So, in front of you there is a pipe, a tobacco and match pack or a special pipe lighter with a perpendicular flame... Some people think that tobacco can be filled anyhow that it is absolutely unimportant and it is possible to treat a pipe so carelessly, as well as with a cigarette. Such thoughts are also at the start of all troubles of a beginner pipe-smoker. The pipe always answers roughness of the owner: draws badly, goes out, overheats, becomes humid and, eventually, can burn out from one side or completely burn through.

 How should a pipe be filled correctly?

 E.Terletskaya:
«I was learned to fill tobacco at competition on duration of pipe smoking. Before I had no slightest idea about it, and I filled tobacco at once from packing. It appears to be kneaded, frayed very carefully within 5 minutes, before loading it in a cup».
The most important thing is to fill tobacco with pinches. The first pinch needs to be put simply on a cup bottom. It means that it should be taken only some tobacco as it will be the bottom portion of filling. Before continuing, check up with a finger, without pressing down, whether tobacco lies regularly. The subsequent pinches should be stacked, slightly pressing them with a finger, gradually increasing density of filling, and so to the very top. Simultaneously, having put the next portion, pull the air through a holder, checking up, whether the pipe is well smoked. When the cup is filled to edges, it is necessary to press tobacco with a thumb for the last time; this action demands thin artistry which comes with the years. This action prevents possible asperities of a set fire surface of tobacco and gives touch-up to filling. For firing it is very important, that the surface of the filled tobacco was ideally flat. We check up once again, whether the air passes in a pipe easily, and we will be convinced that nothing disturbs to it.
If the air passes too freely, it is necessary to press once again with a thumb and to add some tobacco. If tobacco draws badly, it is necessary to pour it out and to begin procedure from the beginning, but, probably that is the reason in a small piece of tobacco which has stuck in pass. In such case separate a holder from a head and with a badger or a tee needle push it in a pipe head.
Not skilled smoker can have disgust for the pipe after several bad fillings, but it is entirely his fault.
The pipe, with filled correctly and densely, is smoked better, than the pipe filled easily, but it is already a question of personal preference. In any case follow the techniques of filling described above.
Still it is necessary to remember that it is easier to fill a pipe with largely cut tobacco then the probability that tobacco will stick in the smoke channel of a pipe. The dry tobacco should be filled more densely as it has property to go up, and the fresh one, on the contrary, lays plainly and densely, therefore filling should be easier. If tobacco is very dry, mix it with the fresh one.
E.Terletskaya:

«And it is even better to put in the package two thin plates of an apple. Thus, you humidify any, even very dried up, tobacco. Let slices lie in the package, they will not disturb, but you will always have the tobacco humidified with natural way, with very pleasant aroma». 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

The pipe is filled. Now it is necessary to light it, and it is a science too.

Getting a light.
From what it is better to get a light - from matches or from a lighter – it is your private business. It is important, that the lighter was gas, with a lateral flame. Petrol is not necessary, as gives tobacco an unpleasant smell and taste.
Getting a light does not bear haste and vanity. How you will make it depends quality, taste and duration of smoking. But, if after all the pipe was not lighted, taking a tamper («tramper») or a tee, trample down and level this surface, then set fire to a pipe on all surface once again. To light the whole surface is very important because irregularly lighted pipe is smoked from one side, goes out; the snuff in it is formed friable and irregular.
Do not light a pipe on the run, do not do it in haste. Concentrate yourself; it is very important during the moments of filling and getting a light.
If pipe smoking also does not become for you reflection and meditation process, some kind of ritual it is necessary to remember at least that a pipe is not a cigarette, it cannot be smoked too quickly and carelessly.
With each smoking your pipe gets the unique taste, own aroma.
Remember: the pipe does not bear violence, she leads the life and, probably, the remark of French poet Baudelaire is fair: "Soon you will notice strange feature that more likely the pipe smokes you, rather than you it". Its smoking demands persistence and gradually, in process of perfection, develops into pleasure.
At the pipe smoking many people face two extreme measures: it either overheats, or goes out.
If the pipe has gone out in the beginning or in the middle of smoking, be not afraid to light it again. It is not necessary to do it only in the end of smoking not to burn a pipe and not to damage the formed snuff. If the pipe has gone out, put on a support, a head downwards; wait, while it will cool down, and then easily clean the rests of tobacco with a tee blade.
The ideal pipe drawing does not exist, in due course you will simply feel, when it is necessary to strengthen and do the drawing more often and when more rare and weaker. With the experience skill will come to you and you learn to define on the cooled ashes, how well your pipe has been smoked. In an ideal in good smoker there will not be any rest of tobacco, and you will pour out from a pipe a handful of grey ashes.
Certainly, the pipe smoking can be stopped at any moment but then it is better to fill it exactly so much you are going to smoke. At once I wish you to warn that you will not manage with one pipe. During smoking a snuff and cup walls incorporate moisture formed in the course of condensation, therefore the pipe should dry not less than 12 hours. How many pipes are necessary for you, you will count, how often you smoke during the day. I personally consider that many pipes do not happen.
And the last important thing which I wish to mention in this article is seasoning a pipe.

How is a pipe seasoned?
There is an opinion that before seasoning it is good to handle a pipe with alcohol (rum, brandy, cognac), but it seems to me that being the friend of tobacco, alcohol is the enemy of briar. The other matter is honey: it will not spoil wood and will essentially soften the first smoking.
The beginning smokers show at times a considerable ingenuity, trying to accelerate process of seasoning pipes. They force the pipes with the open fire, the heated spoke and even a vacuum cleaner.
I declare responsibly: there is no way of fast seasoning! And pipes, a victim of so barbarous reference, survive seldom!
First five or six pipes are filled on a quarter, following ten for half, five more on three quarters and the next five or six are filled to the top, following the rule of filling described above. This process is labor-consuming and demands patience, but it gives a regular snuff. Many smokers prefer other way of seasoning: The pipe is filled entirely and is smoked to the bottom. For me this way is rotted, except for small pipes with a tight bottom. They can be smoked in the second way.

 

E.Terletskaya:

«I have specially stopped on this question because the widespread, so-called system "the pipe seasoning of stage-by-stage" is more likely similar to the Internet theory, than on applicable practice. Its essence means that the pipe is smoked in some stages, each of which differs by the degree of tobacco stuffing in a pipe: for the first stage is filled one third or a quarter of pipe, for the second the tobacco is filled only half of a pipe etc. I do not know, who has invented it for the first time, but similar "councils" frequently can be seen in various debatable groups of the Internet. They are spread be the laymen who do not have any idea of pipe smoking. With such practice the pipe can be simply ruined. The matter is that it is impossible, categorically, to fill a pipe partially»!
                                                                        
We wish you successful smoking!