Ask Hank 14: The Perfect Smoke is Attainable with This One Weird Trick

[admin]

Here's our end of the year silliness for your pipe smoking entertainment.
Ask Hank 14: The Perfect Smoke is Attainable with This One Weird Trick

 

[mso489]

Finger tamping is a gentle art. I observed it first in my dad, who was a Granger smoker for many years. He mostly didn't use a tamper other than his finger or thumb, though he had pipe tools. The essence of the art is to tamp gingerly. Usually, if you really need to tamp, there should be a layer of ash protecting your finger. You don't tamp when you have a good ember in aglow. However, you can misjudge and hit some live fire under the ash, and you must be alert to yank the finger away instantly. I have only had to do this once or twice over the years, and I never saw my dad do it at all. Otherwise a golf tee or a house key can be used in a pinch if you haven't mastered the finger tamping technique.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Golf tees, real nails, actual pipe tools, Czech tools: I can usually reach one of those without having to rummage for long.

 

[skraps]

The finger tamp is my most used. I would say 90% of the time.

 

[pagan]

The best method for my cobs, and my daily tamper at work

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

What a great read this time! And it's wonderful to know that a damaged pipe can repair itself after being buried in the ground for some time.... so does that mean if I bury an undamaged, brand new, but lower quality pipe that with enough time will become an S. Bang?

 

[skraps]

so does that mean if I bury an undamaged, brand new, but lower quality pipe that with enough time will become an S. Bang?

Now, now, let's not push our luck with the briar gnomes.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

briar gnomes are real, man. They're real!

 

[kiel]

Maybe we should all go and watch "Pet Cemetery" again. Sure, burying that pipe will make it appear to have been magically fixed, but beware, you may have created a monster that seeks to burn your fingers, bite your tongue, and deliver more pipe juice than smoke. This of course doesnt really matter that much if you happen to make a fortune in the estate microwave business.