I’m happy to share the advice, it’s clearly a topic I have opinions about. Some people like to get real fiddly or dogmatic about some aspects (only smoking certain tobaccos in certain pipes, this blend has to be aged for at least x years before it’s any good, blah blah) but outside of a few hard rules (do not remove the stem while the pipe is still hot is a big one) there really is no right or wrong way of doing it and most things come down to personal preference. Like any hobby, the most important thing is how much enjoyment you get out of it, and you’ll figure out what works best for you as you go.
I’m happy to share the advice, it’s clearly a topic I have opinions about. Some people like to get real fiddly or dogmatic about some aspects (only smoking certain tobaccos in certain pipes, this blend has to be aged for at least x years before it’s any good, blah blah) but outside of a few hard rules (do not remove the stem while the pipe is still hot is a big one) there really is no right or wrong way of doing it and most things come down to personal preference. Like any hobby, the most important thing is how much enjoyment you get out of it, and you’ll figure out what works best for you as you go.