Do You Need to Fill Your Pipe Bowl to the Top?

[Aaron 79]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

Is it necessary to fill your pipe bowl to the top or can you just fill it halfway?

 

[BarrelProof]

No. Fill it where you want and party on.

 

[kcghost]

I fill my near the top but that's just how I got shown and I am too lazy to find another way.

 

[madhatt]

It's not necessary, but I have started to buy some pipes with smaller chambers for shorter burn times. It took me over 45 minutes to smoke a bowl full of Irish Flake today, in an MM Huck Finn (0.625" x 1.25"). If I filled my Savinelli 128, I would have likely been outside for 90 minutes! I have been searching for pipes with chambers smaller than ~1.3" deep but at least 6" long, yet they appear to be somewhat rare.

 

[americaman]

No. And if you pack to the top you are more likely to burn the top of the rim, causing discoloration.

 

[carolinasmokes]

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to pipe smoking, just do whatever works for you. Your pipe won't care either way.

 

[Epip Oc'Cabot]

Whatever level you find appropriate for your desired smoking sessions is suitable for your pipe. You can fill perhaps 1/4th full if you want a shorter time all the way to full....

I tend to always fully fill (other than perhaps the top 1/8 inch or so)..... just because I personally enjoy my smoking sessions to be as lengthy as possible. ?

 

[keith929]

Fill and smoke like you want to. No rules.

 

[jewman22]

I guess fill to the level you wish, I always fill them right up.

 

[STP]

As mentioned, no rules. I fill the bowl nearly full. The tobacco will expand from lighting. After tamping it’s just below the rim

 

[bullet08]

And if filling it up was too much, you can stop at any time and continue on later. Or if you don't want to smoke it later, you can dump it also.

 

[fireground_piper]

If I want a shorter smoke, I will use a smaller bowl so I can fill to top. Not that you have to, but I just don't care to fill a 1.5" bowl only .5" and start with an inch of empty space.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I like to leave a small Gap between the top of the tobacco and rim of bowl. Helps keep the rim cleaner. I don't see much reason for filling less, if you smoke all you want at given time, sit the pipe down and come back to it. Virginia blends seem to get better as they're smoked.

 

[niblicck]

Its your pipe. Fill it how you want.

 

[ChippewaAce]

I'll sometimes fill it fairly loose and halfway for a quicker, sometimes smokier (amount of smoke) bowl. Works better in some pipes than others, but it's something I do every once in a while.