Question about filling a Kirsten pipe...

[Bernie*C]

I have several Kirstens, and only follow those instructions presented above for a new uncarbonized bowl. I presume the Kirsten you purchased on Ebay has a presmoked bowl. Be sure that the pipe is meticulously clean. Remove all metal parts and clean thoroughly with grain alcohol or vodka. Be sure the interior of the radiator and valve are very clean. I even take a coarse cloth, soaked in vodka, and scrub out the bowl.

For a broken-in bowl with cake, I fill the bowl in a very unorthodox fashion, but I rarely have to relight after first tamping.

You should have a three way pipe tool: tamper, spoon, poker...

Into the empty bowl, I insert the pipe tool poker straight down through the airhole screw. That way the airhole is guaranteed to be open, even if I pack the tobacco too tight. Then gradually I take pinches of tobacco and fill around the poker, pressing semi-firmly, as in packing any pipe. When I've satisfactorily filled the pipe, while holding the tobacco into the bowl with my index and middle fingers, I slide the poker out without disturbing the packing.

If you pack a Kirsten too tightly, without keeping an air channel open, because of the positioning of the draw hole, your draw will be very tight.

Do not moisten the bowl every time you smoke the pipe.

If you are looking for additional bowls for your Kirsten, e-mail me and I'll give you a source for bowls made for Kirstens that far exceed the quality and design available from Kirsten. I have three from this Pipemaker and they are beautiful and smoke wonderfully.