Hemp Twine for Lighting Your Pipe
- Thread starter oddfellow
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I totally get this. Better reach into the bowl and better control of a supposedly a cooler flame.
You go, piper!
You go, piper!
I started using it because I liked the idea, the nostalgia even, of using matches. However, I always smoke outdoors and the matches always went out immediately. The hemp wick is decently wind resistant, so it appealed to me.
I don't understand why folks can't figure out how to use a lighter or match in the wind. Yet, they can light a piece of hemp, protect the flame and then light the tobacco. Now this is just my take on using the hemp, sounds a bit of an affectation and more than a wee bit pretentious. 
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I mean, if I'm being honest like Warren is..
I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a spoon than light a pipe with that thing.
I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a spoon than light a pipe with that thing.
I use the hemp wick, too. It is supposed to be the lowest temperature flame compared to matches, butane and naphtha.
Don't let the naysayers get you down. For some, pipe smoking is nostalgic, even romantic. They want to be immersed in the experience and the ritual. Real or imaginary, they perceive differences in chamber shapes, smooth or rusticated finishes, geographic source of the briar or the source of the flame. If it makes you happy, do it.
Having said that, there is one universal truth in this crazy world....Zippo
Having said that, there is one universal truth in this crazy world....Zippo
If I had to find two rocks to bang together to light my pipe, I would still love it.Don't let the naysayers get you down. For some, pipe smoking is nostalgic, even romantic. They want to be immersed in the experience and the ritual. Real or imaginary, they perceive differences in chamber shapes, smooth or rusticated finishes, geographic source of the briar or the source of the flame. If it makes you happy, do it.
Having said that, there is one universal truth in this crazy world....Zippo
I remember when this became a thing. All the hipsters my age where doing it. The old codgers at the smoke shop bought some and gave it to me with a good ribbing.
The flicwic tells me not all of the hipsters went away
We did our best, would be a shame if we succeeded.
The flicwic tells me not all of the hipsters went away
We did our best, would be a shame if we succeeded.
I just finished a 750' roll of hemp wick and got in a replacement roll. I only got 250' in this roll, but I am commenting because of the significant improvement I found with the new stuff. It's 1 mm. beeswaxed from Humboldt. Slower burning, nice and soft flame. (hint; pull it from inside out.)
I'm a recent convert to using hemp wick, and I find it to be quite a fun novelty. From what I've gathered, though I don't have concrete data, the hemp wick burns at a lower temperature compared to butane, which is ideal for lighting plant material . Whether it's real or just my imagination, I seem to experience a cooler sensation on my tongue when using hemp wick compared to other methods. So, if you're new to pipe smoking and battling tongue bite, switching to hemp wick might help.
I started with a 4-foot sample from my local brick-and-mortar store, and within a week, I went straight to Amazon and purchased a 400-foot roll. I've also recently bought a rechargeable Zippo plasma lighter insert to wrap with this stuff. I think it's great!
I started with a 4-foot sample from my local brick-and-mortar store, and within a week, I went straight to Amazon and purchased a 400-foot roll. I've also recently bought a rechargeable Zippo plasma lighter insert to wrap with this stuff. I think it's great!
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Everyone is always going to hate on this. I picked it up from @lestrout and still use it from time to time. Best way to light my kerosene heater, preferred candle lighting technique in a very specific situation I am often in. It is great, but most will not understand it by trying it first.
My woodstove is NIST-traceable to the 1972 Winter Olympics torch. It has been maintained in a perpetual state since the torch processed down my street. Or at least that’s what I’m told. Somebody else said the guy had accidently set his hair on fire or something like that ‘cause Olympic torch-bearers don’t usually scream like that, but from that fire I light a thin strip of parchment cut from the only extant copy of Jefferson’s early notes on the Declaration of Independence, which the cat often snags from me, running around the house, setting the drapes on fire, from which I light my pipe. I find this endows sufficient prowess to the process, as well as a certain…je ne sais quoi…to my morning bowl of Buoy Gold.
I have been curious about trying waxed hemp wick. Your endorsement of this brand and its improved performance has made even more curious. What brand were you using before? Do you think there would be an advantage to using the slower burning 2mm version from Humboldt?
Does much wax drip from the 1mm Humboldt?
I’ve seen some dispenser sleeves for BiC lighters that have an aluminum feed tube to automatically extinguish the flame and am wondering if you’ve tried one of these (or do you just use the stick/tamper in your previous post?)
Been meaning to try for awhile as well. From what I understand one of the main points is also to eliminate the toxic rare earths and fumes from "flints" and petroleum lighters also
I have both the 1mm and the 2mm. The 2mm gives a bigger flame which is more wind resistant if you are outside. I prefer to use the 1mm for initial light and the 2mm toward the end when I have to go deeper in the bowl.
I do have the Flicwick which is the best IMO as you can advance the wick with one finger. But I do not use the feed tube to extinguish the flame because doing so after a while the ashes inside the tube tend to clog it making difficult to advance the wick in the tube. I just blow the flame keeping the tip of the wick out of the tube
I’ve tried one of these before and it just never caught on as a habit for me. I’m much more of a bic guy. Matches work too. Glad you found something you enjoy about it 
Only if you flick your bic over the bowl. Don’t do that, people.
i like it if I have an uneven light on the false light, on the relight I’ll use a wick to zero in on the unlit section.
it’s mainly about low temperature though, IMO