Zippo Pipe Lighters and Pipe Wall Integrity

[shaintiques]

This thread is for all of you guys who light your pipes with zippo style pipe lighters. It comes up because I have in the past received two separate pipes from the same person both with the structural integrity of the pipe bowl compromised. The walls of the inner chamber look like they have been eaten away inside normally on the front of the bowl so that the bowl interior is very misshapen. The hole however at the rim may or may not be out of round. When I asked the individual about what kind of lighter they used, expected them to tell me a torch, I was very surprised to hear zippo. I will try to post pics of what I mean in a few. Any of you experience this with a zippo pipe lighter?

 

[shaintiques]

 

[jpmcwjr]

With any source of flame, damage can occur. I'd guess the previous smoker torched the hell out of the tobacco on first light and all relights. UGH! How thin is the wall below the rim?

 

[shaintiques]

iIt is still smokeable, but could eventually burnout if care is not taken. I'm thinking that since the size of the flame on a zippo can't be controlled and is often very large when the lighter is full, that it is burning out the walls inside the bowl. One of my young proteges is using a zippo and I'm wondering if he ought to not if this can occur.

 

[bigpond]

Lot's of folks use zippo's but rim damage like that is pretty uncommon ime. I don't but if I did, I would be inclined to buy the pipe zippo.

 

[craig94yj]

I use a Zippo pipe lighter exclusively and I do not have any damage to my bowls as a result of using one. Whatever caused that to happen is most likely operator error. Maybe he smokes near a fan or open window with a certain wind direction that causes a hot spot. For me, I love my Zippo pipe lighter and would not discourage anyone from trying one. To each their own of course.

 

[lucky695]

was he for sure using the pipe insert? because mine work just fine.

 

[brass]

Seems like it would take years to acquire that kind of damage.

 

[shaintiques]

Yep pipe insert. I don't personally like the taste of the lighter fluid so use a butane, but I had never seen damage like this before. The other pipe I gave away through the FPP, it had a similar issue, not as deep but definite spider webbing inside the bowl. It was a Castello, so a high quality pipe, I'm thinking it has something to do with the lighter. The pipe pictured above is a Stanwell. That being said I have had many other of his pipes in the shop for stem work or general cleaninga and haven't seen this issue on those pipes.

 

[captainprophesy]

Might be that they were using a zippo with a regular inside case as opposed to a pipe insert, that on top of the fact that they probably would rest the lighter on the bowl edge as opposed to keeping it off of the pipe and more in the center of the bowl.
I used to use a zippo as my main lighter, but I did however use the pipe insert and I never had an issue like this... I mainly use a cheap Vector now thats served me quite well for the past year.

 

[lucky695]

lighter the object or lighter the person?

 

[settersbrace]

I'm certainly no expert on the subject but as a zippo user I'm having a difficult time accepting that damage was caused by the device itself. I've seen similar and even worse examples but those people in general do nothing to care for their pipes. Yeah, if you rest the insert right on the wood and puff away in a stiff breeze I'd suspect you'd get some charred wood but with normal, acceptable lighting practices, no.

 

[phred]

I've got some cobs that have blackened rims from overenthusiastic lighter application, but that happened early on when I had no idea what I was doing with the lighter... I've managed to avoid similar damage to my briars, but I often use matches when smoking those. I've also dialed back my Zippo so that it's less like a flamethrower than it used to be, too. :D

 

[jpmcwjr]

Operator error for sure. One could use an acetylene torch—very carefully!—and not incur the damage shown. It all comes down to the temperature of the flame where it touches the tobacco (and/or rim or bowl), and that can be adjusted by distance held above the chamber. Heck, one can light too hard with paper matches- takes some doing, but you can damage a pipe with the flimsiests of lights.

 

[craig94yj]

The more I look at it, I would guess that he smokes in a vehicle very often and the draft from the window is drawing the heat from the ember towards the front of the bowl. The Zippo is still a soft flame lighter and even overzealous lighting would not burn the bowl opposite the natural draft of the pipe itself.

 

[coraxsnag]

Ditto. Zippo pipe insert here as well, and the only time I've charred a rim was when using a regular Bic injudiciously. Perhaps they used it exclusively outdoors?

 

[edwinbaz]

My Vertigo butane lighter (may it rest in peace) stopped working, so yesterday I ordered a Zippo with the pipe insert. But now my heart sank when I saw the pictures of that poor Stanwell. Oh, the humanity! All those posts pointing the possible fault at the smoker vis-a-vis the lighter kinda' reassure me, but I have to say, I'm still a bit uneasy.

 

[shaintiques]

I think the key here with any lighter is keeping an eye on your pipes. . If you start to see some damage change tactics.

 

[scrooge]

Shaintiques; I also have a few buddies with the same problem. We took them to a local tobacco shop an showed him. He knew instantly the problem "so he says" when 1 of my buds that was with me lite his pipe he said that the wick is touching the briar an super drying it out an the fluid is getting into the wood an burning it like a log soaked in gas, would burn. he says keep the lighter off the pipe. hope this helps

 

[jpmcwjr]

Any flame, even from a lowly paper match, should be kept off the pipe. Lighting too deeply is not a good practice.