I just can't keep it lit. It will stay burning but so little that the smoke is barley worth taking a puff for. I dried the tobacco for an hour and loaded a half bowl careful not to leave to much resistance. I can get some good puffs 10 or so and then either it goes out or the smoke is to little be enjoyable. What could I be doing wrong. Do you think If I smoke a different tobacco, this Tradewinds stuff has black pieces of I don't know what it is but I think it is hard to burn. Maybe if I just get the pipe broken in more the lighting will go better.
The Trade Winds is all black Cavendish with a casing. Cavendish should burn easily. All the Cavendish that I've ever smoked burned like a champ.
There are two things that are probably the culprit.
Like before mentioned. Your tobacco is too wet. It might take longer to dry then an hour. Some tobacco, especially tinned tobacco, can take several hours to dry... largely dependent on where your drying it. If you putting it out in the sun with a slight breeze, it should dry up a lot quicker then if your just drying it indoors. It would also depend on the humidity level in the air.... but anyways.... a good way to tell if your tobacco is dry enough is to feel it with your fingers... if it still seems a little wet, then let it dry some more until it actually feels dry to the touch.
Another contributing factor would be that your packing your bowl too hard. Try the three step method. After your tobacco is dry and you've rubbed it out.... which the Trade Winds blend should already be ready rubbed if it's all black Cavendish. So anyway... just lightly fill the pipe to the top by sprinkling the tobacco in the bowl. Then lightly tamp it to the bottom very gently with your finger or a tamper. Then repeat and then tamp gently but a little firmer to mid bowl. Then repeat and this time, tamp a little harder. Try not to press too hard, if your pipe is packed too hard, it will burn hard and it will be very hard to stay lit.
After you have packed your pipe, put it up to your lips and take a couple of draws. If the draw is hard or closed... then you have packed your pipe too tight. But if you can get a nice easy draw, then you have done a good job... it just takes a little practice. Of course on the flip side, you don't want to pack your pipe too loose, or your going to have a very quick smoke.
I have been breaking in 6 new briers and I haven't been having a problem keeping my tobacco lit. So I don't think that it's the pipe so much as something that you might be doing.
Of course with this being said, I find that I do relight my pipe at least once or twice during a bowl. Not so much because my bowl is going out... but more so to just keep it lit well... I'm more of a "big puffer" instead of a sipper.
Hope this helps... good luck and keep exploring... pipe smoking is challenging, but very much rewarding once you get the hang of it.