Tamping and relighting

[pipeman]

I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things haveing had a break of about 10 years from pipe smoking.
I've noticed my charring light only lights a very small amount before it goes out, so I tamp and relight.
I have however got myself into a tamp before every relight...is this normal? I don't tamp while lit...?

 

[D.L.Ruth]

I tamp pretty much every relight and sporadically throughout the bowl, but a very light temp

 

[Aussiemike]

Great question Pipeman. I had to have a few pipes to be able to reply because it is in the muscle memory of pipe smoking for me. I just do what the backy and pipe needs and you can't go wrong. I tamp pretty regularly and also use finger if a gentle touch is needed through the smoke. I tamp sometimes while lit just to level the bowl for even burning. I am not an expert and still learning too I am sure the old guns here will have some handy advice also champ

 

[Balisong]

I tamp after the first light to even out the top and about halfway through the pipe loosen and dump the ash and tamp it to even out the tobacco. If at any time the draw isn't right I'll give it a light tamp.

 

[ftrplt]

I've found that each pipe/bowl shape/depth and tobacco combination (ribbon, flake, broken flake, cubed, etc.) presents its own lighting & tamping challenge. I just react to whatever the situation presents to me. I've had bowls where the first match was all ever needed with just light tamping. Others were a constant tamp & relight scenario. Each bowl is a new adventure and challenge!! FWIW, FTRPLT

 

[pipeman]

thanks for the feedback... I'll persevere and get into a rythm soon

 

[BriarPipeNYC]

I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things haveing had a break of about 10 years from pipe smoking.
I've noticed my charring light only lights a very small amount before it goes out, so I tamp and relight.
I have however got myself into a tamp before every relight...is this normal? I don't tamp while lit...?

Yes... The fundamental things apply as time goes by. What you said....works for me, and I'm sure works for others.

BUT....I do one additional step....after tamping, but before relighting, I invert my pipe, turn it upside down and dump the spent ashes out. Just tamp, and let gravity spill out any loose, fluffy ashes, so no need to knock the pipe. Without this step that burnt, accumulated ash cap can ruin the flavor of the rest of the smoldering tobacco. After the loose, ashy fluff is gone, relight, and delight.

 

[Singed]

I tamp after the first light to even out the top and about halfway through the pipe loosen and dump the ash and tamp it to even out the tobacco. If at any time the draw isn't right I'll give it a light tamp.

Very much my own pattern of ember maintenance.

 

[denholrl]

Lately, I've gone back to Fred Hanna's technique of wadding up some tobacco or, in the case of flakes, folding and stuffing . . . not pushing the wad to the bottom of the bowl but leaving it 1/2-way down. This creates a sort of reverse calabash in the bowl. I light the pipe as best I can with the first match and smoke it slowly just like that. I get 6 or seven cool, flavorful puffs over the next few minutes. When the small fire dies out then I tamp and re-light.