Best Lighter for Pipes with Very Deep Bowls

[drrock]

During the sales for IPSD I picked up a couple Missouri Meerschaum Generals just for fun.

I've never smoked a pipe with a bowl that deep & wondered about the best lighter to use for such a deep bowl..

I generally use butane soft flame lighters or Zippos. I have this longstanding dislike for the sulphur odor from matches. I would be extremely hesitant to use a butane torch to light my tobaccos.

Thought I'd check to see what others prefer to bring flame to tobacco as the bowl smokes down...

 

[olkofri]

Just adjust your soft butane lighter to a larger flame. The flame doesn't need to touch the tobacco anyway: the superheated air does the ignition, specially if it's charred.

 

[coming to_falling too]

I have a general cob as well as other deep chambered and stack pipes. Regular lighters work fine. I keep the flame at a regular level and don't have any problem lighting down into the bowl

 

[warren]

On those rare times I smoke my General, in the shop usually, I use my Bic or regular Zippo.

 

[olkofri]

You can even tilt the bowl sideways at an acute angle to facilitate lighting if you need to. You will char the rim, though.

 

[Toast]

I can't find the post - so I can't credit whoever suggested it, but I'm 100% converted to hemp wick.

It's wax covered hemp twine that you use as a spill. You can shape it to fit inside the bowl, so it's way less likely to damage the rim. Doesn't flavour the tobacco - & it's really cheap too!

 

[olkofri]

Hah! I was thinking of suggesting hemp wick too!

I don't use it—too much of a hassle to be lighting a lighter—but I did get a ball at one time and tried it when I was starting out with pipe smoking. It's certainly an alternative, if you really want to stick a flame in that deep bowl.

 

[Toast]

Hah! I was thinking of suggesting hemp wick too!

I don't use it—too much of a hassle to be lighting a lighter—but I did get a ball at one time and tried it when I was starting out with pipe smoking. It's certainly an alternative, if you really want to stick a flame in that deep bowl.

It definitely isn't the Head & Shoulders solution!

I get really annoyed by the faff of refilling lighters or of running through a gazillion matches, so it works for me.

 

[Chasing Embers]

You will char the rim, though.

Not if you quickly pull the lighter away while still drawing.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I have a general cob as well as other deep chambered and stack pipes. Regular lighters work fine. I keep the flame at a regular level and don't have any problem lighting down into the bowl

+1

 

[Chasing Embers]

the superheated air does the ignition

Now that's something I've always wanted to see a video of.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

You should be able to hold the flame into the bowl with a staff pull. You don't need to nor should you apply flame directly to the tobacco. Same hold true for a cigar. You don't torch the end of the cigar. I see people light that way and get a chuckle. You light the cigar from the heart of the flame.

With that really deep bowl, you might try dumping some ash when you are more than 1/2 way through the bowl.

 

[olkofri]

Now that's something I've always wanted to see a video of.

No can do anymore: I don't take my cell phone out of the house any longer and I never smoke at home. ?

 

[Chasing Embers]

You don't torch the end of the cigar

Now that I get as heat rises.

 

[BarrelProof]

I’m hooked. But definitely don’t need it.

 

[64alex]

[I can't find the post - so I can't credit whoever suggested it, but I'm 100% converted to hemp wick.

It's wax covered hemp twine that you use as a spill. You can shape it to fit inside the bowl, so it's way less likely to damage the rim. Doesn't flavour the tobacco - & it's really cheap too!]

+1. Coupled with a the Flickwick holder which let you light and operate with wick with one hand, it has become my lighter of choice. In addition of being the most versatile in flame positioning, It burns at the lowest temperature even of matches and, if you use the 2 mm tick wick, it is the most resisting to wind which is very useful outdoor.

 

[ray47]

I always use a Zippo lighter for deep bowls.

 

[STP]

Never had a problem with a Zippo. You might be overthinking it ?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I smoke a lot of toppers and stacks and I never aim a flame down into a bowl. I use a Bic for everything these days because it’s hot enough that I can hover the flame a half inch above a topper and still the heat (not flame) can be drawn down into the bottom.
heat not the flame ignites the tobacco.

 

[cigrmaster]

I recommend the IM Corona Pipemaster if you can find one, they seem to be coming hard to find. It has a nice long tamper, good size fuel tank and you can turn that bitch up that will burn the bottom of your bowl if you are curious about the veracity of my claim. I have 8 of these lighters and I have tried almost every pipe lighter on the market and for money and performance there is none better. Show us which one you picked out. I for got they run from 99.00 on sale to hundreds with some fancy crap all over the lighter, I stick to the basics.