5 must-have tools for smoking herbs
my uncle’s handmade corncob pipe
It's been a while since we've talked about smoking herbs (that's usually more of a cold-weather topic for me) but so many people reach out to me to ask me questions about what to buy to get started smoking herbs, I decided to create a list of my favorites.
Here are my top 5 tools for smoking herbs:
1. A corncob pipe
For all the amazing pipes out there, corncob pipes remain my favorite. They are classic, unique, and have the old-fashioned farmer feel that I love. Missouri Meerschaum has a large selection with various styles, but you can find smaller pipe crafters as well (Instagram is a good place to explore the world of bespoke pipes.)
I prefer smoking from pipes with longer stems because the smoke cools as it passes through the stem, making it less intense on your lips, mouth, and lungs.
2. Rolling Papers
If you don't want to use a pipe, rolling papers are the next-best option. They give you easy flexibility in your choice of herbs. Rolling papers are also helpful when you don't want to smoke a huge amount: typically you put much less herb in an herbal cigarette than you would when packing a pipe. It can also be a little more intuitive to smoke from a cigarette than from a pipe (intuitive, or it's simply that we've seen many more images of people smoking cigarettes than pipes, so it's easier to mimic).
3. Pipe Cleaners
Guess what -- when you smoke a pipe, you actually get to use pipe cleaners for their intended purpose! How cool is that? You need pipe cleaners to clean out the stem of your pipe so it doesn't get gunky. You don't want to suck air through a gunky pipe.
4. A Pipe Tool
There are sooo many pipe tools available, but this one's my favorite. (If you read the postal scale story you'll know why: it's simple.) This is really the only pipe tool you'll need. The downside: it's SO easy to lose. Since it's so cheap, I'd recommend buying two, or even three. Trust me, you'll lose it eventually.
5. A Mortar & Pestle
I know that there are fancy herb grinders that people use specifically for grinding herbs for smoking (usually cannabis) but what can I say? I'm an herbalist. This is my favorite type of mortar & pestle for grinding herbs for smoking: the ridges make all the difference.
If you're using rolling papers, it's especially important to grind the herbs so they're mostly the same size and shape. The more uniform they are, the easier the cigarette will be to roll.
note: these are affiliate links
Other resources
I'm not selling my herbal smoking blends any more, but Mountain Rose Herbs sells a pretty nice one. You could also buy their blend and mix in additional herbs to change up the flavor. I'd recommend trying it with Mugwort, Mexican Tarragon, or Catnip.
And of course, if you want to learn the basics of smoking herbs or how to mix your own smoking blends for energetics and flavor, my course Smoking Herbs for Beginners will teach you just that ;)
Got any other questions? Leave a comment and let me know ;)
Smoking Herbs for Beginners
Everything you need to know to get started.