Waxed Twine Update.

I wrote an earlier post on Waxed Twine, that post was my initial thoughts on the product, after a day or two. Well it’s been a few weeks or so… and I’ve been able to use the products of the two big players in the Waxed Twine game. Bee-Line, and Ital HempWick.

I’ve tried to use it for all my smoking needs. as I have stated, in the earlier post, speaking at least for myself, I do not find that it is that viable for use “on the road”. To me is seems senseless to light the wick, than use the wick to light the bowl. Some may feel this is acceptable, specially those that have adverse reactions to inhaling butane from a BIC lighter.
Okay…. some of the things I have discovered in this last couple of weeks are. If you like using this stuff, buy the 200ft size. Way more cost effective. Here is a interesting fact. The smallest offered packaged products by both makers differ in footage, the Ital HempWick, gives you approximately 3.5 ft of product, while Bee-Line gives you 9 ft. There's also a difference in thickness, the Bee-Line Regular is thinner.   Although, recently I’ve noticed that Bee-Line has came out with a “thick” version now. I’m sure Bee-Line  is trying to stay “market competitive”, and offer a thickness comparable to Ital HempWick.
   
Close up photo shows, Bee-Line Regular on the Left, Ital HempWick on the right. What difference does thickness make, you ask?  HEAT… thicker twine, equals more hemp, and wax. Which gives us a bigger, hotter, flame, than the thinner Bee-Line regular. The thin wick burns with a smaller flame, and lower temp. Which in some applications is preferable. such as lighting joints, clipped bud in bowls, dry sieved powder, etc.  I’ve been using both brands for all my smoking needs. Switching between the two brands, to see how they hold up to my kinda of smoking…….  I sparked everything ……..Full melt Bub, Dry Sieved Trichs, Clipped bud, whole bud, Blunts, joints, and even those religious candles, in the tall jars, (a real bitch to light) using waxed hemp twine. I also noticed that the thicker wick tended to smolder, and smoke, a whole lot more, than “B-Line Reg” upon being blown out.
BUT… that’s the most irritating, and possibly dangerous, negative with using this type of product. After extinguishing the flame from the wick, it tends to smoke and smolder, and a “cherry” stays ignited, until being manually “stubbed” out. That's on every hit…….. A real hassle. I can even see this as a “turn off” to the point of  not using it.
Well now, I really like using this product. So I had to come up with a way to stop that “lit cherry” and smoldering smoke thing, it was doing. Now…. not only did I have to come up with something that would work, it had to look decent. No hokey shit jumping off here..
So after some serious thought and various ideas, I came to settle  on the one that I thought had the best chance, both in purpose, as well as looks. Now bare in mind this is a rough mock-up, “rough” is a loose term. This was literally my dish sponge, a piece of plastic product packaging, I fished out of the trash, a upside down ramekin, and a tea candle.
I blow out the wick flame and just tap the lit tip end on the damp sponge. Every now and then wring out the sponge in water, to get rid of that dark soot stuff on the sponge. I figure if I look in the second hand stores, eventually… that right looking piece to replace that clear plastic dish, will appear.  If anyone is using another creative method to put out the "cherry" please share...

 Also I invite you to comment...