The invention is a smoking pipe snuffer and method of operation, the smoking pipe snuffer comprising a heat resistant flexible sheet cut in the shape of an inverted L to denote a foot portion connected to a leg portion, the foot portion is further configured to be removably placed over a smoking pipe's large bowl aperture to removably seal the large bowl aperture and protect a portion of the operator's thumb placed over the flexible sheet from any heat emission from a hollow bowl interior; and the leg portion is further configured to be removably secured between a stem of the smoking pipe and thenar portion of the operator's thumb.