The practice of smoking has been around since ancient times. Traditionally smoking was done through pipes or cigar like contrivances - which were often something as simple as a rolled leaf. Pipes (and bits of tobacco) have been discovered with Egyptian mummies dating back as early as 2000 B.C. And smoking was done extensively among Native Americans dating back to at least 1500 B.C. Given that smoking has had all this time to evolve, and that it's been such a popular leisure time activity in a variety of cultures, it's not surprising that a number of other items have evolved alongside the basic pipes and cigars. These accoutrements can be generally categorized as smoking accessories. This article offers a brief view of some common smoking accessories. In addition to being useful, smoking accessories give the activity of puffing on whatever you like to puff on class and panache.
Pipes
First though I should note that the term smoking accessories can be applied to all smoking gear in a more general sense. So pipes of various sorts deserve mention. There are, and have been historically, pipes made out of a wide variety of substances: Wood (often hardwoods such as briar), glass, stone, and metal, corn cob, meerschaum (a soft white mineral found in the Black Sea), clay and ceramics, corn cob, and so on. The various different pipe shapes and configurations are too numerous to mention here, but two of the main categories are ordinary pipes and water pipes. Most people are familiar with the former, and the latter includes items like bubblers, bongs, and hookahs.
Tampers
In order to smoke anything you need to burn it. Lighters are thus a very basic smoking accessory. Outside of matches they are pretty much the only way to light up whatever you are smoking. Lighters use combustible gases and liquids such butane or naphtha, contained in some kind of chamber or well which is then ignited by a spark by way of some mechanical process. Fancy lighters and cheap disposables (such as the Bic lighters you find at the corner store) alike use this basic set up, though the means of ignition may vary a bit. Naphtha lighters (used more in the past) have a setup in which a soaked wick is ignited by the sparking mechanism, and butane lighters allow gas evaporated from a liquid well to be channeled out, when a lever is depressed, though a valve and small nozzle to be lit. Often the sparking mechanism involves metal scraping ferrocerium, a metallic substance that creates a lot of sparks when scratched. Ferrocerium was patented in the early 20 century and has been used in lighters ever since.
Tampers
Tampers are used mainly in tobacco smoking. These are simply a short rod that is used to pack tobacco into a bowl. Tobacco needs to be packed correctly in order to burn optimally. A tamper has a "boot" at one end and often some other accessory on the other such as a scalper for scraping out the pipe bowl. Again they may be made of all types of substances - glass, metal, ceramic, etc. and come in an infinitude of designs and themes. Wooden tampers (as well as, a are often made of briar b it is a very had and heat resistant wood type.
Ashtrays
We couldn't forget these. When smoking whatever you're smoking, you've got to have some place to put the ashes, and this is what ashtrays are for. They come in endless designs and are more often than not made of glass, ceramic, metal or other non flammable materials, though ashtrays made of finished wood are also fairly common.
Rolling Papers
Rolling papers are essential smoking accessories for anyone not in possession of, or geared toward smoking, a pipe. Made with thin sheets of hemp, flax, wood, or rice papers, they usually have a strip of glue that becomes sticky when licked. The smoker puts his favorite smoking material on the paper and rolls it up into a cigarette, licking the glue strip to seal it. As noted above this is quite an ancient way of smoking, possibly as old or older than pipes, if you consider leaves a form of rolling paper.
Cases and Pouches
Mobility may require that a smoker transports smoking accessories from place to place. For this purpose we have various pouches, packs, and cases. These may be simple leather or fabric cases to put a pipe in, fabric bags in which to store tobacco, hippie-ish woven satchels tightened at the top with thongs, etc. If you're carrying loose cigarettes, cigarette cases come in handy. They are usually containers a little above the "height" of a cigarette and its general length. They can often store ten to twenty individual cigarettes.
Pipe Cleaners
Pipes have to be kept clean in order to function well. For this purpose a simple contrivance called the pipe cleaner was designed. It is a flexible piece of wire (two intertwined wires actually) with absorbent/abrasive fibers along its length. It is thin enough to be inserted into a pipe stem, and flexible to reach bends and tight spots.
Smoking Jackets
Mostly a thing of the past, some feel that smoking jackets will make a comeback. They are usually hip length jacket/robes made of velvet or silk. Originating in the 17 century, they were widely used until the 195 Os after which they began to go out of general fashion and usage. Purists and aficionados still wear them, but few others at the moment.
