An Old Pipe Suddenly Won't Keep an Ember.

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Brock

Lurker
Mar 26, 2022
12
44
One of my favorite briars, an old no-name pipe, suddenly won't keeping burning. Where I would get a nice 15-20 minute smoke now I am constantly relighting. I have very carefully cleaned the stem with alcohol dampened pipe cleaners and made sure that the shank is nice an unobstructed. It's not the tobacco because It happens with the three I smoke, and it isn't me because my other two pipes are smoking well. Help.
 
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Brock

Lurker
Mar 26, 2022
12
44
That's the odd thing. Yes the pipe is smaller but unless my packing technique has changed (a possibility I'm not going to ignore) something else is going on. I will try packing less firmly in the future. Fortunately I have two pipes that are going well to tide me through until I figure this out.
 
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Donb1972

Can't Leave
Feb 9, 2022
415
1,079
Erie, PA
Strange. The only thing I can think of is an episode of "Murder She Wrote:, where the victim couldn't keep his cigar lit because a gas that mimicked oxygen was being pumped into the room to kill him ~ so maybe try outside? ?

Seriously, though, a crack could be the culprit. I had a clay pipe that suddenly developed a very poor draw, and I noticed that a chip had opened an extra hole in the airway.
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,808
29,646
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Strange. The only thing I can think of is an episode of "Murder She Wrote:, where the victim couldn't keep his cigar lit because a gas that mimicked oxygen was being pumped into the room to kill him ~ so maybe try outside? ?

Seriously, though, a crack could be the culprit. I had a clay pipe that suddenly developed a very poor draw, and I noticed that a chip had opened an extra hole in the airway.
I have thought that murder she wrote is really best viewed with Jessica being the most successful serial killer ever who has mastered pinning her crimes on others.
 
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kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
13,499
22,070
77
Olathe, Kansas
My wife loves that show to this date. My god, I couldn't stand it for the simple reason that the female lead was an annoying know it who would stick her nose in places it didn't belong.
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,837
13,910
Humansville Missouri
Another thing besides an air leak that might cause a trusted and true old pipe to be hard to keep lit is an obstruction of the airway.

Use a coat hanger, if you don’t have the right sized drill bit.
 
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Brock

Lurker
Mar 26, 2022
12
44
Thanks to everybody. I ran a pressure test on the pipe using soapy water and a lot of lung capacity and discovered a very tiny crack at the top of the shank where it meets the bowl. I like the pipe but I doubt I spent more than $40 from the "Estate Bin" at a local tobacconist so I think I'll just get rid of it rather than restore it.