How to Begin - part I

Beginners should start with an aromatic blend. Such as Amphora Regular, or a similar light aromatic Burley/Virginia blend. Keep the pouch tightly sealed to keep it fresh. Experiment with different blends until you find one you like. It‘s always nice to get a tobacco that your wife or girlfriend likes, so get her input. English blends tend to be much more full flavored and not the best for beginners. Due to their fuller flavor and aroma English Blends are generally not the favoriate with the woman.
Also get a package of cleaners and lots of wooden matches (or a butane ligther) and a pipe tool (with a tamper, reamer, and scraper). Aromatic blends tend to smoke "wet" so a good supply of pipe cleaners will be necessary. The term "wet" means that you might hear a gurgling sound. This comes from saliva and the condensation of the moisture from the burning tobacco.
Lets move on to the matter of packing and lighting. Pack the tobacco a bit at a time, about 1/3 of the bowl at a time. You want to have it slightly springy, neither to loose or tight. It should be easy to draw through. Use the reamer to loosen if it‘s too tight. For a new pipe, coat the inside of the bowl with honey. This will help develop a layer of "cake" (carbon) and will also provide a sweeter smoke.... to be continued

Next articles: How to Begin - part II