Ive not been smoking a pipe very long. For the most part, (after much reading on this site as well as others) I've enjoyed a good bit of success, and have had few problems...until now.
My first pipe was a very short, no name pipe, with an almost Rhodesian shape, and a fairly small bowl. I never had any trouble with it. It never got too hot, and I may have to relight it a couple times during a smoke, but never thought much of it.
My second was a Dr. Grabow, also with a pretty small bowl. Aside from the cheap plastic stem, it has always been a pleasurable smoke as well. It stays relatively cool, and I can easily smoke it all the way to the bottom without a problem.
For my third pipe, I found a pretty good deal on a Peterson box set. It is a Donegal Rocky 106, that came with a Zippo pipe lighter. Lastly, my fourth pipe, is a Savinelli Spring, in a bent bulldog shape. Both of these pipes are still in the "breaking in" phase, and as such, I've mostly smoked half full bowls in them. However, these pipes can hold nearly twice the amount of tobacco as the first two.
Ive not had any problems with the half bowls. I actually thought I was really getting the hang of it, until last night. The Peterson had been resting longer than the Savinelli, so I loaded it up nearly to the top with a blend of tobacco that I get from my local B&M that he refers to as "Picadilly". This was to be the first time I had smoked a full bowl from this pipe since I've owned it. About halfway through, it seemed like the smoke was wet, and thin. The pipe started getting hot, yet did not want to stay lit very well. So, I decided to just cut my losses, and emptied the bowl.
My thoughts are that even though I laid the tobacco out to dry, the humid air we've had lately with all the rain (in the Houston area) did not let it dry out well enough. I plan to attempt a full bowl again tonight, but I will do it in the Savinelli, while I give the Peterson a thorough cleaning. I also think I may try drying the tobacco in the microwave for a few seconds, as I've read others on here use that method.
My first pipe was a very short, no name pipe, with an almost Rhodesian shape, and a fairly small bowl. I never had any trouble with it. It never got too hot, and I may have to relight it a couple times during a smoke, but never thought much of it.
My second was a Dr. Grabow, also with a pretty small bowl. Aside from the cheap plastic stem, it has always been a pleasurable smoke as well. It stays relatively cool, and I can easily smoke it all the way to the bottom without a problem.
For my third pipe, I found a pretty good deal on a Peterson box set. It is a Donegal Rocky 106, that came with a Zippo pipe lighter. Lastly, my fourth pipe, is a Savinelli Spring, in a bent bulldog shape. Both of these pipes are still in the "breaking in" phase, and as such, I've mostly smoked half full bowls in them. However, these pipes can hold nearly twice the amount of tobacco as the first two.
Ive not had any problems with the half bowls. I actually thought I was really getting the hang of it, until last night. The Peterson had been resting longer than the Savinelli, so I loaded it up nearly to the top with a blend of tobacco that I get from my local B&M that he refers to as "Picadilly". This was to be the first time I had smoked a full bowl from this pipe since I've owned it. About halfway through, it seemed like the smoke was wet, and thin. The pipe started getting hot, yet did not want to stay lit very well. So, I decided to just cut my losses, and emptied the bowl.
My thoughts are that even though I laid the tobacco out to dry, the humid air we've had lately with all the rain (in the Houston area) did not let it dry out well enough. I plan to attempt a full bowl again tonight, but I will do it in the Savinelli, while I give the Peterson a thorough cleaning. I also think I may try drying the tobacco in the microwave for a few seconds, as I've read others on here use that method.