| Author | Message | ||
     Matthew Behnke Member Username: Booji Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2005 |
I have recently started pipesmoking. I am concerned that I am rushing through my bowl. It seems as if I am constantly relighting or puffing to keep the pipe lit. I just want to slow down and enjoy. I realize that my packing is probably not the best (as I have not been smoking for very long), which may be the cause may not. I am just looking for some insight. On a lighter note I was just curious what your average bowl length and your absolute personal best (the longest bowl you have ever enjoyed) is. I am aware that there are many variables that affect the length of the bowl including but not limited to the number of relights and the size of the bowl. Regardless I would like to hear your average length and a sort of marathon time, if you will. Happy Smoking. | ||
| Bill Clough Member Username: Mdnghtramblr Post Number: 57 Registered: 09-2005 |
My bowl sizes are fairly medium/regualr sized bowls I think, and I usually puff merrily away for about 45 minutes, with relights and tamping factored in. | ||
| Scott Stambaugh Member Username: Banker Post Number: 5 Registered: 11-2005 |
The bowl length depends on the size of the bowl and the type of tobacco. I have a larger free hand pipe which lasts a little over an hour. Most of my other pipes average about 30 to 45 minutes depending on size. If you pack it properly, use a slow burning tobacco and tamp it down periodically during smoking this should lengthen your smoking time and reduce re-lights. My best re-light was 1 time in 1 hour. Hope this helps! Scott | ||
| Dan McClure Member Username: Dandukeman Post Number: 60 Registered: 08-2004 |
It takes me 2 hours to burn through a bowl of Penzance. Bowl size is 3/4" X 1.5" with a thick cake. Penzance is also very economical because it takse so little to fill a pipe and lasts long. Dan | ||
| Jeff Stierman Member Username: Jeffstierman Post Number: 52 Registered: 09-2005 |
The bowl times depends a lot on the type of tobacco. A straight Virginia or english type blend will give me a smoke of about 45 minutes, half that time for a burley. Jeff | ||
| Joel Strecker Member Username: Lester_j_corke Post Number: 25 Registered: 02-2005 |
If I had to put it down to one thing, I would say that packing is the most important aspect to figure out when starting. Do some searches on the forum; venerable old smokers like Ellis Spear have indispensalbe advice on these matters. I have been smoking for around a year, and still find his advice to various new pipe smokers extremely useful. Also, don't give up if an attempt does not provide the expected results. As my story below will illustrate, an excellent smoke may just be waiting around the corner. At a pipe club meeting awhile ago I broke the 2 hour mark. My measurement is not terribly specific, since I didn't intentionally time myself. I was quietly puffing away, listening to the gentle murmur of pipetalk that filled the room like whorls of smoke, and glanced at the clock, only to realize that nearly 2 hours had passed! I rubbed my eyes in surprise, was it really 9 o'clock? The bowl was a Stanwell of average size, and I used the breath smoking technique which is frequently described on this forum. However, I have not been able to repeat said feat. (Did it even happen? I wonder to myself at night, pillows drenched with sweat.) I'm still searching for another smoke just like it, maybe one day. . . Well, there's my advice, and my own little story. All the best. Joel "Without sin, the universe is a Solemn Game: and there is no good game without rules." | ||
| robert cane Member Username: Pipe_dreams Post Number: 262 Registered: 05-2005 |
I never cared to time My pipes. I will say without hesitation that the longer/longest smokes are those that I find Myself just breathing with the pipe. Total zen would be how I would describe it. If there are any consistencies with all these 'zen' smokes, it is the fact that they all were packed very well, something I do with care always. Another constant is the fact that all these wonderful smokes are tamped after a good char, then after this second light, I smoke to the ash. Wonderful and what makes Me love this hobby so. Tavern Tobacco 'laurel flake'~in a dunhill 'cumberland' | ||
| david goliath Member Username: Fritzin Post Number: 155 Registered: 07-2005 |
Frank Method is a must for a long care free smoke unless you get lucky. My typical time with a full sized pipe is one hour. For my more favoured pocket pipe about 20 minutes. Longest ever is three hours. The pipe had sat untouch next to me during a film and I picked it up unsmoking, puffed a couple times and it was still lit!  I guess there isn't always smoke where there's fire. | ||
| Steven Ivan Walk Member Username: Rembrandt Post Number: 44 Registered: 08-2005 |
My average pipe lasts about an hour to an hour and a quarter. I normally fill a pipe by: gravity filling the bowl, making a circle with my index finger and thumb over the bowl of the pipe, filling that circle with tobacco until its roughly even with the top of my fingers, and grasping that tobabaco and shoving it straight down into the pipe. after that i tend to 'frank' the rest of the tobacco into the bowl if its stringy enough. [Am i the first person to turn his packing method directly into a verb ? :P] its a little faster than the full on frank, and a little easier to do (at least for me). | ||
| smokey strodtman Member Username: Smokey422 Post Number: 203 Registered: 08-2005 |
As the others have said, pipe size is one of the most important factors. I just got my new Tinsky Christmas pipe, which is a 1/2 bent billiard in what I would call a large size (probably 2" bowl). My first smoke in it (with a few relights) lasted nearly two hours. The tobacco was Blue Grass Melody packed with the Frank method. I smoke using the breath smoking technique. This is not unusual for me, I seem to get good times out of my bowls, which makes for maximum enjoyment and better economy out of my tobacco. Longest time without a relight? I've never actually timed it to the exact minute like in the contests, but the other night I did notice that I had made it past the half hour mark, which is unusual for me. L.J. Peretti British Blend in a Peterson smokey | ||
| Paul Lundblad Member Username: Paullundblad Post Number: 21 Registered: 05-2005 |
My pipes tend to take me a long time, relative to the size of the bowl. Most of my pipes measure about 3/4" in diameter on top and about 1.5" long, and they usually take me at least an hour and a half. I know the point of pipe smoking (among other things) is to take time to just relax for a while and not worry about time, but I am concerned that my bowls tend to last a lot longer than most people's. Do you guys think this could be a packing issue or just a smoking style issue? I tend to smoke aromatics or lighter englishes and I pack with the Franck method. Could I afford to smoke faster, do you think? | ||
| Alan Poulton Member Username: Alan Post Number: 216 Registered: 06-2004 |
My bowls are average size, I'd say. They typically last me an hour and a quarter, at least. Sometimes an hour and a half if I can relax while smoking. My corn cob will last about 45 minutes, 30 if I smoke it quick on the verge of tongue bite. I sometimes wish I could get a bowl full down to 30-45 minutes. | ||
| Wayne S Benge Member Username: Wsbenge Post Number: 240 Registered: 05-2005 |
45 minutes is an average. I think frequent light tamping keeps the pipe burning evenly for me. If I don't pay attention, the pipe goes out. Relights are a different ... good ... taste as well. Relighting isn't all bad. |