So I'm a new pipe-smoker and have a question. I've learned how to pack a pipe, light it, keep it lit, all that important stuff. My problem is that my mouth is getting burned! Would this be the result of a poor pipe, the tobacco, user error, etc? It's put a bit of a damper on my first pipe smoking experience and I know that there wouldn't be so many pipe-enthusiasts out there if it meant cooking your taste buds off. Some help would be incredibly appreciated!

This FAQ discusses the tools and methods for polishing and restoring briar pipes and their stems: vulcanite or acrylic. The same methods are used for removing small scratches from the briar bowl as well as restoring the shiny black surface to stems suffering from varying degrees of oxidation (which produces a dull surface, tinged with brown or green as the oxidation deepens).

My view on when to smoke a bent pipe, and when to go for the straight, sportier one.

• There is the Pipes Digest introductory "how to" guide with lots of good information.
• The Pipes Digest also has its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
• There is a page on what you need to start smoking a pipe.
• Here's an article from James Beard on The Professor's Pipe-Sweetening Treatment, a good way to restore a pipe that has become bitter.
  

Pipes.org has been around for over a decade (see http://www.pipes.org/FORMATTED/158.html)... Maybe you'd like to share your knowledge about:

1. a pipe brand,
2. a type of tobacco,
3. your corner of the world, or
4. any other related topic of your choice.

Maybe you'd be willing to write a WebLog on you pipe and tobacco experiences. Think about how you would like to contribute and let me know by sending me an email.

Nostalgia: check out http://web.archive.org/web/19961219053842/http://www.pipes.org/ for how pipes.org looked at the end of 1996.