Is there anything you do to a new pipe before you smoke in it? Do all pipes use screens?
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No, not really. Passing a pipe cleaner through the stem, making sure there are no obstructions before filling and smoking your pipes is a good habit to get into.

It’s a pain finding out you can’t draw through the pipe after it has tobacco in it.

Can’t speak for anyone else… I’ve never used a screen of any type in any of my tobacco pipes.
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Nope no screens for me. My girlfriend likes those balsa filters.
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:-)
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No screens here. Some guys use filters but that's a personal thing. There are a lot of different methods to "breaking in" a new pipe. I just smoke the type of baccy that I intend to use in that pipe. Just take the first couple bowls slow, only load 1/2.
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Thanks for the info.
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I just picked up the pipe this week (so uber noob). strolled down to the local tobaconist (thank god there is a GREAT one 3 blocks away!) and picked up four 1oz bags of the first bulk blends that caught my eye in jars. Mostly aromatic names like amaretto, black&gold, cake box, and balkan 1 (that ones not so aromatic). I stayed away from the stronger stuff because I'm learning to smoke inside and don't want a stinky house :-)

NOW ON TO THE QUESTION:
I can't keep the $@&^)@*%#@ thing lit! Using 3 different well broken briar pipes. Tried loose and tight loads, etc..... I just don't seem to be finding the groove. (I'm a fairly hands on kinda guy, so NOT finding the groove yet is strange to me). Is is possible that the bulk blends just have too much something or another in em to keep them moist and they'll never burn right? should I got back and pick up a few tins for trying?? If so, recommendations for a few tins? (doesn't have to be aromatic, just shouldn't stench the house too much, strong stuff will have to wait until summer).
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mmm, and I should add that if I do manage to get it lit in such a way that it stays "lit" for more than a puff or two, its an extraordinarily thin smoke. I'm not expecting billowing clouds here... but this barely qualifies as smoke!

And I guess another similar question... ARE THERE specific tobaccos and pipe styles that lend themselves to generating great billowing clouds of smoke other than when you light them)?
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I'm going to try to answer these as best I can.
1. It takes a little while to be able to smoke through a bowl with only one light. There are several things that you can do try try and fix this.

First, let your tobacco dry out a little bit. If it is very moist from the jar, spread out a thin layer on a table top or other flat surface and let it air-dry for 10-20 mins.

Secondly, learn a method of filling your pipe. The most basic method taught to new pipers is the 1/3 Method. Take some of the air-dried tobacco in your index and thumb and fill your pipe roughly 1/3rd of the way. take you tamper and tamp down lightly. Take a somewhat larger pinch and fill the second third, then tamp again. Finally, fill the last third and tamp lightly- the tobacco should be fairly loose on top. Don't tamp it in so hard that you form a tobacco plug on top (that's a different method).

Thirdly, you need to properly light a pipe. take you lighter and rotate the flame around the top of the tobacco while taking long slow draws. Do this until you see that most of the tobacco on top has become ash or blackened. Tamp this down lightly and make sure it's even across the tobacco. (this is like toasting a cigar for example, to help it burn correctly). Now, use your lighter and bring the flame and rotate again with long slow draws until you see a nice ember glowing. and thats it! your off!
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Francis, don't worry bud. I have smoked 2 bowls so far and I have the exact same problem. 2 puffs and then I have to relight :-)

GreekGodX suggested I use a torch lighter instead of matches and now I get 3 good puffs instead of 2 :-)

Hopefully we will get it eventually.
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Some like to shine a desk light on the layer of tobacco to help dry it faster.
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I like to take a small glass plate, with a couple bowls of tobacco in a thin layer, and set it on top of the toaster, letting the heat warm up the plate. Warm not hot, this speeds up the drying.
I have also read where some like to load up a couple pipes in the morning and then not smoke them until later that day. If you want a bowl in the morning, load up the pipe before bed, should be ready to smoke when you get up and about.
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Did you pop out of the womb and hit the floor running? :-) Master driving a car in 1 week? :-)

If you can strike a match you can smoke a cigar, the pipe requires some knowledge, some practice and some patients.

