[WaRevo]

Thought I would toss in my .02

First of all Flame throwers for pipes are just no good for lighting a pipe... Ok joking aside there is some information on smoking a pipe that a lot of people may not think about. That is Pipe tobacco burns around 932 degrees F a soft flame lighter burns at 3590F and matches that are wood and mostly made of Aspen wood burn at a cooler rate of 1110F to 1470F, While the smoker can be a fast smoker it is said they can smoke alittle fast at a temp as high as 1148 F. Where a slower smoker is said to be as cool as 715F at the combustion area (Glow Point) With all that said one can take the idea that the Torch heat that is around 4530F one will burn your pipe, make the tobacco have a bad taste and with all that said

Here is what I do, I use my Zippo pipe lighter that is made with a hole on the side to put the flame over the bowl and draw the flame down into the tobacco (Or I use my Sidekick refillable lighter that is made for pipes because the flame can be pivoted to the side. Once the tobacco is lit and as I am smoking I may use it again for a touch up, however most times I will use Wooden matches on all relight keeping the flame as close the to normal combustion temperatures. This in theory keeping tongue bite down and maintaining the best flavors of the tobacco. Only time this isn't the case is when I am smoking tobacco that is heavy in Turkish tobaccos and that is because they tend to burn warmer then other tobaccos at 1490F.

My Zippo don't have any bad smells or flavors using Zippo after they redesigned it. Also using Ronsonol fluid I don't have much if any smells or extra flavors as long as I am lighting a pipe that is of normal size of around 5.5" or longer. Only time I have had any funny flavors with Ronsonol is on Mini pipes and only on the first couple of puffs to light the pipe.

Please keep in mind the numbers above on burn rate of tobacco was of VA tobaccos and I am sure that it could be even higher on tobaccos like Aromatics that are topped and cased and is one of the reasons that people have tongue bite with Aromatics more then straight tobaccos.

Also another factor in the thermo of smoking pipe has to do with packing and tamping of the pipe. It is hard for one to give advise on how to pack or tamp tobacco because not everyone is smoking the same pipe or tobacco. I found that some pipes can smoke best with a VERY tight pack job and some has to have a loose pack. Then tamping isn't to repack the tobacco but to move the ash down to the combustion zone of the tobacco so it will burn at the right temp.

Bill, I am sorry about your pipe, if you have read this far here is what I would do with your pipe if it was mine. I would ream your pipe back down to briar, as you are going I would keep checking it, if the char isn't to deep I would just ream past that point, sand your rim down to briar add some wax to the rim, and then break in your pipe again as it was new adding cake with some Prince Albert or Carter Hall, ONce you have about 4 to 6 bowls of Prince Albert smoked though it, then you can start smoking your tobacco you want like normal. Hope any or all this helps

James