I have tried a number of different way to polish my pipes, and here is how I currently do it.

Dear Sirs,
First of all, I'm Japanese and having the limitation of English ability. So please excuse me for that.

My father passed away in October 2006 at the age of 84, and when I was 48. SInce I recognize things around I think when I was 4 years old, he was smoking cigarette and never seen him smoking a pipe.

(originally posted on my own blog The Exilefiles )
I have a good selection of tobacco pipes. Not a large collection by any standards, but I have about sixty pipes and they are all in good condition. I keep them that way by constant care and maintenance. I polish them, ream out the bowls, draw a cognac soaked pipe cleaner through the mouthpieces once in a while and place them lovingly in their cupboard when I have finished smoking them to dry and recover. I believe in looking after my friends.

• 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.