Nathan's drunken rant about trying to keep his pipe lit got me to thinking. That was one of my pet peeves when I first started on the pipe too. And it would be no surprise if there are others out there with the same issue.
So, for those of us who have found ways to keep our pipes lit, I thought it would be nice to share our insights. Here is what has helped me ...
How the pipe is packed makes a huge difference on how often it requires a relight. This video that Hot Stuff (Les) shared a while back has worked very well for me. It is a 3 parter, each video only a couple minutes long (3rd one is just about lighting the pipe) ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJP0JaNRw6Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U5QbtyNxhA&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMtHOAiO8CI&NR=1
Once you've done it a couple times it gets easy to do. I cheat a lot, but try to achieve similar packing quality. It makes a big difference.
Something else I have learned through trial and error is that you must tamp the bowl as the tobacco burns down - I assume we all know that your pipe tool has a tamping end on it. When smoke production begins to tail off, draw slowly and evenly on the pipe while gently tamping the bowl. This compacts the tobacco together enough for it to continue to burn evenly. Be careful not to tamp so hard as to obstruct the draw ... you don't want the equivalent of a plugged cigar.
Anyone else have any piping secrets?
Thanks for the reminder. :-(
In all honesty, I forgot about these videos. I'll give it a try next time around! Thanks.
I agree, packing the bowl correctly is probably the most important thing. Even then you'll have to relight occaisionally.
The other key item is using tobacco that is not overly moist. It helps to leave your tobacco out or a bit before packing. One thing I like to do is "toast" my tobacco...place some 'baccy on some foil or in a dish and put in oven or toaster oven. You're not trying to cook it, just want to dry it out a bit. This really brightens the flavor of the tobacco.
Another thing I'll do is pack a pipe (or 2 or 3 pipes at once) and let it sit overnight. Next day the 'baccy has dried some and it burns quite well.
One more thing about overly moist tobacco -- it will create steam which makes the pipe smoke hot, and it also causes your pipe to "gurgle" when the steam codenses in the stem. Not good -- so make sure you dry your 'baccy!
Thanks for putting out this info.I recently got a pipe and some tobacco.I have not tried it yet and I have no clue on what I am doing.
QuoteHot Stuff x - 9/12/2011 10:19 PM
Another thing I'll do is pack a pipe (or 2 or 3 pipes at once) and let it sit overnight. Next day the 'baccy has dried some and it burns quite well.
This is what I do, and I usually get good results. Another thing I've done is to simply open a can of tobacco and let it sit for a few weeks (with the lid on) so that it gets a chance to lose some of its excess moisture. Gurgle pretty much becomes a non-issue using either of these methods, provided you don't smoke too fast.
As long as you pack the pipe properly and the tobacco isn't overly moist, you shouldn't have too much trouble with pipe smoking. Above all, just be patient and try not to get discouraged. You'll get better at packing as you go along, and you'll eventually figure out a good smoking pace and everything else will just fall into place.
Quotekola - 9/12/2011 9:50 PM
Nathan's drunken rant about trying to keep his pipe lit got me to thinking. That was one of my pet peeves when I first started on the pipe too. And it would be no surprise if there are others out there with the same issue.
So, for those of us who have found ways to keep our pipes lit, I thought it would be nice to share our insights. Here is what has helped me ...
How the pipe is packed makes a huge difference on how often it requires a relight. This video that Hot Stuff (Les) shared a while back has worked very well for me. It is a 3 parter, each video only a couple minutes long (3rd one is just about lighting the pipe) ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJP0JaNRw6Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U5QbtyNxhA&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMtHOAiO8CI&NR=1
Once you've done it a couple times it gets easy to do. I cheat a lot, but try to achieve similar packing quality. It makes a big difference.
Something else I have learned through trial and error is that you must tamp the bowl as the tobacco burns down - I assume we all know that your pipe tool has a tamping end on it. When smoke production begins to tail off, draw slowly and evenly on the pipe while gently tamping the bowl. This compacts the tobacco together enough for it to continue to burn evenly. Be careful not to tamp so hard as to obstruct the draw ... you don't want the equivalent of a plugged cigar.
Anyone else have any piping secrets?
kola has said it well, getting it packed right for starters then knowing when and how much to tamp it down. Do those 2 thing right and you should be able to smoke a whole bowl without relighting.
My other problem, which is kind of to be expected coming from cigars, is feeling like I need to puff to keep it lit. I'm smoking my pipe as I type, and I can tell I'm smoking too fast because the outside of the bowl is becoming extremely warm.
BTW - I used the Frank method to pack, and I can already tell an improvement. :dancing:
Quotenwb - 9/13/2011 5:01 PM
My other problem, which is kind of to be expected coming from cigars, is feeling like I need to puff to keep it lit. I'm smoking my pipe as I type, and I can tell I'm smoking too fast because the outside of the bowl is becoming extremely warm.
BTW - I used the Frank method to pack, and I can already tell an improvement. :dancing:
I know that with me, I probably smoke a little on the fast side, but I still try to let it have some "down time" between draws. Perhaps not as long as I might let a cigar go, but some time. I've found, especially with latakia blends, that I tend to treat the pipe like a vanilla Malt. I can't get enough of it, because I like the flavor so much and keep going back to it and drawing more frequently.
