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Hemp Wick Won't Stay Lit? Fix It in Under 5 Minutes
Get your hemp wick to stay lit with this 5-minute fix. Master flame control, cornering technique & instant extinguishing for better-tasting sessions.
Written by Sipho Sam
October 9th, 2025
Hemp wick is hemp fiber coated in wax that you light first, then use to light your bowl or pipe.
If yours keeps going out or feels fiddly, here's the five-minute routine that gets a steady flame on cue.
Table of Contents
What Hemp Wick Actually Is (And Why Yours Keeps Dying)
Light the Wick So It Stays Lit Every Time
Control the Flame Over Your Bowl Without Burning Everything
Three Ways to Snuff It Instantly
Wrap Your Bic So the Wick Never Unravels
Fix a Wick That Won't Stay Lit in Under 5 Minutes
Why the Flavor Actually Improves
The Daily Habits That Keep It Working
What Nobody Mentions About Hemp Wick
Your Complete Hemp Wick Routine
What Hemp Wick Actually Is (And Why Yours Keeps Dying)
Think of hemp wick as a small candle on a string you guide, not a mini torch you wield.
Once this mental model clicks, everything else falls into place.
The wick is hemp fiber wrapped in wax, usually beeswax, that burns at a controlled rate.
Thickness matters more than you'd think.
Thinner wicks burn faster and give you more control, while thicker ones last longer but can be harder to manage for precise cornering.
Most people start with medium thickness and adjust from there.
Nobody tells you that pure beeswax wicks can tunnel or flood, creating uneven burns that go out constantly.
Wicks with slightly adjusted wax ratios tend to burn steadier.
If yours keeps dying, the wax coating might be your problem, not your technique.
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Light the Wick So It Stays Lit Every Time
How to light hemp wick: Hold a 3-5 inch section at a slight upward angle, ignite the tip with any flame source, then let it burn for 2-3 seconds to establish a stable ember before use.
This is the single most important step people skip.
That 3-5 inch working length is your success zone.
Too short and the flame gets weak or goes out.
Too long and you're wrestling with an unwieldy burning string.
Keep this much wick exposed and free at all times.
The 2-3 second wait matters because the ember needs to stabilize and spread slightly into the fiber.
If you rush straight to your bowl, the flame hasn't established yet and will die on first contact.
Let it breathe.
Hold the wick slightly upward so the flame naturally climbs the fiber.
Fire wants to rise, so work with physics instead of fighting it.
This keeps the ember active and prevents that frustrating flicker-and-die situation.
Control the Flame Over Your Bowl Without Burning Everything
How to use hemp wick to light bowls: Hover the flame above the herb at the bowl's edge, letting it barely touch to ignite the corner.
This gentle contact preserves the character of quality flower while giving you precise control over how much you light.
The hovering technique is everything.
You're not jamming flame into the bowl center like a blowtorch.
Instead, you're kissing the edge with heat, letting the ember do its work without scorching everything at once.
Cornering with hemp wick stretches your flower further and lets you taste what you're actually smoking.
By lighting just one section, you can save the rest for subsequent hits instead of burning the whole bowl on round one.
This is where the flavor improvement becomes obvious.
Watch: How To Use Cannabis Flower
Three Ways to Snuff It Instantly
How to extinguish hemp wick: Press the ember against a metal surface for one second, tuck it into an oxygen-depriving holder, or use wet fingers as a last resort.
Metal contact is fastest and safest for everyday use.
The metal technique works because it instantly cools the ember below combustion temperature.
Touch it to your lighter's metal top, a brass rod, or clean metal surface.
One second of contact and it's out.
Holders that cut oxygen work well if you have one.
Tuck the burning end into a closed container or cap it with a metal lid.
The ember dies in seconds without air.
Wet fingers are your emergency method when nothing else is handy.
Lick your thumb and forefinger, pinch the ember quick, and it's done.
This works but leaves you with a slight smell and isn't as clean as metal contact.
Wrap Your Bic So the Wick Never Unravels
How to put hemp wick on your lighter: Position the working end near the spark wheel for one-hand access, wrap snugly but not tight around the lighter body, then tuck the final loop under the previous wrap to lock everything in place.
