Introduction

Did you know that the history of pipe smoking began fifteen hundred
years and more before Columbus sailed from Europe?
It was the American Indian who first refined pipe smoking by producing
a generally acceptable form of 'the kindly weed" based on tabacum nicotiana.

Origins of the Briar

The name briar is a corruption of the French word "bruyere" or heath tree - a low shrub found throughout Europe, though principally around the Mediterranean. The true briar is only made of the very hard, dry root of the mature shrub which may be anything up to 250 years old. Once selected, the roots are cleaned, inspected for flaws and cracks, stored for a season covered by earth, then cut into the "ebauchon" - a cube of root from which a pipe will eventually be made. The first stage of the production process is a painstaking one, and the loss rate is high. Yet this is only the beginning. After the ebauchons are cut, they are examined again, boiled in water for twelve hours to destroy any remaining life, then stored for up to six months in drying sheds. Then, and only then, is the briar released to the manufacturer. Five stages are involved in the manufacture of the briar bowls and seventy five different operations in the complete pipe making process.

First the rough blocks are trimmed to a workable size; then passed to the bowl turning machine; followed by the stem turning machine;after which they are drilled; and finally, the finished bowls are graded. It is here that the greatest mystery of the briar is resolved: the wide variation in cost between two pipes which at first glance seem identical. it is not so much the time needed for the maturing of the root; nor even the craftsmanship demanded of the subsequent manufacturing process; more the high wastage rate even when the initial production process is complete. Superficially, two pipes may look very much alike. In practice, the vary widely; a high proportion being flawed, a comparatively few being totally clean. Once the grading (into as many as six different categories) is complete, the bowls are polished and the stems machine-bored to take the vulcanite mouthpiece. The finish is left to harden before the mouthpiece is inserted, then the whole is given a last buffing down - and another briar is complete.

The Finish

Many people prefer a smooth finish bowl; on the other hand, a sandblasted bowl cannot be scratched. The softer wood is removed in the sand-blasting thus reducing the
weight but not the strength of the bowl. It's followers say that the
increased surface area cools the pipe and it does not slip in the hand.

Pipe Systems

It has been estimated that a quarter of all pipes sold include some form of specialist system, whether a cooling device, a filter or a wet trap.
Although some purists object to interposing such systems between themselves and the tobacco, many long-time smokers say that such a system provided them with their first cool smoke. The majority of pipe smokers do not inhale.

Choice of Tobacco

Two centuries ago, tobacco
manufacturers had a lot to learn about
quality, curing and blending. There were no brands. Each town had its own Tobacconist, who prepared his own tobacco from bulk leaf, which arrived in barrels. Gradually qualities were graded, blends were suited to tastes and the art of pipe smoking was developed. Today, five types of leaf are in general use for tobacco blending:
Virginia: a sweet tasting and light tobacco which forms a large part
of the content of pipe tobacco in the U.K.
Burley: an air cured tobacco, mild yet distinctive in flavour, which
provides the base for many mixtures.
Oriental: grown largely in the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean,
and providing a distinctively aromatic smoke.
Latakia: again a product of the Eastern Mediterranean, and used in
certain mixtures to give a distinctive flavour.
Perique: grown largely around New Orleans, and subject to a curing
process known only to one family, perique is used as a seasoner for
other pipe tobaccos, providing a distinctive taste and aroma.

Ultimately, the pleasure of a good tobacco lies in the blending process.
Individual manufacturers jealously guard the secrets of their own blends, which are as numerous and distinctive as individual pipe designs, from the richness of a Latakia based mixture to the mellowness of certain of the Virginia flakes. The beginner is faced with a variety of choice, and it is only by trial and error that he will find the exact blend to meet his taste. Initially however, a couple of points are well worth bearing in mind; the lighter and more fine cut the tobacco, the hotter and quicker it is to burn.
The more moist, heavy and coarse the mix, the slower it is to burn and the more it relies on expertise to keep it alight. Between these two extremes there is a wide range of choice and it is possibly better for the new pipe man to select one of the blander varieties before experimenting with any of the more exotic brands. The golden rule is to keep trying and experiment with other brands. Sometimes the beginner may give up to soon just because he has got hold of the wrong tobacco for his palate.

Wet or Dry Tobacco?

Whatever the choice of tobacco, one point remains paramount: The need
to maintain it in good condition to be smoked. As with everything else in pipe smoking, this will depend upon personal preference - some pipe men keeping their tobacco on the dry side;
others preferring it moist. In either case, the extremes should be avoided for it not only destroys the smoking quality of the tobacco itself, but an over dry fill tends to burn like straw whilst an over moist one is virtually impossible to light. You can spray very dry tobacco with a little water ( a plant spray does well) but be warned - too much moisture applied this way may
produce mould.

Filling for a good smoke

However good the tobacco or the briar, a good smoke will be spoilt
unless a pipe is properly filled. To achieve a constant and steady burn, the tobacco must be evenly packed throughout the bowl; neither too tightly nor too loosely. What is the best way to achieve such a fill? It is best to fill the pipe in pinches - the first pinch being laid at the bottom of the bowl, and the tobacco then being built up in layers until the head
of the bowl is reached. When the bowl is full, the head of the tobacco should be pressed down gently with the thumb and then, before lighting, it is wise to draw on the filled pipe a couple of times to check how much resistance the tobacco in the bowl offers. If it is relatively hard to draw, it is probably best to empty out the tobacco and begin the operation again.

Lighting Your Pipe

If the fill does provide a clean draw, then the pipe is ready to be lit. The object is to ensure that all the tobacco at the head of the bowl is burning evenly. It is generally better to use two matches, or two lights if using
a lighter. After the first match, smooth out the burning tobacco with a flat surfaced pipe tool, then apply the second match, moving it from side to side across the bowl to make sure that the whole head is evenly lit. A pipe lighter incidently is a useful investment; it has a horizontal flame for ease of lighting. Smoking the pipe should become a natural extension of the breathing rhythm - unhurried and gentle. If you need to relight halfway through a pipe, first remove all ash,
tease the remaining tobacco and tamp it down gently, then relight. Do not top up with new tobacco until you have smoked or emptied out the remaining tobacco.