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"First lesson is: smoke dry. Keep saliva out of the pipe. Practice, if necessary, on an unlighted unfilled pipe. Keep the stem out of the saliva trough just behind and below the lower teeth. And swallow frequently. A dry pipe smokes clean. It isn't spoiled by sogging saliva. It's not liable to go sour.
Second lesson: smoke slowly. You'll tend to revert to the cigarette smoking habits, but try to keep your mind on the fact that you're smoking a pipe-check a tendency to forget until your tongue is burned-and soon you'll be merrily puffing at your pipe just like all the fellows you've always envied. Test yourself by holding the pipe bowl every few puffs. If it's to hot in your hand, let it go out and light it again after it cools ( relighting does not effect the taste of the pipe after the first couple of puffs) and you'll be saving your tongue the discomforts of fire and brimstone. You know how to appreciate good liquor, don't you? You roll it over your tongue, test it's fragrance, sip it slowly. Try appreciating your tobacco in the same way. Roll it over your tongue, let a little come out of your nostrils. Don't inhale-taste. It's lots cheaper, less potent-and a powerful aid to correct pipe smoking!
Summarising: 1, Smoke dry. 2, Smoke slowly." This advice was written by Sidney Ram in Chicago 1941

How to pack and light a pipe
No matter how good the tobacco or the pipe is, they will still smoke poorly if the correct filling technique is not achieved, like all good things in life it takes practice and patience, don't get discouraged if your first attempt fails, remember we all had to learn.

Firstly check the pipe is clear of obstructions by tapping it in the palm of your hand (Tip: make sure you hold the pipe stem as close to the bowl as possible to avoid cracking the stem) and then blowing into the mouthpiece, (Tip: when I do this I have the bowl facing downwards, that way I don't get an eyeful of dottle or what ever else is lurking in the depths of my pipe).

Secondly when the pipe is clear and clean fill the pipe with pinches of tobacco tamping each layer and sucking on the pipe every so often to ensure the tobacco is not to tightly packed, you should be able to get the feeling of sucking through a straw, ( Tip: the first layer should not be packed to tightly), try to maintain a "springy" feeling to the tobacco, (Tip: if the pipe is a new never smoked briar only fill half way for the first two to three bowl fulls this will help to achieve an even "cake" build up).

Thirdly, once the pipe is packed it is time to light the tobacco for the first time called the charring light, you need to achieve a complete charred lid of tobacco, this is done by dancing the flame over the tobacco and drawing on the pipe and sucking the flame into the bowl at the same time, be careful not to char the rim of the bowl, once all the surface of the tobacco is charred, re-tamp the tobacco.

Lastly, this is the time for pleasure, you may now add the final light, once again dance the flame over the charred lid of tobacco while drawing on the pipe sucking the flame into the bowl, there you go! enjoy yourself you have deserved it.

During the coarse of smoking your pipe, you may have to re-light often, this is nothing to worry about, just re-tamp the tobacco, insert a pipe cleaner if needed and re-light, I tend to leave the ash in the bowl when I re-tamp and re-light because I find the pipe smokes cooler and stays lit longer, I even let the pipe "go out" on purpose because I like the feeling of relighting a good smoke, takes all sorts I suppose, the main objective is to enjoy yourself.

This information kindly supplied by Smokers forums