Three Steps to Properly Loading a Pipe
Step 1: Gravity feed tobacco into the bowl of the pipe. Gently level off the excess with the top of the bowl. Press the tobacco down gently about 2/3 from the top
Step 2 Again, gravity feed tobacco into the bowl; gently level off the excess with the top of the pipe. Press slightly harder, this time until the tobacco is about 1/3 from the top. .
Step 3 Once more gravity feed the tobacco into the pipe to overflowing. Press firmly. The tobacco should be slightly springy and level with the top of the pipe bowl.
Note: It is important to use fresh tobacco at all times; dry tobacco will crunch down and produce a hot smoke.
Lighting Your Pipe
When lighting, puff with long, slow puffs. Move the match or lighter slowly around the outside edge of the tobacco. Puff as many times as necessary to completely light the top surface of the tobacco. This is called the false or charring light. This will assure an even burning load. Next take the pipe out of your mouth, and tamp the ashes gently; pressing them down on the unburned portion of tobacco. Now, relight and puff rhythmically. Blow lightly into the stem between puffs as though you were inflating a tiny balloon. This balloon method feeds air to the base of the pipe just as a bellows feeds a forge. Again smoke s-l-o-w-l-y. Do not let your new pipe get too hot. Important Note: Do not knock the ashes out of the first load of your pipe. Instead, just fluff the loose ash out gently. If there is unburned tobacco mixed in with the ashes, you are not smoking far enough down. Make sure that you have only a gray ash residue in the bottom of the pipe. You should always cake the heel first; the top will gradually cake itself after a number of smokes.