Quote87North - 9/13/2011 6:08 PM
Quotenwb - 9/13/2011 5:01 PM
My other problem, which is kind of to be expected coming from cigars, is feeling like I need to puff to keep it lit. I'm smoking my pipe as I type, and I can tell I'm smoking too fast because the outside of the bowl is becoming extremely warm.
BTW - I used the Frank method to pack, and I can already tell an improvement. :dancing:
I know that with me, I probably smoke a little on the fast side, but I still try to let it have some "down time" between draws. Perhaps not as long as I might let a cigar go, but some time. I've found, especially with latakia blends, that I tend to treat the pipe like a vanilla Malt. I can't get enough of it, because I like the flavor so much and keep going back to it and drawing more frequently.
:lmao: I have that problem too!
When you find a blend that you really like, it can be hard to let it rest a bit between puffs. I made a simple little pipe holder out of a coat hanger so I can set the pipe down without it falling over. That helps when I'm typing with a lit bowl :-)
Or, if you don't mind spending the couple bucks, get a pipe holder like this from http://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/pipe-furniture/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=135 ...
(http://assets.smokingpipes.com/images/products/001-067-0010.jpg)
Glad to hear you are enjoying your pipe Nathan!
Quotekola - 9/13/2011 9:22 PM
Quote87North - 9/13/2011 6:08 PM
Quotenwb - 9/13/2011 5:01 PM
My other problem, which is kind of to be expected coming from cigars, is feeling like I need to puff to keep it lit. I'm smoking my pipe as I type, and I can tell I'm smoking too fast because the outside of the bowl is becoming extremely warm.
BTW - I used the Frank method to pack, and I can already tell an improvement. :dancing:
I know that with me, I probably smoke a little on the fast side, but I still try to let it have some "down time" between draws. Perhaps not as long as I might let a cigar go, but some time. I've found, especially with latakia blends, that I tend to treat the pipe like a vanilla Malt. I can't get enough of it, because I like the flavor so much and keep going back to it and drawing more frequently.
:lmao: I have that problem too!
When you find a blend that you really like, it can be hard to let it rest a bit between puffs. I made a simple little pipe holder out of a coat hanger so I can set the pipe down without it falling over. That helps when I'm typing with a lit bowl :-)
Or, if you don't mind spending the couple bucks, get a pipe holder like this from http://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/pipe-furniture/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=135 ...
(http://assets.smokingpipes.com/images/products/001-067-0010.jpg)
Glad to hear you are enjoying your pipe Nathan!
I've got a Brentwood (GBD second) estate straight billiard with a flat bottom that does that trick for me. I really like it for English blends.
Had a couple things to add, if this thread isn't too dead...
• Damping is a technique that helped me a lot: It's putting your thumb or fingers over the bowl while you draw, nearly blocking air flow. It will help to stoke the ember.
• Try damping before and after tamping too help keep the bowl lit. And as mentioned by Kola, puffing while tamping will help too.
• Continually puffing and puffing to keep it lit actually works against you. Often a bowl will burn unevenly if you do this. I ensure the bowl is burning evenly, which satisfyingly produces more smoke too. I use my tamper to "level" my bowl as needed, though it does usually require a relight afterwards.
• Lastly, don't worry about relighting, do it as you need. Use a zippo if your blowing through matches, just give the fumes a second to burn off.
Just my 2¢
Good info here thanks for the links you never know when you may need it. BTW threads not dead just the guys who are in it.... :lmao:
For those that place their tobacco on a plate to dry a bit before smoking it; here is a little trick mcdimond told me about. Instead of putting your pipe tobacco on a plate pack it in your pipe like you normally would, but then let it sit for several days to a week. I've done this twice now and it has worked well for me.
Quotemetalhead y cigarguy - 10/5/2011 12:45 PM
For those that place their tobacco on a plate to dry a bit before smoking it; here is a little trick mcdimond told me about. Instead of putting your pipe tobacco on a plate pack it in your pipe like you normally would, but then let it sit for several days to a week. I've done this twice now and it has worked well for me.
+1. Sometimes I pre-pack bowls and then forget them, then stumble on them days later only to have them smoke better.
If you need to dry it out quickly, about 30 minutes under an incandescent lightbulb does the trick pretty good. YMMV depending on the blend and lightbulb.
QuoteThe Mad Professor - 10/5/2011 12:15 PM
Had a couple things to add, if this thread isn't too dead...
• Damping is a technique that helped me a lot: It's putting your thumb or fingers over the bowl while you draw, nearly blocking air flow. It will help to stoke the ember.
• Try damping before and after tamping too help keep the bowl lit. And as mentioned by Kola, puffing while tamping will help too.
• Continually puffing and puffing to keep it lit actually works against you. Often a bowl will burn unevenly if you do this. I ensure the bowl is burning evenly, which satisfyingly produces more smoke too. I use my tamper to "level" my bowl as needed, though it does usually require a relight afterwards.
• Lastly, don't worry about relighting, do it as you need. Use a zippo if your blowing through matches, just give the fumes a second to burn off.
Just my 2¢
The "damping" trick works pretty good. Thanks for the tip!
I should also mention that Les' suggestions for drying the baccy a bit first have also helped me a lot, and it does seem to add some depth to the flavors.