# How do smoking pipes keep from catching fire? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-smoking-pipes-keep-from-catching-fire/838937 "2019-08-20T15:14:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-smoking-pipes-keep-from-catching-fire/838937/1 "2019-08-20T15:14:39Z")
They hold these hot little pockets of fire in them, sometimes for a half hour or so, but they don’t burn up. They don’t even smolder. How does that work? Some amazing fireproof wood? ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-smoking-pipes-keep-from-catching-fire/838937/2 "2019-08-20T15:55:43Z")
Pipe tobacco burns at around 500 degrees and briar wood, the most common type of wood used in pipes burns at 700 degrees. It is also customary to leave some ash in the bowl which would provide insulation against the burning tobacco. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-smoking-pipes-keep-from-catching-fire/838937/3 "2019-08-20T15:59:18Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Some amazing fireproof wood? Kinda. A lot of pipes are made from [briar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erica_arborea) which is just incredibly dense. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-smoking-pipes-keep-from-catching-fire/838937/4 "2019-08-20T16:08:58Z")
Pipes made of material that would burn are either lined with a different material (like a Calabash gourd with a porcelain bowl lining) or else they are cheap and allowed to gradually char and wear away (like a corncob pipe) ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-smoking-pipes-keep-from-catching-fire/838937/5 "2019-08-20T17:03:05Z")
I think those Sherlock Holmes type pipes are typically lined with meerschaum, not porcelain, but there may have been exceptions. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-smoking-pipes-keep-from-catching-fire/838937/6 "2019-08-20T17:16:09Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > I think those Sherlock Holmes type pipes are typically lined with meerschaum, not porcelain, but there may have been exceptions. You are right. I had a calabash with a porcelain bowl insert, and for some reason always assumed that meerschaum was more expensive and therefore only used if it would show. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-smoking-pipes-keep-from-catching-fire/838937/7 "2019-08-20T17:21:46Z")
The material of the pipe is also protected by the same mechanisms as most of the tobacco. Not everything in the pipe bowl is at combustion temperature with sufficient oxygen to burn. Only the center is smoldering, and only really burns when air is drawn in through it. The edges will have the lowest temperature and the least air flow. If not for this your whole bowl of tobacco would burn up in seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-smoking-pipes-keep-from-catching-fire/838937/8 "2019-08-20T17:58:31Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Pipes made of material that would burn are either lined with a different material (like a Calabash gourd with a porcelain bowl lining) or else they are cheap and allowed to gradually char and wear away (like a corncob pipe) Okay so is that how Frosty can smoke without melting? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-smoking-pipes-keep-from-catching-fire/838937/9 "2019-08-20T18:06:22Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Okay so is that how Frosty can smoke without melting? The specific heat of water is 1 calorie/gram °C = 4.186 joule/gram °C which is higher than any other common substance. As a result, water plays a very important role in temperature regulation. Also, there must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-smoking-pipes-keep-from-catching-fire/838937/10 "2019-08-20T19:57:38Z")
Or, he began to jump around because he was on fire. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-smoking-pipes-keep-from-catching-fire/838937/11 "2019-08-21T00:20:50Z")
[Cake](https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&ei=q41cXeClKu3F_Qa07afoCA&q=tobacco+pipe+carbon+cake&oq=pipe+cake&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0i71l8.0.0..56799...0.2..0.0.0.......0......gws-wiz.eRCFlRbGZl4). “The purpose of building the cake (breaking in, if you will) your new pipes is to create a barrier around the entire bowl chamber. Cake refers to the carbon deposits that are left behind by the smoked tobacco. These carbon deposits insulate the chamber and keep the briar from charring.” CMC fnord!