Pipe smoking is a relaxing, enjoyable thing, that dates back hundreds of years. In all of those centuries, no effective means of avoiding the relighting process has been developed. In fact, relighting your pipe is something that you will have to do no matter what. It’s a rare bowl indeed that does not require at least one relight. However, many pipe smokers look at the relight as something enjoyable, rather than something to be avoided. Of course, you’ll need to know how to relight your pipe to ensure that you do it correctly and are able to enjoy your smoke to the utmost. What do you need to do?

First, make sure that the pipe is actually out. Take an experimental draw or two and exhale. Is there still smoke coming from the bowl? If there is, you might consider simply drawing a few more times to return some life to the dying embers in your tobacco. However, if the pipe has gone out, you’ll need to start the relighting process. If you know how to light your pipe, then relighting it is not so very different and can be accomplished with relative ease.

Your first step is to ensure that you have the right lighter. Pipe lighters should be specially chosen and you should avoid torch lighters, as these can actually damage your pipe. Before you break out that lighter, you’ll need another tool – your tamper. Take out your tamper and gently tamp the tobacco down in the bowl. Use a light touch here to avoid packing it too tight and being unable to enjoy your smoke. Once the tobacco has been tamped back down, you can turn it over and dump out the ash if you prefer, though many smokers prefer to leave the ash in the bowl.

Now that the pipe is tamped down sufficiently, you’ll need your lighter. Apply the flame of the lighter just as you did during the original light. Hold the flame just above the tobacco and draw on the pipe. You should see the flame lower and touch the tobacco as you inhale.

Swirl the flame over the top of the bowl, in order to ensure that you are able to achieve even burning. Continue drawing on the pipe. Once you are sure that the tobacco has been relit, remove the flame and continue enjoying your smoke.