Thumbing The Bowl

[JSPiper71]

Hi Friends. I’ve been watching lots of pipe ’experts’ on YouTube and notice everyone passes their thumb over the top of the bowl every now and then, especially when first lighting. What’s that about? I’m guessing less oxygen getting in the bowl, so more of the fire burns deeper into the bowl?? Anyone do this who wants to explain to a Noob?

 

[sablebrush52]

Hi Friends. I’ve been watching lots of pipe ’experts’ on YouTube and notice everyone passes their thumb over the top of the bowl every now and then, especially when first lighting. What’s that about? I’m guessing less oxygen getting in the bowl, so more of the fire burns deeper into the bowl?? Anyone do this who wants to explain to a Noob?

Pipe "experts" on Youtube? When did that happen?

 

[Waning Embers]

Okay, just to help me understand what you're referring to, I think I know, but does the fellow in this video do it?

 

[JSPiper71]

Okay, just to help me understand what you're referring to, I think I know, but does the fellow in this video do it?

Yes, exactly. It’s deliberate. Should I join the club? What’s the reasoning??

 

[Waning Embers]

Yes, exactly. It’s deliberate. Should I join the club? What’s the reasoning??

Using Bernoulli's Principle to create the Venturi Effect. It restricts the airway to increase the speed of airflow into the chamber without drawing harder on your pipe to give the ember more oxygen to burn to keep it from going out. It prevents overheating the pipe with hard puffing and can also revive a dying ember. As seen in the video, I do it most of the time.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

It seems to me that when it comes to pipe smoking, whatever you determine to do, you will eventually develop mastery of it.
I'm more determined to smoke my pipe in what I consider a normal way. I developed mastery of that, and find that simplicity is best.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

First time I saw this was from the former US President Gerald Ford. I began to think of it as the Gerald Ford Two Finger.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

It seems to me that when it comes to pipe smoking, whatever you determine to do, you will eventually develop mastery of it.
I'm more determined to smoke my pipe in what I consider a normal way. I developed mastery of that, and find that simplicity is best.

Times reporter Westminster Pipergate caught up with Morrison Jeremiah in 2016 after his record 24th national championship. When asked if there was a secret to his unrivaled success, Mr. Jeremiah responded, "You see these two fingers?" Pressed as to the significance of his remark, his irritable reply was, "I must confess in a visit to the colonies to see Madonna perform during her Blonde Ambition tour I found myself lost in a remote part of Kentucky and chanced upon the most astounding display of pipesmoking. The most unnatural technique seemed at first anathema to my ways, but while nodding off on the flight home I awoke to the idea of the sheer brilliance of the idea. I incorporated that into my competitive pipe smoking ritual and, of course, mastered it - but I must say after 24 titles I can't keep my fingertips from staining my waistcoat and with no real competition to speak of I am compelled to announce my retirement and look forward to a normal and simple form of existence. I'm hopeful in a few years my affectionate fans will forget that I owe my success to a 21st century incarnation of the expert woodsman Daniel Boone and I certainly encourage them in that endeavor."



By the way MJ, we only tease the ones we love!!! ??

 

[OverMountain]

Thank you Daniel Boone, wherever you may be…

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Using Bernoulli's Principle to create the Venturi Effect. It restricts the airway to increase the speed of airflow into the chamber without drawing harder on your pipe to give the ember more oxygen to burn to keep it from going out. It prevents overheating the pipe with hard puffing and can also revive a dying ember. As seen in the video, I do it most of the time.

I found when outside in the elements, when walking and/or when windy that was something I started experimenting with after seeing this or that on here and it did make a difference.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

And I am just teasing @Morrison Jeremiah - I enjoy his spirited replies!

 

[mso489]

I do the two-fingered version and had assumed that partially blocking the chamber increased the heat by some degrees and made more tobacco ignite, but I guess increasing the speed of the airflow may be the answer. It sure works. I use it often.

 

[sablebrush52]

Normally I just light up and smoke the damned things, and normally I have few if any relights. And I am a very slow smoker. I've never tried this, but will give it a go at some point just to see what it does.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Using Bernoulli's Principle to create the Venturi Effect. It restricts the airway to increase the speed of airflow into the chamber without drawing harder on your pipe to give the ember more oxygen to burn to keep it from going out. It prevents overheating the pipe with hard puffing and can also revive a dying ember. As seen in the video, I do it most of the time.

This is not Bernoulli's Principle at all. I also don't think it is the Venturi Effect.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I remember old times doing this when I was a kid. They'd tamp very lightly with their index finger and plug off the top of the bowl with their palm or two fingers and puff to kind of stoke the ember. If there's some ember left, it generally works.

 

[kcghost]

Typically I just light up and go with it. Never smoke outside. Seems like a reasonable idea.

 

[jpmcwjr]

So, then, what is that phenomenon rightly called? I find myself using it every few smokes.

 

[Jaylotw]

A friend's dad used to do this with a matchbook, he'd draw with the matchbook covering the bowl and lift up the edge just a bit. I thought it was nuts (he was, and is, a bit nuts) but after I started smoking a pipe I asked him about it and he explained that it works to revive an ember, much like the fingers method. I call it "The Uncle Mark Doesnt Want to Waste Another Match" method of ember revitialization.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Yep, that works fine. I use a match book cover or some other small flat object when the wind is howling, to keep the ember from burning through a chamber wall.

Don't even have to lift the cover to draw, just release pressure holding it down.

 

[telescopes]

Well, he was my inspiration for getting my Eagle Scout at 13 Years old back in 76. I guess he is still has something to teach me.