ge ting frustraded

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Originally Posted by Zeede

It doesn't alter the flavor? I know with cigars sometimes the flavor is forever altered if you let it go out on you and have to relight.

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Hi Cameron,

You say 'forever altered' as if it's a tragedy but with some cigars it's a blessing :).

Yes, the flavors change but it also depends on how long it's been out. If you like those changes, smoke it else pitch it. If you can, tamp and remove as much ash before putting the pipe down because the ash, pipe tobacco or cigars, retains ammonia.

Once out (cold) you have to remove all ash from a cigar and as much ash as possible from the pipe (hard to get it all). Before lighting, blow firmly through the cigar and gently through the pipe to disperse the ammonia.

Matt, don't worry about ammonia, ash, blah-blah-blah.

I don't even know why he's placing these worries in yer head.

Pipe smoking is easy... keep "it's easy" in yer head.

When I smoke my pipe and it goes out, I relight it. If I'm done with my pipe I stick it in my shirt pocket. When I want some more I pull it outta my pocket and relight it. Easy Peasy!

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Originally Posted by El Whedo

When I smoke my pipe and it goes out, I relight it. If I'm done with my pipe I stick it in my shirt pocket. When I want some more I pull it outta my pocket and relight it. Easy Peasy!

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You're teaching them to set their shirts on fire. ;)

I read your post, sympathized, went away and thought about it and decided to tell you what works for me, an admitted pipe noob.

If the tobacco is soggy or clumpy I rub it and air it out for a few minutes. I drop loose tobacco in the pipe until it's full. I tamp to 50%. I drop tobacco to the top again and tamp to 66%. I fill again over the top and use the Frank finger curl to tuck the strays away until it's 100% full. I tamp gently and grab the incendiary device.

Like toasting a cigar, you must toast or char the tobacco. It desiccates the tobacco and lowers its ignition point. While the char is still smoldering I tamp lightly, even the top and hit it with fire.

Now I have a nice cherry on top, so to speak. I puff away happily, no longer feeling guilty about the puffs per minute being much higher than cigar smoking. At some point the smoke starts thinning and I know it's time to use the one weird trick that keeps my smoke going. I drop the tamper from the height of the rim one time. I may or may not turn the pipe over and dump the dusty ash this drop produces. Five minute later it's time for another drop and, er, dump.

This technique produces a two match smoke 80% of the time for me. I wish you much success and don't set your shirt on fire.

so you dont actually put the fire to it for the charring light?

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Originally Posted by cbr310

so you dont actually put the fire to it for the charring light?

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I do indeed. I make sure I go along the edges, draw hard and pull the superheated air through the pack. This is probably the hardest part of pipe smoking for me, as it requires two or three long, steady pulls rather than the typical "puffs." If the tobacco plumps up over the rim, you're either doing it right or smoking it too moist. The final tamp while it's still warm prior to the final ignition settles the warm tobacco back in place and evens up the irregular top after it swells. The char and occasionally dropping the tamper are the two breakthroughs I've had. I just smoked a bowl of Stonehaven in a MM Great Dane (thanks Pugsley!) with nary a relight.

I won't lie, I am still having some issues maintaining a light but I think it was my pacing. Coming from the cigar world I am more used to a slower pace. Thanks for all the tips everyone.

I still consider myself a newb (been smoking a pipe for a few months now). I too had this very problem the first several times I tried. I was attempting to smoke an over the counter drug store blend (which is not bad in and of itself. Some of them are excellent) and it was goopy and sticky with topping. I believe it was the Blender's Gold cherry cavendish from Walgreens. Do yourself a favor and don't buy any of that.

Anyway I think the wetness combined with my rookie packing technique is why I had issues.

I now use the swirl method almost exclusively (except for flakes) and I pack it pretty loose. If the bowl doesn't last very long because of the loose pack, then oh well. I smoke mostly cobs so I'll just fill her back up and do it again.

Also, like others have mentioned, I had to get used to a faster paced smoking since I was used to cigars. I take about 3 sips every 15-20 seconds and it seems to work for me. These aren't long draws mind you, just sips. All three together probably don't equal a second or a second and a half total.
And this won't apply for every tobacco either. I like a lot of variety in life so I'll smoke a aromatic ribbon cut one day, a VA flake the next and maybe an English blend the next. Hell some days I'll smoke all 3. And they all burn differently. A moist flake tobacco will burn slower and will likely require more relights. I love SG Full Virginia Flake. It's probably my favorite tobacco at this time. It can be an absolute pain in the ass to get going. Most times it requires 3 or more charring lights for me. And I'll relight it several times before the bowl is over. But damn, it's good.

Said all that to say this. 1) You will develop a rhythm that works for you if you keep at it and 2) that rhythm is subject to change with different types of baccy.
The point is to enjoy it. Don't worry about it. You'll get better at it.

Piping takes time to get "down." Lots of things contribute to a good burn - packing, tamping, pace, the pipe, and even blend type (I would say that Latakia blends seem to stay lit more easily for some reason) make a difference, and that difference is individual. Relax and you will get it. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but it will come. What kind of pipe are you using? Although it didn't work the same way with me, I see a lot of people recommending codger blends like PA and SWR with a straight cob to learn with as both of those components are easy to drive, so to speak.