Do Cob Pipes suffer from ghosting?
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Give me a bottle of Everclear and 24 hrs. and I'll banish damn near anything.
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Im having trouble keeping my pipe lite. I puff every 10-15 seconds or so, but not constantly, but never more than 30 seconds between puffs. But I seem to be losing my light 8 or 9 times per bowl, and in my pipe a bowl only lasts about 20 minutes. Is this common? or is this indicitive of something else?

thanks!

Brad
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Probably a simple case of gooey aromatic tobacco or perhaps "frozen flame" that affects so many in Traverse City in December. Can you light a match and then break the flame in half with your fingers? If not...

Most of staying-lighted problems are resolved with practice, patience and half-filled bowls. Follow the tried and true advice about a bowl-filling method that always allows only the slightest airflow restriction, only tamp lightly to keep the burning embers in contact with one-anotherand avoid using an overly moist tobak. Since this is more qualitative than quantitative it means, "keep trying" and it'll all fall into place.

Pipes with crappy enough airflow do prevent a decent smoke do exist but they are far less of a problem than improper pipe-filling technique. Mostly, new-to-pipe people tend to fill the bowl too tightly and tamp too firmly. Also, relights happen. Maybe not a dozen per bowl - but relights may be part of the deal according to the pipe, the tobak and the experience level.

Want a develop a steady burn? Use a cob (or your preferred briar), a proper 1-2-3 fill and some Carter Hall or Prince Albert.
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Frozen flame. Love it. Thanks again! Probably a combination of the tobak and my packing technique, though I think im better at that now, now just to keep it lit! :-):-)
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Pack a snowball. Pack a lunch. Pack a bearing. Pack a punch. But, please, never pack a pipe.

Filling a pipe by a thoughtful and practiced process allows perfect burns and minimum relights. Packing (ugh!) a pipe insures maximum relights, plugged airways, cosmetically damaged tongues and that sort of newb dissatisfaction with pipes that leaves good pipes resigned to drawers.

FWIW, all this has already been covered in my sig line, below.

The first ex-Mrs. Moo's grandfather used to be the mayor up there back when electricity was new, by the way. I almost died from hypothermia while sailing a Hobiecat on the west bay once in mid-July.
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Pack Snow, not pipes. got it. My technique went better today 4 relights only gotta get some lighter fluid for my pipe zippo or im going to own a match company. :-) Im getting there. I love pipes now. good stuff

Oh and ya, sailing on the bay when the water doesnt get much above 65 all year can be cold, but o so fun! thats a pic of me in my avatar sailing on west bay in a race that I won:-)

Now, I need to get some decent tobak. the stuff I have is really wet and sticky. Off to nolans!
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Ah - improved technique renders improved results. Excellent news. Woo hoo.

Look, Darbs - I can't knock what I don't happen to like (aromootics). I can knock the fact that bulk blends at pipe stores may be so loaded with PG humectant that the tobak never dries out, may cause increased relighting annoyance (fill-method notwithstanding) and will pack tight (and stay tight) under very gentle compression. I know many bulk store blends can be enjoyed but, for my tastes, I lean away from them (and, incidentally, towards tobaccos that will be overly dry - and might need water added - if left in a plastic bag or unsealed tin for a week or so). Try it all.

Watch out for thin ice and white outs. :-)
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I ended up with an estate meerschaum pipe that was a bit more roughed up then I had expected. The bowl is dinged up pretty and there is yellow and grayish mottling on the bowl and shank. I've searched quite awhile last night for a more vigorous cleaning method but I couldn't find anything. I was wondering if anyone has run across and article from more of a restoration angle then maintenance. I almost want to try to strip or leech all the impurities out and start fresh. Then polish the bowl smooth and re-coat. I have a feeling if I go at this with things I think may work I might end up dissolving the pipe. I suppose it wouldn't be much of a lose and the knowledge maybe worth it but if anyone has any guidance it would be appreciated.
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I have read such an article while googling something else; it's all about heated beeswax and it sounded like a real fascinating pain. If you can't find anything about it then (screenname) IKMeerschaum is for sure the expert.
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Alright I will poke around some more before harassing him. Thanks Moo
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I have one I can't figure out

What makes a pipe a "freehand"? is it a specific shape? I'm confuzzled
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pm me your email address 'woos; I have the pages of top secret meerschaum information you want.
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From what I have been able to discern, "Freehand" means when a carver breaks away from the usual shapes that he/she is known for or their specific shape charts. This means that they are usually not using any of the molds or other tools that help them make their usual shapes over and over again.

These tend to be more Organic looking and are usually shaped without a plan in the beginning.
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aahhh ok, just freehand sorta = freeform? that makes sense
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self bump
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I smoke burley blends and VAs in a cob and never noticed a bothersome aftertaste. I really thought some other old fart with lotsa cob background could do better with your inquiry.

Helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllloo oooooooooooooooooo.....
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Thanks Mr. Moo. I guess there arent many experienced smokers here. You are alone in a sea of newbs.!!!:-)
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Oh crap.

One of the all time greats - I mean a regular "Mr. Big" of pipeology - advised not to smoke english blend in a cob so, mostly, I never did. Latakia may foul a cob for eternity for all I know. It will muddle a punchy english blend a bit so, after a few tries with english bacc'er I kept my cobs for Carter Hall and VA or VaPer, with which a cob shines.
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So now I have to worry about which blends I smoke in what type of pipe:-)

Um... WTB: Pipe cheat sheet! :-)

I'll have to make a flowchart :-)

Chris
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