Pipe Tobacco Smoking

Pipe tobacco is blended and treated to attain desired flavor which is not possible in other tobacco products. Blends can be found using Virginia and Burley tobaccos improved by spice tobaccos. Some of the enhancement materials include many Balkan or Asian varietals, Perique, which is solely from St. James Parish, Latakia (a fire-cured spice tobacco which comes from Syria), Louisiana, and blends of tobaccos which come from South America, Africa, or India. Most of the US blends are conventionally derived Burley tobaccos with supplements meant to develop a smooth flavor whereas blends from Britain are made from natural Virginia tobaccos improved with other natural spice tobaccos. Most of the pipe smokers are moving towards "natural" tobaccos which are made aromatically with the use of artful blending, with only particularly selected spice tobaccos and rustic, proven curing methods.


Pipe tobacco can be bought in various forms. These forms differ in blends which give rise to several blends and the smokers’ ability to develop their own blends. Pipe tobacco also varies greatly in shape and size of the cut. Most of the pipe tobacco is harsh as compared to cigarette tobacco which is meant for inhalation. The tobacco used in pipe smoking is coarser and larger in cut and are more moist compared to the tobacco used in cigarettes. Too finely cut tobacco does not allow airflow through the pipe while dry tobacco burns out quickly with less aroma. Pipe tobacco should be kept airtight in a secured container or humidor to retain moisture.





Pipe tobacco is usually cut in to ribbons and some tobaccos are pressed as flat cakes for slicing. Others are sliced after tight wounding. Flake tobacco can be prepared in various ways: rubbed out with the palms and fingers until it gets sufficiently loose to pack, folded, crumbled and stuffed into a pipe. Some of the smokers cut up coarse tobacco which makes it easy to pack.

Oils from the tobacco are vaporized and gets into the "cake" of the pipe when pipe tobacco is burned. After some time, these oils may become sour which cause an unpleasing taste. There are many sweetening ways which include filling the bowl of the pipe with kosher salt, not iodized, and wiping with alcohol. Some of the smoke pipers find that regular cleaning of the pipe with alcohol is useful to prevent the horrid taste. Pipe sweetening products can also be found commercially.


The smoke from pipe tobacco is not meant for inhalation like that of a cigar. The smoke is brought from the pipe in to the mouth to enable absorption of nicotine and released without inhaling. Normally, a pipe is lit two to three times. Relighting is necessary, if pipe tobacco is smoked very slowly. On the contrary, if it is smoked too quickly, it may cause a gurgling sound because of excess moisture and may lead to tongue bite or pipe tongue which is an inconvenient burning sensation on the tongue.