Attention New Pipers: Even The "Vets" Struggle Sometimes!

[NeverBend]

Every bowl is an adventure, many wonderful and some stinkers.

Last year I visited my pipe mentor, Dave, at his beautiful house in New Mexico. I'd packed an unopened tin of Rattray's Red Rapparee in a gallon zip lock bag for the trip. When I travel, I use gallon size bags so that they can catch tobacco when I pack a pipe.

We were sitting on his front porch in the desert night and I popped the Red Rapp with a delicious hiss and I dipped my pipe in and started to fill it while we continued to reminisce. I opened the new book of matches, tore one off, and lit my pipe.

The smoke became memorable when I realized that I was on my fourth charring match. Now, to be fair, it was dark, we were outside and there was a bit of a breeze and I was using paper matches but this wasn't lighting as expected and neither are these valid excuses, I just list them for the comic effect on a night about to go terribly wrong.

Finally the pipe was lit but it tasted like the Martian version of Red Rapp and it was burning anyways except north- south. Our conversation continued but I was increasingly perturbed, there in the company of my mentor, to be using match after match and then my fears were realized, he realized.

"Having some problems with that bowl?"

I simply nodded but inside I was crushed and I put aside the pipe with the tobacco not half finished (this was not smoking). I zipped the bag and left it, the pipe and the matches on the table when we retired for the night.

The next morning was brilliantly clear and bright and my gear lay where I'd left it the night before. Inside the bag was a tin of Red Rapparee that was unknown to me, despite all my experience with that venerable mixture, it was a pale yellow (or so - I am color blind). I turned the zip lock bag to see the label that clearly stated, "Black Virginia". The waxen book of matches told the tale best, for there remained only a single match left unused.

Excellent post @Branzig and thanks for the inspiration to write my own tale of woe.

[NarJar]

I think reading through this thread earlier in the evening subliminally hypnotized me.

In looking back at the quick picture I snapped after counting the damage, I realize it doesn't quite look as bad as it was (15 - 25).



Luckily, I don't judge my success by how many matches I go through. I think everyone's points in this thread have been dead on. I'm in no way an expert and extremely far from it, but I have my good nights and bad nights just like everyone else. It's just like anything in life (the same NASCAR driver doesn't win every race, the same baseball team doesn't win every world series, etc.). Also, if anyone watches as many YouTube videos as I do, there are lots of longtime pipers over there who relight numerous times throughout their videos (Jay dighsx, the Dagners, etc. ).

[Desertlifter]

Truth, this is. It happens.

[mooster]

In looking back at the quick picture I snapped after counting the damage, I realize it doesn't quite look as bad as it was (15 - 25).

That's probably why I prefer lighters-no evidence!

[GWBowman]

My technique is horrible but I'm enjoying every minute of it.

[Branzig]

That's probably why I prefer lighters-no evidence!

But can you live with your own personal quilt? I know how calloused that thumb of yours is....

[mooster]

Forget my thumb; how do you know about my quilt???

[Branzig]

Forget my thumb; how do you know about my quilt???

When the time comes, I'll let you know...

[mooster]

I couldn't help thinking about this thread lately. For the last week or so, I seem to have lost my touch. I load a bowl, and it's either too tight and I have to reload, or it's like drawing on air and I can't get the bowl started. I push a pipe cleaner in to dry out the pipe or knock down "the nastys" and it doesn't stop at the bottom of the bowl but tries to push the baccy out of the bowl. I don't know why I'm struggling all of a sudden after five years of pipe smoking, and I'm sure it will pass, but it is most frustrating to be going through this.

[NeverBend]

I couldn't help thinking about this thread lately. For the last week or so, I seem to have lost my touch. I load a bowl, and it's either too tight and I have to reload, or it's like drawing on air and I can't get the bowl started. I push a pipe cleaner in to dry out the pipe or knock down "the nastys" and it doesn't stop at the bottom of the bowl but tries to push the baccy out of the bowl. I don't know why I'm struggling all of a sudden after five years of pipe smoking, and I'm sure it will pass, but it is most frustrating to be going through this.

Hi Mark,

Are you using your paws again?

I had a bowl of supernatural tobacco two weeks ago and now I can't taste sweetness in my Virginias and only latakia bombs seem to have flavor. I feel your pain, been there, had that and didn't like it either.

May seem like an odd suggestion but perhaps giving a couple of pipes a good ream n' clean without smoking. Get them good and ready and they try again. May sound odd but when i do this the bowl suddenly seems wider and easier to pack. Either way, eventually this will pass and I hope soon.

Pete