Pipe Lighting Techniques, Reality or Left Handed Pipe Wrench?

[OneGoodBulldog]

"Hold the flame half an inch away from the pipe"

... is as to pipe smoking as...

"Get me a left handed pipe wrench"

... is to working construction.

Just an observation from a "new pipe smoker". Time, distance? Get me a bucket of steam for the board stretcher while you're at it.

Asinine jokes aside, I can hold a flame half an inch away from popcorn-fart dry tobacco and suck like a Denver hooker in Houston and the only thing that gets hot is my thumb. I kinda feel like years ago you guys all agreed to perpetuate a myth so people would get frustrated and give up so you guys could keep all the Carter Hall to yourselves. This is not me getting frustrated with pipe smoking, just commenting on a bit of advice that has yet to do more than make my head spin and get my thumb nice and warm. The girlfriend doesn't mind that last bit but nevermind that! She doesn't even smoke a pipe.

Look, all I'm saying is that so far I've found that we collectively overthink this business a little too much and at the end of the day - just do what works for you.

That's it, that's all.

Thoughts? Comments? Insults directed at my mothers lineage?

Cheers.

 

[Jacob74]

Well, other than that I hold the flame differently to the tobacco if I'm using a match, as opposed to my lighter I don't think there is a deliberate "go get me a can of blinker fluid" joke or anything like that. The goal is just a nice even ember that isn't burning so hot that all you get through the stem is ashy steam. The way I see it, I'd rather go a little softer and slower until it's lit just right, than scorch it in haste. That's me though, other folks experience is certainly different.

 

[jpmcwjr]

"Hold the flame half an inch away from the pipe" is as useless bit of "advice" as I've seen recently. How does the author define "flame"? What is the source and BTU output, and is it where it emits from the lighter? The tip? The visible tip or the hottest part which is just beyond the visible flame.

If a match, holding the match a half inch above the tobacco is about right for me.

Anyway, you mentioned time and distance, which is the way to regulate the amount of heat igniting the tobacco,

 

[sablebrush52]

Thoughts? Comments? Insults directed at my mothers lineage?

After a certain amount of time it becomes "Pack pipe, apply flame, smoke, toss out the ash, run a pipe cleaner around the pipes bits, repeat."

 

[brian64]

"Hold the flame half an inch away from the pipe"

... is as to pipe smoking as...

"Get me a left handed pipe wrench"

... is to working construction.

Just an observation from a "new pipe smoker". Time, distance? Get me a bucket of steam for the board stretcher while you're at it.

Asinine jokes aside, I can hold a flame half an inch away from popcorn-fart dry tobacco and suck like a Denver hooker in Houston and the only thing that gets hot is my thumb. I kinda feel like years ago you guys all agreed to perpetuate a myth so people would get frustrated and give up so you guys could keep all the Carter Hall to yourselves. This is not me getting frustrated with pipe smoking, just commenting on a bit of advice that has yet to do more than make my head spin and get my thumb nice and warm. The girlfriend doesn't mind that last bit but nevermind that! She doesn't even smoke a pipe.

Look, all I'm saying is that so far I've found that we collectively overthink this business a little too much and at the end of the day - just do what works for you.

That's it, that's all.

Thoughts? Comments? Insults directed at my mothers lineage?

Cheers.

The first light can take a while sometimes, which is one of the reasons I prefer a lighter over matches.

It helps to place some very fine, even almost powdery, tobacco as a top layer. I think half an inch is a bit too high...you can get a little closer, just don't scorch the rim...and only hold the flame close for a moment or two then lift away and repeat until it's lit.

Also depends on the blend...some are harder to light. If it doesn't take after a few attempts, stop and tamp a little and try again.

Patience.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I kinda feel like years ago you guys all agreed to perpetuate a myth so people would get frustrated

Don't look at me, I've always been asked for videos on my techniques to prove my claims and I won't believe the 1/2 inch above the tobacco until I've seen it done. At that height, the tip of the flame could wildly swipe the rim when drawn down an leave scorching. I bring the flame to the tobacco when drawing to keep the flame in the chamber, and pull the flame away while still drawing to keep the flame from rising and touching the rim as I lift the lighter.

 

[judcole]

I try to keep any advice I give more general than that. Nobody asked, but here's mine anyway

• Whatever works best for you
• There aren't rules as much as a collection of Best Practices
• Be patient
• Smoke the best tobacco you can afford in the best pipes you can afford

 

[bullet08]

I hold the flame close to tobacco. About 1/4". But won't let the flame touch the tobacco. When the tobacco is filled just below the rim, pulling at the light works better, at least for me. The idea is to gentle "touch" of flame to toast the tobacco few times until ember starts. Keep the flame moving so one spot doesn't get super heated.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ok ok ok, how do I post a video? I can't get it done before 4, because of Friday errands, but this is as really easy as shit. I'll make a video showing several different pipes, lighters etc... It's not rocket science, and you don't have to puff hard at all. And, my pipe is always lit within seconds.

