A joyous adventure starts with the first pipe bought. A new pipe user man who hears his wife saying “pipe or me !” would  prepare his luggage and go away. Because in reality his wife was trying to protect her curtain. This friendship with pipes lasts for life. Ones that want to put a certain end to pipe smoking must try really serious and be determined.

The first step to pipe smoker’s heaven is an important step. One will either be darling in tobacco empire’s palace or be a simple tobacco user.

Having a really popular name Dunhill or Chataton, CBD or Peterson pipes can easily be bought from shops all over the world. But these brands may not be found in all countries. Also everybody wouldn’t buy these pipes because they are too expensive. However remembering the reality of “ pipe and pipy (bad pipe)”, if available , one must start the job with a good brand’s pipe. Also the first pipe should be from Bruyére tree and its mouthpiece should be from natural rubber.

One pipe is few for a beginner. In our life with pipes, we must not stay connected to only one pipe. Two isn’t enough too. Three may carry on. At least there must be 4. One never own enough number of pipes. The pipe that is smoked all the day may smell badly and get wet through evening. Even the best tobacco will give no pleasure. One, who uses only one pipe, is a tedious person. So there should be two pipes in man’s hand who smokes regularly. While one of them gets leaved to rest the other should be used. The pipes that smoked all the day must be rested and cleaned in the end of the day. When the joy of pipe smoking gets bigger one needs seven pipes. When one has a dozen of pipes then s/he can be said to complete half of the way to piper’s class.

Smoking pipe isn’t a luxury. If one day your way crosses Europe, for instance Germany, you may see a man who is selling a pipe for 1000-EU in a shop. But be sure that this man isn’t a rich oil seller or a millionaire. He is a mediocre pipe lover who sacrifices much of his needs and saves up money to buy a pipe of quality.

Some of people likes cheap things as a cheap house, cheap auto, cheap wine, cheap vacation, cheap women. They want to live for nothing. So they buy cheap pipes. However these pipes are not handy because they are made of bad trees. But, in a good pipe the tobacco’s smell, aroma and taste becomes definite. Pleasure of smoking occurs. For the newbie of the pipe smoking an ordinary pipe costs 20.-EU to 30.-EU in Germany, 500 – 1000.-TL in Turkey. The famous English firm GBD’s new type pipe named “ Prince of Wales” which comes to markets in 1971 is an ideal pipe for the beginners.

Today on earth the most liked and popular pipes are ones that are made of Bruyére tree. In England Briar is the name that is given to there pipes. Humans use pipes that are made of trees since XVII’th century. Formerly beech, walnut, wild cherry were used in pipe production. But the pipes that were made by these trees were giving a pleasure which is far away from the wanted pleasure. At 1850’s people who live in Saint Claude - Sur Bienne, France made pipe from the Bruyére tree and seeing that it is growing popular they change this work into an industrial job.

Being a kind of brush, bruyére is a small tree that belongs to Mediterranean region. Not being a culture tree, all the efforts that is to grow it in brushes got wasted. Even Americans couldn’t succeed this work in Florida. Bruyére grows naturally in Mediterranean countries like Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Dalmatian, Corsica, Geranium, Canary Islands, Greek and Turkey.

Roots gets removed in the beginning of winter and buried to get kept alive till the summer. During this time it sometimes gets watered. When the summer comes it gets taken away the hole and gets shaped by the job’s master “Coupeur”. This shapes are called “Ebauchons”. Today there are nearly 50 famous coupeur on earth. These masters keeps their knowledge and talents secret which passes through generations.

Ebauchonses have 30 different sizes. And due to their qualities they divide into four as; extra, prima, race and secunda. The most of good quality pipes are ones that are made from 30 - 60 years trees. These are of course very expensive.

Taken from the hole that they buried, bruyére roots gets processed after 1 year of rest. The pipes gets controlled one more time. There are 8 quality kinds in England and France as A, B, C, Mixte Anglais, Mixte Français, second choice, third choice, forth choice and waste product.

After all these information, one must pay attention to the stem part of the pipe as it must not be very tight. This stem must connect the stummel vertically. If the stem face is a little higher or lower than the stummel then your pipe is worthless. It will continuously remain damp at the bottom.

