Lighting the pipe is the crowning moment of the preparation. If the job has been done correctly the pipe will light uniformly.
Move the flame with a circular gesture over the tobacco while taking short, quick, rhythmic puffs without inhaling the smoke  (this looks a little like the movements a fish makes with its mouth) until all the tobacco is lit (photo 4). By effect of the combustion the tobacco will rise. Continuing with short, rhythmic puffs, using the tamper, press the tobacco all around, gently, until it goes out, leaving a surface layer of blackened tobacco that will be very helpful when you light up again for the second, official time when you start smoking. Light the pipe with care so that all the tobacco burns uniformly, sit down in a comfortable armchair and enjoy it.

As soon as the puffs of smoke get thinner, you need to press the tobacco down again with the tamper, taking short, frequent puffs to keep it going. The tamper is thus an indispensable instrument for smoking a pipe and should be used often.

ABOUT THE FLAME

To light a pipe you can use a match or a pipe lighter, with the flame adjusted to a height of about 15 mm.
A pipe lighter is specially designed to be heat resistant and work upside down.

DO NOT USE TURBO (BUNSEN) LIGHTERS: the head of the flame, that is about twice as hot as normal lighters, will damage the pipe.

About the ash

The ash (white) suffocates the coal.
You can eliminate it by turning the pipe over every now and then, without knocking it, before you press the coals down with the tamper.

The blackened tobacco can be relit, after pressing it gently with the tamper so as to bring the coals to the surface.

Remember to puff more quickly during this operation to revive the coals so they do not go out.

Use the tamper delicately to press the tobacco with circular movements so as to bring the coals to the surface uniformly.

ABOUT THE TOBACCO

Observe the cut of the tobacco.

Nowadays, certain cross-cut or stringy types are fashionable as they help to smoke “cool”. Stringy cuts require more oxygen which means longer puffs that heat the pipe (and your mouth) and create condensation. The same is true of flakes, that are compressed in small cakes and require careful preparation consisting of crumbling the cake before filling the pipe. Also, it is important to learn which types of tobacco are used to make a blends: from blonde Virginia to black Cavendish to dark Burley etc. You can create your own blends, but you should know that every blend on the market has been carefully studied by experts, the same as for coffee, to give you the maximum pleasure, although it is always a matter of personal taste. Don't be influenced and choose according to your palate. Among the many blends available you are sure to find the tobacco that suits you.

ABOUT THE CAMPER OR PIPE TOOL

The pipe tool is an indispensable accessory for the pipe smoker, and comes in many forms, but the important parts are: the tamper, the scraper (a round blade or scoop without any sharp edges that could damage the bowl) and the reamer (which serves to clean the stem, an operation that is also possible using pipe cleaners). Many modern pipes have a bent stem, and there are special pipe tools with flexible reamers.