Confused new pipe smoker........Too Mild

I'm resigned to the fat my pipes wont stay lit I keep an arsenal of cheap adjustable lighters on hand and keep sparking. All my pipes are pretty much new w/o and cake build up. With the rope I cut a plug off and after smoking it a bit decided to quarter it into strips w/ a razor blade. It didn't seem to go out any more then anything else I've really smoked in there, but I could see it being a bit of a pain w/ the tight twisting and all. Ropes are also becoming harder to get your hands on, not sure if it's the labor in making it or what.

Chris