Hi there, long time reader of these forums. First time posting.
I have a bit of a problem and I'm hoping to get a tip or two from some of the more experienced pipers out there.
I just finished a tasty bowl of Black woods flake (a favorite of mine) but I was thoroughly fustrated with what (at least to me) seemed like excessive relighting. So in an effort to best describe the issue, I offer the following information.
1. Preparation consisted of fully rubbing out the tasty broken flake to a consistency of ribbon cut. I allowed this to rest, spread out on a sheet of printer paper for roughly an hour. Upon checking it I found that an aggressive "three finger squeeze" yielded a tight wad of tobacco that "sprung" back to its old ribbons without delay. I judged the moisture contend to be excellent and moved on.
2. I packed the bowl (which is about a 3/4 inch diameter and about 1 1/4 inch tall) by gravity filling (tapping the side to settle) until full. Tamping until half filled. Gravity feed in the same manner until full. Tamping to about 3/4 full. Then finally gravity feeding until the bowl had a mound of about 1/4 of tobacco protruding which I then tamped until just below the rim. I then added the fine crumbly bits from the rubbing affair on top (say about the same volume of a common pea spread out) and checked the draw. I judged that the draw was slightly more resistant then when the pipe was empty. I found it in the another sense to be fairly effortless as well.
3. I performed 2 charring lights and then a true light. The charring lights mearly teased the tobacco's surface. The true light was notably deeper but (as I judged it) appropriately restrainted.
Tamping that is best described as a nickel's weight of force was performed between each of these lights. The true light produced a healthy and complete red disk with no darkness to be found within.
4. I smoked the bowl slowly. A "puff" was an attempt to draw slowly enough that the smoke was never being moved but more-so poured toward my mouth. I attempted to draw "sweetly" as if detection of suction might startle the pipe. The frequency of puffs was --Puff-- row row row your boat. Gently down the stream. Merrily merrily merrily merrily. Life is but a dream. --Puff--
All puffs were singular and depth varied from a half to a full "One Mississippi".
Tamping was done. Hard to say at what frequency but the pressure was light and uniform. Light enough to cause no more movement in the ash then what was barely preceptible.
I managed to smoke about 1/2 of the bowl in this manner with fairly good flavor in the process. The whole affair consumed 1 hour and 22 minutes (thanks to having been watching a recorded movie at the time I was able to assertain the precise time.) I did not clench the pipe at all.
It took 10 relights in total and the fustrastion of relighting caused me to end the smoke.
Any tips or suggestions to reduce my relights without puffing like an old steam locomotive?
I have a bit of a problem and I'm hoping to get a tip or two from some of the more experienced pipers out there.
I just finished a tasty bowl of Black woods flake (a favorite of mine) but I was thoroughly fustrated with what (at least to me) seemed like excessive relighting. So in an effort to best describe the issue, I offer the following information.
1. Preparation consisted of fully rubbing out the tasty broken flake to a consistency of ribbon cut. I allowed this to rest, spread out on a sheet of printer paper for roughly an hour. Upon checking it I found that an aggressive "three finger squeeze" yielded a tight wad of tobacco that "sprung" back to its old ribbons without delay. I judged the moisture contend to be excellent and moved on.
2. I packed the bowl (which is about a 3/4 inch diameter and about 1 1/4 inch tall) by gravity filling (tapping the side to settle) until full. Tamping until half filled. Gravity feed in the same manner until full. Tamping to about 3/4 full. Then finally gravity feeding until the bowl had a mound of about 1/4 of tobacco protruding which I then tamped until just below the rim. I then added the fine crumbly bits from the rubbing affair on top (say about the same volume of a common pea spread out) and checked the draw. I judged that the draw was slightly more resistant then when the pipe was empty. I found it in the another sense to be fairly effortless as well.
3. I performed 2 charring lights and then a true light. The charring lights mearly teased the tobacco's surface. The true light was notably deeper but (as I judged it) appropriately restrainted.
Tamping that is best described as a nickel's weight of force was performed between each of these lights. The true light produced a healthy and complete red disk with no darkness to be found within.
4. I smoked the bowl slowly. A "puff" was an attempt to draw slowly enough that the smoke was never being moved but more-so poured toward my mouth. I attempted to draw "sweetly" as if detection of suction might startle the pipe. The frequency of puffs was --Puff-- row row row your boat. Gently down the stream. Merrily merrily merrily merrily. Life is but a dream. --Puff--
All puffs were singular and depth varied from a half to a full "One Mississippi".
Tamping was done. Hard to say at what frequency but the pressure was light and uniform. Light enough to cause no more movement in the ash then what was barely preceptible.
I managed to smoke about 1/2 of the bowl in this manner with fairly good flavor in the process. The whole affair consumed 1 hour and 22 minutes (thanks to having been watching a recorded movie at the time I was able to assertain the precise time.) I did not clench the pipe at all.
It took 10 relights in total and the fustrastion of relighting caused me to end the smoke.
Any tips or suggestions to reduce my relights without puffing like an old steam locomotive?
I'll try going for an even more dry tobacco before packing.
