That Last Little Bit In The Bowl

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BROBS

Lifer
Nov 13, 2019
11,765
40,042
IA
I still want to advertise to anyone who wants to avoid the change in taste that makes one abandon the last of the bowl:

M E E R S C H A U M.

The white goddess. A good one, solid, and absorbent.

View attachment 41026

That is all.
Very good point.. I have certainly found it easier to smoke to the bottom in my meers. Often I don't even realize the pipe is gone until I can't produce any smoke.. then check it and it's nothing but ash.
 

happy_lunter

Lifer
Jul 1, 2020
1,190
21,795
Vaughan, ON
I guess that saying that I got from mom “You have to finish everything on your plate” when I was a kid, conditioned me to finish evrything in on my plate, in my cup and also in my bowl. So almost every time I keep puffing and stiving to finish my bowl to the very end. The ”white-grey ash” legend has contributed to this practice as well.

however, now, after reading the comments from the more experienced folks here, I pledge to re-wire myself and change that habit.

At the end of the day, I smoke a pipe to enjoy and that’s the key, not to finish every bowl to the very bottom.

Thanks for you inputs ladies and gentlemen!
 
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jmg81

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 8, 2019
234
1,523
Camp Humphreys, South Korea
I was going to ask a question similar to this but found this post and read all the comments. Hopefully, i can abide by what I just read and not worry about "finishing my meal". Maybe one day, ill get that fine white ash at the bottom of the bowl ?
 
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OneGoodBulldog

Can't Leave
Nov 2, 2020
316
924
I think this is a simple matter. If it smokes, let it. It if won't smoke, dump it. If you want that nice white ash in the bottom of the bowl to break in a pipe, only smoke a tiny pinch; not a quarter or a half bowl - you'll only end up with wet dottle! Of course, the drier the better for this purpose.
 
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jpmcwjr

Lifer
May 12, 2015
26,264
30,352
Carmel Valley, CA
Yeah, I had the finish every thing- either "you won't get dessert" or to save the starving Armenians. So you can thank me for the life of one of our members....

I enjoy smoking to the bottom, and with moisture level right, it's not hard.
 
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reg46

Lurker
Oct 21, 2020
25
66
Tokyo/NYC
when I first started smoking I was quite conscious of this but realised I just tended to not like the last quarter, it is the same with cigars I would must prefer to leave on clean smoke then have an aftertaste that lingers and I just don't like
 

GlassMan

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 13, 2020
114
258
Tempe
Sometimes I’ll hit bottom on accident, not even realizing I was that far into the bowl. But generally, when it’s done it’s done. I have plenty of brown tobacco in my ashtray. It’s so affordable on a single bowl basis, what’s ten cents? Tossing half of a $14 cigar is another story.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,865
31,625
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
if you really need even cake on the bottom of the bowl which you don't you can fill the bowl half way and smoke it that way until there is cake down there. But think about this what are you protecting if you can't smoke the bottom bits anyways?
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,865
31,625
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
I have been trying like hell for years now to get any bowl to burn down completely to that elusive "fine white ash" I hear so much about. I suspect its a myth. At any rate, "force" and pipe smoking don't seem to mix. When I've had enough I dump the contents of the pipe. It is technically a renewable resource after all.
Davidoff Flake Medallion (coins) seems to be the blend that happens with most consistently for me. No idea why if it's that blend or if I smoke it differently. I've never cared about trying to get that to happen yet it seems to happen with that one 90 percent of the time. And guess what the reward is? a few more minutes of smoking and a waning shock at not finding any dottle to dump. Waning as in the first time you're incredibly shocked and thinking you must have missed something and then latter you're like oh yeah I was smoking that blend. Yorktown also seems to do that sometimes too like 50 50 on that one. Otherwise it's like one in 400 hundred bowls of anything else. Or in other words you're not missing anything.