Do You Move The Flame Around When Lighting?

[mso489]

I light my pipe mostly with matches, for the extra soft flame, and the sound and look of the match scratching on the match box, the flare of the flame, and the ritual. Lately I have once again payed attention to moving the flame of the match around the surface of the tobacco in the bowl, and intending to avoid the rim of the pipe. The main intent is to light the ember as evenly as possible all around. Whatever you use as a light, do you move the flame around the surface of the packed bowl? This is splitting hairs, but since I noticed this, I thought I'd ask.

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

I do move the flame around for the same reasons. I want to get an even light across the top of the tobacco.

 

[bullet08]

I use Zippo, and do move the flame around for the same reason. Evenly and completely lit tobacco, at least to me, gives full flavor. On occasion, I would check the ash pattern and try to spot light tobacco. Also after about 2/3 bowl, I'll ash, even the top with a tamper and light again very gently. This helps with less dottles.

 

[pauls456]

I focus on the center, to avoid having burning tobacco in contact with the walls of the bowl. Tamping brings the unburned peripheral tobacco into contact with the more central ember. This really only applies to a wider bowl.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Yes

 

[anotherbob]

yes and I don't really worry about the rim. I've never had an actually charred rim. I've thought I might at some points but the black stuff will wipe away with a wet paper towel well damp paper towel.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Yes

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I light my pipe mostly with matches, for the extra soft flame, and the sound and look of the match scratching on the match box, the flare of the flame, and the ritual. Lately I have once again payed attention to moving the flame of the match around the surface of the tobacco in the bowl, and intending to avoid the rim of the pipe. The main intent is to light the ember as evenly as possible all around. Whatever you use as a light, do you move the flame around the surface of the packed bowl? This is splitting hairs, but since I noticed this, I thought I'd ask.

My match ritual is getting better and not hitting the rim is more about me pointing the flame toward the bowl and sucking the flame down onto the tobacco.

As an aside, I just got 900 Diamond matches at Publix for less than $3. Last week all I couild find were those long wooden grill matches. They were fun none the less.

 

[Infantry23]

I always move the flame around to get the most evenly lit tobacco that I can. However, I find this significantly easier to do with a wooden match than with a zippo or bic.

 

[Fiddlepiper]

I move the flame around and have been consciously trying to light with the flame further away from the tobacco. Been getting a better initial light and flavour that way. (I say initial because I pretty much always have to relight at some point ?)

 

[mingc]

Yes, I do, in order to evenly light the entire surface of the bowl.

 

[mithridate]

Sometimes.

 

[ukbob]

Always.

 

[mithridate]

A Finnish novel, In the Hall of Alastalo, depicts a very long and pondering scene of pipe selection. In the end of it, a man picks up a pipe, packs it with care, and lights it with a match. He lights it just so, moving the flame all around the bowl. Reading the chapter - and it is long - makes me always go for my pipe, and being in the special mood those times, I light it likewise, though with lighter, not match, which propably makes the author to turn in his tomb.

 

[rajangan]

Yes, but if the carbon layer is sufficiently thick, the degrees of variance from center line goes down.

 

[RainKing]

yes and I don't really worry about the rim. I've never had an actually charred rim. I've thought I might at some points but the black stuff will wipe away with a wet paper towel well damp paper towel.

Totally agree with you brother. I personally don’t think I hold the flame long enough in a single spot to crest any damage.

 

[OzPiper]

Always.

Ditto

 

[shanez]

I do on the initial light. I find most relights, when necessary, require almost nothing to relight and are done so quick there's no time to move them around.

 

[Jaylotw]

Yep. I like to have a good ember the width of the chamber.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I light my pipe as little as possible.