Start by placing the wick end where you want it to exit.
Most people put it near the spark wheel so you can light and pull with the same hand motion.
This makes the whole process feel natural instead of awkward.
Wrap it snug but not strangling-tight.
You need the wick to stay put during transport, but you also need to pull it free when you want more length.
Find that middle ground where it holds firm but releases when you tug.
The final tuck is what keeps everything from unraveling in your pocket.
When you get to the end of your wrap, slip the last loop underneath the wrap before it.
This locks the whole thing without knots or complexity.
Fix a Wick That Won't Stay Lit in Under 5 Minutes
Why does my hemp wick keep going out? Hemp wick goes out due to charred tips that need trimming, wax flooding the fiber, or holding it at the wrong angle during use.
Each problem has a quick fix.
Charred or mushroomed tip: Trim it back a quarter inch to fresh fiber with scissors or a knife.
That blackened, crusty end won't hold a flame no matter what you do.
Fresh fiber lights instantly.
Wax-flooded wick: Hold the problematic section near your lighter flame for one second to warm and slightly melt the wax, exposing the hemp fiber underneath.
Don't ignite it, just warm it.
This resets the burn surface.
Bad angle or hasty lighting: Hold the wick vertical or slightly upward and let the ember stabilize for those full 2-3 seconds before you try to use it.
Most "won't stay lit" problems are actually "didn't let it light properly" problems.
Why the Flavor Actually Improves
Why do people smoke with hemp wick? People smoke with hemp wick for improved taste by avoiding butane flavor, precise bowl cornering at lower temperatures, and better terpene preservation.
Hemp wick burns at 300-500°F while butane lighters hit 2000°F.
That temperature difference is massive when you're trying to taste the volatile terpenes that give each strain its character.
Lower heat means more flavor survives to reach you.
No butane taste is the other half of the equation.
Many people describe lighter hits as having a chemical funk that coats their mouth.
Hemp wick eliminates that, letting you taste just the flower.
The precise cornering ability ties it all together.
You can light exactly where you want with a cooler, more controllable flame.
This means you're not scorching terpenes before they reach you, and you're not wasting flower by burning more than you need.
The Daily Habits That Keep It Working
Burn off the soot at the end of each session before you store your wick.
A quick one-second touch to flame cleans the tip and gives you fresh fiber ready for next time.
This five-second habit prevents tomorrow's lighting problems.
Trim flaky or tunneled tips weekly, or whenever you notice the wick looking ragged.
Fresh fiber lights fast and burns evenly.
Old, damaged fiber frustrates you and makes the whole experience feel like work.
Refresh your lighter wrap when it loosens, usually every few weeks, depending on use.
A tight wrap stays put and keeps the working length consistent.
A loose wrap unravels at the worst possible moment.
What Nobody Mentions About Hemp Wick
You still need a lighter or a match to start the wick each session.
Hemp wick doesn't replace your lighter; it works alongside it.
This is fine, but worth knowing upfront so you don't toss your Bic thinking you're done with it.
Wind affects hemp wick more than butane flames.
Outdoor sessions can be tricky if it's breezy.
The ember is gentler and more vulnerable to air movement, so you might need to shield it or find a windbreak.
Minor trimming and wrap maintenance are normal parts of using hemp wick.
This isn't a sign that you bought poor quality or did something wrong.
It's just how the tool works, like sharpening a knife or changing guitar strings.
Your Complete Hemp Wick Routine
Here's what winning looks like: you light your hemp wick on the first try, the ember stabilizes in 2-3 seconds, you guide the flame precisely where you want it, you snuff it instantly against metal when done, and you store it cleanly wrapped on your lighter.
The whole process takes seconds and delivers noticeably better taste.
This is about flavor and control, not moral superiority over people who use lighters.
Some sessions call for the precision of hemp wick.
Others call for the convenience of butane.
Both are fine.
Bookmark this guide's troubleshooting section for quick reference when something goes wrong.
The fix is almost always one of the three issues we covered: trim the tip, adjust the angle, or let it stabilize longer.
Master those, and you've mastered hemp wick.
