Pipes That Don't Stay Lit?

[sittingbear]

Has anyone had a pipe that just just doesn't seem to stay lit, no matter what tobacco you put in it? I have a handmade pipe from a reputable carver (who I won't name in order to protect the innocent) that just doesn't seem to smoke right. I find that I relight it more often and the smoke never lays until the bottom.... I'll be relighting and still have a quarter of a bowl left and I'll just give up. Anyone else ever have this issue?

 

[VDL_Piper]

Shape and bowl structure play a large role in how a pipe performs in regards to relights and some tobaccos are harder than others.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Never have, always operator error. Pack the tobacco lighter.

 

[camaguey]

I think that tobacco cut and humidity plays a major rol. But i admit that sometimes a restricted flow may affect the burning in a considerable way. Try with drier baccy , smaller cut , soft hand on the filling and you may open the draw of your pipe if that is not enough.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Has anyone had a pipe that just just doesn't seem to stay lit, no matter what tobacco you put in it? I have a handmade pipe from a reputable carver (who I won't name in order to protect the innocent) that just doesn't seem to smoke right. I find that I relight it more often and the smoke never lays until the bottom.... I'll be relighting and still have a quarter of a bowl left and I'll just give up. Anyone else ever have this issue?

Same and gave up on a pipe last winter - got it out a couple months ago and surprise, lol. It’s me, not you, pipe.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I would speculate the drill is the culprit if a pipe won't stay out. Not sure how the shape of geometry of the bowl would matter much.

 

[OzPiper]

Never have, always operator error. Pack the tobacco lighter.

Same and gave up on a pipe last winter - got it out a couple months ago and surprise, lol. It’s me, not you, pipe.

Now, what was the saying about the workman and his tools ?

 

[sablebrush52]

I have never encountered this issue.
Different blends smoke differently, and one of those differences is the ease with which they burn.

 

[bullet08]

Kick it few times. Works for toasters.

 

[badbriar]

Sell or trade it. You won't have confidence in that particular pipe. Life is short - not worth the time & trouble.
Just my 2.5c (adjusted for inflation).

 

[warren]

It's usually not the pipe. As many observed above, more than likely, it's the person loading, tamping and smoking the pipe.

 

[burleybreath]

I have a Pete Sherlock Holmes Rathbone. Love the shape for smoking, but it's the only pipe I have that too often gurgles, one out of 75 or so. I've been smoking pipes since I was 16. Must be me, right?

 

[kcghost]

Since you claim it is every tobacco you try, I think you better look at the common denominator. You need to have a little talk with yourself.

 

[Swiss Army Knife]

To pile on: when it comes to having to relight it's never the pipe. Other than extreme gurgle issues where the very bottom of the bowl is just a swamp and won't take even a blowtorch.

You mentioned the bottom third of the bowl and giving up. That sounds like you're either packing too tight or it's getting really moist down there. The bottom of the bowl is always the most effected by over packing. So pack lighter. Also check it with your finger and feel if it's really wet, if so dry it more beforehand.

Finally if you're only having this issue with one specific pipe then troubleshoot what the difference is. Is it a much narrower chamber than your other pipes? Maybe it's much shorter and you're still packing or tamping like you've got a chimneys worth of tobacco in the bowl.

 

[tobakenist]

I thought it was the Tobacco that didn't stay lit, not the pipe.

 

[doug535]

@georged
George and I were just having a discussion on this very thing. I'll let George explain what may be a possibility.

 

[Pipke]

I thought it was the Tobacco that didn't stay lit, not the pipe.

C'mon... You know what he's saying.

 

[Sigmund]

I have a nording I cant seem to keep lit but I think its my packing. Its small tapered chamber and I think it needs to be packed differently than my other pipes. I havent really worked hard to find the answer but it does elude me.

 

[WirelessSmoke]

I had a similar experience with one of my pipes. I had to play around with how I loaded it quite a bit before it would smoke well. It can smoke just fine but it has a much smaller margin for error than my other pipes. It does well with being packed far more loosely than I can pack my others.

 

[The Libertine]

Sounds like you're packing and tamping too hard