Burns To A Fine White Ash, Little Dottle?

deathmetal · Apr 5, 2017

Ever since that crafty fellow wrote about Faulkner smoking down to a fine white ash, many reviews have ended with this trope, to the point where it is a cliché (these are different than cliques, but the latter use many of the formers as in-jokes, I have found).
Today I discovered something that burns down to a fine white ash: my pants, or at least a portion corresponding to a bit of blazing Burley in the wild.
Onward to the joys of patching...

ashdigger · Apr 5, 2017

A really good structure fire that is fuel limited burns to a fine white ash.

deathmetal · Apr 5, 2017

So it's all about the packing? Not sure how that applies to pants, but I have started layering flake and rubbed out bits, the latter dried. Will let you know if the pipe itself reduces to fine white ash.

ashdigger · Apr 5, 2017

Actually Hoarder houses don't burn very well. They are ventilation limited. Too much damn stuff. A great fire needs to have the proper fuel geometry.

jabo · Apr 5, 2017

If ya want it ta burn, it won't. If ya don't want it ta burn, it'll burn to the ground ! At least in my experience ! ;-)

bigpond · Apr 5, 2017

A great fire needs to have the proper fuel geometry.

Or, as stoners discovered long ago, just slap a carb on it.

deathmetal · Apr 5, 2017

A great fire needs to have the proper fuel geometry.

So... pack the pipe in triangular shapes?

anthonyrosenthal74 · Apr 5, 2017

I have found some blends, if smoked properly, can indeed burn down to a fine white ash with little or no dottle. But then some are a light gray, dark gray, darker gray with black spots, a little bit of dottle, some slightly damp dottle, some wet dottle, somewhat swampy dottle..... is that Dagobah in my pipe? I think I saw Yoda!
It does seem like it's become a bit cliche, though. I see so many reviews where the reviewer says "fine white ash with no dottle or relights, when it actually does happen to me, I'm almost embarrassed to say so because I can just imagine the eyes rolling and the, "yeah right, that's what they all say." I admit, I sometimes do the same :lol:

sablebrush52 · Apr 5, 2017

The only blend I can remember that burned to a fine white ash was real Balkan Sobranie, not the crap that Germain's poops out. Fine gray ash, fine mottled ash, fine off white ash, fine Corinthian ash, fine piece of ash, but fine white ash? That's just a cliché.

ashdigger · Apr 5, 2017

For the record, I have no idea what "a fine white ash"' means. I smoke my pipes, dump it when it's burned, wipe the bowl, put a cleaner through it, load it and light it.
To me it's a mechanical thing, not an artistic thing.

mso489 · Apr 5, 2017

I've done the fine white ash bit a number of times, and it is always fun. Sometimes I'm unsuspecting and am amazed when no dottle (unburned tobacco) scoops out. However, I think scoring this as some sort of points is silly. Many of my best smokes have ended with some dottle, and I promise you, I felt not the most minute bit of disappointment. Flavor is the deal. After that, it's all just amusing observations. Faulkner is one of my favs, but I don't obsess.

toobfreak · Apr 5, 2017

Technically, any white ash is a fine ash, as there is no way of getting to the one without the other. Now a gray ash may be course and chunky but once it combusts down to the white stage, there is nothing left but fine. And if you do not agree with that opinion, you can kiss my fine white ash! OK, it may not be fine, but it definitely is white!

jpmcwjr · Apr 5, 2017

Death- Photos or it didn't happen!

didimauw · Apr 5, 2017

So that's what they mean when they say fine white ash? I've been trying to get my tobacco down to that, and they have been taking about pants this whole time?? I've been doing it wrong...

toobfreak · Apr 5, 2017

Naw, that's just Tim. He can't seem to get his mind out of his pants. :mrgreen:

akfilm · Apr 5, 2017

Had nothing but fine ash happen last night, I was smoking 3P's, coarsely rubbed, in a Radice Bent Apple. I've had it happen before in cool smoking pipes such as a Morta or a Meerschaum, it's a rare occurrence though. I've never smoked aromatics to ash. The worse is when it's nothing but ash, and you suck it into your mouth on the last puff...horrible.

iamn8 · Apr 5, 2017

Isn't ash, by its very nature, fine? If it isn't fine, it isn't yet ash.

toobfreak · Apr 5, 2017

I've never smoked aromatics to ash.

I don't think you ever will. While tobacco incinerates at a given temp, whatever is added to many aros must need far hotter heat to burn it up.

Isn't ash, by its very nature, fine? If it isn't fine, it isn't yet ash.

You would think so, N8, but it really depends. For instance, when I try to get rid of a dead intruder, especially if he has used my soap and loofah, I find it takes a really hot fire to get rid of the bones!

anthonyrosenthal74 · Apr 6, 2017

The worse is when it's nothing but ash, and you suck it into your mouth on the last puff...horrible.

That does indeed suck.

iamn8 · Apr 6, 2017

Damn freak... I'm so sorry to hear this. Someone really used your loofah? And soap?! There was once honor amongst thieves, but no longer. I'm not a fan of lines, but if a mans loofah isn't sacred is nothing?

Burns To A Fine White Ash, Little Dottle?

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Can't Leave

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

The Bard Of Barlings

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Moderator

Moderator

Lifer

Can't Leave

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer