What I've learned, 6 mos. after returning to the pipe

[Benzadmiral]

It's been about four years now since I returned to the pipe. Interesting to look back over the comments I've made in the last four years and see how I've evolved.

Still I like straight pipes; still preferring burleys, but I like Virginias too; not sure about perique in a blend unless it's very minimal.

I've tried several ways of loading a pipe so that I'll get at least fifteen or twenty minutes' smoke after the true light -- the three-pinch method, the loading a wad of tobacco into the pipe, the pouring leaf into your palm and rolling the pipe into it so it loads. At present, I drizzle my blend into the pipe until it's about half full, then take a wad and gently screw it into the bowl, tap lightly, and light. ("60% of the time, it works 100% of the time.") The fold-and-stuff method has rarely worked for me.

I've been drying my tobaccos, often with 8-10 seconds in the microwave, and rubbing them out, including rolling the leaf between my palms. Most of the time some of it spills off the saucer, and I have to clean it up, but I guess that's part of the deal. Matches are still my favorite, but the Zippo is a nice change now and then. I light up in the kitchen, so that any sparks will land on counter or tile floor. And I love mixing different blends to see what I get: folding a stronger blend like Stirling Flake in with a mild burley or Va for a morning zing is very nice.

On those pleasant occasions when I load the pipe just right and get a half-hour or more smoke with minimal fiddling, I see once again what this hobby/pastime/vice is all about.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

While I can get fold and stuff to work (but not every time), I have never had it worked any better than normal. As such, I don't bother trying it anymore.

Runtimes are difficult for me to assess, as I so often put the pipe down for a few minutes, hours, or even a day, mid smoke. So I don't know how much leaf was lost from me putting it down to it going out. However, most of my pipes give me 30 to 40 minutes comfortably, and depending on the blend, pipe, and mood, can sometimes run a couple of hours if I sit with it constantly (very rare).

For most smokes, I just cram some tobacco in and set fire to it. My "method" seems to run on autopilot now, and varies according to the chamber, and what I'm trying to put in it. If I specifically want a long smoke, I will spend a little more time ensuring the bottom of the bowl is packed just right, and gradually layer that up, but that's excessive effort for most smokes.

As for drying, I tend to just pack the damn thing. In that process, I might determine that it felt too damp. If so, I will put that pipe aside for a day or so, and pack something else with a different blend. I find that the aired out pipes smoke really well, as the top dries right out to easily light, but there's still moisture further down the bowl for a more flavourful smoke. I do however run the risk of forgetting about it for two or three days, in which case that benefit is lost.