A little dottle never hurt anyone.

[Aaron]

What say you? Do you smoke all the tobacco or do you leave a little dottle at the bottom? I read in an article that it's not always a good idea to smoke every last bit of the tobacco to the bottom as to not run the risk of burning out the pipe. Any thoughts on this subject? Personally, I always seem to leave a little unsmoked but slightly charred tobacco after I'm done.

 

[Harlock999]

Same here, I usually leave a little at the bottom of the bowl. For me, trying to smoke to the bottom only works with certain blends, usually English. However, more often than not, I find that last bit of tobacco to be not as enjoyable, and also tends to give me an unpleasant nicotine overload. It's usually pretty crispy and dry by then anyway.

 

[Natch]

I almost never smoke all the way to the bottom. Probably the bottom 1/5 or so is dottle. But I don't throw it out, I save it in quart Mason jars, as some day when tobacco is rare or outlawed, I plan to make a mint selling it back to you guys!

Natch

 

[Jack Straw]

I very rarely smoke the dottle. The only time I really do it is if I have say smoked half a bowl and left the second half for later.

 

[Greenleaf]

I often find that with my usual burlies, the bottom fifth or quarter even has trouble staying lit. Otherwise I'd keep smoking, as the flavor is still good by this point. This is mostly a problem with my smaller pipe whose chamber is somewhat conical. Come to think of it, my large quarter bent I use for Latakia blends has the same problem, but its' bowl is pretty tall and thick. For smoking in the wind, and not helped by the fact that I walk quickly, the whole bottom third might taste like garbage. But, I prefer my big cobs for windy smoking, and the two pipes I mentioned are only for home use.

So, is it better to avoid conical shapes, or do they have advantages of their own?

 

[Natch]

Greenleaf,

Some do seem to prefer bowls that graduate in, I've heard that it "concentrates the flavor". But as it seems rather rare, it must not be loved by all. That is my major complaint with Kirsten bowls (aside from being too short and small and, well, just damn ugly!). They cant in too much. I've had a number of more traditionally shaped and sized bowls made by Mike Brissett and they work infinity better.

Natch

 

[bruins]

through horrid trial and error, i've learned to recognize the rancid taste of dottle and so quickly cease and desist before it ruins my day! dottle be damned!

 

[Skip48]

Some pipes seem to make it harder to smoke to the bottom while others seem to get to the real bottom before you know it. Sees though even the one that smoke down the the near end leave some scorched tobacco, but the one that don't smoke well down low always have some tobacco with color and that doesn't make me happy at all.

Skip

 

[Wet Dottle]

through horrid trial and error, i've learned to recognize the rancid taste of dottle and so quickly cease and desist before it ruins my day! dottle be damned!

Hey! I almost took that remark personally.

 

[bruins]

through horrid trial and error, i've learned to recognize the rancid taste of dottle and so quickly cease and desist before it ruins my day! dottle be damned!

Hey! I almost took that remark personally.

:cheers: i wondered what your thoughts on dottle would be. assumed you'd be very pro dottle. in which case, you might want to talk to natch. i think he has something you'd be very interested in.

 

[ZeroContent]

Same here, I always have a little left in the bottom. Though some of the English blends i enjoy so far are pretty much hard as a rock by the time i get to the end which aren't going to stay lit anyways, as well as I'm good with tossing it than stirring and relighting a scrap heap. I figure it's the same as cigars, by the time you're 2/3 done with it, is about the time most start going bad (though there are rare finger burners, what do you call them in pipes? bowl burners?).

 

[bruins]

some of the English blends i enjoy so far are pretty much hard as a rock by the time i get to the end which aren't going to stay lit anyways

i run into that frequntly, but have never bothered to ask what causes it.

 

[shootist51]

I let the tobacco gods decide...if it'll light I smoke, if it don't, niether do I. :lol!:

 

[bruins]

I let the tobacco gods decide...if it'll light I smoke, if it don't, niether do I. :lol!:

good plan. me likes it!

 

[Maiser]

I make a point to smoke my pipes to the bottom only if I am breaking them in. Other than that I usually leave a little tobacco unsmoked.

 

[Anonymous]

Always to the bottom.

Pack/smoke right and there's no rancid clog there.

:face:

 

[LAEarl]

Most English blends I can smoke down, but VAs and Vapers I cannot. Those seem to get an ashy taste that collects dry on the back of my palete. I thought orginally it was just the pipe but then it became a such an undesired occurance that I stop once I notice it.

Like with cigars, regardless of price, once it goes bitter or I have to fight to smoke it I am done. I have had many that I wished never run out.

 

[Anonymous]

Like with cigars, regardless of price, once it goes bitter or I have to fight to smoke it I am done.

Light the lighter -- hold the flame under the ash head and blow a long breath through it.

Maybe a couple or three times. Rolls the odometer back to 0.

It's magic.

Remember -- you heard it here !

:face:

 

[Greenleaf]

Thanks, Natch, and my small pipe I mentioned does smoke more flavorfully. But only this one, a fluke maybe, but it seems pretty well seasoned. Gives my PA that bit of tanginess, though I wouldn't go out and buy more conical pipes over it.

 

[Aaron]

It's really interesting reading all the different responses. It's good to know that I'm not the only one who doesn't smoke every last little tiny bit of tobacco. :lol: