Wow. Yeah I've seen some pipes that have it. And to me it seems like the results of a bad habit repeated over and over again. Then again I've met people that have trouble trimming the ends of cigars and people who have trouble getting the cigarette end over the flame instead of half an inch in from that.
Take a look at pictures of the plasma lighters. Do you think the heat will be close enough to the tobacco to light it? I don't think so.
I don't know how hot the plasma lighter flame is but if it can be held in the center of the bowl just above the rim, I suspect you can draw the flame into the bottom of the bowl. Just try it and find out.
That's why it's a nope from me. People responding in this thread and who have tried it say they don't work.
Me too, and I also like the Bic EZ Reach lighters because they are great in the wind. In wind, I pack the bowl about 1/2 to 2/3 full and that allows me to put the tip of the lighter deep enough into the bowl so that I don't overly burn the tobacco when I light it. Better than a Zippo for that in my experience. When there's no wind, I prefer the Corona style (I use the Peterson model).
