Pipe Smoking Myth #1

[aldecaker]

Have people with dirty pipes stopped beating their wives? I did not know that!
Seriously, though, a close contender for Myth #2 might be that new pipers have to start with a sweet aro.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Oh wow, I just realized that I've been here two years.

Yeh, beating your wife isn't what it used to be.

 

[phil67]

Never really gave much thought to what would by considered as Myth #1 (if they were in order as to priority?). Perhaps that a new pipe should be broken in by first only smoking half bowls, or rubbing some honey on the inside of the bowl (God forbid!!)

 

[gloucesterman]

True, the half bowl and honey myths have been around as long as I can remember. Which is far longer than I care to admit to. The ash thing is relatively new.

 

[brunoreiser]

I think it's hard to get to the end of a session of pipe smoking whitout three or four relights. Sometimes the tobacco remaining at the botton of the bowl becomes wet and not so tasteful. However, it doesn't bother how fine was the ash rather than how pleasant was the smoking.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Bruno-
As an experiment, using the same tobacco, dry it down, perhaps even to the point of your thinking it's too dry. Try a couple of bowls and see how that goes.
Best of luck!

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I've only smoked down to ash on a few occasions, but never with one light. I think the best I've ever done is 2 matches for 1 bowl and that was pure luck. A feet to never again be repeated. LOL

Having someone say it smokes to a fine white ash and only took 1 light tells me nothing about the tobacco itself, so I disregard that crap all together. I want to know about flavor profiles, if it's overly moist etc. I couldn't care less how many lights someone else used.

 

[rigmedic1]

Smoked some Dunhill Elizabethan Mixture yesterday that left a lot of fine white ash, all on the top as it was smoking down, heh heh. Unfortunately, I still had some dottle due to the humidity.

 

[brunoreiser]

jpmcwjr
It seems to me that larger bottom bowls tend to leave sometimes the tobacco wet, even when the pipe is straight. I've never done it before, but it's worth trying to dry it up.

Thank you for the advice.

 

[foggymountain]

It depends on the tobacco. Finer cuts are easier to get what you want. Also on the width of the pipe. Wider bowls don't do it. Have I gotten a fine white ash? Rarely, but I seem to remember it a few times.

 

[stflorian]

This thread is absolutely a must read for all newbies! I have been off and on with a pipe for 2 years, but I can look back and say honestly reading such talk from so many members early on would have saved my tongue from probably nearly falling off.

 

[deathmetal]

Almost every tobacco review I read states "smokes down to a fine white ash with one light".

I saw this trope mentioned in a Faulkner book about his smoking. I think it's more rhetoric/imagery than reality.
On the other hand, I have had bowls smoke down to this. Recently, I rubbed out some 1792 and let it dry, then torched about a half-bowl of it. At the end, it was greyish but mostly white ash which fell out and disappeared in a cloud.

 

[gregprince]

Has happened, but not regularly. Enjoy your smoke and don't worry.

 

[blackbeard]

I kind of assume "the bottom of the bowl," is not the absolute bottom; but instead just before the airway. There are times where I get to the "bottom" but there's usually an insignificant amount leftover. One light is fine for some tobaccos, but...as I have been learning there are some a second/third light is actually beneficial. Can change the whole experience for me. I'd prefer not to go to the bottom as others have said. Ash doesn't smoke well and no point to get there. Lighting again, as long as you're not just throwing a torch to it shouldn't be a big deal.