Honestly, I don't care how other people light their pipes. Having grown up my entire life watching men light pipes, I never knew this would blow people's minds. I just figured all men who were around other men lighting pipes and cigars knew this.

But, I just need help posting a video. Do I just upload it to here somehow, or do I have to get an acct with a third party?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Don't look at me, I've always been asked for videos on my techniques to prove my claims and I won't believe the 1/2 inch above the tobacco until I've seen it done. At that height, the tip of the flame could wildly swipe the rim when drawn down an leave scorching. I bring the flame to the tobacco when drawing to keep the flame in the chamber, and pull the flame away while still drawing to keep the flame from rising and touching the rim as I lift the lighter.

The flame cannot be drawn to the rim. The suction is coming from the tobacco chamber. For me, the primary reason for holding the flame a distance from the tobacco is to avoid charring the rim.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

The flame cannot be drawn to the rim. The suction is coming from the tobacco chamber. For me, the primary reason for holding the flame a distance from the tobacco is to avoid charring the rim.

I also find that it just lights my pipe better. If I go trying to poke the fire down into the chamber, I just don't get a good light. I'll include a demo on the video of how a flame is actually the coolest within the colorful parts. Pushing the flame down to where the colors of the flame go into the chamber just adds a whole bunch of unignited gasses into the chamber, and it is cooling the chamber, not igniting the tobacco. But, it is easier to show you how a flame works than to just describe it with words.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It's like when I was camping last time, and a guy was trying to use a plumber's style propane torch to get his campfire going. But, he was pushing the actual yellow and blue parts of the flame up against his kindling, and cussing like an insane man. I walked up and asked if I could help. I just held the torch back so that the flame was inches further away from the dry kindling, and poof he had a fire. Pushing the flame into the wood is actually cooling it, and I showed him by pushing it against a piece of wood, and then immediately touching the wood with my bare hand. It was cooler than the ambient air.
Some people just require the experience before they understand how fire works.

 

[bullet08]

It's like when I was camping last time, and a guy was trying to use a plumber's style propane torch to get his campfire going. But, he was pushing the actual yellow and blue parts of the flame up against his kindling, and cussing like an insane man. I walked up and asked if I could help. I just held the torch back so that the flame was inches further away from the dry kindling, and poof he had a fire. Pushing the flame into the wood is actually cooling it, and I showed him by pushing it against a piece of wood, and then immediately touching the wood with my bare hand. It was cooler than the ambient air.
Some people just require the experience before they understand how fire works.

Used to teach boy scouts on fire use and safety. Basically playing with fire without causing forest fire. It's kinda neat using all sorts of ways to start the fire, but one that gets most "wow" was steel and flint. But when no one is looking, Bic works pretty good.

 

[o2jmpr]

Insults directed at my mothers lineage?

“Your mother was a hamster and your father reeked of elderberries”!

 

[jpmcwjr]

Don't look at me, I've always been asked for videos on my techniques to prove my claims and I won't believe the 1/2 inch above the tobacco until I've seen it done. At that height, the tip of the flame could wildly swipe the rim when drawn down an leave scorching. I bring the flame to the tobacco when drawing to keep the flame in the chamber, and pull the flame away while still drawing to keep the flame from rising and touching the rim as I lift the lighter.

It can be done. I've done it with a BIC and a torch butane. But still:

"Hold the flame half an inch away from the pipe" is as useless bit of "advice" as I've seen recently. How does the author define "flame"? What is the source and BTU output, and is it where it emits from the lighter? The tip? The visible tip or the hottest part which is just beyond the visible flame.

 

[anotherbob]

I'll put it this way the flame doesn't have to touch the tobacco. Especially if the tobacco is drier. When you hold the flame so it doesn't actually touch the tobacco (or barely too a lesser extent). I think that one of the keys things that is messing you up with the advice is the "about" focus on the about more then the a half inch part. And more important then the distance I've found is drawing the air gently and steadily the flame should visibly sag but the tip should still be pointing up. And yeah like a lot of pipe things it's awkward until you get it down and then people who can't do it will start confusing you too. It's not that the advice it's self is bad it's more that it's hard to clearly express. If you saw someone doing it in a casual setting it would probably click.
Oh it also helps to make sure you use smaller more broken piece on the very tippy toppest layer of the bowl.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Soooo, like no one on here knows how to post a video?

 

[anotherbob]

Soooo, like no one on here knows how to post a video?

no one wants to be the next muttonchop.

 

[edger]

You guys need a hobby to distract you.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

no one wants to be the next muttonchop.

I just want to post a video showing how easy it is to light a pipe. Some call it put up or shut up. But, I just don't have any idea how to get a video from my phone to here.