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cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
I smoke flakes all the time and I like a bit of moisture in them. If I dry a tobacco too much it burns hot and fast and has no flavor. Before I light up I check the draw. I usually load my pipe in three stages. After the third I check the draw and what I want to feel is some resistance. If it is too tight I will take a pipe cleaner and push it into the bowl and that usually creates enough air flow to light my pipe. I start with a good charring light and then get sa nice cherry going with a good tru light. I smoke at a slow and steady pace I am not looking for huge plumes of smoke, I am looking for flavor and for over 20 years dry hot tobacco never works for me,
 
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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,345
How does it stay lit? I umderstand relighting 2 or 3 times in 30 minutes, but not every 10-15 seconds, which can happen quite a bit for me.
All about packing. I can sit my pipe down, make coffee, come back and take a draw or two, and continue smoking with no relight.

Watch the segment of my video from 1:45-2:54, no drawing and the pipe remains lit. Much longer times can be done with the right packing.?
 
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bullet08

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
8,932
37,913
RTP, NC. USA
20 min out of that pipe sounds awfully quick. Breath smoking should help. Just remember, breath smoking is a passive smoking. You really shouldn't pull on the smoke. Your diaphragm should be the one doing the work like when you are sleeping. Packing and drying, they are important. But I can pack tight or light. and/or dry little or long to get what I want out of the smoke. Not sure at all what really makes the perfect smoke. More I smoke, more it doesn't make sense. I just don't think about these things any more. My brain hurts!
 
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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,345
Your diaphragm should be the one doing the work like when you are sleeping.
You don't use your breath to draw with breath smoking, that would cause you to inhale. Your breath just sets the tempo of the smoking. A continuous draw is stretched out over three to four complete breaths before releasing it into the stem or retrohaling, but the breath is never used to pull the smoke. Neither should you expel the smoke into the pipe with each breath as that will overheat the pipe.
 
Mar 11, 2020
1,404
4,476
Southern Illinois
20 min out of that pipe sounds awfully quick. Breath smoking should help. Just remember, breath smoking is a passive smoking. You really shouldn't pull on the smoke. Your diaphragm should be the one doing the work like when you are sleeping. Packing and drying, they are important. But I can pack tight or light. and/or dry little or long to get what I want out of the smoke. Not sure at all what really makes the perfect smoke. More I smoke, more it doesn't make sense. I just don't think about these things any more. My brain hurts!
The best advice i can give is to not overthink breath smoking. Put the pipe in you mouth and leave it and breathe thru your nose the smoke will roll in. As far as packing it also become a habit and you dont think about tight or light. You wont always have the perfect pack but in time it will become more consistant
 

Pipelady20

Can't Leave
Apr 17, 2020
461
1,895
East coast, USA
www.pipesmagazine.com
@Pipelady20 how long are you drying your tobaccos? What kinds of tobaccos?
Depends on the tobacco. If it's ribbon cut and has a good moisture i won't need to dry it out. If i get a ribbon cut that is wetter I may leave it out for 20 minutes to an hour depending on my day.

I usually use the Frank method to pack, but I probably need to get better at it.

I've rubbed out flakes before and didnt need to dry those. I have some coins coming and it appears the packing is different with those, so im looking forward to it.
 

Pipelady20

Can't Leave
Apr 17, 2020
461
1,895
East coast, USA
www.pipesmagazine.com
You don't use your breath to draw with breath smoking, that would cause you to inhale. Your breath just sets the tempo of the smoking. A continuous draw is stretched out over three to four complete breaths before releasing it into the stem or retrohaling, but the breath is never used to pull the smoke. Neither should you expel the smoke into the pipe with each breath as that will overheat the pipe.
Embers, Ill ask this, what about your breath at the charing light? I'm thinking I may be burning my tongue when I'm lightning my pipes. I typically do 3 to 5 bowls in a day and right now I'm taking a few days off to let my tongue heal. How much should you pull in then? Also, I don't use filters and may have to go to those, I really enjoy pipe smokimg so I want this to work.
 

BROBS

Lifer
Nov 13, 2019
11,765
40,026
IA
Depends on the tobacco. If it's ribbon cut and has a good moisture i won't need to dry it out. If i get a ribbon cut that is wetter I may leave it out for 20 minutes to an hour depending on my day.

I usually use the Frank method to pack, but I probably need to get better at it.

I've rubbed out flakes before and didnt need to dry those. I have some coins coming and it appears the packing is different with those, so im looking forward to it.
sounds like your tobacco is too wet. no tobacco is dry enough to smoke straight away IMO. unless it's D&R. also I usually rip up ribbons a bit.

I'd forget about goofy-ass packing methods IMO.. sprinkle the tobacco in the chamber, lightly push it down.. sprinkle some more in and lightly push down until it's full and then smoke it.

I bet if you dry your tobacco until dang near crispy and pack a little lighter you're going to have a lot better experience.
 

panamacharlie

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 13, 2016
228
27
I have about 20 pipes in my regular rotation. I puff constantly. Of all my pipes just one, a Peterson, gets really hot. Another Pete with thinner walls doesn't.
 

krizzose

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,100
18,014
Michigan
20 minutes sounds very fast, even at 3/4 full.
If it feels like it’s going out, don’t overpuff it to try to get it going. You’re better off letting it going out and waiting a minute or two and then relighting. At least that way you’ll have a better experience with that bowl, and for future bowls employ the sage advice already mentioned in the other posts
 

crashthegrey

Lifer
Dec 18, 2015
3,810
3,566
41
Cobleskill, NY
www.greywoodie.com
This is so tough to diagnose over the internet. 20 minutes seems quick, but are you loose packing so there is only a gram or less at the three quarters mark? That would be a short smoke, and would burn hot and fast from being so loosely packed. Are you stuffing 5 grams in there and freight training it? That would also make the pipe hot. Or perhaps you are actually smoking at a decent rate but Peterson doesn't agree with you because some of those pipes have a heavier shellac coating and tend to warm up. Experience will get you there but so will joining a local pipe club if you can find one, or at least hanging out with someone with more experience. Or going to a pipe show.