Fold and Stuff Always Fails For Me

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aimlesswanderer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 25, 2016
211
2
I do like flake tobaccos, generally smoked either lightly rubbed out or cut into small chunks ("cube" cut), but I always find folded and stuffed flake to be highly disappointing.
Not only is it more of a PITA to get lit and keep lit than rubbed out or cube cut, but it always seems to burn down the middle or one side, leaving half or more of the tobacco untouched but ruined. By which I mean the tobacco hasn't been smoked, but has been sufficiently drained so as to make it a poor quality smoke when pulled into the middle and relit.
I've tried all manner of dryness, varying the density of the pack, and have tried both briar and cob. I've even tried folding and stuffing 3/4 of a flake and rubbing out the remaining 1/4 flake to sit on top as "kindling". The result is invariably a ruined smoke and wasted tobacco.
The obvious solution is to ditch the approach, and stick to the two methods that work for me, and that's exactly what I intend to do! For the sake of conversation however, I thought I'd throw it out there for you all to tell me why I'm doing it wrong :P

 

ashdigger

Lifer
Jul 30, 2016
11,378
70,055
60
Vegas Baby!!!
You're not doing anything wrong. If you like rubbed or cubed then stick to what works. Unless you're a masochist.....and that might work for you.....eventually.

 

lightmybriar

Lifer
Mar 11, 2014
1,315
1,838
I occasionally have the "burn down the center" problem as well. Are there any fold and stuff specialists here who can give us any tips for avoiding that situation? I usually remedy it by stirring the sides of the bowl on the way down the smoke but if there is a way to do it that guarantees the whole level burns evenly down, it would be nice to know!

 

dread

Lifer
Jun 19, 2013
1,617
9
I've never gotten the hang of folks and stuff, so I stick to rubbed out and occasionally cubed.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
My answer to flakes and coins is this: I went to a bong shop and bought a weed grinder the potheads use for their buds. It is two round pieces of wood with nails in it, kind of like an iron maiden. Put a flake or coin in it, give it a couple twists, and BAMMO. Perfect ribbon cut.

 

josephcross

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 30, 2015
963
93
Im not a fold and stuff guy. I get it burning in the middle, then usually tamp lightly around the edges. I find its flavourful, but I feel like I need to baby the flakes more than usual. Sometimes I dont have the patience to keep it up. Cube cut works better for me.

 

lightmybriar

Lifer
Mar 11, 2014
1,315
1,838
I do notice a change in flavor between rubbed, folded, and cubed. I like them all for different situations. I am sometimes successful with fold and stuff but was wondering if there is a way to ensure that it all burns down evenly, as I think the flavor benefit is worth the extra bit of babying.

 

aimlesswanderer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 25, 2016
211
2
Well I battled my way through the last pipe load that prompted me to start this thread, and even after doing all the jiggery pokery needed to try and get a decent burn, I still ended up with a flake thickness of unburnt tobacco all around the bowl around 3/4" up from the bottom.
It had wicked up all the tar like a balsa filter would, and then baked off as the coal passed it by. Instant 3mm cake. I've just had to spend five minutes cleaning it out and getting it back ship shape again,
Another point is that if I had cube cut the same amount of tobacco and smoked it in the same pipe, not only would I not have had this wastage, but my smoking session would also have probably lasted about 20 to 30 mins longer. Either I'm doing something fundamentally wrong, or fold and stuff is quite a wasteful method.

 

aimlesswanderer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 25, 2016
211
2
I went to a bong shop and bought a weed grinder the potheads use for their buds

Nice idea on the "herb" grinder. I can see that being very useful on twist. I generally fine chop them with an Ulu to overcome their asbestos properties, but a grinder might be worth a try.

Tried it with ODF?

Nope. Don't even know what that is. I've done 1792, GH #7, Ennerdale, Condor Long Cut, CCP.... and possibly something else too.... oh, Bob's Choc.

 

toobfreak

Lifer
Dec 19, 2016
1,365
7
To get it to burn right when you fold and stuff, it has to be dried right. The crease has to be at the top not the bottom so it gets lit first and it has to be packed so that the flame can spread and burn evenly. It helps to twist the flake as you press it in.

 

kanse

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 9, 2016
548
5
aimlesswanderer

British Flakes I found are too thick for fold and stuff, I rub them out.

Try old dark fired by Mac Baren.

 

lightmybriar

Lifer
Mar 11, 2014
1,315
1,838
Ahhh...the crease at the top. I've never tried it that way before. I'll give it a go in just a bit. Thanks, Toobfreak!

 

aimlesswanderer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 25, 2016
211
2
Kanse, having only ever tried British offerings (with the exception of MacBaren Cube), I had no idea they were thicker than other offerings. I had noticed the Condor LC wasn't as thick as some others, but that was the one I've just been wrestling with. Thanks for the insight.
Toob, those comments all make sense to me. The one thing I hadn't tried was twisting the flake. If I ever try a non-British flake, I may give that a try

 

kanse

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 9, 2016
548
5
aimlesswanderer

To expand(I think this is the word) on that matter, non-British flakes are not uniform in their shape and thickness either.

Maclelland Dark star is one example that you'll have to mince the hell out of, even though it's broken in tin on opening.
I've had success with Mac Baren as one of the few examples.
If you happen to be a Brit I would suggest Germain's Rich Dark Flake, I believe it's quite similar in constitution with Stonehaven, and is Exclusive to Eastern Hemisphere. Stonehaven was a pleasure to smoked folded. I am not quite sure if Germain makes RDF in different thickness though, worth looking into, nevertheless.

 

aimlesswanderer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 25, 2016
211
2
Thank you kanse, I've already ordered my rations for the next couple of months, but I'll certainly bear that in mind for the future.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
@Davet: The one I have, they kind of let the cat out of the bag when they laser-carved a gigantic 5-leaf on the top half of the grinder. They didn't have any un-decorated ones, and, believe it or not, that was actually the motif that screamed "I smoke pot!" in the most subtle manner.

 
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