How Long Does a Bowl Last You?

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

New Cigars




PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Fiver5

Lurker
Sep 6, 2021
41
58
I've been smoking for a couple of months, I'm mostly just starting to enjoy it, I smoke mostly light English blends.
To the question, how long a smoke do you get out of a bowl? I'm finding I rarely get more than 30 minutes, even with a larger bowl, I've read people say they sometimes get 2+ hours and I scratch my head and wonder how?! I think I'm smoking pretty slow, I mostly just sip a tiny bit every second breath or so. On a typical bowl I might re-light 5 or 6 times. I typically toss the last 1/3 or so of the bowl, I find by then it start going out way too often and starts to taste like crap, plus the constant re-lighting cooks my tongue to medium well. Something else I do is dump some of the loose ash as I go. I've also experimented with is stirring around the tabacco and re-tamping as I get closet to that 1/3 bottom of the bowl.
Any tips are greatly appreciated.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,249
108,350
I've been smoking for a couple of months, I'm mostly just starting to enjoy it, I smoke mostly light English blends.
To the question, how long a smoke do you get out of a bowl? I'm finding I rarely get more than 30 minutes, even with a larger bowl, I've read people say they sometimes get 2+ hours and I scratch my head and wonder how?! I think I'm smoking pretty slow, I mostly just sip a tiny bit every second breath or so. On a typical bowl I might re-light 5 or 6 times. I typically toss the last 1/3 or so of the bowl, I find by then it start going out way too often and starts to taste like crap, plus the constant re-lighting cooks my tongue to medium well. Something else I do is dump some of the loose ash as I go. I've also experimented with is stirring around the tabacco and re-tamping as I get closet to that 1/3 bottom of the bowl.
Any tips are greatly appreciated.
Three hours.

20210703_033019.jpg
 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,245
Alaska
How long does it take to build a house? How long does overtime last in the NHL playoffs? How old are you when you start shitting your pants again?

It depends on so many extraneous variables (pipe size, tobacco cut, moisture content, packing preferences, relative humidity, cadence, etc.) that it's hard to say.

Bowls usually last me anywhere between an hour and 2.5 hours, depending on any combination of the above. You may just be a quick smoker. Nothing wrong with that if you're enjoying it.
 
Oct 12, 2021
1
7
Op, I don’t have really a lot to add to your post, but I just wanna let you know that I agree with everything you’ve said. Rarely get hours-plus long smokes out of one bowl. Our puffing cadences must just be faster than others. My bowl never gets incredibly hot, and I find that I still get all the flavors, so it’s never something I gave a worry to. ?
 
Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,621
66
Sarasota, FL
Lots of variables. Size of pipe, cut of tobacco, moisture level, my mood, etc.. Can range from 30 minutes with a smaller bowl of diet ribbon cut with me looking for some nic hit to over 2 hours with a medium to medium large bowl of folded Flake with me being mellowed out sipping and savoring. It's neither a race or a slow smoking contest, it's whatever hits the spot for me at the moment.
 

Mdutson

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 21, 2021
206
4,098
40
Houston TX
As long as you enjoy and don’t burn your face off it’s all good. I’ve been smoking a pipe for about 5 years and I’m still figuring it out. It’s all about the practice with each pipe and each blend there is no right, wrong or minimum length of time. Just enjoy!
 

irishearl

Lifer
Aug 2, 2016
2,146
3,762
Kansas
Been smoking some 45 years and smoke at a moderate pace, but not a sipper. Ribbon cut tobaccos generally last me 5 minutes in a small bowl, 15-20 in a magnum, which is why I smoke multiple bowls per sitting. I shoot for around 45 minutes. Flakes are a far different matter, generally lasting 3 times longer than ribbon cut. I would add that I never get hot smokes.
 
Last edited:

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
5,757
30,563
71
Sydney, Australia
Lots of variables. Size of pipe, cut of tobacco, moisture level, my mood, etc.. Can range from 30 minutes with a smaller bowl of diet ribbon cut with me looking for some nic hit to over 2 hours with a medium to medium large bowl of folded Flake with me being mellowed out sipping and savoring. It's neither a race or a slow smoking contest, it's whatever hits the spot for me at the moment.
^^^^ Exactly that.

Except that I like variety and have a shortish attention span. I don't want my bowls to last much more than 45minutes. I tend to lose interest after that.

It's a bit like a restaurant meal - might be the best dish I've ever had, but after a while, I want to move onto the next course.

That's just me
 

DanWil84

Lifer
Mar 8, 2021
1,689
12,598
39
The Netherlands (Europe)
I have 2 largely different pipes and they both smoke about an hour. One smokes flake like a champ and the other smokes English mixtures like a champ. If I would fill the English mix pipe with flake it will take me about 2.5 hours to smoke it. Filling the flake pipe with a English mixture it will last me 20 to 30 minutes. So as said, it depends on a lot of circumstances.
 

jewman22

Lifer
Apr 2, 2021
1,110
10,950
Ontario Canada
Depends, what pipe, moisture level, how tightly packed, cut type, blend type, which blend within that type.
My usual English, ribbon cut is about a 1/2hr
Virginia ribbon cut is about 1/3hr.
Burley ribbon cut is about 3/4hr.
and about 2/3hr for most aros in my set.
Add about 20min to each if they are a flake/ready rub.
I also keep track of the average time it takes me to smoke different cigar vitolas. Some approach the 4hr mark.