As a relative noob pipe smoker, I'd never tried flake before a couple of weeks ago. I bought a tin of SG Navy Flake at the local B&M. If we compare this to a boxing match, SG had me down and out about 37 seconds into the first round.
Based on advice here, I decided to try a different brand of flake and grabbed a tin of Solani Virginia Flake, blend 633. Completely different in appearance, texture and every other way to the SG (the SG is more like what I've come to find out is called "broken flake").
Armed with a little knowledge from these forums and from YouTube I peeled one of the flakes out of the tin. I trimmed about 1/4" off the flake long wise and folded and stuffed the remaining, large piece. Then I rubbed out the sliver I'd trimmed off and sprinkled it into the bowl too to help serve as kindling and fired up.
What a difference! It was a little hard to get burning, but once lit it stayed lit for a good length of time. Well, for me it was a good length. I clearly don't have this technique down yet, I had to relight maybe 7 or 8 times, but I was able to smoke that bowl for close to 2 hours, which amazed me. That's partly due to my Nording...the chamber in this thing is bigger than anything I've ever owned before. If you packed it with kindling and some firewood it could heat a small cabin.
Anyway, very happy with the Solani, will try Mac Baren Navy for my next flake experiment I think when this tin is gone. I clearly have some learning to do still, but after the SG I was considering skipping flakes...but now I'm back on the bandwagon!
Based on advice here, I decided to try a different brand of flake and grabbed a tin of Solani Virginia Flake, blend 633. Completely different in appearance, texture and every other way to the SG (the SG is more like what I've come to find out is called "broken flake").
Armed with a little knowledge from these forums and from YouTube I peeled one of the flakes out of the tin. I trimmed about 1/4" off the flake long wise and folded and stuffed the remaining, large piece. Then I rubbed out the sliver I'd trimmed off and sprinkled it into the bowl too to help serve as kindling and fired up.
What a difference! It was a little hard to get burning, but once lit it stayed lit for a good length of time. Well, for me it was a good length. I clearly don't have this technique down yet, I had to relight maybe 7 or 8 times, but I was able to smoke that bowl for close to 2 hours, which amazed me. That's partly due to my Nording...the chamber in this thing is bigger than anything I've ever owned before. If you packed it with kindling and some firewood it could heat a small cabin.
Anyway, very happy with the Solani, will try Mac Baren Navy for my next flake experiment I think when this tin is gone. I clearly have some learning to do still, but after the SG I was considering skipping flakes...but now I'm back on the bandwagon!
