A lesson learned the hard way & am I packing too tight?

[twiggy]

I had planned to smoke a pipe along with my father on Canada Day for multiple days now, and it happened today.
anyways my dad has a torch lighter so we used that. I did see some people say not to use torch lighters because they may burn the rim of the bowl, but he had the flame dialed back a lot and, so it was small.
but guess what happened anyways, even with the flame being small?
This:

Obviously the damage done to the briar is obvious, and the cob is a little bit damaged from it as well. I smoked the briar, he smoked the cob. After this, I think I may become a "matches only" person after all.
Even though I was smoking $50 tobacco ($50 canadian for 50g), I still couldn't taste anything but just a regular smokey taste. Also, I had to relight multiple times.
My father only had to relight once, but he did used to have a beard and smoke pipes in his younger years, before I was born.
I'm still learning of course, but I think I'm drawing not too fast, and not too slow, considering I experienced virtually no tounge bite. However, I think I may be packing things too tight, considering the thing that I put in a pinch, then tamp it, and repeat until the bowl is full and I can't tamp anything down anymore. My father just scooped the tobacco up with the pipe straight from the jar.
I'll smoke some of my cheaper, but aromatic tobacco tomorrow, and try the scooping method, maybe that will work. I'll use matches too.

 

[danimalia]

Is it just limited to the rim? Take a paper towel or a microfiber cloth, wet it with some spit or a small amount of water and give it a bit of elbow grease. It may be mostly carbon residue.
Yeah, torches are bad for pipes. I've used them in a pinch, but in addition to damaging the pipe, it's just way too much fire and intensity for a bowl of tobacco. You don't have to be a matches only guy, but hopefully a soft flame only guy from now on. :D The good news is that briar pipes are pretty resilient. I've made a ton of mistakes and none have irreperably harmed my pipes. I think it's worth mentioning only because before I got started I was really worried about damaging ipes. I don't know if it's the tone of the care guides or my own nature, but I really thought I was in danger of wrecking a pipe from the slightest misstep.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Yes, it'll probably wipe off all right, at least on the briar's rim.

anyways my dad has a torch lighter so we used that. I did see some people say not to use torch lighters because they may burn the rim of the bowl, but he had the flame dialed back a lot and, so it was small, but guess what happened anyways, even with the flame being small?

The rim is not burnt. It may not even be scorched- and as Dani says, may just be residue.
Great caution is advised with torches, but they are useful to me in a high wind.

 

[alaskanpiper]

I think the answer here is obviously obvious. You need to grow a beard.
But in all seriousness, here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2fOHGqieAwI
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=q6EWJcSbhLY

 

[sablebrush52]

A torch delivers a hard blue flame, even dialed down. That's bad for your pipe and your tobacco. What's needed is a soft yellow flame, like a BIC, matches, etc.

 

[twiggy]

thanks alaskan i'll watch those videos tomorrow, and give it a go his way right after.
Yeah I think best for a soft flame would be matches, because a BIC lighter still has butane which I hear may also affect the taste. With matches I hear you just need to let the tip burn off, so long kitchen matches would be best I assume.
I'm not really so concerned about the pipes getting "damaged" or not, considering they are both cheap, $10 for the cob, $35 for the briar, so I'm glad it happened with these, and not the new $85 Lorenzetti Augustus Cesar 27 I just ordered.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Yeah I think best for a soft flame would be matches, because a BIC lighter still has butane which I hear may also affect the taste.

A bic is fine to use if you are still learning how to light appropriately. It's not going to change the flavor that much, not near as much as lighting/smoking improperly will. I wouldn't worry about it too much until you get the process down and figure out how to get a good solid ember going. Give it a go with the matches, but if it's too much of a pain in the dick, just use the bic and light as directed in the video. Don't be afraid to do 2 charring lights as well, just to be sure (you'll see what that is in the video). I always do 2 charring lights, just a matter of preference.
Good luck!

 

[danimalia]

Honestly, I have never had the butane affect the flavor of a pipe or cigar. Maybe my palate isn't sensitive enough. I know BIG LIGHTER is always trying to make you think you need to spend more than $2 on a lighter, but if it's the light of choice (OK, maybe necessity, too) for Cubans, it's good enough for me. I do use torches for cigars, but Bics are fine!
The best lighting advice I've gotten is to just aim the flame at the center of the bowl. The flame will find its fuel. I used to get real fussy moving it around like I was trying to make sure every exposed bit of tobacco was burning, but I've found it's unnecessary.

 

[wolflarsen]

Butane is both odorless and tasteless. It will not change the flavor of your tobacco.