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steelarts

Might Stick Around
I recently got a small barrel Peterson “specialty“ pipe for shorter smokes. Today I decided to smoke some Peterson De Luxe Navy Rolls in it. I used the fold and stuff method and it smoked really nicely. However, the bowl got hotter and hotter until I could no longer hold it and had to hold the stem instead. I was sipping, using the breath method so I didn’t expect this. My other smokes in it have never been that hot.

Was I doing something wrong? Does that baccy always smoke hot or should I have packed the pipe differently? Or is it just that it’s a smaller, thinner walled pipe? Do I risk damaging the pipe if it smokes very hot like this? That’s my main concern.
 
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Aug 11, 2022
2,663
20,892
Cedar Rapids, IA
I like to break in pipes with ribbon cuts (or fully rubbed-out flakes) in order to start building an even cake from the get-go. I also like to use matches, so I'm not torching the virgin chamber walls with such a hot heat source. I'm an exclusively outdoor smoker, so I try to only smoke a new pipe when there is no wind. There are lots of other paranoid/obsessive things one could do, I could go on and on...

As others have posted, it's normal for a new pipe to get hot. Go ahead and let it go out and cool off whenever it feels too hot for comfort. (You can extinguish it quickly by clamping off the top of the chamber tightly with your fingers and drawing to create a vacuum. h/t to @cosmicfolklore for that tip.)
 
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kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
15,138
25,713
77
Olathe, Kansas
Thinner walls could have contributed to the problem, but you were probably smoking the pipe in a less than optimal fashion. I suspect the problem was caused by how you packed your pipe. With a thin-walled shorter pipe you usually have to be sure didn't overpack the pipe. I think you should rub the tobacco out and then load lt. But I could be wrong, also.
 

steelarts

Might Stick Around
To continue the post above. Here are some examples from my pipes. All else being equal the more "craggy" the finish, the more surface area and the less of that surface touches your fingers. Therefore, It smokes and feels cooler. puffy

View attachment 308795
It is rusticated. It’s this small Peterson
 

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steelarts

Might Stick Around
Thinner walls could have contributed to the problem, but you were probably smoking the pipe in a less than optimal fashion. I suspect the problem was caused by how you packed your pipe. With a thin-walled shorter pipe you usually have to be sure didn't overpack the pipe. I think you should rub the tobacco out and then load lt. But I could be wrong, also.
I was sipping using the breath method. I’m starting to think that the folding and stuffing method is probably better for a larger pipe. Although I can get a good draw I’m thinking after what you say it might still be too tight. I’ll try rubbing the rolls out in the future. Thanks
 
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simong

Lifer
Oct 13, 2015
2,747
16,591
UK
I wouldn’t call a Peterson a cheap briar. Okay, it’s not a Dunhill but it wasn’t exactly cheap to me.
Not cheap to me neither, I've been buying Peterson's for over 30 years! I've learned in 'lower range' pipes (which is what a donegal rocky is) briar quality varies..... a lot! Most of the time they're fine, now & again you'll get a duffer. Could just be you haven't broken it in yet, a fresh pipe and a seasoned pipe are two different things.
 

UB 40

Lifer
Jul 7, 2022
1,349
9,800
62
Cologne/ Germany
nahbesprechung.net
Nice little pipe. The first Peterson I could fall in love with. I’ve got a few small pipes with thin walls. When they’re getting hot, I put them down and let it rest to fire it up again. Or I smoke it all way down. It depends on my mood and if the taste is still acceptable. Some tobaccos run cooler than others. I remember the Peterson Rolls on the hotter side.
 

fishmansf

Can't Leave
Oct 29, 2022
447
1,474
PNW
I recently got a small barrel Peterson “specialty“ pipe for shorter smokes. Today I decided to smoke some Peterson De Luxe Navy Rolls in it. I used the fold and stuff method and it smoked really nicely. However, the bowl got hotter and hotter until I could no longer hold it and had to hold the stem instead. I was sipping, using the breath method so I didn’t expect this. My other smokes in it have never been that hot.

Was I doing something wrong? Does that baccy always smoke hot or should I have packed the pipe differently? Or is it just that it’s a smaller, thinner walled pipe? Do I risk damaging the pipe if it smokes very hot like this? That’s my main concern.
Echoing what everyone else said, small walls get hot quickly. I also have found that the breath method, while designed for a cool smoke, can often burn your tobacco way hotter than you would ever realize. I generally hang my pipe in my mouth if im doing something and block the hole with my tongue. Otherwise, if I am sitting, all I do is sip.