As pipe isn’t a cane while buying it we must pay attention to it’s consinnity to our faces. That’s why we should know the pipe tips, that is said by the pipe-lovers as “fassons”. Briar pipe’s classic types are these :

1- Billard (Generally known as “London form”)
2- Dublin
3- Pot
4- Stand up poker
5- Churcwarden
6- Lovat
7- Liverpool (also known as “egg”)
8- Apple
9- Prince (former times called as tomato )

While surfing, playing golf, driving a sport car, camping the preferred sportive types are these :
1- Cad (Haiti)
2- Buldog
3- Bullcap
4- Army
5- Bent Army
6- Bent
7- Bent Albert
8- Bent Rhodesian
9- Panel Billard
10- Panel Apple
11- Panel Prince
12- Panel Bullcap

A new pipe must be educated like a child. Englishmen call this period as “breaking in”. Before the world war first the wealthy men were charging attendants for this education. One more mouthpiece is taken to the pipe and this extra mouthpiece and some tobacco to the attendant. This education’s aim was to get the pipe used to burning. Because of the fact that the Bruyére tree is an organic material it may burn in a high temperature suddenly. With slow and gentle smokes there occurs an isolation layer of coal in the stummel. A time ago this process was made mechanically in many of the European and American shops. In addition to these some people rubs the new pipes inner parts by whiskey, sherry, lemon juice, orange juice, wee, rum, black beer or normal drinking water. These processes don’t give any harm to pipe. On the contrary,  they provide a better smoking pleasure.

Fill your pipe when used it first time only up to 1/3 part of pipe. While the heel of bowl should loosely filled so as not to congested of smoke channel, upper part of the bowl should be filled tightly with tobacco. Also we should turn the pipe towards the left. In this way, tobacco settles in the bowl more properly. If we feel a little resistance, that means pipe had been filled properly. Now, tobacco can be lit up.

For light up the pipe, use match or special lighter made for pipe smoking. Gasoline lighters are harmful for pipes. When circulate the flame of match on whole face of tobacco, breathe the smoke slowly.

The tobacco begins to burn and to give off smoke.When tobacco puffed, lightly press on with tamper. If your pipe gets hot in spite of smoke the pipe slowly, then again press the tobacco with tamper carefully. However, be careful, don’t apply too much presure, otherwise, tobacco gets tighten  and pipe goes out.

In conclusion, if we conform to following  rules we can take pleasure in pipe smoking as expected;

1. Smoke your pipe in peace and quiet. One should draw the smoke slowly as takes a breathe with it. Take out the pipe from your mouth from time to time.

2. If possible, use first quality pipes and acquire 7 pipe at least. Never  buy cheap pipes to be stingy.

3. Select a pipe that suits your face by looking at mirror.

4. Never try to remove the remainders out of the pipe by hitting it to a shoe heel, corner of a table, an ashtray, etc. like you see on movies.

5. Do not use all tobaccos that handed to you.

6. Do smoke good quality tobaccos and search good quality tobacco until find it and when find it protect your tobaccos freshness and its own humid  as it is produced in factory.

7. Carry pipe cleaners along with you.

8. Fill your pipe with tobacco as much as you can smoke,  not more, and smoke all tobacco that you filled. Never leave tobacco in your pipe that is gone out.

9. The mouthpiece of pipe should not be forced and must rotate clockwise while removing and while putting it in, it should be rotated clockwise lightly. The mouthpiece should not be removed while pipe still warm.

10. Always keep your pipe clean.

There are many pipe producer company but  following brands is superior to its rivals ;

Denmark : Stanwell
Germany :  Vauen, Oldenkott, Dobbelmann, Donikotea
Italy : Savinelli, Tagliabu
Belgium : Hilson
USA : Kaywoodie
England : Dunhill, Charaton, GBD, BBB, Parker, Peterson, Orlik, Lomoy, Loewe Livic,
                 Ben Wade
France : Dr. Plumb, Ropp, Chap, Butz-Choquin, Chacom, Jeantet