First Pipe Experience

[Giftmacher]

Second time it was better, wrong packed pipe apparently. Still needed three matches on one pipe.

[jamespowers]

Perhaps it might be my time to chime in here. I never scrape out an estate pipe but I do make sure to clean it. I pack the bowl with coarse kosher salt (no iodine) and wet the salt well with vodka. Let that soak over night or until the salt turns a fairly dark brown. It may not take overnight depending on how dirty it is. Then knock as much salt out as possible. You can rinse the rest out well with more vodka. Let it dry well and you are in good shape. I soak the stems in bleach for 35-45 minutes. That will kill anything that might have lived in it.
This method has never harmed a single pipe of mine---no matter how old. It will suck out all the garbage that has built up in the pipe over time (nicotine and other such things).
Another tip is that when you smoke a pipe be aware, as you hold the bowl, how warm the bowl is. If it is too hot to touch then put it down and let it cool. You don't want to burn out your pipe.
A few years ago, I heard of a pipe smoking contest to see how long a pipe smoker could keep a single bowl of tobacco going without a relight. The winner was an older gentleman who kept it going for over an hour! He really knew what he was doing and you could tell. He said his secret was in how he packed the pipe in the first place. Fluff the tobacco a bit. First pinch baby's pressure, second pinch woman's pressure and third pinch man's pressure is the old saw. Keep the tobacco level below the bowl top to prevent burning the bowl top. Always check the draw before starting to make sure you have done this correctly. You want to get the draw even but not breezy. Repack it if it is breezy. You haven't packed it down tightly enough and it will not stay lit. The converse is that it is packed to tight and you just can't get it lit.
Remember drawing on a pipe is like drinking fine wine---sip don't guzzle.