[dgerwin11]

After much scientific research I have perfected the only proper method to pack a pipe.

1) use 2.4 grams tobacco per 10cm chamber diameter.
2) Pack bottom half of bowl with your forefinger at 15.8 psi
3) Pack top half with forefinger at 26.9 psi.

Or I just dip my pipe in the pouch, push tobacco into bowl with finger. Draw on it while packing. The draw should feel close to drawing through an empty pipe.

Light, Savor, Enjoy

 

[DSturg369]

3-stage for me. I often pinch and load as well as scoop-load with my thump. Seldom use the tamper for initial loading these days as a finger works just as well or even better IMO. It takes a little while but you get the feel for it.

 

[mirain]

3 stage works well yet it depends on my situation. Sometimes the 'hurry and stuff' method works better.

I've been trying the 'musket ball' method for flakes and am liking it.

 

[DSturg369]

If it's a small bowl, say like a MM Legend or similar, the 3rd stage is often skipped out of necessity.

 

[TonyBrooklyn]

After much scientific research I have perfected the only proper method to pack a pipe.

1) use 2.4 grams tobacco per 10cm chamber diameter.
2) Pack bottom half of bowl with your forefinger at 15.8 psi
3) Pack top half with forefinger at 26.9 psi.

Or I just dip my pipe in the pouch, push tobacco into bowl with finger. Draw on it while packing. The draw should feel close to drawing through an empty pipe.

Light, Savor, Enjoy

Nice and scientific how do you measure the pressure applied by your fingers? I have been using the Frank Method with great results. But i am a newbie to pipes and really don't know squat!:yo:

 

[canadianpiper]

3 stage stuff and puff for me, except when smoking flakes then I usually fold and stuff unless of course its a big bowl, thats when I rub one out, flake that is. HE HE HE

 

[Jeff10236]

After much scientific research I have perfected the only proper method to pack a pipe.

1) use 2.4 grams tobacco per 10cm chamber diameter.
2) Pack bottom half of bowl with your forefinger at 15.8 psi
3) Pack top half with forefinger at 26.9 psi.

Or I just dip my pipe in the pouch, push tobacco into bowl with finger. Draw on it while packing. The draw should feel close to drawing through an empty pipe.

Light, Savor, Enjoy

No, no, no, you have it all wrong! You need 2.2g tobacco, the bottom half of the bowl should only get 15.7 psi, and the top half needs at least 27, but no more than 27.4. My gosh, talk about steering people the wrong way :evil:

I like your point with this thread. People sometimes get too hung up on packing correctly and it seems to interfere with many a newbies pipe smoking enjoyment. Don't worry too much about getting it "right". Experiment- pack it tighter, pack it lighter, use the "three stage" method and try other ways of packing. You can always adjust if it didn't work very well (if too loose you can take your tamper and adjust mid-smoke, for too tight, it will take a test draw or dumping your tobacco and starting over to fix it, but that is really no big deal). Eventually you will find what works for you and the particular type of tobacco you are smoking.

 

[dgerwin11]

No, no, no, you have it all wrong! You need 2.2g tobacco, the bottom half of the bowl should only get 15.7 psi, and the top half needs at least 27, but no more than 27.4. My gosh, talk about steering people the wrong way :evil:

I like your point with this thread. People sometimes get too hung up on packing correctly and it seems to interfere with many a newbies pipe smoking enjoyment. Don't worry too much about getting it "right". Experiment- pack it tighter, pack it lighter, use the "three stage" method and try other ways of packing. You can always adjust if it didn't work very well (if too loose you can take your tamper and adjust mid-smoke, for too tight, it will take a test draw or dumping your tobacco and starting over to fix it, but that is really no big deal). Eventually you will find what works for you and the particular type of tobacco you are smoking.

Ah good, someone understands. I think we often get hung up on the details and loose sight of goal.

 

[karatekyle]

Hahaha hilarious. RG to you, my friend.

 

[Zfog]

This is a great thread, I rolled my eyes thinking it was another piper over thinking the process. :happy:
I just pack my pipe and smoke it, with excellent results. The Zach method. Lol

 

[Nachman]

3-stage for me. I often pinch and load as well as scoop-load with my thump. Seldom use the tamper for initial loading these days as a finger works just as well or even better IMO. It takes a little while but you get the feel for it.

If you scoop load with your thump too much it will shrink.:lol:

 

[DSturg369]

:lol:

 

[dgerwin11]

I guess the message

 

[TonyBrooklyn]

Oh geez caught me snoozing gotta love that old time sophomoric humor!
:smoke2::smoke2::smoke2::smoke2::smoke2:

 

[dgerwin11]

I guess the message is the right way is what works for you. Since everything about pipe smoking is a matter of individual preference, we each need to distill the collective knowledge down to what works go us

 

[MarkC]

Well, the one cool thing about advising noobie smokers on loading a pipe is that pretty much all the methods work, and it does reassure them that they at least know something about what they're doing. Or at least it did for me.

 

[freestoke]

Seldom use the tamper for initial loading these days as a finger works just as well or even better IMO.

Tamper while loading? And Nachman says my finger will shrink -- has shrunk! THAT explains my short fingers and thumb! Where are the warning labels when you really need them?

 

[Katharsis]

Completely depends on the specific pipe and specific tobacco combination for me, plus how dried out the tobacco is.

 

[DahlKen]

Being a newbie to the whole pipe scene I was caught up in the over-thinking the pack. I started out being so delicate and tamping carefully, trying to get it all so perfect. And now, even though I am still a total newb, I have already gotten a feel for my pipes and the small collection of baccys I have so now I find myself just stuffin and puffin. Even with my first shot at some Brown Irish Twist that arrived this morning, just cut off a couple discs, quick rub out, and stuff it all in. Worked great for me and sat here puffing away while watching the last shuttle mission launch. Although I think the overthinking helped at first to get the idea across, but it all becomes a feel and near second nature after a short learning curve.

 

[freestoke]

...now I find myself just stuffin and puffin. Even with my first shot at some Brown Irish Twist that arrived this morning, just cut off a couple discs, quick rub out, and stuff it all in. Worked great for me and sat here puffing away while watching the last shuttle mission launch. Although I think the overthinking helped at first to get the idea across, but it all becomes a feel and near second nature after a short learning curve.

Really, I think "scientific" packing is a bit overrated for your everyday smoke, especially the famed 3-stage. To me, that's a "competition load". To stuff 3 or 5 grams into a pipe to see how long you can smoke it requires some skill, but that sort of packing also requires good tamping and puffing technique to make it work and frequently leads to an inordinate number of relights. It also takes quite a while to smoke such a load and the dottle can get super nasty with tobak that's a bit moist -- even with drier tobacco. I prefer a half an hour to 45 minute smoke usually anyhow. Lesser fills don't require that sort of diligence and as long as it isn't too tight, just stuffin' and puffin' like you say works fine. I don't pay much attention putting a couple of grams of PA in a pipe for sure. I just mound it up, push it level with the bowl, light it and tamp it down as I go.