These smoking accessories are some of the most basic, though there are, in fact, a whole gamut of other ones. Often their designs reflect artistic, cultural, or even spiritual trends. Whatever they represent, they give class as well as utilitarian convenience to smoking.
Pipes
First though I should note that the term smoking accessories can be applied to all smoking gear in a more general sense. So pipes of various sorts deserve mention. There are, and have been historically, pipes made out of a wide variety of substances: Wood (often hardwoods such as briar), glass, stone, and metal, corn cob, meerschaum (a soft white mineral found in the Black Sea), clay and ceramics, corn cob, and so on. The various different pipe shapes and configurations are too numerous to mention here, but two of the main categories are ordinary pipes and water pipes. Most people are familiar with the former, and the latter includes items like bubblers, bongs, and hookahs.
Tampers
In order to smoke anything you need to burn it. Lighters are thus a very basic smoking accessory. Outside of matches they are pretty much the only way to light up whatever you are smoking. Lighters use combustible gases and liquids such butane or naphtha, contained in some kind of chamber or well which is then ignited by a spark by way of some mechanical process. Fancy lighters and cheap disposables (such as the Bic lighters you find at the corner store) alike use this basic set up, though the means of ignition may vary a bit. Naphtha lighters (used more in the past) have a setup in which a soaked wick is ignited by the sparking mechanism, and butane lighters allow gas evaporated from a liquid well to be channeled out, when a lever is depressed, though a valve and small nozzle to be lit. Often the sparking mechanism involves metal scraping ferrocerium, a metallic substance that creates a lot of sparks when scratched. Ferrocerium was patented in the early 20 century and has been used in lighters ever since.
Tampers
Tampers are used mainly in tobacco smoking. These are simply a short rod that is used to pack tobacco into a bowl. Tobacco needs to be packed correctly in order to burn optimally. A tamper has a "boot" at one end and often some other accessory on the other such as a scalper for scraping out the pipe bowl. Again they may be made of all types of substances - glass, metal, ceramic, etc. and come in an infinitude of designs and themes. Wooden tampers (as well as, a are often made of briar b it is a very had and heat resistant wood type.
Ashtrays
We couldn't forget these. When smoking whatever you're smoking, you've got to have some place to put the ashes, and this is what ashtrays are for. They come in endless designs and are more often than not made of glass, ceramic, metal or other non flammable materials, though ashtrays made of finished wood are also fairly common.
Rolling Papers
Rolling papers are essential smoking accessories for anyone not in possession of, or geared toward smoking, a pipe. Made with thin sheets of hemp, flax, wood, or rice papers, they usually have a strip of glue that becomes sticky when licked. The smoker puts his favorite smoking material on the paper and rolls it up into a cigarette, licking the glue strip to seal it. As noted above this is quite an ancient way of smoking, possibly as old or older than pipes, if you consider leaves a form of rolling paper.
Cases and Pouches
Mobility may require that a smoker transports smoking accessories from place to place. For this purpose we have various pouches, packs, and cases. These may be simple leather or fabric cases to put a pipe in, fabric bags in which to store tobacco, hippie-ish woven satchels tightened at the top with thongs, etc. If you're carrying loose cigarettes, cigarette cases come in handy. They are usually containers a little above the "height" of a cigarette and its general length. They can often store ten to twenty individual cigarettes.
Pipe Cleaners
Pipes have to be kept clean in order to function well. For this purpose a simple contrivance called the pipe cleaner was designed. It is a flexible piece of wire (two intertwined wires actually) with absorbent/abrasive fibers along its length. It is thin enough to be inserted into a pipe stem, and flexible to reach bends and tight spots.
Smoking Jackets
Mostly a thing of the past, some feel that smoking jackets will make a comeback. They are usually hip length jacket/robes made of velvet or silk. Originating in the 17 century, they were widely used until the 195 Os after which they began to go out of general fashion and usage. Purists and aficionados still wear them, but few others at the moment.
These smoking accessories are some of the most basic, though there are, in fact, a whole gamut of other ones. Often their designs reflect artistic, cultural, or even spiritual trends. Whatever they represent, they give class as well as utilitarian convenience to smoking.
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