Knowing the tobacco pipe smoking accessories is essential for a number of reasons: the first is to ensure a quality smoke, then we also have the need to store the tobacco and the tobacco pipe itself, as well as clean it.
If you are approaching the world of the tobacco pipe, here you can learn about the accessories you absolutely cannot do without for tobacco pipe smoking, bar none!
Tobacco Pipe Accessories: Typology
As you will be able to observe, tobacco pipe smoking accessories are divided into several categories, depending on their function, in fact there are several for storing the pipe and the tobacco and still others for cleaning it, for example.
It is good not to underestimate any of these functions, because each of them is absolutely crucial to the quality of smoking.
Tobacco Pipe storage accessories
Let's start by talking about tobacco pipe storage accessories.
First, it is essential to know that you should never store the tobacco pipe in the original purchase box, because it should always be exposed to the air.
In this way, the tobacco pipe will tend to cool more easily and, if waterlogging forms, it will dry out faster.
If the wood is in contact with moisture for a long time, the moisture will be absorbed by the tobacco pipe, returning unpleasant aromas, which will make smoking not a little worse.
To store the tobacco pipe at home and indoors, a Tobacco Pipe Rest (single or multiple) can be used or a special rack, countertop or wall-mounted, in case a large number of tobacco pipes need to be stored.
Alternatively, a more attractive and stylish solution may be an enclosed glass cabinet. In this case, it is important that the hutch has at least a couple of holes, at the top and at the bottom, so as to promote air circulation, which is essential as you store smoked tobacco pipes. Sometimes, instead of holes, there may be activated charcoal, which serves the same function.
For storing the tobacco pipe outside the home, on the other hand, the Leather Tobacco Pipe Holder is used.
Inside there’s a sheath, usually made of rubber, to store the tobacco and keep it moist.
With the Tobacco Pipe Holder, you can carry multiple tobacco pipes with you, depending on size, while also inserting your lighter, tobacco pipe cleaner or personal effects.
Pipe tobacco storage accessories
As for pipe tobacco storage accessories, it is advisable to use ceramic jars.
Generally, these come with a humidified sponge and a seal for proper tobacco storage.
These jars can also be made of wood or aluminum, with the latter being particularly popular in recent years and featuring an external hygrometer.
A cheaper solution is any glass vacuum jar.
For tobacco storage, we always advise against high humidity, despite common opinion often claiming otherwise.
In fact, we believe that tobacco should have a very low humidity level, not surprisingly Fabio prefers very dry tobaccos.
Between a very moist tobacco and a slightly dry one, the latter is always preferable, considering that water imparts bitter notes to the smoke.
Pipe cleaning accessories
The first tobacco pipe cleaning accessory is the tobacco pipe cleaner, which is necessary for routine cleaning of the tobacco pipe after smoking.
With the tobacco pipe cleaner you will be able to remove tobacco residue from inside the mouthpiece and the blowpipe.
It can be either soft or rough, while its shape is conical.
For extraordinary tobacco pipe cleaning, it is best to use a metal tobacco pipe cleaner, for a more incisive action.
Then, we have the cutters for reducing the coal crust in the stove, so as to clean it up.
Caution: you should never remove the charcoal crust completely, but rather restore it to an optimal diameter relative to the size of the stove.
To polish the tobacco pipe, simply use a classic cloth containing polishing wax, so as to restore a shiny tone to the briar, which tends to dull with time and smoking.
Alternatively, you could use special polishing pastes, also used to treat ebonite mouthpieces.
Little curiosity: in the old days, people used to polish the tobacco pipe with leather grease by rubbing it on the nose!
You should NEVER clean the tobacco pipe with alcohol, because it will close the pores of the wood, preventing the passage of heat from the intent to the outside, forming a closed casing.
These are the classic tobacco pipe cleaning accessories, but the more experienced also carry out cleaning through the use of a drill with carnauba wax, with a platelet.
To carry out such a cleaning operation, however, it is essential to have the necessary experience, otherwise you risk ruining the tobacco pipe.
Accessories for smoking the pipe
To smoke the tobacco pipe you need a lighter (or match) and a pipe tamper.
It is advisable to opt for a soft-flame lighter, which has a 45-degree slant, but tinder or piezo lighters are equally good.
With due care, you can also use a jet-flame lighter: in this case, the ignition will not be direct, otherwise you will end up over-burning the tobacco.
Rather, you must light the tobacco pipe raw and then pull, continuing in this way until the tobacco pipe is finally lit.
If, on the other hand, you prefer the match to the lighter, our only advice is to prefer the long ones that contain less sulfur.
Finally, we have the pipe tamper, an essential accessory because it allows you to even out and compact the tobacco, so you get a smoother burn.
The more you use the pipe tamper, the less the tobacco pipe will burn and the less you will use the lighter.
Using the pipe tamper before smoking is very useful, to keep the combustion inside the brazier even, making the smoke more enjoyable.
There are different pipe tamper materials: wood, silver, titanium, aluminum, as well as bamboo, horn, and bone.
