Suppose Your Pipe Is Unevenly Lit...

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subsalac

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 9, 2018
277
1,124
You do a charring light, and then properly light the pipe. But suddenly you notice that only 50% of the top layer of tobacco is lit. Do you keep smoking? Do you wait for the pipe to go out? I run into this a lot and what'll happen is the cherry will burn straight downward and I'll only be able to tamp part of the pipe. How big of an issue is this?
 

blackpowderpiper

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 19, 2018
810
3,787
Middle Tennessee
I try not to overthink things. To me, this is not a big deal. If I don't notice it, I'll keep smoking. If I do notice it, I might give it another pass with the lighter. At any rate, as long as I'm getting a good burn and some tasty smoke, all is good. If midway or so down the bowl I notice some tunneling, I may give the ash a gentle rake with my tamper, dump out the ash, scrape tobacco from the sides and even things out, relight and I'm off to the races again. I think over time you just develop a feel for things. My main suggestion for folks is not to pack things too tight. As long as you pack loose and hang loose, adjustments can be made.
 

gervais

Lifer
Sep 4, 2019
2,078
6,973
39
Ontario
I try not to overthink things. To me, this is not a big deal. If I don't notice it, I'll keep smoking. If I do notice it, I might give it another pass with the lighter. At any rate, as long as I'm getting a good burn and some tasty smoke, all is good. If midway or so down the bowl I notice some tunneling, I may give the ash a gentle rake with my tamper, dump out the ash, scrape tobacco from the sides and even things out, relight and I'm off to the races again. I think over time you just develop a feel for things. My main suggestion for folks is not to pack things too tight. As long as you pack loose and hang loose, adjustments can be made.
Yep, this is my take on it to a tee. You'll find what works for you with time.
 

bullet08

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
8,932
37,913
RTP, NC. USA
A drop of lighter fuel or a fire lighter and the problem is solved. rotf On a serious note I concur with the above comments. It is often better not to try and over think these things. A quick tickle with the old Bic and a tamping down of the tobacco tends to solve these issues.

i'm very tempted to fill the chamber with butane and flick the wheel on bic.
 

mtwaller

Lifer
Nov 21, 2018
1,311
5,333
34
Atlanta, GA
I have an irrational paranoia about charring bowl rims, and because of this I always seem to err too far on the side of caution when lighting the first part of every bowl. I’ve been smoking a pipe for over a year and I don’t think I’ve ever had one light fully. I run into the same thing, a small part will burn and the rest won’t. It usually evens out after about 10 minutes.
 
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