Pipe smoking is a pastime that is steeped in history and tradition. Many cultures have added their own unique spins, flavours and techniques to smoking a pipe so the hobby consequently has a wide range of unusual and sometimes eccentric terms and phrases attached. Here is a guide to some of the phrases added to the pipe smoker’s lexicon.
Delayed Gratification Technique (DGT) – This technique helps build the excitement and anticipation of smoking Pipe Tobacco and allows it to settle. Simple pack the pipe and do the charring light, then set the pipe to one side. After a short period of time, return to the pipe and begin the smoking.
Button – The end of the stem which goes into the mouth of the smoker; the button is where the draft hole terminates. Known in layman’s terms as ‘the smokey end’.
Dublin – The Dublin is a pipe which has a bowl which is larger at the crest than at the bottom.
Pipe Cleaners – Used to clean out the pipe by being ran down the stem and the shank; pipe cleaners clear tars and fluids from the pipe’s insides. Pipe Cleaners are made from twisted wires covered in material.
Smoking Jacket – A loose fitting jacket that closely resembles a robe and is usually made from satin, velvet or brocade. The smoking jacket is designed to protect the smoker’s clothes from flying embers and airborne smells.
Pipe Nail – A tool used to tamp lit tobacco. With an appearance similar to an ordinary nail it can also serve to scrape away excess tar.
Ageing – The process of allowing Pipe Tobacco to sit in a jar for a set period of time to allow its flavour to reach its full potential. When purchasing Pipe Tobacco, its age is often displayed in the Tobacco Shop.
Crumble Cake – Tobacco that has been pressed using cut tobacco rather than raw leaf. This form of tobacco is then sliced so it can be prepared entirely to the smoker’s whim. Crumble Cake is popular with smokers on a budget due to the possibility of producing it with Cheap Tobacco.
Shank – The part of the pipe that connects the bowl to the stem. The shank has the draft hole travelling through its centre.
Match – A match is a tobacco that is blended with the specific purpose of recreating the taste and flavour of another existing or extinct mixture.
Stoving – The act of applying heat to tobacco with the intent of darkening its flavour and appearance.
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