Start by learning to learning to properly fill the tobacco chamber. I was taught the three step method.

1. Sprinkle, don’t pinch or stuff, sprinkle tobacco into the chamber a little at a time until there is a slight dome of tobacco above the rim of the pipe, then gently push this down so the chamber is about half full. Now puff on the pipe, there should not be any more restriction than an average cigar.
If it’s to tight, remove the tobacco and start again, with practice you’ll be able to do this by feel.

2. Sprinkle tobacco into the chamber again until there’s a slight mound above the rim of the bowl. Now press it down with a bit more pressure than the first time, this time so the chamber is three quarter filled, that’s half the volume left after step 1.

3. Sprinkle tobacco into the chamber until it’s full to the rim, this time press the tobacco down with more pressure, there should be roughly an eighth of an inch between the top of the tobacco and the rim of the bowl.

Don’t over fill the chamber or you’ll scorch the rim of the pipe when lighting it. DO NOT use a torch lighter; these are great for lighting cigars and charring the hell out of briar pipes.

The three step light is most often prescribed for the pipe novice. That’s two charring lights to toast the tobacco and form a bit of ash on top followed by the smoking light, using matches or standard flame butane lighter.

I’ve found a series of short quick puffs work better than long draws to get a pipe smoking.

Yes. It’s possible that some type of humidicant (Propylene Glycol) has been used to prevent the tobacco from drying out… or it may simply be to damp. If the tobacco is in plastic bags it will dry out soon enough. If you have the tobacco in an air tight jar (the best way to keep it), leave the lid off the jar for a couple of hours and see how it feels.

If the tobacco does not ever dry out it has been chemically treat and I’d find a better source for pipe tobacco.

You’ll also learn over time just how moist you prefer pipe tobacco, and be able to tell by feel if it needs to by dried out or hydrated.

D.
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I have a noob question. Can you reuse a pipe cleaner or is it a once and done sort of thing? Along with that, can you clip off the really dirty parts and keep using or are we back to one and done?

While I know they're cheap, I don't want to be wasteful or dumb as I get this pipe smoking adventure off the ground.
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The purpose of the pipe cleaner is to get moisture out of the stem. If a pipe cleaner is dry and clean, use it again.

You can definitely do what you'd like - maybe turn it around and use the other end. In fact, give it a try - what ever you'd like.

If you use a pipe cleaner while smoking, it needs to get all the way to the bowl - and it needs to do it with the bit attached (don't remove the bit while smoking and the pipe is warm - just a word to the wise), so I doubt that can happen if you clip the dirty end off.

There is another issue about reusing a pipe cleaner while smoking, the tars and such are foul tasting if they end up on the bit an you put it in your mouth - trust me on that one.

Of course, if you clean your pipe disassembled, you may very well find your pipe cleaners can be cut in half and used that way.

Here's the deal, you gotta try it and see how it works for you.

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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Thanks Rev. I'll experiment and see what works :-)
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I've heard that meers don't ghost, so they've been catching my eye. Is this true? It'd be nice to have a pipe that I can just try all sorts of blends in and then when I find one I really like, dedicate a briar to it. Any special needs I need to know about smoking a meer?

Thanks:-)
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I'm not experienced enough to talk about the Meers, but I know that Cobbs don't ghost either. My Cobb is my go-to pipe if I want to try any new blends out.
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Never had a ghost when smoking mine.
The biggest thing about using a meer is to clean the bowl really good after each use to prevent cake build up. I wipe the inside of the bowl with alcohol after each use.
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Good to know, thanks:-)
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No ghosts in my meers. I rarely buy something new that doesn't start in a meer for that crisp, clear picture of what it is.

I clean mine after every smoke by rubbing out the bowl with a looped bristle pipecleaner.
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