I agree with the Rev: A nice guillotine cutter (single- or double-bladed) will help you shred those cigars quite easily. If you want to just blast a bunch all at once and store the new pipe tobacco that way, go with a food processor; I cannot recommend this method personally, but Tanith keeps mentioning it. Tearing the cigar apart and then ripping the leaves into shreds is just a bit monotonous for me.
As far as packing the bowl goes, you can nearly get a different answer from every person you ask. When I first started getting into pipes, I looked around on the internets for tips. The method I ended up liking the best was this one:
1) Gently (without packing) load the empty bowl full of tobacco. Tamp this tobacco down to about half the bowl's height.
2) Gently add on top of the packed tobacco until the bowl is full again. Tamp this tobacco down to about 3/4 the bowl's height.
3) Gently fill the bowl again. Tamp this down lightly so that all of your tobacco is secure in the bowl. The top should be slightly springy.
4) Light and enjoy
I don't use these guidelines very strictly any more. Smoke a couple bowls, try a couple things, and see what you like
I can't say I agree with the Rev about not using a torch lighter. I don't prefer using a torch lighter, but in a pinch a torch lighter works just fine for me.