American Plug Tobacco

davet · Mar 1, 2017

In a few threads it has been discussed that the machinery to produce plugs doesn't exist here. I thought there must be, or at least was at one time, equipment to produce plugs on a commercial level. So after an afternoon of wandering aimlessly around the interweb I'm no further ahead. I found discussion of civil war soldiers smoking plugs, cigars being too fragile to carry as well as expensive. I found many images of vintage tobacco plugs that I believe are American. Nothing definitive about American plug manufacturing. I miss MLC :crying:

All this thinking of plugs did remind me of finding an old plug of chewing tobacco in a tackle box. This plug must at least thirty years old and after a little rehydrating is just like new with a delicious molasses aroma.

What I found interesting is that this plug's package states "Made in USA for National Tobacco Limited " This plug is as dense, dark and solid as any plug I've smoked. Are these steam pressed ? Who knows ? But I think that someone in the U.S. must have had the presses to make plugs at one time.

So, anyone have info regarding plug chewing tobacco or am I wrong to make any connection between the two ? :puffpipe:

murica · Mar 1, 2017

Looks delicious.

davet · Mar 1, 2017

It tastes amazing, I was ahocked that being that old it could be that flavourful.

pipeman7 · Mar 1, 2017

I think Cosmic's post wasn't exactly accurate. Look at any tobacco from the early 20th century and it's all labeled Cut Plug. I'm sure tons of companies used to make plugs in America, the just don't anymore.

davet · Mar 1, 2017

I'm sure tons of companies used to make plugs in America, the just don't anymore.

At least plugs for smoking anyways...makes me curious :puffpipe:

davet · Mar 1, 2017

davet · Mar 1, 2017

ophiuchus · Mar 2, 2017

:clap: -davet pulling an MLC! Cool! (I miss his contributions as well.)
That plug of Club sure looks yummy. : puffy

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jvnshr · Mar 2, 2017

I think Cosmic's post wasn't exactly accurate. Look at any tobacco from the early 20th century and it's all labeled Cut Plug.

Which post are you guys talking about?

newbroom · Mar 2, 2017

http://us.northerner.com/days-work-plug-chew

cosmicfolklore · Mar 2, 2017

My post that the we son't have the euiptment to make Irish style plugs that are dense like Warrior or Velvan was based on watching previous threads comparing the new version of War Horse Plug to the original version and what the SToP group had said about getting it manufactured.

Maybe there's a barn somewhere with a press, but there is no current Irish style plug being produced here... was the concensus that I gathered. Maybe at one time there was. Cool research though.

cosmicfolklore · Mar 2, 2017

GLP makes a Plug of sorts, as well as a few other American companies, but in those threads we found that the loose leafed plugs pressed here were not quite as dense as the Irish styles, like Warrior or Velvan. We certainly have plugs here, but just different.

SToP coined the term "chug" for their version.

cosmicfolklore · Mar 2, 2017

The machinery used to produce the Euro-style plugs does not exist in the US. We tried like all hell to get it done here, but in light of the pending FDA regs effectively eliminating all new blends, the investment in new tobacco processing equipment that would never see full utilization would not be a very smart move.

The quote is from Woodsroad in this thread - http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/american-made-plugs-versus-uk-made-plugs
Plugs like Cannon Ball plug, Jackknife, Tripple Play, etc... tend to be a loose leaf plug. They are plugs as we Americans have come to know them, which may be the case in the above plugs of antiquity, but the current versions of plugs here are not what the Europeans would know a plug to be, which is denser like a hockey puck.

davet · Mar 2, 2017

It's all very interesting and trying to find more information, frustrating. Thanks for the link Cosmic, I had forgotten that thread. I believe that there must be, have been, a press capable of making a proper (Irish) style plug in the U.S. That Club plug above is as solid a plug as I've ever come across.

Club chewing tobacco was made in the U.S. for National Tobacco Limited of Montreal, nowadays part of Altria Group Inc. All these familiar names are under this umbrella, Copenhagen, Skoal,

Phillip Morris, John Middleton, Carter Hall, Prince Albert. Dizzy yet ?

All of their smokeless tobacco is manufactured in Franklin Park Illinois.

Now of all the plugs that were made, both chewing and smoking, the only ones currently produced would be chewing, although I'm not sure of the brands still available.

I believe the above are all currently available. They do resemble an British/Irish plug much more than any American. Are they steam pressed ? Who knows, but obviously there are pressed.

As far as the FDA rules that pertaining to new blends, do the have any effect on a current blend that would be pressed or steam pressed ?

Another cup of coffee and I'm off to "The Google"

ericusrex · Mar 2, 2017

Quite a few chew plugs available here. Maybe some of them can be smoked. Some here smoke Cotton Boll I know.
http://lilbrown.com/c-896-leaf-plug-chew.aspx

cosmicfolklore · Mar 2, 2017

None of those plugs pictured are even similar to the dense Irish/European Plugs. Those all still look like stacked leaves pressed. The Irish plugs are more the consistency of a hockey puck and they cut more like hard plastic, with the individual leaves no longer revealing themself.

cosmicfolklore · Mar 2, 2017

:wink: Cotton Boll, which is one of my favorites, is not even a plug. It's a twist. But, it's a great twist. : puffy

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cosmicfolklore · Mar 2, 2017

Have you ever tried Warrior, Velvan, or PPP?

toobfreak · Mar 2, 2017

These pictures are making me hungry!

hawky454 · Mar 2, 2017

Great thread! I'll have to come back to read it when I get more time. I do remember some of those chewing tobacco plugs and they still sell some of them in my local grocery stores.
Yes, Pease makes Plugs but they don't come out like the European Plugs and I still can't understand why we Americans can't get a proper press. I absolutely applaud his attempt and they are excellent blends in their own right.

American Plug Tobacco

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