bowl and clean some more.
• Distillators can be re-used after being cleaned with water and allowed to dry. But, when the filter obtains a dark color, it needs to be replaced.