What was Bilbo doing while smoking his pipe?

[babweiner]

I recently watched The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey and while Bilbo is talking to Gandalf, clearly getting annoyed, he keeps placing his fingers over the bowl of his pipe and 'damping' it or something. I've smoked a pipe for a few years now but I have never tried this. Is this just artistic liberties or is there actually something behind this Hobbit's habbit? Does anyone do this, know someone who does, or know why Bilbo is doing this? Thanks for your input. ~J. Babcock

 

[jwhite]

I'll place a thumb over the bowl to control the air flow when a pipes is looking like it may go out or the pipe is drafting odd outdoors.

 

[rickcharles606]

I'll place a thumb over the bowl to control the air flow when a pipes is looking like it may go out or the pipe is drafting odd outdoors.

I use my fore finger and middle finger to do this. Normally only when I've let the pipe almost go out and want to puff it back to life. Guess it acts like carb

 

[nortac]

I use my fore finger and middle finger to do this. Normally only when I've let the pipe almost go out and want to puff it back to life. Guess it acts like carb

I do the same, as did my father. Like adjusting the "choke" on a carburetor. Saves many a relight!

 

[wbj509]

+1 I was glad to see it in the movie

 

[CptBlueBear]

The finger restricts the airflow which make it flow faster. It's a good trick when your pipe is in danger of going out.

 

[Blade Boy]

It works to stoke the fire, if the pipe is going out it will help get the fire going again (sometimes).

 

[TheVez2]

As a newb, Ive used this technique often trying to keep my pipe lit.

 

[Liberty_2112]

Finally saw The Hobbit today myself. IMAX 3D. I could almost smell the pipe tobacco......then I realized it was my cap.

I enjoyed the movie, certainly lots of good pipe scenes. I don't think I'll ever feel comfortable just tucking my church warden into my belt the way Gandalf does, but then again I'm not a Wizard.

 

[Hunter]

The second time I watched it I had my pipe in my pocket, decided it wouldn't be amiss if I clamped down on it while they smoked too... didn't light up as people that interrupt movies go to a special place in hell with lawyers and telemarketers

 

[Drybonz]

I got the feeling, when I saw that scene, that he actually smokes a pipe... although he probably doesn't. It just looked like he knew what he was doing with it.

 

[Blackbeard's Delight]

I'm sure they had some special pipe 'wrangler' come in to give a lesson on pipe smoking to the actors. Surely they had someone supply the pipes for the props, so they probably had a quick tutorial as well. Although I'd bet the British actors already knew what they were doing! There were so many smoking scenes... and all the characters had pipes, they probably wanted to get it right. That was the worst thing about the movie was getting the craving to bust out some bacci every time they did. I'm sure they didn't smoke real tobacco though. I know Robert Dinero doesn't smoke in real life, and most of his roles required cigarettes... he'd use some fake cinematic cigarettes, and you can see he never inhales, just puffs and blows out the 'smoke' right away.

 

[Fahrenkamp34]

Fun fact for you, the actors were given a choice to smoke tobacco or use an herb blend (to produce smoke). If you'd like to give it a smoke the name of the tobacco is "Peter Stokkebye 24 Nougat" and its actually one of my favorite blends.