"what is a bad smoke?"
This is an EXCELLENT question, and I think we'd all answer it a little differently. For me a "smoke" is the total experience; not just drawing smoke from the bowl, but the feel of the pipe in my hand, the comfort of the bit in my teeth, the aroma, the taste, all the way to a clean un-goopy bowl and pipe cleaners that run all the way down to the bowl. So a "bad smoke", for me, is when one or more of the above steps is less than optimal.
I'm not a fan of cobs because the bits are cheap, the shank extends into the bowl and the feel and look of a corn cob are just not the same as good briar. But I also realize that it's a matter of persona preference.
I'd rethink using a cigar torch lighter. It can burn the pipe and will disintegrate the leaf rather than properly lighting it.