TheSmokeamater
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From the sometimes profound, often absurd, always entertaining 1953 book, The Pipe, by Georges Herment:
Part 3: Lighting the pipe; What Shall we use?
".....an ember from a wood fire deserves a paragraph all to itself. It is the queen of all lighters, and any smoker who cares to make the experiment will speedily recognize its superiority over any other method of lighting a pipe. The pipe lit with such an ember---especially if it be of some resinous wood---will afford thirty per cent more pleasure and satisfaction than if a match or fluid lighter be used. This admits of no question, experience alone will convince the skeptic; it has to be tried to bring full convincement [sic]. Imagine coming into camp after a long days tramp; dark has fallen and the log fore is blazing clearly and merrily---and then to be nourished---no other word will do---by a great pipe lit by a smoldering stick from the fire! It is at such times that all theories hatched when smoking in one's study go by the board, when the whiff of the pipe mingles with the robust, health-giving smell of a wood fire.
It should be understood, naturally, that the glowing ember placed on the surface of the tobacco must be left among the burning shreds until the pipe is properly alight. We would even go so far as to advise pressing it in with the thumb, for not only will it communicate its perfume to the tobacco, but even when burned out it will assist drawing, merely by its presence in the bowl (see the drawing above). It is impossible to overate its virtues."
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Ridiculously colorful writing? Perhaps yes.
A cockamamie idea? It sure sounds like one. However, I can tell you have tried this a few times. It is everything he says, and more. Although I don't recommend pressing your thumb into a red hot burning ember!!
Where he indicates "see drawing above" in parenthesis, there is a cut-a-way illustration of a loaded pipe bowl with the ember sitting atop the tobacco dead center allowing air to flow (illustrated by arrows) around the perimeter of the the bowl ie: diverted around the obstructing ember.
This is a wonderful thing to experience.
Regards,
Rich
Part 3: Lighting the pipe; What Shall we use?
".....an ember from a wood fire deserves a paragraph all to itself. It is the queen of all lighters, and any smoker who cares to make the experiment will speedily recognize its superiority over any other method of lighting a pipe. The pipe lit with such an ember---especially if it be of some resinous wood---will afford thirty per cent more pleasure and satisfaction than if a match or fluid lighter be used. This admits of no question, experience alone will convince the skeptic; it has to be tried to bring full convincement [sic]. Imagine coming into camp after a long days tramp; dark has fallen and the log fore is blazing clearly and merrily---and then to be nourished---no other word will do---by a great pipe lit by a smoldering stick from the fire! It is at such times that all theories hatched when smoking in one's study go by the board, when the whiff of the pipe mingles with the robust, health-giving smell of a wood fire.
It should be understood, naturally, that the glowing ember placed on the surface of the tobacco must be left among the burning shreds until the pipe is properly alight. We would even go so far as to advise pressing it in with the thumb, for not only will it communicate its perfume to the tobacco, but even when burned out it will assist drawing, merely by its presence in the bowl (see the drawing above). It is impossible to overate its virtues."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ridiculously colorful writing? Perhaps yes.
A cockamamie idea? It sure sounds like one. However, I can tell you have tried this a few times. It is everything he says, and more. Although I don't recommend pressing your thumb into a red hot burning ember!!
Where he indicates "see drawing above" in parenthesis, there is a cut-a-way illustration of a loaded pipe bowl with the ember sitting atop the tobacco dead center allowing air to flow (illustrated by arrows) around the perimeter of the the bowl ie: diverted around the obstructing ember.
This is a wonderful thing to experience.
Regards,
Rich
