How do you stop a pipe?

The well-stopped pipe is a pleasure - the badly stopped pipe, not so much.

The first factor is the tobacco! It must not be too dry and not too moist. It can be difficult to assess, but here you must gather your own experience. There can be a difference between tinned tobacco and tobacco in pouches and also how long the tobacco has been in the shop and under what conditions.

If the tobacco feels dry, transfer it to a tin and place a piece of potato into the tin, but be careful that the potato does not rot or get moldy. Take it out when the tobacco feels right.

If the tobacco feels wet, you can give it some air for a period so that the moisture evaporates.

Some tobaccos just need to be processed a little before they are ready for stopping, especially the longer tobaccos need to be zeroed once so they are ready to work with.

When the prince was young he was given the following advice about pipe stopping which he is not afraid to pass on:

Stop the pipe 3 times with the same amount of tobacco:

1. The first time you press with a child's hand
2. The second time you press with a woman's hand
3. The third time you press with a man's hand

If you stop it too loosely, the pipe is difficult to hold fire in and it is like sucking through a straw.

If you stop it too hard, it is difficult to suck and you feel a clear resistance.

When you stop it right, you're in heaven :-)