Resting Pipes
My Valentines day gift is a LJ Heart pipe - my first one from Lannes Johnson.
I ended up sending LJ an email, and in response he mentioned that the pipe could be smoked as much as I wanted to, in contradiction to the “conventional wisdom” of the majority of the online pipe smoking community that pipes must be rested for at least a day if not a week between smokes.
I have always doubted this is the case and asked his opinion. His reply: “I am not a pipe rester but a pipe smoker. If a pipe will not perform to my smoking habits I get rid of the thing. No need to dance with ugly women.”
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how these silly misconceptions arise - misconceptions like resting pipes, 3 layer packing, the evils of PG, etc. My instincts are it’s an internet thing. Before the internet and ASP, no one seems to have heard they weren’t supposed to smoke the same pipe all day every day, so people did. The pipes didn’t hear they were supposed to go sour and stop being smokeable either, so I guess it all evened out in the end.
My budget isn’t really up to an LJ just yet, but I have found that the resting pipes business is really best for my Calibresi’s and Grabows. Using the three-layer technique keeps me from over-packing… I can get carried away and get so much in there that I can’t get air through the darn thing…
That’s the wonderful thing about this hobby - it is so individual. I won’t knock anyone who believes resting their pipes increases their enjoyment. I’m also glad the three-layer technique works for you. I’ve probably misinterpreted it because it causes me to over-pack.
Thanks for stopping by - keep the comments coming!
I don’t sweat resting them either. My usual practice is to smoke a new pipe to death for a week or two and then change it up. I do that because I am ready for a change not because it needs it. Mind you I clean the pipe after every smoke so it does not get sour. I am also a pretty dry smoker and rarely get much moisture in my pipes.