Fire in the Hole!

[WNCLEE28466]

Does having any ash build-up in the bowl serve any purpose or should I get rid of it along the way? Thanks

 

[JOHN72]

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I thought fire in the hole referred to an STD!?

 

[kcghost]

Usually you will tamp it down until your start having a modest problem with relights. Then remove the ash but don't be fanatical about it.

 

[Chasing Embers]

 

[mso489]

If I have doubts, I gently turn the pipe bowl upside down over an ashtray and let the loose ash fall out, tamp down the rest, and relight. But only do this if you have relight problems or just see that there is an accumulation. I do this about one in fifty smokes, not much.

 

[didimauw]

I get through most of my pipes with two lights. First one u till I get too much ash to continue, so I dump it out and light it a second time.

 

[cigrmaster]

I use a tamper to lightly stir my ash and then I dump it. I also scrape the sides of my bowl and lightly tamp so I can relight the pipe and it works just great. I do this at least once or twice during a smoke and I get a great smoke using this technique.

 

[DAR]

I'm an ex-artilleryman. "Fire in the hole.... Ready..... Fire!" Ahhhh, I miss the smell of burnt powder in the morning.....

 

[cosmicfolklore]

On my best smokes, I tend not to tamp but a few times. The ash serves as sort of a layer for…. crap I don’t know. I’ve dumped ash midbowl before, but I’m not sure why. I have no idea whether it has any impact of the smoke.

some guys do, some don’t. But, I do rinse my pipes out at the end of the day and ream them with a paper towel. I’m not a cake fan, and I don’t want residual ash in a fresh bowl. YMMV

 

[cigrmaster]

When I am done with a bowl, I let it cool off and then I clean the piss out of it before they go back into the rack to dry out.
I use 2-4 fluffy BJ long pipe cleaners on just my stems. I then use 2-4 Bristled Tapered pipe cleaners from BJ Long of course to get the shank and mortise clean. I have no idea what a dirty pipe tastes like unless of course it is an estate piece from Ebay. It has been a long time since I have bought anything that is not new. Even from Ebay I have gotten new pipes.

 

[bullet08]

I'm an ex-artilleryman. "Fire in the hole.... Ready..... Fire!" Ahhhh, I miss the smell of burnt powder in the morning.....

Never was in service. Tho, spent ton talking with old get from previous wars. That's what happens when 17 year old play bagpipes with Shriners. Good bunch.