I've been smoking a pipe for a well over 40 years and I've gotten pretty good at it. I have dependable technique, decent pacing and a good packing technique. Generally, when I smoke a pipe at most, I have two or three relights. However, on occasion, even with all my years of experience, I smoke a pipe that needs re lit many times. Recently, I smoked a bowl of bull's-eye flake on one of my old dependable pipes. The tobacco was sufficiently dry and I packed it like I normally do but I bet I had 10 re lights in that bowl. I just don't worry about it. A bowl of pipe tobacco can be like a fussy little fire. Other than a pile of matches, it cost me nothing to re light and I merrily go on my way. If you are new to pipe smoking, do not stress over how many times you have to relight a bowl of pipe tobacco.
Pipe Relights...Don't Worry About It!
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Smoking a pipe is about relaxation, not stress. Ever since I realized that, my relights have dramatically decreased on their own—of course with the help of many tips from the old members here.
I never clench, and I often set the pipe down to do something else or even forget about it, so relights don’t bother me at all. In fact, it’s a blessing that the pipe goes out, because when I come back the tobacco isn’t burnt up like in a cigarette—it’s still there waiting for me.
Lately I’ve been practicing slow smoking, and in the end it’s everything when it comes to getting the best possible flavor. This may lead to relights, but I don’t mind.
I never clench, and I often set the pipe down to do something else or even forget about it, so relights don’t bother me at all. In fact, it’s a blessing that the pipe goes out, because when I come back the tobacco isn’t burnt up like in a cigarette—it’s still there waiting for me.
Lately I’ve been practicing slow smoking, and in the end it’s everything when it comes to getting the best possible flavor. This may lead to relights, but I don’t mind.
Thanks for that! I'm still new to this and to be honest I haven't been able to drop the ideal in my head of smoking down to a fine white ash every time with no relights, but I'm getting there. The less I care about relights the less I relight over time too on average I've noticed. Also getting a more fun lighter like a zippo makes relighting at least fun.
What I’ve come to understand is that there’s no need for overthinking. Overthinking creates anxiety, and anxiety leads to lower performance and less enjoyment. The pipe , the tobacco and the tongue tell us what we need to do. It comes with time and experience, like any other skill, and gradually it becomes second nature. It’s a hobby, not a job we’re paid to do correctly, and no one will judge us if we spend a whole box of matches on a bowl. My pipe, my tobacco, my matches. I’ve paid for them, and I enjoy them.
The only problem with excessive relights in my opinion is burning the tobacco on the char light. That's probably more an issue with my technique, though, and not the nature of relights in general. I also find that certain cuts burn far better than others. Codger blends/cube cuts always seem to require minimal "maintenance", whereas a flake, coin, etc. seem to block the airway a little bit more. Again, maybe that's just an issue with my packing technique.
But I will feel better about my relights knowing that I'm not the only one!
But I will feel better about my relights knowing that I'm not the only one!
Relights are just part of the experience. Just had to relight a bowl of OJK just now.
The big issue with relights is that, for beginners, they can result in tongue burn. Anticipation of pain adds to the stress.
Once one gets a "calloused" tongue and relighting technique down, they're just part of the experience.
Once one gets a "calloused" tongue and relighting technique down, they're just part of the experience.
Only idiots believe in and value "one light and smoke to the bottom of the bowl, leaving only fine white ash" as a worthy goal.
First off, most blends don't leave a fine white ash. They're mostly mottled gray and more textured than white and fine. About the only blend I can remember being fine and white was the old Balkan Sobranie and 759. Almost pure white and fine like powder.
Deliberately smoking to the bottom of the bowl will create a great amount of heat, which could damage the briar at the base of the chamber.
Different blends smoke differently. McClelland made some blends that smokers viewed as made of fire retardant. On the other hand, C&D's Yorktown is an effortless smoke, at least for me.
You might just as well wish to cum with one weak squirt in under 15 seconds.
First off, most blends don't leave a fine white ash. They're mostly mottled gray and more textured than white and fine. About the only blend I can remember being fine and white was the old Balkan Sobranie and 759. Almost pure white and fine like powder.
Deliberately smoking to the bottom of the bowl will create a great amount of heat, which could damage the briar at the base of the chamber.
Different blends smoke differently. McClelland made some blends that smokers viewed as made of fire retardant. On the other hand, C&D's Yorktown is an effortless smoke, at least for me.
You might just as well wish to cum with one weak squirt in under 15 seconds.
A piece of advice to new pipe smokers from someone who lives a hard, turbulent, intense, busy, and stressful life.
At night, take your favorite pipe, fill it with your favorite tobacco, pour yourself a whiskey, and sit alone—without your wife, your girlfriend, your friends, without anyone—only with your dog if you have one—and enjoy this hour. It is the best tranquilizer. Burn as many matches as you need without caring about anything. It’s not a competition; it’s your time. Thank me later.
At night, take your favorite pipe, fill it with your favorite tobacco, pour yourself a whiskey, and sit alone—without your wife, your girlfriend, your friends, without anyone—only with your dog if you have one—and enjoy this hour. It is the best tranquilizer. Burn as many matches as you need without caring about anything. It’s not a competition; it’s your time. Thank me later.
Truer words never spoken... fussy little fire, I love that haha... Because it's so true.
Sounds like a Bob Ross-ian term though... "Keep your fussy little fire away from my friendly little trees before we have ourselves a happy little accident.."
Technique can help quite a bit too. I find if I tilt my mouthpiece upward to avoid/disperse the smoke more into my mouth than tongue it helps greatly
I think new pipe smokers are drawn to read reviews and so many reviews end with "smoked down to a fine white ash with minimal or no relights." I'd say gullible more than idiotic. Maybe those reviewers are honest, they're just really good pipe smokers, but I've certainly never gotten to the bottom of a bowl.
I hate to say it, but it sounds like you ideally need the abomination called the p-lip.
Some blends irritate my tongue no matter what so I do this too until the can is finished and then I never buy that blend again.
What I definitely don't need is another purchase excuse, sir!!
Trust me, I've had them on my radar for awhile... was always very intrigued but there's very few Petersons I've found aesthetically pleasing enough to plunge into, even though I def. respect their pedigree.
I do however have a Sav Dry System that's waiting to be broken in...
Wait, doesn’t everyone else do that too??
As soon as I stopped worrying about relights, I began to enjoy pipe smoking. Light the pipe, take a few puffs, read, talk, enjoy a view, or whatever you like doing while smoking. Then light the pipe again and repeat.
Not only I enjoy smoking my pipes more than ever, my damn burned tongue began to heal too.
Not only I enjoy smoking my pipes more than ever, my damn burned tongue began to heal too.
There are no rules and we are all different. So, put whatever tobacco in whatever pipe you like, light it with whatever you prefer and how often you need to and don’t be concerned how the other person is going about it. It’s your smoke, enjoy it.
After all, this hobby isn’t skydiving or piloting an airplane. The worst that can happen here is burning your tongue, damaging the pipe — like charring the rim — or simply failing to enjoy the true flavor of the tobacco.